Day 20 - 23 (5/23 - 5/26): Memorial Day Weekend in the Gorge!

May 30, 2024

Day 20 - 23 (5/23 - 5/26): Memorial Day Weekend in the Gorge!

I have a ton of catching up to do, so this is a multiple day blog...

We left Bend and drove by the only remaining Blockbuster! Who remembers when Blockbuster first started in the 80's? We wish we remembered to go by the day before when it was open, but completely forgot! Got some good pics and you can read about it in the link above.

We were on our way to Cascade Locks to meet our friends Linda & Sandy for lunch at Thunder Island Brewery. It worked out beautifully that they were in Portland for the long weekend (they have a home here to spend time with their adorable granddaughter...and her parents). We were so engrossed in catching up that I forgot to take a photo, so I had to have them send me a selfie of themselves to compile this collage (they are in Bordeaux in this photo, and we pulled back over to the brewery to take ours - ha! ha!)!

After lunch we headed for my cousin John and his wife Mary's place in Mosier, OR - "Sacred Ridge". Please check out my cousin's amazing photography via the link above. Mary & I reconnected instantly! Jake and Luke will need to get to know one another a little better over the weekend...

We kept adding people to the party...my mom asked to be included at the last minute and we were able to fly her up on Friday. Barry & I picked her up and stopped with her at Multnomah Falls. Luckily Mary told us you need a reservation nowadays to visit, and we were able to get one at the last minute!

John treated us to a delicious dinner of Chinese stir fry...Mary made a beautiful and yummy Apple Tart! John had some old family books documenting the Chao family history & family tree (John is a Chao...we are cousin's via his mom and my dad). We spent the evening with Mom lecturing John on the Chao Family Traits he must live by (can you see my eyes rolling?), and of course getting to know Jake (the furry one).

Jake (the human one) and Dia (his girlfriend) arrived on Saturday morning! Here are the greetings they got!

Jake & Dia got a tour of the compound/farm where they are growing Heirloom Bulgarian Tomatoes, Broccoli, Arugula, and all sorts of herbs! Mary is constantly reminded that she is a "Farm Girl" now...and boy has she done an amazing job - I think she is Farm Girl "Plus", as there are many chores on a farm that go un-noticed...

We headed to Hood River where Lao Lao (my Mom) insisted on treating us to pizza lunch before we shopped (while the big boys patiently waited), and then went down to the water to watch the windsurfers. Actually I felt like we saw more people doing this new thing called "wing surfing", which, according to John is not as difficult as windsurfing or kit boarding, both of which he still does at 71 years old!

Back home we got to work making dinner (I felt like we just ate our way through the weekend) - dumplings, cucumbers, and Barry made an excellent abalone dish from a can of abalone that was gifted to Mary & John by her niece-in-law Bessie for Chinese New Year. I also made my mom make her "famous" sticky rice, so we could attempt to document - not sure I did a good job, but the rice was excellent!

Here is Sophie at sunset

Luke at sunrise

A view of Mt. Hood in the morning from the house window

WAFFLES! Mary's batter is to die for, and John makes them on this old fashioned waffle maker he got on eBay - LOL!

Barry worked on the van for a bit, checking fluids and tire pressure, etc...

...then we decided to do a hike. We felt a bit like the Von Trapp family, not for escaping, but for the beauty of the scenery. You also can't help but feel like Jake (the furry one) just belongs in these hills (or in a scene of Game of Thrones as a Dire Wolf!). Luke on the other hand made it part way up the first hill and plopped himself down in the shade...so he hitched a ride with Jake (the human).