Day 3 Portland Oregon

On the road again at exactly 7:22a, what a coincidence as that is the exact roll out time yesterday. Today's rides is relatively flat but we will need to navigate our way through Portland, lots of turns and neighborhoods. We stop at McD's for a value meal biscuit and senior coffee and a few stories before we start today. Suz goes for ice and a Starbucks. We have a great start, 16 miles downhill into Portland, then a short uphill onto the St. Johns bridge for a breathtaking Columbia river crossing. We are way way up high and the weather is beautiful, traffic light and great views. Our cycling maps take us through quaint garden neighborhoods , just about every house has a garden out front, both vegetable and flower gardens. We get a little lost then find our way to a formal garden on the map, beautiful french formal with fountain in the center and layered beds of roses with stairs and walkways. Of course today I forgot the camera, but John and Tom take many pictures and we have tourists take our picture together. We then find our way through winding streets to a bike path that runs along the back of the city and around the airport to Troutdale. We lunch at a Taco Bell, I have not eaten at a Taco Bell in at least 20 years and then we spend an hour and half trying to find a place to stay for the night. All the camp and rv places do not take tent campers due to some bad tenters in years past. We make our way to the Troutdale Visitors Center and a very tall guy tries to help us out. We are almost resigned to a motel when he remembers that a hotel and pub up the street has a cyclists hostel for 35 per bunk per night. It is a renovated Courthouse and the gardens are spectacular with lots of flora and garden art. Suz and I find a motel six as we cannot stay here with Beau, but we return for beer and dinner later in the gardens. The motel 6 crew are the most incompetent that we have found yet. First they give us a room with no wifi after we asked for it, then forget our aarp discount, then we have to move to a wifi capable room, then they forget to charge us the 3.00 wifi charge. I am more worn out checking into the motel than from today's ride by far. Then we find that they just shampooed the room carpets, so the air is very moist and cool all night. I find that the thermostat is wired backwards so cold is hot and hot is cold, I finally just turn it off. We watch some bad tv and update the blog and turn in early for and early start tomorrow .

Jim Suz and Beau