Oregon

It's been a minute. In a bit of this paradox between feeling like time is flying by and seemingly being in a period where I have perhaps the most free time for myself ever.

I have been waiting to write this blog on the return of a particularly unique 35mm film called Silbersalz. I had bought 8 rolls of this German company's Kodak motion picture film adaption of 35mm. International shipping and customs add up for sending the film back to Stuttgart, Germany. Therefore, I wished to shoot all 8 rolls before sending them off. This in turn has resulted in me waiting to write this post until all 8 rolls had been shot, not just the rolls used on this Oregon trip.

---

Cutting to the chase, the Pacific Northwest is among the most serene and breath-taking parts of the United States. I felt more awed and immersed in the wooded landscape here than I was staring out at the Grand Canyon. The mountains in Oregon are only rivaled in beauty to that of the beaches. During our trip, we truly maximized our time and ended with a rather large itinerary (the full outline will be listed at the bottom of the post). In brief, our journey followed this route:

Portland -> Timberline Lodge -> Umpqua -> Gold Beach -> Manzanita -> Canon Beach -> Portland

Journey to Timberline Lodge

Beginning the journey from Portland and heading east, it wasn't long until the city disappeared behind us and the scenic landscape appeared. Within just half an hour we were within distance of multiple waterfalls. Latourell Falls (both upper and lower), Bridal Veil Falls, and the falls that comes right out of Rivendell - Multnomah Falls. Now, this waterfall is most likely mobbed in the summer, but in November when we visited it was not as touristy as it might be during another period of the year. Still. Its otherworldly nature is stark considering its proximity to the busy streets of Portland. Other attractions we stopped at were Horsetail Falls and Oneonta Tunnel. Oneonta Gorge is a trek through a stream. A trek we dearly wished to take but fires in the west dropped several burnt trees into the gorge preventing safe passage.

Multnomah Falls

Continuing toward our destination for the evening, we journeyed slightly out of the way to Rowena Crest Viewpoint. Its winding roads were being enjoyed by a number of 4 cylinder turbos. Just simply gorgeous.

Rowena Crest Viewpoint via iPhone

If you were able to see my post-trip Instagram story, you would see more of Timberline lodge than you will see here. However, do not let the following lack of photos give you a sense of underestimation of how amazing the lodge is. Captured as the opening images of The Shining, the lodge carries such a unique air about itself. Set some money aside to afford many drinks from the bar, and cozy up next to the lodge's fireplaces.

A rather dismal capture of the hauntingly empty ski lift. Also, it looks like it's time to get the mamiya serviced.

The event space in the lodge truly embraces the indie horror aura.

Journey to Umpqua

After a packed day, we kicked off with another long lineup of things to do. This Oregon road trip was a good bit of driving but we pretty much covered everything in Oregon we wished to do.

Crooked River High Bridge. Who doesn't like a scenic bridge?

Worth a note to point out that Smith Rock State Park, located in the eastern portion of Oregon, gives the state a triality alongside its evergreen mountains and rocky shores. We ran into many rock climbers, people on horseback, and a few backpackers. Given more time, I would have liked to have gone deeper into the landscape.

Smith Rock State Park.

A dreary town with clouds living amongst the hills. Along our roadtrip, we would pass through many similar towns in like weather conditions.

Timing it just right and with some luck with the weather, we stopped at Diamond Lake (it had been super foggy all day). As we were driving up to it, the sunlight began to poke through the trees hitting the road making for an absolute fantasy.

Diamond Lake. Remember that waist-level viewfinders mirror the image it's looking at. The black and white image is quite contrasty here.

The light just settled in quite nicely resulting in such lovely greens, blues, and a warm hue in the snow.

This gives you a bit of a glimpse of that lovely drive I mentioned earlier.

Journey to Gold Beach

On this day, our trip went from a more touristy route to just exploring through Oregon.

Trailhead for Toketee Falls. Felt like part of Neverland or some fairy world.

Toketee Falls. This was one of my favorite hikes. It drizzled a bit but no one was on the trail and it felt very much like hiking on Neverland.

Tioga Pedestrian Bridge. Right off the road we were on, the bridge led to a few trails. May seem like a trivial part of the trip compared to the other locations, but I found it so peaceful and just another element in Oregon that added a storybook feel to the state.

Taken near Glide, Oregon, this picture came out exactly how I imagined it. There are many times when I would hit the brakes and pull over to just take a picture of the scenery. If I don't, I always end up regretting it. Here is an example where I am so happy I did.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse. This was our first point seeing the Pacific. Very windy that day.

Hazy shoreline at Cape Blanco State Park.

Ending our day at Tu Tu Tun Lodge was blissful. Though we did feel a bit out of place with the demographic. We got a room with a fireplace and it was just what we needed after a few days of intense travel.

Journey to Manzanita

Coastal Roadtrip. Leisurely making our way back up toward Portland, we were blessed with a sunny day. Would have liked a zippier car this day.

Natural Bridges Hike (Samuel H. Boardman State Park)

Hiked down to the bridges and stopped to take this photo.

Loved this unique looking hotel.

Wish I had a longer lens to capture the man peering out in that top row of windows. Also, the cloud cover was quite interesting. Very bright for a cloudy day.

This beautiful entrance neon sign into North Bend was another must pullover picture. Looks like you're entering into Stranger Things.

Heceta Head Lighthouse Viewpoint

Many of the points along this day's road trip were just short stopping points to enjoy the view. Thor's Well, the quaint Yachats, and sunset at Cape Kiwanda were other places we stopped.

Stopped in Tillamook for dinner and saw this diner that seems to be stuck in time.

The view from our Sunset Surf Motel.

Manzanita is a less touristy Cannon Beach, however, it is much smaller and there are fewer food and entertainment options. Nevertheless, it is just as beautiful.

Journey to Cannon Beach

Only a short drive away, Cannon Beach is a small beach town with plenty of coffee, food, and hiking options. Perfect for a weekend away from Portland.

An overcast day saw the beaches emptied.

A rundown church.

We ended the evening by building a fire on the beach. We finally had a chance to relax and breathe after pushing to do all we could on the trip. Can't recommend a bonfire enough. Additionally, if you get a chance, stay at the Cannon Beach Hotel Collection. Thoroughly enjoyed the little morning breakfast they had there and the location is perfect.

Journey to Portland

Last day of the trip, we slowly made our way back to Portland in honestly pretty wet and nasty weather. We didn't really have too much planned other than just walk through Portland. Stopped briefly in a rainy Astoria for a coffee and a pastry. Another place I would like to have spent more time.

Cathedral Park, Portland. A magnificent bridge that echoes through Cathedral Park. Got this picture of an older lady taking in the moment. Shot on Silbersalz 250D, and not edited, this image does have very strong yellows and warm colors for the rainy day that it was. While a more neutral film like portra might have been better, the tan-like hues matched really well with the lady's outfit and umbrella.

Went on a short photo walk in Portland and absolutely loved the scenes. There is a lot of character at every turn. The purple colors that shaded this white interior are quite indescribably soothing to me.

The overall composition here is rather odd, but the picture as a whole still somehow works in my opinion.

Peterson's Grocery. Another portion of the city that strengthens the character to another level.

I strongly recommend stopping at Powell's City of Books. Rooms upon rooms of books of all genres. Easy to just spend a whole day there discovering all sorts of novels. Even ended up buying a few photo books as well. Our last stay was at the Washougal Riverside Treehouse Airbnb which sits in the backyard of someone's house. It is built in a tree right next to a rushing river, has a front porch, and is perfect for ending a day of adventure.

Conclusion

Overall, Oregon delivered such an immersive adventure. October proved to be a great time to go. Less crowded, some snow, rain, and sun. Might just be my favorite place so far in the United States for outdoor adventure. Just so much green and luscious terrain. Out of my recent trips, this sits atop them all. Forest, mountain, desert, beaches, and city. All within a week's vacation. Unbeatable.

Itinerary

Arrive in Portland

Journey to Timberline Lodge

• Latourell Falls (both lower and upper)

• Bridal Veil Falls

• Multnomah Falls

• Oneonta Tunnel

• Horsetail Falls

• Rowena Crest Viewpoint

• AniChe Cellars

• Timberline Lodge

Journey to Umpqua

• Crooked River High Bridge

• Smith Rock State Park

• Bend

• Sparrow Bakery

• Crater Lake

• Diamond Lake

• Umpqua's Last Resort

Journey to Gold Beach

• Toketee Falls

• Umpqua Hot Springs

• Tioga Pedestrian Bridge

• Glide

• Roseburg - very pretty drive (almost Ireland)

• Cape Blanco Lighthouse

• Tu Tu Tun Lodge

Journey to Manzanita

• Arch Rock Viewpoint

• Natural Bridges Hike (Samuel H. Boardman State Park)

• Brookings

• Heceta Head Lighthouse Viewpoint (just past Sea Lion Caves)

• Thor's Well

• Yachats

• Cape Kiwanda

• Tillamook

• Sunset Surf Motel

Journey to Cannon Beach

• Sleepy Monk

• Cannon Beach

• Downtown Cannon Beach

• Mo's Restaurant (south Cannon Beach)

• Pelican Brewery

• Suzy's Cones

• Fire on Cannon Beach

• Pizza A'Fetta

• Cannon Beach Hotel Collection

Journey to Portland

• Sleepy Monk

• Hotel Café

• Wreck of the Peter Iredale

• Astoria

• Blue Scorcher Bakery & Café

• Cathedral Park, Portland

• Powell's City of Books

• Washougal Riverside Treehouse Airbnb

Fly out from Portland