Great Oregon Steam-up 2025

This was a last minute decision Sunday morning. After eating a disappointing breakfast burrito and finding a lake too cold to swim in at 10:30am, for some. A decision to switch gears was made. 

We ended up in Brooks, OR just in time to hear the noon whistles of many vehicles, which was impressive to hear even at 200 feet from the entrance gate. What we found was a fun and informative festival of thousands of machines, vehicles, equipment, and people.

Entrance fee is $17 per adult plus a $5 parking fee per car. Outside food and nonalcoholic beverages is allowed. Since I had planned on staying at the waterside most of the day I had packed a picnic of lunch and snack foods. We found a covered gazebo to eat under, thank goodness. It was 83° F this day. We each had a full 32oz hydro flask of iced water, this was not enough for the 3.5 hours we spent there. We ended purchasing another 500 ml water bottle per person and a delicious fresh lemonade. 

Shade was limited, most machines, heavy equipment, and trains were outside, wear a hat and sunscreen. I came across a TriMet Max train that was running as a cooling station. It was nice to get out of the heat and was probably the cleanest Max train I’ve ever seen. 

There were also so many buildings full of vehicles and all sorts that we didn’t make it to all of them. I did find a semi-truck from a company my grandfather drove for when my mother was a child. 

We caught part of a tractor and equipment parade, probably ran for at least 45 minutes. 

Some of the vehicles we found were unexpected; for example the hearse. A Chevy body sent to Spain in the early 1900’s where the hearse body was added, made of hand-carved olive wood. 

A fun project for kids to keep them busy is the youth passport. Kids collected stamps, or a burning if it is from the blacksmith, and wooden pins to attach to a lanyard. After collecting enough they receive a medallion for the lanyard, a rubber duck, and a temporary tattoo (the last two may vary). 

All in all a good time had by all. I wish we could have made it to the double-decker train ride, the trains run periodically from the train station. Tickets can be purchased from the train station for other trains as well. We also missed the logging demonstrations and a miniature train ride (hubby was not interested, le sigh). There is one more weekend this summer, August 2-3rd. 

Borrowed a screen shot from antiquepowerland.com

Here are a few more pictures I took from our day. 

Summer foodie Saturday, maybe

 I have been thinking up a day where I could do some activities I wanted but also fit in some food destinations I want to try and or try again. I came up with this summer Saturday by combining some of my favorite things. Let’s start this day. 

Before leaving the house fill your reusable water bottle with ice water or beverage of choice, pack a cooler bag (the kind you find at the grocery store registers) with a reusable freezer ice pack, grab an umbrella, and a board game (one without cards, like Q-Less or Azul), you never can tell what may happen. Then I do the usual pocket pat; keys, wallet, phone. Let’s go. I like a leisurely drive, especially on a Saturday, so we’re heading to Portland via 99E. Jump on wherever you like or are closest to. 

First stop is breakfast around 9am; Sincerely, Bagel at 525 NE 24th Ave. Portland, OR. Delicious, chewy bagels. Great flavors and schmears. Parking in the area is hard to come by and streets are lined with cars on both sides so that only one car can get through at a time, have someone without anxiety do this. 

I got the Nolita on a chili crisp bagel, spicy and oh so good. To-go I got the honey and butter Bleeker on a plain bagel with a side of Marionberry schmear (probably just seasonal because it was written on a piece of paper by the register), an everything bagel, a Za’atar bagel, and a side of spicy scallion schmear. This is where a cooler bag comes in handy, keep the schmears cold. 

Next…Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Hear me out. I love science and I am a big geek, possibly nerdy. You do not need children to go, it’s fun without them. OMSI at 1945 SE Water Ave. Portland, OR. Right now their extra, paid separately, exhibit is Jurassic World by Brickman(R). Those exhibits change a few-ish times a year. In past years we’ve seen a Marvel comics and Lego exhibits, always interesting and fun. The rest of museum is mostly hands-on or interactive. Play with chemicals (safely) or see a movie at the IMAX theater or walk through the submarine that sits stationary in the Willamette river. 

I’ve decided, with all that walking around and wonder, it’s  lunch time. Stop three is Roake’s at 18109 SE McLoughlin Blvd. Milwaukie, OR. My dad took me to this restaurant occasionally when I was a kid. It’s not changed and never should. I get the Super Roaker and fries. Whatever you get make sure you have the special coney sauce, delicious. Not a lot of seating inside but they also have an outdoor area.

Heading south on McLoughlin/99E the next stop is Canby. If it’s August-September stop by Swan Island Dahlias for a beautiful walk through hundreds of rows of dahlias of all colors and shapes. This is where you may want an umbrella, not a lot of shade out in the fields.

I made the trip last September and loved all of the different varieties.

Since it’s before that time of year, I made a few stops in Canby to walk off some of the burger. First stop is Bricks and Minifigs (remember geek/nerd) at 250 SW 1st Ave Canby, OR to pick up some things for a photo shoot, of sorts, I am planning.

On to The Book Nook at 200 NW First Ave for some perusing of  literature I don’t need but always want. What if I never see this title again, better get it now to add to the ever growing stack of books-to-read, just in case. I was also invited to a book club meeting. 

There is Saturday market going on the same street. I grabbed some local strawberries, pita chips, and hummus.

I am starting to get a hankering for a sweet treat, thank goodness Cones is just across the street at 150 N Holly St Canby, OR. It’s an ice cream shop that makes “blizzards” from freshly scooped ice cream. They also do just scoops in dishes and fresh made waffle cones, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, and ice cream cakes. 

Back to the drive, we’re headed for a drink. I am going for a brew at the Benedictine Brewery at 400 Humpert Ln. NE Mt Angel, OR. Is it out of the way, yes. Do I plan on becoming a regular so far from home, not likely so let’s go somewhere obscure. This place was hopping (wink, wink). Great amount of beers on tap to try. Sit and stay a while, play a game, and enjoy the views of the Willamette Valley. There is only snack-type food sold inside. There is a food-cart on site but it was closed when we got there. 

Last stop: dinner. Mt Angel Sausage Company at 105 S Garfield St, Mt Angel, OR. German food choices and a market attached to get some foods and drinks to take home. We sat under the canopy outside and enjoyed listening to some German tunes that make me want to don a dirndl and polka my heart out. Perhaps during Oktoberfest. Mt Angel is said to have the second best celebration on the west coast, coming up September 11-14th 2025 (plotting future fun good times ensues).

Fondue and pretzel bites with a Dunkel, superb.

Starting top left, clockwise: pork schnitzel burger, Bratwurst with sauerkraut, Currywurst with grilled onions, and a spicy German style. 

German chocolate brownie skillet and an apple strudel.

Apparently Food Network was here once. 

What a great day. Until next time, eat delicious foods and do the fun things you enjoy. 

So you want to go to the Oregon Coast

 Here are some questions to ask yourself to better prepare for the trip: 

What month is it? Just kidding there’s only two at the coast; cold, rainy, darkness or cold, windy, sunshine. Never hot and hardly ever warm.

How is the weather? This is a trick question, Oregon weather will change, sometimes up to eight times during the day. 

Should I bring an umbrella? If you want to stick out like a sore thumb, sure. As a self-respecting Oregonian you may keep an umbrella somewhere but you would never use one. Put your raincoat on, it better have a hood, you’re going to need it anyway.

Will there be children with you? Just bring more money and an extra pair of clothes and shoes per person. Do not forget the extra pair of socks. 

Are planning on a picnic on the beach? If you enjoy sand in your food, that salty crunch, go for it. 

Are you just going to shop? Bring more money. 

Did you think you could out-wit traffic? Think again. There is construction, people walking across busy highways, and the slowest drivers on earth (just kidding they just want to point everything out and look at it as they pass by). Research the term “rubbernecking.”

Seriously though bring:

•Raincoat 

•Sunglasses 

•Towel(s)

•Truly, an extra pair of clean clothes, top to bottom, including shoes, per person, especially if there are children involved. 

•Sunscreen-do not let those clouds fool you, put it on. 

•Hat

•Hoodie 

These are just the basics. Add and subtract where needed. Enjoy the liquid sunshine or regular sunshine if you’re lucky. There are beautiful spots all along the Oregon coast, go out and enjoy. 

Day Trip to the Oregon Coast

 Best time to go to the Oregon coast is on a weekday in May. The crowds are much smaller. The traffic is less. The weather is great, usually. 

Hubby and I played hooky from work for his birthday and drove to Lincoln City. We used PTO because we’re lame and feel bad if we call into work (insert eye roll). 

To have a lengthy day at the coast we left early in the morning, not too early because it is also a day off, so around 7:30am, which is still too early so say the children. We drove down I-5 and at Salem took a right for highway 22, but first breakfast. After we crossed the Willamette river we arrived at Annette’s in West Salem for a hearty, delicious breakfast. From there it’s back to highway 22 and on to the junction at highway 18. That junction is weird, proceed with caution just don’t stop. It’s a left there and then straight on till Lincoln City. Easy peasy except in the summer weekends when everyone is going to the beach and then coming back home, expect delays. 

Borrowed Oregon map from google  

First stop for us was Chinook Winds Casino for some birthday luck perhaps. Not for me although it wasn’t my birthday so I guess there’s that. We’re not much of high-rollers anyway, $60 is plenty enough for us to be satisfied to play and not also break us. Still sad when I leave it all there though. (Sad sigh)

To the beach! It was a gorgeous day. Sunshine. Where is the car sunscreen and hats? Found under the car blanket next to the rock I’ve been carrying around for the last three years in the trunk. We walked around, found shells, skipped rocks on the sand (it does not work as well as water). I touched the water and already knew it would be cold but I feel like it’s necessary. There were brave souls playing in the small waves, a couple of children and dogs. Every other Oregonian was wearing their hoodie or raincoat with pants and boots. We felt extremely lucky to have been there on a clear day. Still bring a sweater, it never ceases to be breezy at the beach. 

Moving on down highway 101, we made our way to Depot Bay. A lovely small town with tourist shops and great whale watching in the spring. We saw no whales that day but there had been some spotted the days before. Park on the right when you just come into town, if you can, and walk down to the Whale Watching Center. They have great information and a board with how many whales had been spotted in recent days. They also have binoculars available to use there. While there we watched boats go in and out of the harbor and saw some seals. Cross over the street and then hit all the shops on the way back to your car. I did find a cute hoodie I wanted but left there for another time. 

By this time we were ready for lunch so we got in the car and headed back up to Lincoln City to a favorite burger place of ours. It is in the southern part of town called Taft, Highway 101 Burger. I get the 101, a single patty cheeseburger, with grilled onions and hubby gets the 202, double patty cheeseburger, with raw onions. They have a 303 and 404 burger also on the menu but three and four patties on a burger is too much for us. The meals come with fries (and secret sauce) and a drink. There are pictures on the walls of people who have ten patties on their burger, so maybe there’s an eating challenge there or people are extremely hungry. 

After this delicious meal we walked down to the glass blowing studio and watched them create things for a while. I looked into doing it because they have 30 minute slots where you can create something yourself to take home but they have to let it rest overnight before you can do that so it will will take planning a weekend trip (coming soon someday?). We walked a little more through town but were ready to head home and relax. So we took the Devils Lake cutoff (not for people with car sickness) and got back on the highway to head home. There was only minimal traffic but when we got to Salem we hit the “people leaving work” traffic and then freeway traffic.

Look for the smiling face in the trees, better seen in fall when the leaves are yellow.

I had gotten hubby his favorite cake and ice cream, German chocolate cake and Tillamook Marion berry pie ice cream. They don’t go together but it’s his day. Some of our little people (they’re really all big people but always the babies) came over and celebrated with us. It was a great day. 

Reflecting

 After having a great time traveling throughout the UK for a week and a half there are a few things to consider now that it is over. 

Borrowed a map from the internet to show our trip in red. 

The fun we had: 

1. Liverpool match and stadium tour 

2. Stonehenge 

3. Castles

4. Cavern Club 

5. High Tea

6. Roman baths 

7. Walking around Edinburgh 

8. A couple church ruins turned gardens 

9. The Globe Theatre 

10. Houses of Parliament and Big Ben 

11. Movie locations 

12. Stretcher Railings 

13. Markets

14. Beers/Ciders

15. Food

There were many more things that made this trip so memorable. More than less people we met were all kind and nice to chat with. All the bathrooms we came across were pretty normal, this was a legit concern. Riding the train and Tube was always an adventure.

Things to consider: 

1. Price

2. Time 

3. Overstimulation 

We spent more than we budgeted. Looking back there were places that costs could have been avoided or at least lessened. Food cost more than we had anticipated. We could have spent more time in Edinburgh and less in London or just cut out one city altogether to spend more days in one place. Being aware that there is a limit to how much a person can take-in in one day. It is also a vacation for us and that we can take it easy while doing all the things. 

Looking forward to the next trip! Where, oh where to go next? I’ve planned about eight trips in my head since we got back. Cannot wait!

Home

 We made it home.

Left the hotel this morning and went to the Tube station at St. James. We rode that until Hammersmith and changed trains there to head to Heathrow. It took just under an hour with our walk to the station. 

Early of course to the airport but we found plenty of shops to roam around in. They put our terminal number on the board a couple hours before the flight. To get there was another train ride across the airport. Settled in and waited until our boarding number got called. 

The flight was good. We had a full dinner within two hours of the flight; Chickpea curry, roll with butter, spring peas in some kind of cream sauce, and sticky toffee pudding. I watched movies for most of the flight. No sleep was coming to me on this flight. 

The person in front of me laid there chair all the way back on top of me. This is so rude. I don’t care if it’s allowed to be used that way. I wouldn’t do it unless there was nobody behind me. It is so confining, almost claustrophobic feeling. So this person got to feel every time I moved my knees. When I got up to use the bathroom they got a hip check to the back of the head. For five hours this person decided not to sleep of course but to just play on their phone. So I decided to take a leaf out of the Roman’s book and curse them to a lifetime of the same behavior on every flight they ever made again. Still not interested if they have the right to do it, if you get pleasure at the expense of others feelings there’s something wrong with you. 

Through to customs after the flight. I hadn’t even thought about this part. This is where global entry would come in handy. We were in line for about forty minutes because just like the DMV, there were twelve places where employees could be but only three people were there. When we landed in London customs was scan your passport at an unmanned kiosk, have your picture taken, and walk through the door that said “nothing to declare.” It took five minutes, and mostly only because I hadn’t taken my passport out of its sleeve before I tried to scan it. 

Then on to a tram that shuttled us over to the main part of the airport for arrivals and departures. Where we were picked up and driven home, by my FIL I think we chatted with the children for about an hour and were asleep by 8pm. Happy to be back in my own bed but not happy that this trip is over. Back to work and that life on Monday-heavy, sad sigh. 

Good intentions to keep it a low key day…

 But it’s our last day to see all the things because who knows if we’ll ever be back. 

We took the Tube around again today. Easy, peasy. Not too many people were up this morning. It also turns out to be Good Friday, so we think people might have been having a bit of a lie in. 

First stop tower hill to see the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and a piece of wall that the Roman’s had built around the city hundreds of years ago. 

Next, Dunstan in the East. A good old stone church turned into a garden, beautiful.

Then to Leadenhall market to look around. Not a lot was open but mostly it was still pretty early, cool building though. 

We tried to go up to the Sky Gardens but the attendant said it cost €11.50 to go up and that came with a hot beverage. The sign says free admission but you must purchase a ticket. That’s not free then.

We went in search of something that was on the maybe list, the stretcher railings. They were stretchers that had been used in WWII for the wounded. Then repurposed into railings, pretty neat. 

Then we found a little garden and sat down in the quiet for a little while.

On to the busiest part of our day, Borough market. So. Many. Cheeses! I wanted to try them all, a couple stalls had samples of them and they were so good! I also saw where you can wait in a really long line for viral chocolate covered strawberries, too much hype if you ask me but they were pretty. Hubby got a giant sourdough pretzel and I had a slice of bacon and cheese quiche. We sat on a curb outside the market and ate them like weirdo’s, they were wonderful. 

I think they’re trying to compensate for something.

Found a couple neat things in other passages and stopped at a pub for a drink to calm things down a bit. 

The next thing on our agenda was a tour we booked months ago for the Globe Theatre. We had made it for 2:30pm but found ourselves done with the things we had planned on seeing at 12:30pm. The desk attendant switched our time slot to 1pm no big deal, so kind. 

Then over the Millennium bridge to Saint Paul’s Cathedral. That place is huge and ornate. 

A walk to Black Friars Tube station and head back to our side of town. Although once we got there I decided I hadn’t seen all of Buckingham palace so we went and checked it out for a minute before ambling back to our hotel to put our feet up. 

Then a good pub dinner. 

Sad to say it has come to an end of touring around. It has been awesome.