The Rose Garden and Mt. Tabor are good options. Though, I asked my partner to marry me in the rose gardens in Ladd's Addition. It was quiet, low-key, no one around.

You should attend every WNE event that Marjorie doesn't, then send your findings as a letter to the Merc. This way, we sad sack readers who yearn for some freaking misery in the whole process can finally get it in the form of one literate, cynical CC. Who better to take on this challenge, really?

This may seem like a less than stellar "long vacation-y" weekend, but I submit unto thee: THE NEEDS OF THE MANY, COLIN. The needs of the many.

If you're talking about the weekend of the 25th, go to the hot air balloon festival in Tigard on one of the days, and on the 26th do the PDX Hunt scavenger hunt. My team will be dressed up like fairy princesses and we are going to kick your ass, just FYI, but it will be fun nonetheless.

I'm experienced at fixing this problem cheaply.

You have two tasks:

1) dry out the interior of the light completely
2) once it's completely dried, seal it

As previously suggested, drilling a hole at the bottom of the light to let moisture drain is suggested. If you can remove the assembly completely and bring it into a warm dry house, that's suggested.

Using a blow drier, you can warm and dry the air around the hole you drilled, which will slowly warm and dry the air inside.

Once it's clear and dry outside, lightly sand the area over the crack, as well as the area around where you drilled the hole. This will roughen the area around where the moisture is getting in enough to let glue stick.

Use clear silicone adhesive. Put a small bead along the crack, and a little glob over the hole. Smear it flat with your finger, but make sure everything remains covered.

Let it dry, reinstall, and BAM!

If you absolutely need a panel van, you could look into U-Haul's competitors, like Ryder.

Apart from SUVs, some car rental agencies (Budget, etc) offer the typical 15-passenger van. That'll haul a lot of crap. Some even offer cargo vans.

There are also some more exotic options, like putting your crap on a pallet and having Amtrak deliver it. Here's some sage advice: http://cardhouse.com/travel/move.htm

I've done a couple 3,000 mile moves with a pickup and topper. Maybe you could bribe someone from back home to make the trip with their vehicle.

you should read the book "the pacific crest trail". It's good.

To get it done in one summer (actually the 6 warmer months), you're going to need to do a lot of training before you go. Expect consecutive days hiking over 30 miles per day with a lot of gear through rough terrain. To do it in 6 months, you're looking at an average of about 15 miles a day for 180 straight days. Some will be slower going when you're climbing the various peaks along the way, so you have to make up for them on the easier sections.

I think the two biggest challenges (assuming you're in good enough physical condition to handle that kind of effort) are water and money.

As previously mentioned, in the southern areas, it can be difficult to get at good water for filtration, and you certainly aren't going to carry enough water for more than a few days.

As for money, you've got 6 months with no work, 6 months of storage etc... for your stuff. You'll probably want six month of good health insurance. You'll probably want an operational cell phone with you. 6 months of eating isn't cheap, especially with how many calories you're going to need to eat at that level of activity. Also, it really helps to have some sort of support crew. You're not going to carry more than a few days worth of food and water with you, so you need access to towns, which often means getting met at trailheads with fresh supplies, or getting rides from trailheads into town to do what you need to do. (charge cell phone, etc...)

having said all that, family's with young children have completed the PCT, it's definitely do-able, it just requires a lot of planning, conditioning, and resources.

Maybe complete the timberline trail in 2 days to act as a barometer for how much work you need before then. That would be about 20 miles a day, with good vertical gain, and varying terrain. That will let you know how much work you need to put in before next spring.

Maryhill Museum of Art, 35 Maryhill Museum Drive Goldendale, Washington

May be farther than you want to go, but the view is exceptional and it's not that crowded.

Closer to home, Kelly Butte Natural Area, SE 103rd Avenue & Clinton Street.

This is a largely unknown park with some fine views of the city and lots of privacy. Park entrance is a bit difficult to find so keep your eyes peeled. Romantic fun-fact: This park boasts Portland's now abandoned Civil Defense bunker. The entrance to the sprawling underground complex has unfortunately been back-filled.

Also, Elk Rock Island, near Southeast 19th Avenue and Sparrow Street.

The island is a fairly short walk from the parking area and only accessible during the summertime when the Willamette is not swollen with rain. It's cool, isolated, and riddled with strange trails. Took my wife here on our first date.

The Jupiter Hotel is right across the bridge (so you can walk downtown) and similarly hip.

I'd also suggest the Hotel Lucia.