The Portland Area HSD July Road Trip!

For July we're planning a road trip. Details are being worked out now, but plan on joining us for a Hybrid caravan for most of the 18th. Here's the route, about 140 miles, can you figure it out? Take a look at the MAP. Lots of links and clues on it.

Start on the west side of the oldest public park on the west coast, then left-right and away we go.

You won't have to spend a franklin to get your Levi's button flies, just drive it, Don't get into a hough, just go west, young man, on a plain mill. You're all right for the fourth plain, then left into the fruit valley, keep your jeans on.

Drive through all the fields on the ridge until you feel like a pioneer, but don't go to the library. Pretty soon it's time U haul yourself to the highway and hit the road, Jack, right past Paradise. I mean, what's the point? Unless you really need a pit stop.

Put the cruise control on and relax until you get to the town that was named for the river that was named for the Hawaiian. There used to be a Columbia River ferry there, but only for the railroad. We keep on cruising.

When you want to get off, its as easy as one 2, 3, 4, or the reverse, you've got to take the long view. If you hear a Texas Playboy, you've gone too far this time, so jump off 4 ever, you're as old as Jack Benny. Go see Sacajawea, and her lake. Stay close to the lake, then take the Highway to the Beach and Ocean, Stella!

You may want a drink by now, but it's on the other side of the river in the POSH area, we'll get to that later. Right now we're passing the first salmon cannery in the Northwest, or what remains of it after a gross number of years.

So now we're in the smallest Washington county and almost ready to cruise some more. Time to get the spray cleaner. The pause that refreshes with Earl & Shirley. If we're early, we may watch the bald eagles or linger at an old car show, just for contrast.

Keep looking right and you'll see the rusty roof of one of the last canneries still standing, but it's only 140.

Whee! Up in the air we go in honor of the first woman simultaneously elected to two sessions of Congres. Don't look now, deer, but I see your white tail.

As the hour approaches, the nine (max) prepare to embark for a west port. It's the only one there is hereabouts, so get your queer money ready.

Ten minutes and a little over a mile later, with zero gas use in our cars, we're ready to roll again.

You've got to admire a Scottsman who exports salmon back home, gets the town named after him, and whose name is still used on canned goods all over the world. Did I mention he exported lumber to Australia seven score years ago? And served in the Oregon legislature?

Now we're heading east through the unincorporated Marshland to the river named for the Tlatskanai, who got there before West, then on to the town which takes its name from the river. If you want adventure, at Alston look for Victorian treasure and take the old road, but then you'll miss the bridge Lewis and Clark wish they had going back to the fast track. On the other hand, you could go south to the bee hive.

A little further on, somethng's missing: bundled, removed, and buried. It's not cool, or cooling, anymore, in fact, some parts are hot.

Scoot on south to the county seat, which includes a square mile of water in the city. No wonder it was a bigger port than the upstart we're heading toward. It's 130 years old but established 10 years before Oregon statehood. If you want to go to a rodeo, you're in luck.

Further along we get to a gravelly plain, famous for potatoes, pickles, a big candle, and, yes, gravel.

If you live in Hillsboro or Beaverton, up ahead you can pass on the right, Cornelius, which goes past where we had our April meeting. A few miles later, you can take the new bridge to the old Wapato Island.

Yep, you know where you are now, Linnton! Go home.