6/15/26
Hello all, and happy almost-summer to those here in the northern hemisphere!
I have gotten way behind on my blog posts—sorry! I returned to Portland on April 26th, and I’ve had some lovely times in nature and with cats since then. I’ll catch up as soon as I can!
Upon my arrival back in Oregon, for the first few days I enjoyed alternately sunny and cloudy skies over the familiar sights of my beloved adopted home city. Spring was out in full splendor, and I soaked it in via neighborhood walks and bike rides as much as I could.
And, within my first week back, I took care of a new pair of kitties, Suave and Bean.
They lived near the Gateway district of Portland, in outer NE. One reason I chose this sit was because the Gateway Transit Center is where one can board a bus out along the Columbia River Gorge. I had been looking forward to cycling some roads and bike paths out there, for my first time! In fact, one of my Warmshowers hosts in Florida had highly recommended the Old Columbia River Highway as a beautiful place to ride.
So, I made it a priority as soon as I returned. I took a $10 bus—the Columbia Gorge Express—from Gateway out to Hood River. I had made that bus trip before, but I had never bicycled out in that area. That day, after stopping at a vegan bakery for a quick lunch, I bicycled to the tiny (population 430) town of Mosier. I hit the weather and the season exactly right: the views were unbelievably spectacular.
One thing I really came to appreciate during my travels in Florida this winter was how many small transit companies there are, serving small communities in vital ways. I made heavy use of them this past winter, in places such as St. Augustine and Gainesville. I have always been quite a transit geek, but this winter’s experience made me all the more determined to explore and appreciate Oregon’s small-community transit agencies, too. The CAT system (Columbia Area Transit, aptly abbreviated for me!) is one such wonderful example, covering the Hood River area. After my 8.3-mile (13.3-km) ride to Mosier—most of which was on a car free path—I was able to hop on a $1 bus to take me back to Hood River, where I transferred to the $10 return bus to Gateway.
I’m looking forward to more multimodal nature explorations this summer!
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