Waymarking Afternoon Tea's

I've had Afternoon Tea at several Tea Rooms/Restaurants lately so I could Waymark them. Waymarking is part of Geocaching and, for the most part, I consider Waymarking a failure. I have created over a 1000 Waymarks. I was the first to Bingo on the Waymark Category Grid having 20 Waymarks in a row. Since then I have four additional Bingos. I enjoy creating Waymarks however I rarely visit Waymarks. And cachers rarely visit my Waymarks. Waymarks do not get counted for Geocaching finds.

Afternoon Tea at Salty's, Portland, Oregon

I had Afternoon Tea at Salty's this afternoon. I was seated at a corner table with a view of the Columbia River. I was served sandwiches with a pot of Earl Grey tea, cookies and desserts. The sandwiches were Shrimp & Crab Salad with Cucumber, Smoked Salmon Canapes and Egg Salad sandwich. The cookies were Shortbread with Candy Cane, Caramel Almond Cookie, Macaroon and Rainbow Stripe. There were four delicious desserts especially the Cheesecake. The sandwiches were not the traditional Afternoon Tea sandwiches however the cookies and desserts were quite impressive.

American Queen Sternwheeler presentation at The Quarry, Vancouver, Washington

I went to a presentation this afternoon at The Quarry in east Vancouver, WA for the American Queen sternwheeler. American Queen is the largest steamboat ever built. The ship was built in 1995 and is a six-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat, built by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Although the American Queen's stern paddlewheel is indeed powered by a genuine steam plant, her secondary propulsion and much maneuverability comes from a set of diesel-electric propellers, known as Z-drives, on either side of the sternwheel. She has 222 state rooms for a capacity of 436 guests and a crew of 160. She is 418 feet (127 m) long and 89 feet (27 m) wide.

The Great American Steamboat Company has plans to return her to Mississippi River service from a port in Memphis, Tennessee in April 2012. She will re-join her fellow sternwheeler steamboats Natchez, Chautauqua Belle, Minne-Ha-Ha, and the Belle of Louisville. In 2012 the American Queen will participate for the first time in the Great Steamboat Race.

Following the presentation we had coffee, tea, iced tea, fruit platter, cheese and crackers platter, pecan tarts, doughnuts (Beignets) and bread pudding with bourbon sauce. I saw a bright red 1957 Ford Thunderbird on display at the Front Entrance as I left The Quarry.

Afternoon Tea at Myrtle's Tea Room in Ridgefield, Washington

My daughter, Catherine, and I had Afternoon Tea at noon at the new location of Myrtle's Tea Room in Ridgefield, Washington on the Opening Day, December 7. The first course was a strawberry sorbet. We had dainty tea sandwiches, a bowl of tomato bisque soup and fresh fruit followed by a scone and desserts. And, of course, a large pot of Holiday Tea. We really enjoyed the Holiday Tea! We drove the Scenic Drive back to Vancouver.

Villages of Mt. Hood 2011 Geocoin Challenge and Afternoon Tea at Chariteas

My daughter, Catherine, and I left Vancouver a little after 9:00AM hopeing that the fog would lift and the icy roads would have melted. Well the fog went away but the roads were quite icy. We saw a wreck with fire engine and ambulance and a bit further a white pickup was being pulled up an embankment by a tow truck shortly after leaving Sandy, traveling eastbound on Hwy 26. We found the required caches for the Mt. Hood Geocoin Challenge.

We stopped to have Afternoon Tea at Chariteas, a lovely tea room in Sandy, Oregon. We had scones served with jam and clotted cream, assorted tea sandwiches, homemade dessert (lemon tarts and brownies), and, of course, a pots of tea. I took several photographs at the tea room. It was a lovely drive. Many of the trees still had golden and red autumn leaves, the sky was blue with a white moon, and there was a clear view of the snow-capped Mt. Hood.

We visited Jonsrud Viewpoint. A high bluff provided a spectacular vantage point for viewing the portion of the Sandy River and Devil's Backbone the Oregon Trail pioneers crossed on their route over Mt. Hood along the historic Barlow Road. I read about the early pioneers who settled in the area around Sandy on one of the Interpretive Signs and the other Interpretive Sign pointed out the Sandy River valley and Devil's Backbone. It a an absolutely clear, crisp afternoon. We could see Mt. Hood in the distance, the valley floor, farmlands and Sandy River.

Afternoon Tea at Chariteas, Sandy, Oregon

I drove 33 miles from Vancouver, Washington to Sandy, Oregon to have Afternoon Tea at Chariteas. I chose the English Tea: scones served with clotted cream, soup/salad (I chose the chicken and wild rice soup; it was delicious), four assorted tea sandwiches, homemade dessert, and, of course, a pot of darjeeling tea. During and afterwards I took several photographs so I could Waymark the tea room. It was a lovely drive. Many of the trees still had golden and red autumn leaves, the sky was blue with a white, puffy clouds and there was a clear view of the snow-capped Mt. Hood.