new to vancouver (Centralia, Washougal, Pacific: low income, credit, loan)

[danco]

What's with all the payday loan places in Vancouver ?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by dancocal

What's with all the payday loan places in Vancouver ?

Portland overflow, (they have really tightened the rules there recently, possibly there has been an exodus to avoid prosecution, not sure how restrictive the WA rules are) A quick trip over the bridge is worth it to the folks needing a 'Payday loan'. Those in Vanc. who shop PDX to save taxes could 'rideshare' with the payday loan and Lotto folks, and maybe we could avoid the need for 'light-rail' Or maybe we could create a 'duty-free' zone on the 'I-205' island

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by dancocal

What's with all the payday loan places in Vancouver ?

Depends on which part of town you're in. The areas with lower socio-economic residents tend to have a higher percentage of these loan places. You won't find them as often in more affluent areas of town.

[frhrwa]

**** artists with a somewhat legal trade... another way of ripping off the easy prey.. like our seniors on low income...

[danco]

Checked out the "Grotto" (interesting name for a Catholic sanctuary)
this weekend. The place is a gem. We were thinking of Mt. St. Helen's,
but were wondering if we should we wait for better weather ?

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by dancocal

Checked out the "Grotto" (interesting name for a Catholic sanctuary)
this weekend. The place is a gem. We were thinking of Mt. St. Helen's,
but were wondering if we should we wait for better weather ?

If you wait until there's better weather, you won't head up until June or July, most likely. But it's worth it. Very cool area and really interesting interpretive center.

Have you checked out Ft. Vancouver? If you go during one of their special events, you'll see lots of people dressed up as period characters. I love that place.

The Grotto is beautiful. But it's in kind of a wierd area in Portland. Seems so odd to have such a gorgeous place smack dab in the middle of a skeezy part of town.

[danco]

Have you checked out Ft. Vancouver? If you go during one of their special events, you'll see lots of people dressed up as period characters. I love that place.

Would that be around the 4th of July ? ( which I hear is great. )

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by dancocal

Checked out the "Grotto" (interesting name for a Catholic sanctuary)
this weekend. The place is a gem. We were thinking of Mt. St. Helen's,
but were wondering if we should we wait for better weather ?

Verify how close you can get to St. Helens this time of yr (Coldwater Center likely closed due to snow, Silver Lake Visitor's center is good too, just a few miles from I-5 @ Castlerock) Choose a clear day, next weekend (Jan-12-14) looks clear and cold. Packwood / Rainier would be good to include. Hiking in SE corner of RNP is very nice, near visitor center. I think you'll have to wait till spring to do St. Helens eastside (windy ridge). If you need a milder thing to do up north, antique shops in Centralia are fun, and try the Olympic Hotel (McMenniman's)

for your winter recreation, consider Powell Books, (PDX) and a nice cheap dinner at the Spaghetti Factory on Macadam. Also antique shops in Sellwood (nearby) definitely check out this spot - in Woodstock ,- a nice area to browse http://www.thejoinery.com/index.html (broken link) (terrific handcrafted furniture) I just found a terrific (free) library in the Portland Art Museum, and OR historical society is good to visit too

plan your spring event here, late April (Rhodie garden), near Reed College, take a picnic lunch on a sunny afternoon, enjoy the waterfowl and flowers

http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/...&PropertyID=27

Ft Vancouver / Park and Barracks is nice place to roam around. We had breakfast (Sunday) at the Grant House, on Officers Row, and it was quite good and affordable (moderate - $8-$12), but it sure beats IHOP !

For eastern pleasures...
Pendleton Woolen Mill factory store and tours, Washougal

there is a new "Cape Horn Trail" at the base of Salmon Falls Road ~ 20 miles east of I-205 Bridge. (just past Cape Horn cliffs, nice view...)

Beacon Rock is a nice hike another 10 miles east,

Beacon Rock Golf course, a cheap / quiet place on a warm spring afternoon

Then Bonneville Hot Springs has 'day-use' packages for pool and spa, weekdays are quite affordable come for the day! it is a nice lodge type place to relax and play some board games or read (2nd and third floor lobby areas)

next, Skamania Lodge, tho I think new owners cut out 'public use' of pools and hot tubs, they were really great. But, go sit in lobby or library and enjoy the view, fire, and quietness, read, write or do a puzzle. Good for golfing and eating too.

Next Stevenson, shops and food. Try the 'Big River Grill' for smoked Salmon Chowder in a bread bowl on Friday eve (come early) also a micro brewery in town and other decent places to eat.

further east is Carson Hot Springs (and points north, toward St Helens)

Reserve 'Dog Mtn' hike for spring wild flowers, but take plenty of water!

Other destinations, Trout Lake, scenic, x-skiing, White Salmon, Lyle, Maryhill, and 'stone hedge'


Enjoy The Dalles (OR Trail Museum) Mosier, and Hood River on the way home. Free bridges at The Dalles, and Biggs. Hood River $.75, Cascade Locks $1

Both vistor centers at Bonneville Dam are nice, OR side has nice gardens and Sturgeon / Trout ponds. Then take 'Scenic Hwy' past Multnomah Falls, and Vista House on into Troutdale. (come out at Factory Stores)

Timberline Lodge is worth the trip , and then loop around on hwy 35 to Hood River... another day... Great during Apple / Cherry blossom time,

For the OR coast (1.5 hrs...) we like "Hug Point", second park south of Cannon Beach, just before Arch Cape. It has great geology, water fall, and caves, also a bit of the first 'OR state Highway', a stagecoach road cut along the beach ! There are also some 'tide-pools' up on that road and to the north.

Ecola park is good for view - Twin Rocks, nice beach, Tillamook, good Ice Cream (and museums), and '3 capes rte' is scenic. Be sure to check out the Octopus Tree and minature Light House. Then on south to "whale cove"(great tide pools) @ Depot Bay ... this weekend might be better for a coast run, or trip to PDX, the weather is gonna be pretty harsh inland. (wet / snow @ 500')

"Sea Breeze" at intersection of 26 and HWY 1 has pretty good halibut and chips. I hear folks like Moe's for Chowder. Astoria (museums, homes..) and Ft Stevens is a good spot for roaming around (and camping in summer, if you have kids that need to bike / roller blade). The coast Guard station on WA side jetty of Columbia River is pretty nicce spot too

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by dancocal

Would that be around the 4th of July ? ( which I hear is great. )

The fort during the 4th of July is....interesting. The fort, itself, is very cool. The park just north of the fort and Officer's Row become INSANE during this day. They end up cramming a several thousand people into a fairly small area. But they usually have a very good police presence and it's been much calmer in recent years than it used to be.

Ft. Vancouver actually has special events all year long. In October they do a Candlelight Tour at night time. They recreate a real day from the clerk's logs of what happened that day in 1846 or so. It's pretty interesting. You have people dining in the Chief Factor's House, clerks working late in the shop, the doctor is tending to people or assiting a woman who may have fainted from the dancing and festivities, men playing games like Draughts (an early form of checkers), kids playing, ladies gossiping and sewing, servants cooking in the kitchens and baking in the bakery.

There's also the celebration for Queen Victoria's Birthday where they have a celebration for her replete with toasts and extra rations of rum for the employees. (It's pretty funny!) They even fire off cannons in her honor.

The Brigade Encampment is during the summertime and is very interesting, particularly if you have kids around. Traditionally, the encampment was a yearly gathering of fur traders coming into the fort to trade in their wares for company credit. There are re-enacters who portray Native American trapperes, fur trappers, etc. People are camped outside the fort walls and you can walk around from lean-to to teepee and talk with them or listen. Lots of them are doing things like tanning hides, cooking, drinking, beadworking, etc.

In all, it's pretty cool. Okay, I'm a total history geek so my idea of "cool" may not translate to everyone else.

Here's a link to their website. It should have some more detailed information and scheduling for you:

www.nps.gov/fova/index.htm

[danco]

Thank you ladies for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences of the area. I must admit I have in general, found Pacific
Northwestern folk more friendly than I was led to believe they would be.