We had to wake up early and get on the road as we needed to be at Hood River in time to board the Mt Hood Railroad. We took the morning excursion to Parkdale, a 22 mile journey south east that included history and fact narration. The train stopped for an hour layover in Parkdale, a small town near the base of Mt. Hood. We enjoyed a picnic lunch we had purchased on board and then explored the town. We got back on the train for the ride back down the hill, stopping in Odell to hook up a car full of timber as the Mt Hood Railroad is still a functioning rail line. A little history - in 1910 the Oregon Lumber Company completed the Mt. Hood Railroad from Hood River to Parkdale to serve the booming timber and fruit industries. The ride features one of the country's few remaining switch-backs used to climb the steep grade.
After enjoying our train ride, we hopped back into our car and headed to our hotel in Clackamas. We settled in and then decided where to have dinner. The Clackamas Town Center was nearby (very large mall) so again we took in a little shopping (bought a GPS... where have we been??) before stopping for dinner at Chevy's. I love that restaurant. Used to have one in Spokane but it closed a number of years ago. My menu favorite (besides the fresh made chips and salsa) is the Sweet Corn Tomalito. Yum!
