| Hello, and welcome. This month's report
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| | final turn and begin our last
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| takes us to the western U.S. state of
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| | climb toward the resort. Where the
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| Oregon and some fantastic snowboarding.
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| | ground behind us was merely wet, the
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| First a little background on the state of
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| | ground to our left and right is now
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| Oregon itself. Begin with a little
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| | deeply
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| prehistory by following this link to
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| | covered in frozen precip...aka snow. We
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| learn about Oregon and the Columbia
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| | round a bend, turn into the parking lot
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| plateau. Your journey begins with
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| | and then...a break in the clouds. WOW!
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| incredible lava flows, volcanic activity
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| | The upside down ice cream cone reaching
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| and great rains which formed the diverse
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| | toward the heavens is directly ahead.
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| landscape we now know as Oregon.Our
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| | What an awe inspiring sight... As soon as
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| travels begin very early, o-dark early,
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| | the awe subsides, slightly, the tingle in
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| did I mention no sleep the night before
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| | the back of my neck begins... Would I
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| early...you get the picture.
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| | still have a neck that tingles in a few
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| Jesse and I leave home about 3:30 am and
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| | short hours from now? Would we conquer
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| head south for the Miami International
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| | this mountain of white...or would it
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| Airport to begin our trek westward.
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| | conquer us? Six hours later, bruised
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| Even at this early hour heavy traffic
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| | and beaten, we make our final run for
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| was present on the ever under
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| | the day, and what a wonderful day it
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| construction roadways of South Florida.
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| | turned out to be. Fresh powder, deep
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| The flight
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| | snow, over 180 inches plus, a wide
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| westward did leave on time and security
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| | variety of challenging runs and trails
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| screening, sometimes a hassle at MIA went
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| | has made for a perfect day of boarding.
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| quite smooth. Great! The trip is off to
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| | Could Mt. Hood Meadows, our choice for
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| a smooth start. We arrive at DFW on
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| | the final two days of our winter vacation
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| time, and with our connecting gate for
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| | be any better? What a great day this has
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| the Portland flight immediately adjacent
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| | been.We drag our weary bodies back to
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| to us, everything appears to be
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| | town and once again have an enjoyable
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| proceeding much better than planned.
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| | dinner. As we get ready to settle in for
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| Skies, for the most part were clear and
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| | the
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| the air quite smooth making for a
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| | evening, our host and his close friend
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| pleasant flight. From our seats we can
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| | inform us that they have started a
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| even peer out the window from time to
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| | campfire for us to enjoy out behind the
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| time and see the mountain ski resorts
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| | B&B and
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| near Sante Fe New Mexico and Salt Lake
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| | ask us to join them for some
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| City Utah, wow! As we begin our descent
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| | marshmallows and some interesting
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| I am able to catch a glimpse of a
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| | conversation about their travels. Soon,
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| magnificent peak penetrating the cloud
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| | thereafter, we
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| bank near Portland. The
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| | both collapse into our beds with smiles
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| words awe inspiring come immediately to
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| | on our faces, food in our tummies, and
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| mind...Mt Hood...our destination, and I
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| | stiffness in our joints as we prepare
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| hope...not my final one.After deplaning
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| | ourselves for the next two days.The snow
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| the aircraft, which I have to admit was
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| | boarding at Mt Hood Meadows turns out to
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| not the most comfortable I have ever
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| | be superb! It is, without a doubt, one
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| flown on, we proceed
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| | of the finest resorts, which are
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| to baggage claim and are pleasantly
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| | numerous, that we have ever had the
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| surprised to see both our snowboards and
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| | pleasure to visit. The terrain varies
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| equipment awaiting us at the oversize
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| | widely from bunny slopes for the
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| baggage door. Next step, off to the
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| | beginners, to some of the most
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| rental car desk, gotta love this 3 hour
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| | challenging, adrenaline pumping, heart
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| time difference, it's only 11:30 am! As
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| | pounding, I have ever ventured this weary
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| we
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| | body on. For the snowboarders, numerous
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| head onto I84 heading eastbound, the
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| | terrain parks are scattered throughout
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| wind and the rain begin to pick up
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| | complete with jumps of all sizes, rails
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| substantially, this is the Pacific
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| | and very well groomed half pipes. The
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| Northwest you
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| | skies, turned out to be, clear, crystal
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| always hear about right...wind, rain,
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| | clear, on both days and the temperature
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| clouds...? We don't care though, because
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| | continued to climb throughout the course.
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| for us it means fresh powder! The drive
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| | We even were able to take off our ski
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| is an easy one, merely forty eight miles
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| | jackets the final day and wear only our
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| from airport to Hood River. This highway
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| | light shirts, and of course, much
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| we are on meanders along the Columbia
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| | sunscreen, as the sun's rays are very
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| River, and judging from some of the
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| | damaging at this altitude and time of
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| terrain I am able to sneak a peek at thru
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| | year...old story...I'll tell ya about it
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| the rain and clouds, it is rather
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| | someday. This, my friends, is LIVING!Our
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| impressive. As we follow the Lewis and
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| | final day begins early, what else is new,
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| Clark trail ever eastward, the Columbia
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| | and the next thing we know we are on the
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| looks quite impressive as well as
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| | road back to Portland and the
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| imposing with the wind driven rain
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| | airport. Where has the time gone? Must
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| creating whitecaps, and large swells on
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| | we leave so soon? I guess we must, as I
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| the surface as the river winds it's way
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| | have to get back to work, and Jesse to
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| into the Columbia River Gorge.As we
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| | school as Spring Break is coming to an
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| arrive in Hood River, Jesse is sound
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| | end. We are sad to see the mountain in
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| asleep and I am wearing thin as this very
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| | the background as we pull onto the
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| long day continues to, like the river
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| | highway. We have not conquered it, no
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| meander on. But alas, with a few quick
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| | one really does. We have though, taken a
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| twists and turns, our map leads us to our
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| | piece of it with us forever, in our
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| destination, atop a small hill
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| | memories and that is enough to put a
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| overlooking vast peach orchards. Our bed
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| | smile on both of our faces. Someday we
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| and breakfast is a two story cabin, with
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| | will once again return.The airport
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| a finished basement. The main floor has
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| | ahead...the nightmare awaits us...
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| two bedrooms, a communal living and
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| | I am certain I had checked the flights
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| breakfast room, and a wonderful outdoor
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| | just a few days ago. Wide open, lots of
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| patio. The upper floor includes 3
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| | empty seats, no problem getting home,
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| bedrooms
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| | or so I thought. I did not realize when
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| and a single bath. This presents no
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| | planning our trip that Spring Break for
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| problem; however, as this weekend, we are
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| | Oregon residents was just beginning on
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| the only guests. After meeting Linda,
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| | the
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| one of the co-owners of our quaint B&B,
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| | day we chose to leave. After checking
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| we decide to venture out into town in
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| | our bags to Miami and passing through
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| search of some much needed
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| | security screening I was soon to find
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| nourishment.After perusing the town a
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| | this
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| bit, we settled into a brew pub named the
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| | detail out. All flights full! All
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| Big Horse brew pub. No equine on the
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| | flights, all day, all locations, and just
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| menu, but some delicious burgers fill our
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| | about all airline full, actually
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| hungry stomachs. The view from our table
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| | oversold. This was not good. What to
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| is quite beautiful, the town, the river,
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| | do? Normally if a flight is oversold, we
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| the bridge and even a few windsurfers
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| | sometimes have a chance of getting on it,
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| venturing out. What happens next though
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| | last minute, especially using a higher
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| is quite awe inspiring...the sun begins
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| | priority as we chose to use this day.
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| to peak thru the clouds creating a double
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| | After waiting thru two flights that left
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| rainbow, that ends in the river below us.
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| | and seeing our name dropping on the
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| What a way to bring our day to a close.
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| | standby listings, instead of rising I
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| We head back to our lodging, and after a
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| | knew we had to make alternate plans. I
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| short chat with the other owner, Lee, we
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| | called my wife on the cell phone and
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| climb into our comfy beds totally
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| | together we pulled our resources to try
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| exhausted, yet looking forward to our day
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| | and find Jesse and I a way home. It just
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| on the mountain tomorrow. As day two of
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| | seemed all flights were full, on all
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| our journey begins, we get to experience
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| | airlines that day, in Portland, as well
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| the other B in B&B, that being breakfast,
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| | as Seattle, which I was willing to drive
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| and to our delight, it is exceptional!
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| | us to in order to catch a flight.
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| Going downstairs we are greeted by the
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| | Finally, after many hours I finally found
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| aroma of hot coffee, a wide variety of
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| | us a way out of Portland. We would have
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| teas, and several fresh fruit juices from
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| | to wait until 8 pm that night, but a
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| which to choose. Fresh breads, rolls,
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| | flight was heading for San Francisco on
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| butter and jams also await our hungry
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| | Horizon Airlines that did have some seats
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| insides. Following these delights we are
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| | available. We didn't hesitate in buying
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| presented with a menu of fresh items we
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| | some tickets on this flight. But we did
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| may include in our omelettes, accompanied
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| | have quite some time to wait. We ate, we
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| by Canadian bacon, both sweet and hot
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| | slept, we ate some more, we walked
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| sausages, and melt in your mouth home
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| | around, read, and finally after 10 hours
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| fries. Mouth waters even now as
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| | in the airport we boarded our flight. I
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| I think back on this outstanding
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| | never felt so good as we broke ground as
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| breakfast. We will definitely not be
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| | I did that day, knowing that we were
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| hungry or in need of any energy bars this
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| | moving forward, even if only a slight
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| day as we
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| | amount. We arrived in San Francisco
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| conquer the slopes...and our own bodies.
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| | without incident; however, our flight on
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| After a gracious farewell from our
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| | American to Miami was not departing,
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| hosts, we set forth toward the
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| | until seven the next morning. Only
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| mountain.The weather is still dreary, a
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| | problem, to insure we would get seats on
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| bit cold and rainy, but the drive to our
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| | this flight, we needed to check in for
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| destination for today, Timberline Ski
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| | this flight at about 4 am, as we had no
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| Resort,
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| | computer access if we left the airport.
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| is uneventful. A two lane road follows
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| | So once again, we found some seats and
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| the Hood River for most of the drive, as
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| | slept, if you could call it that.
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| it winds it's way through various
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| | Nonetheless, we did get on the flight at
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| orchards
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| | seven and
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| in the foothills before beginning it's
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| | finally arrived home in Miami at about
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| steady climb to higher altitudes. Due to
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| | 8 pm that night. Tired, worn, beaten,
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| the cloud cover, we still have not had
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| | bruised, smelling like you know what, we
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| any direct view of the mountain itself,
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| | picked up our car and headed for the 2
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| and we have become a bit worried as we
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| | hour drive to our home...With a smile on
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| proceed onward, as snow snow has been
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| | our face...That wasn't so bad...was it,
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| seen
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| | let's do it again...next year :)Please
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| anywhere. Did we make a fatal mistake?
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| | visit Travel-Ascending.com, for more
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| Is it much too late in the season? Did
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| | news and articles.Donald Reese, aviator,
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| that internet website we looked at before
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| | travel-agent, and travel author shares
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| departing deceive us in any way? All our
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| | his adventures/misadventures as he
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| fears are aleved though, as we round the
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| | explores our world.
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