# Portland Approach



## Rail Freak (Jun 17, 2009)

Flew into Portland,Ore. on 6/07/09. It was really cloudy & all of a sudden, out of the left windows, Mt Hood's beautiful snow capped peak just nestled in the tops of the puffy clouds!!!    :huh:  !!!

WOW!!! (but no camera).Two days later on Amtrak checking things out from terra firma! Nice trip!

RF


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## GoldenSpike (Jun 17, 2009)

Rail Freak said:


> Flew into Portland,Ore. on 6/07/09. It was really cloudy & all of a sudden, out of the left windows, Mt Hood's beautiful snow capped peak just nestled in the tops of the puffy clouds!!!    :huh:  !!!WOW!!! (but no camera).Two days later on Amtrak checking things out from terra firma! Nice trip!
> 
> RF


The day before you I was headed that way SPK-VAN on the EB. No clouds were around it. Savored every minute of it as we sailed along the Columbia River waking up to nature with coffee/on a train. What a combo! It is amazing between The Dalles and Hood River, OR there seems to always be a transition line of clear weather to the east and cloudy weather to that west of the Cascade range.

Here is one of Hood's neighbor to the north: St. Helens taken from OR, looking across at Longview, WA along the Columbia River. Amtrak's Kelso stop is located next to Longview in the left part of the photo along I-5.


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## Rail Freak (Jun 17, 2009)

A Small World. I'll be posting pix soon!


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## sky12065 (Jun 21, 2009)

Rail Freak said:


> Flew into Portland,Ore. on 6/07/09. It was really cloudy & all of a sudden, out of the left windows, Mt Hood's beautiful snow capped peak just nestled in the tops of the puffy clouds!!!    :huh:  !!!WOW!!! (but no camera).Two days later on Amtrak checking things out from terra firma! Nice trip!
> 
> RF


I'm sure I'll enjoy the views of the mountains, but having lived my entire life around the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Berkshires, I have a feeling that I'm spoiled enough to not enjoy them to the fullest.  Any, the views from the train are best anyway!


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## jackal (Jun 21, 2009)

sky12065 said:


> I'm sure I'll enjoy the views of the mountains, but having lived my entire life around the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Berkshires, I have a feeling that I'm spoiled enough to not enjoy them to the fullest.  Any, the views from the train are best anyway!


Mountains? _Mountains?!_ Those aren't MOUNTAINS!!

In 10th grad, my US history class took a trip to DC. After a few days in DC, our motorcoach took us north to Gettysburg (and then on to Philly and NYC). While we were driving, our tour guide said, "If you look out the left side of the bus, you can see the Appalachian Mountains!"

We all craned our necks to see the famous range, and we kept looking and looking. Finally, someone said, "Where are they?"

Finally, it dawned on our guide (who was from flat Minnesota) that the Appalachian "Mountains" were really just tiny foothills to this Alaskan tour group!

Now, I know there are places in the east with more impressive geography than the distant hills as viewed from southeastern PA/northeastern MD, but honestly, even the highest peaks east of the Mississippi have nothing on the lowliest hills in the great, untamed West!


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## sky12065 (Jun 21, 2009)

jackal said:


> sky12065 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm sure I'll enjoy the views of the mountains, but having lived my entire life around the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Berkshires, I have a feeling that I'm spoiled enough to not enjoy them to the fullest.  Any, the views from the train are best anyway!
> ...


Alright already! So they aren't exactly the Swiss Alps! But I wouldn't stand in front of this guy, resident of the Adirondacks, and say "Those aren't MOUNTAINS!!" :lol:


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## jackal (Jun 22, 2009)

sky12065 said:


>


Ha! Even your MOOSE are domesticated!! See, he's wearing a nice collar.

No WILDlife left east of the Mississippi...   

Actually, I just saw a moose with a tracking collar (first one I've ever seen--tracking collar, not moose!--up here) last week along Baxter Road (right in the middle of a suburban neighborhood). Yet another difference: YOUR moose reside in the mountains. OUR moose reside in nice suburban neighborhoods! They even work downtown! :lol: (Their commute is pretty efficient, too--they never have to worry about traffic problems, because they stop traffic wherever they go and just waltz right down the middle of the street!  )


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## the_traveler (Jun 22, 2009)

sky12065 said:


> I'm sure I'll enjoy the views of the mountains, but having lived my entire life around the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Berkshires, I have a feeling that I'm spoiled enough to not enjoy them to the fullest.  Any, the views from the train are best anyway!


I know what you mean.

Having grown up in the Adirondacks and having the maples and other trees change into multiple colors every fall, I was disappointed when I lived in AZ for 6 years. Everyone said "The colors this year are great!" But to me only the Aspens were more yellow, and it was not all that much different from the rest of the year. (And I'm talking about areas such as Flagstaff, not like Phoenix!  )


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## the_traveler (Jun 22, 2009)

jackal said:


> No WILDlife left east of the Mississippi...


You've never been to a bar with me!  :lol:


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## Rail Freak (Jun 22, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> jackal said:
> 
> 
> > No WILDlife left east of the Mississippi...
> ...



Speaking of a bar approach to Portland, Elmer's restaurant & Lounge was directly across the street from my hotel, so I went there after I checked in. Ya Know, they have a 3 drink MAXIMUM in their bar. Never in my life have I heard of that one, & I'm from the Bible Belt!!!!!!!

RF


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## Neil_M (Jun 22, 2009)

Rail Freak said:


> Ya Know, they have a 3 drink MAXIMUM in their bar. Never in my life have I heard of that one, & I'm from the Bible Belt!!!!!!!


That's just sad. A bar with a 3 drink limit? They deserve to go out of business.


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## MrFSS (Jun 22, 2009)

Neil_M said:


> Rail Freak said:
> 
> 
> > Ya Know, they have a 3 drink MAXIMUM in their bar. Never in my life have I heard of that one, & I'm from the Bible Belt!!!!!!!
> ...


But you should see the size of the drinks! :lol: :lol:


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## Neil_M (Jun 22, 2009)

MrFSS said:


> Neil_M said:
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> 
> > Rail Freak said:
> ...


If they have gallon glasses then fair enough!


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## Rail Freak (Jun 22, 2009)

Neil_M said:


> Rail Freak said:
> 
> 
> > Ya Know, they have a 3 drink MAXIMUM in their bar. Never in my life have I heard of that one, & I'm from the Bible Belt!!!!!!!
> ...


They told me it was because they're a family restaurant, & they were busier than a bunch of one armed paper hangers, no offense intended!

RF

Go Figure???? :unsure:


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## the_traveler (Jun 22, 2009)

MrFSS said:


> Neil_M said:
> 
> 
> > Rail Freak said:
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And they have free refills! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## DET63 (Aug 6, 2009)

GoldenSpike said:


> Here is one of Hood's neighbor to the north: St. Helens taken from OR, looking across at Longview, WA along the Columbia River. Amtrak's Kelso stop is located next to Longview in the left part of the photo along I-5.


This picture was taken from a viewpoint on US 30 west of Rainier, OR. If you look closely at Mt. St. Helens, you will see another mountain peak peeking up just to the right. That is Mt. Adams, which is much higher than Mt. St. Helens ever was, but appears to be smaller due to its being further away. You can only see it on a very clear day from this point.


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