After a bit of a detour into easter Washington, Dmitry and I spent the last day and a half exploring the beuatiful Columbia River Gorge leading into Portland, Oregon where we arrived this evening. Having had to handle a few bicycle repairs, Jason remains a day or two behind us, but plans to meet us here in Portland tomorrow.

Last night after setting up camp and hopping on our bikes to visit nearby Cascade Locks, OR for dinner, I was astonished as Dmitry and I emerged from the wooded park into a clearing. The night sky was like a dazzling 4th-of-July freeze frame. Having spent most of my life in the light-polluted Northeast, I had never seen anything like it. Dmitry and I found a small field away from streetlights where we rested our bikes and lay flat on our backs to marvel at the awe-inspiring universe. I felt like an 8-year-old kid camping for the first time.

With a semester of astronomy under his belt, Dmitry explained that the hazy band that stretched across the sky was the collection of stars with the flat, disc-shaped Milky Way. Before last night, I cannot recall seeing a shooting star. In that field I saw six.

Here in Portland, we’ve already visited a bohemian cafe, the largest independent bookstore in the nation, and an amazing century-old seafood restaurant. This city may be the friendliest place I’ve ever been. I can’t wait to explore further and reconvene with Jason.

Posted on September 10th, 2007 by Derrick
Filed under: Uncategorized