"JJS" jschneider@remove socks cebridge.net wrote in message
...
I think I recall that some of you may be from the area and I would
appreciate other suggestions on how to spend the rest of the week. We'll
have a rental car and unlimited mileage. I was thinking of heading South
down the coast and also maybe up the Columbia on day trips. Suggestions,
anyone? Any good places to rent a Cherokee or 172?

Well, you're coming to great flying country and a great time of year.

For rental I recommend Gorge Winds in Troutdale. (503-665-2823) They have
an very nice IFR C-172 for around $75 last I checked (I've been flying the
Arrow, so I can't remember.) One reason is, the entrance to the Columbia
Gorge is one mile off the end of Rwy 07, and it's about a 90 minute round
trip around Mt. St. Helens, which steams on cold days but hasn't thrown up
any dust in several months.
This is misnamed: It's actually Hood/St.Helens/Jefferson, but you get the
idea. This was a 1.3 hour round trip including three 10-mile-radius circles
around the mountain: http://damnnearwiley.com/AdamsHelensHood72dpi.jpg

A VERY scenic flight is from Troutdale-Scappoose-Aurora-Troutdale. Follow
the Battleground VOR to descent to Scappose and you'll come over the
Columbia River and the Sauvie Island wildlife refuge. Departing Scappoose,
contact Portland tower and they'll vector you over the city at 4,000 feet
directly to Aurora, or if you request it they'll let you fly up the
Willamette right through downtown Portland and it's almost a straight line
from Scappoose to Aurora. From Aurora you can return to Troutdale over
Willamette Falls/Oregon City OR fly another 20 minutes or so west to
McMinnville. A van will take you from the FBO to the air museum, which has
the Spruce Goose, an SR-71 (the power plants are removed and on display), a
B-17, an bf109G with the original engine and a C-47 that participated in
D-Day.

The Troutdale/Scappoose/Aurora triangle can be done in less than an hour on
the airplane, and the McMinnville addition adds another .6 or so. But, if
the weather's up, you can go west to Tillamook which has the blimp hangar
air museum. In the hangar there are usually two blimps, a P-38 (Jeff
Ethell's documentary was filmed in it here, and this is where he died flying
a different '38), F-4U, B-25, P-47, Super Guppy, Catalina, F-14, Buschon
bf109, Mustangs, etc. Tillamook is right on the Oregon Coast, so you can
fly north along the coastline to Astoria or south to Newport, but each will
cost you $20 or more one way for a cab into town unless you arrange a loaner
or rental car. A great local lunch is dungeoness crab or smoked salmon and
Tillamook port wine cheese on good crackers or bread with coffee (or any
number of local wines if you're not flying.)

Another option is the Columbia Gorge to The Dalles. The view is, for lack
of better term, awesome.

Lastly, if you're land-lubbin' and looking for something to do, I recommend
the Edgefield Manor in Troutdale; but it's a brewing/vinyard complex with
restaurants, wine tasting, on-site microbrewing, a theater, golf, a
cigar-bar, hotel rooms, etc. A great place to eat dinner is the Portland
City Grill which is on the 40th floor (or so) of Portland's tallest
skyscraper. The after-hours lounge is pretty hopping and if you get there
early enough you can get a plush window seat with a great view of the city.

Enjoy your trip! If you're coming in mid-June or later, you can pretty much
count on at least a couple of good VFR flying days. If you have any other
questions, feel free to e-mail me at gatt at juggerbot dot com.

-c