300-400 cars at the annual Longview cruise. There was a chance for rain so I think the turnout was smaller than usual. Just a few that I thought were HAMB friendly.
Hey 19, Nice photos of the cars at this long running car show. Of the times going through or near Longview, sorry to say, we did not stop. It will be on our summer itinerary if we visit the Northwest again, around this time of this time of the year. Of all the areas we have visited in the USA, the Pacific Northwest is our favorite and the Portland area is rated number 1. Our experience with Longview was going over the huge, Lewis and Clark Bridge on the Columbia River, back across the river to get on the I-5 freeway to Seattle. We did see some cool, old pickup trucks here, but, alas, no hot rods on this area trip. (in Portland, yes) Longview, WA Lewis and Clark Bridge with Mt. St. Helens in background. The volcano was a place we saw on the third trip up here in the Portland area. On another trip (2) to the Northwest, on the way back from a trip to Victoria, B.C. we took the Coastal 101 Highway to Long Beach,Wa for a lunch stopover. (sort of a Long Beach, CA to Long Beach,WA road trip… this is where we saw our first Tsunami warning sign) Then, we went across the huge, Megler Bridge at Astoria, over the bay/mouth of the Columbia River. We were amazed at the height of the Lewis and Clark Bridge the first time. The second time across the Megler Bridge, that was so high that it gave my wife shivers looking toward the ocean. I had to concentrate on driving, so it was limited viewing for me. It is a local bridge, so the people in the area are probably used to driving over one of the highest bridges on the West Coast. Jnaki We were used to the So Cal bridges, the Golden Gate in S.F. and even the bridge near the Hoover Dam. The only one on Coronado Island to San Diego city gives us the same feeling of super height. Since we drive over that Coronado Bridge almost monthly, we are getting used to the extreme openness and heights. They are not even the highest in the USA. But, these two bridges along the Columbia River were very impressive in a different way. The whole Columbia River area is very cool and noteworthy. We will return sometime soon…now, especially during August.
The bridges have to be that tall for the ships to pass under them. There have been some so large that they had to wait for low tide. If in Portland, don't miss Beaches Cruise every Wednesday's June through September. 1000 to 2000 plus cars every week.
Hey 19, Thanks for the information on the Beaches Cruise in Portland. We definitely will check it out along with the Longview Cruise-in the next time we are up there. That Beaches Cruise wasn’t around when we went through Portland, on our way north and south, during our summer driving trip. We were in Portland for a whole week in mid-June one year. It was a nice vacation visiting this area in 2010. There were only a few rooms available in the name brand hotels. So, we stayed just across the Columbia River in Vancouver, WA at the old, Red Lion Inn. That was very cool to be right on the waterfront and very quiet. It was a short hop back over the river for Portland hangout sites and the International Raceway. A fast moving, Columbia River current heading out to the Longview area and the Pacific Ocean at Astoria makes going inland a challenging and difficult. A few years later, while zipping by on the way to the San Juan Islands, we noticed the Red Lion property was different, but the freeway was going super speed and we were crossing the bridge. The hectic traffic made identifying the changes to the property hard to see. “In 2015: Come October 31, the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay restaurant and bar, which originally opened as The Quay Restaurant & Bar in 1960, will close for the foreseeable future. The Port of Vancouver will redevelop Terminal 1, and according to The Columbian, Red Lion at the Quay is closing to make room for the development. Since its lease doesn't technically expire until December 31, 2015, the shutter comes two months early. Built on wooden pilings, the Red Lion at the Quay restaurant and bar overlooks the Columbia River, and the dining room has the appearance of being below decks in a galleon.” For as long as it lasted, that Red Lion at the Quay was a fun place as a rest stop and see the local sites. Jnaki It was sad to hear and read about the closing of the Red Lion Inn at The Quay. It was one of the “sleepers” in the hotel industry locations, but the Port of Vancouver has other ideas. The property just happens to be on the industrial side of the bridge, whereas, the other side has the serene walkway, views of the waterfront, great restaurants and quiet resting benches along the long, concrete sidewalk.
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