A ride into the coast range, then back down to river level. I’ll certainly return for some of the trailheads I passed. But I’m enjoying the exploration of an unfamiliar town, Longview. Such a nostalgic-looking downtown. Historic business district buildings are occupied with shops and apartments instead of vacant and in disrepair. “Gourmet” coffee does not always translate to “good” to my palate, but this shop’s brew is absolutely delicious and their staff super nice; I had their dark roast:
This was a shaded backdoor seating area facing the alley and some parking beyond. Good use of space, really. I wonder if the downtown apartments sharing a building with commercial spaces are cheap, as the tenancy appears a mix of college age and elderly disabled.
This historic main drag is adjacent to industrial. It’s a very industrial town; lumber mill yards plus lots of other. It’s a surprisingly clean city; I don’t remember seeing the dusting of trash and graffiti that Portland has. Poverty and homelessness are certainly present, but there’s quite a public works presence as well in this town; I guess prioritizing public works keeps littering and vandalism checked and mitigated. The gazebo near municipal buildings is clean, and used by homeless, but also by some difficult personalities. Police — or perhaps the public sector more generally, and presumably working with non-profits — seem pretty tolerant.
The parking area I mentioned that is just beyond my table seems to have a lot of people living in cars, doing their best to maintain their vehicles/living space.
Nice post office near the park and municipal buildings:
And I’m parked right across the river at another town, Rainier. That’s Longview across the river:
I swear there was no trumpet playing, as it sounds in the audio; this was just the creaking of docks and ships:
A town further south, on a slough of the river, had a cool old city hall and square. The clouds reassuring that they’ll never abandon us:
And of course the traditional glass jailhouse for stuffed animals (actually, just a glass case supporting the cash register, located in this little cafe-gift shop with superb coffee and baked goods):
While reasonable people manage their weight by adjusting diet, I tend to do it by managing my hiking:motorcycling ratio. Which reminds me: a friend is supposed to get back to me on whether he’s joining in for moto-camping on public lands, which should include some hiking. I think I’ll check my phone for messages now.
Thoughts on Trails 