HOOD RIVER & MEMALOOSE STATE PARK

WoW! What a crazy weekend we had - beer and music - music and beer - well, how else is one supposed to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?! 

But it was time to continue on. Sunday we were headed back east a bit to Memaloose State Park. Whereas the showers were still closed at Deschutes River SRA - Memaloose was open with showers and a dump station! It was time.

Our overnight parking spot in Hood River - funny of course that we are parked right beside Full Sail Brewing which we didn't visit - see - even we don't get to ALL the breweries!

Before leaving Hood River for the State Park, we decided to walk around the downtown first - seeing as we headed right for the brewery the day before when we pulled into Hood River.

They had the tent down from the event pretty early - Double Mountain sure looked different in the morning.

Hey Slick - how are you feeling this morning? Here's the news - we don't usually drink much at the breweries we visit but Derek probably had one to many at Double Mountain! Or was is all the dancing that has him feeling a bit of pain?

Darn - a bit blurry - but here it is anyway.

And now another brewery in Hood River! WoW! We didn't even scratch the surface of craft brew in this town.

And who is the Wood Clan to refuse a staircase like this one. Should we do it? Of course we should says young legged Cassia. (My calves STILL hurt a week later from this stunt!)

There must have been a couple of hundred steps for sure! You can't see them all here, just as you couldn't see them all in the last picture. Nuts - completely nuts because of course half way through, when you think you can't take another step - you must - because you CAN'T not get to the top - right?!

A reward now back at the bottom though - spring has almost sprung here in the River Gorge.

Nice walking around Hood River's downtown - lots of shops and such. We did end up in a toy store and Mom did end up buying Cassia two little horses - one brown and one black for $1.75. 

A poster for a punk band..Ha! A pose that wasn't really a pose! We found this raven painted beside a parking lot - pretty neat!

From downtown Hood River we headed over to Walmart and Safeway to pick up some food - we hadn't grocery shopped since Redmond almost a week before! 

Then on to the Park.

Here's Brody and Cassia - nice that we were all parked between the playground and the shower building.

Real troopers because it was REALLY cold while we were there.

Cas and Brody on a serious walk to the playground from Brody's grandparents trailer. We enjoyed visiting with Kathy and George from the Portland area - a nice couple who had us over for steak dinner Sunday night. 

We booked in for two nights - not bad at $20 per night but there is no hiking at the park and it was very cold - we were a bit van bound. Cassia and I did brave a walk around the Park on Monday to see what it looked like down by the river.

With Brody leaving Monday, Cassia was a lone rider.

Our site - at least it was sunny but have I mentioned how COLD it was! Good thing we had electricity to run our little heater.

So, that takes us to last Tuesday. I'm closing in fast on my overdue posts. 

Tonight we are back in Cascade Locks following a quick trip over to Washington yesterday and last night. 

Tomorrow we are back on the move.

North.

Yup - we have waited long enough - we are homeward bound!

Estimated arrival into Canada is Monday afternoon! Two days through Washington and we'll be home.

Amazing - we've waited so long to return and now we are so close we can almost touch it.

Prior to leaving the States we always stop and do some shopping - particularly grocery shopping with prices being much cheaper on many items. Plus - Bellingham has a Trader Joe's - so one last visit to hold me over until the Fall. 

So - Canada! Here we come!

I should be able to get another post in tomorrow night from a Home Depot en route. I'll have to finish off the rest from the north side of the border.

Teresa

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