First, the backstory:

Earlier this week Will had an interview for an internship out in Troutdale.  He ended up getting out there with a bunch of time to spare so he drove though the town to see what it was like and fell hard.  Will?  Now loooooooooooooooves Troutdale.  We’ve become fairly certain that he didn’t get the internship but Will? Is still totally in love with the town.  He wants to move there someday (or somehwere exactly like it).   This? Has me concerned because, as we have well established by now, I am not a small town girl.  Just like Will gets claustrophobic in crowded grocery stores (or doing any activity that was not originally his idea but that’s another blog for another time), I get claustrophobic and restless in towns with no library, no movie theater, no bookstore, few sidewalks… you get the idea.

But?  Last night we found ourselves sitting on our couch at 7ish moaning about being bored.  I suggested going for a walk, which was quickly shot down (by the man who keeps complaining about how he needs to get more exercise but again, a post for another time).  Will was so bored? He didn’t even want to play WoW.  I suggested driving out to the beach.  It’s only about a ninety minute drive out to the coast from here and I figured we could drive out, hand out while the sun finished setting and then head back in because? We were that bored.  It was after the beach idea that Will suggested driving out to Troutdale so he could show me why he liked it so much.

So! Off we went!

Troutdale is pretty.  The “downtown” area is very quaint–a bunch of antique shops all in a row that have been refurbished on the outside.  The town also looks like it is growing–there are quite a few new townhouse and condo units in the surrounding hills.  For the most part, though, the charm of Troutdale is solely in it’s natural setting.  It is twenty minutes from Multnomah Falls and the Sandy River runs right into it and around it.  There are quite a few scenic overlooks that seriously? Felt like we were driving by a green screen because they were almost too pretty.  We ended up taking the scenic road out to the Falls and it absolutely lived up to its name (and that road? Is TERRIFYING).

Will hadn’t ever been to Multnomah Falls before.  I think he was surprised at how beautiful it is there.  He tried valiantly to get me to hike all the way to the top, but I was about to pass out by the time we got to the bridge (Will’s version of hiking is walking super fast while taking super big steps which means that while Will “hikes” I “jog” to keep up) so we “hiked” back down.  Will also tried to get a good picture of the falls on his camera phone but I doubt that any of the shots really do the falls justice.

Yeah–we weren’t smart enough to bring the camera with us.  When we left, we figured we’d go for a quick drive, no muss no fuss.  Now? The rule here? ALWAYS bring the camera!