A vestige of the legendary Safari Club, a tavern in Estacada once filled with hunting trophies.

Estacada → Sandy Tour

This tour was done on Monday, 12/16/2019.

Basic idea: Line 30 to Estacada; SAM to Sandy; SAM to Gresham; MAX to Portland TransitMall; then Home.

Overview: Today I am heading east on another Transit Tour, this time to Estacada and Sandy Oregon! TriMet line 30 will take me all the way out to Estacada, where I'll have lunch at 'The Cazadero on the River', then I'll explore the town until a SAM bus (Sandy Area Metro) takes me from Estacada to Sandy for $1! I can grab a Donut at Joe's Donuts in Sandy and hit Mountain Moka, before taking a different SAM bus back west into Gresham, where I can take MAX to Portland, and TriMet buses to get back home.

Estacada-Sandy Tour map - marked on Apple Maps. Orange: TriMet; Violet: SAM; Blue: MAX.

I first had to get to Clackamas Town Center, where Line 30 departs. This accounts for a MAX hop and TriMet 33 Hop. That part might be different for other folks, depending on where y'all are starting from.

Extent of Planning done

Here's my penciled plan. Doesn't list planned Lunch in Estacada or Donut in Sandy.

How I reckoned I'd do this...

Anything else before we begin? Risk? Worst case, I'd have to reverse back to Portand from Estacada on TriMet if SAM wasn't running or whatever.

Getting to Tillicum Crossing

I walked 8 minutes to catch TriMet #43 near Time Haven. I got off at SW Gibbs street and crossed the Hooley pedestrian bridge over I-5 to South Waterfront.

Encouraging Words at the Tillicum MAX station.

At Tillikum crossing, I caught a MAX Orange Line heading for Milwaukie!

Note: Don't be confused! Both MAX and Portland Streetcars cross the Tillicum Bridge. MAX stops on the bridge. There is a MAX station. Streetcars stop before the bridge (on the west side anyway.) So pay attention.

2024 Update: Line 43 has changed since doing this tour! In 2024, I could walk 4 minutes to TriMet #35, and get off right under the Hooley pedestrian bridge, and go from there... OR for fun, I could take #43 which now runs up to OHSU, and then take the Portland Aerial Tram down to South Waterfront, but that would add considerable time and cost $8.

Getting to Clackamas Town Center

At Milwaukie.. Locate the stop for #33, and get on it! Now on 33, already heading for CLACKAMAS TOWN CENTER!

TriMet 33 map

At Clackamas Town Center for a 27 minute layover! I went to the restroom and looked at the possibilities there. Cinnabon. Yum. Yum.

LoL.. They temporarily moved the Transit Center during the holidays to give priority to cars (not in those exact words). I have a photo of the Service Alert.

TriMet Bus to Estacada

TriMet #30 was easy to see... part of CTC is a mini Transit Center, right? After boarding TriMet #30, I put my HOP Card away, since my next trip hours from now will be on SAM.

TriMet #30 map

After an amazing rural ride, we arrived in Estacada.

TriMet Line 30 in Estacada at City Hall stop (ID=3724)

On the way into town, we passed an interesting building on the right side of highway. I must find out what that was.

Exploring Estacada

Did I say it’s a Blue Sky day? Here we have arrived at Estacada City Hall! I figured I'd just Mosey toward lunch, but there are many murals within sight, in the Historic district, so I took time to check them out.

Cazadero Mural - OLD TRAINS OF ESTACADA

The upstream Cazadero Dam generated electricity for Portland in the early 1900's. Electric power from the dam came all the way into Sellwood! The Cazadero electric line is depicted in the above Mural. Read more on Oregon Encyclopeida.

Estacada Mural - Quite a Zoo out here, evidently

I got a table with a lovely view of the Clackamas River.

The Cazadero on the River

Tomato juice - not Beer! That little book is for my transit notes.

Cazadero Lunch

Yum. Saving half of my Ruben for lunch tomorrow!

I think I’ll head over to Visitor Info, and then take a long walk to the Estacada Library, where I can also catch SAM to Sandy.

Their beautiful library is on quiet water. (I have photos... maybe you can see it yourself someday. :^)

An Estacada Library mosaic - there were a dozen or two of these!

The librarians couldn't think of what the building was that I said I'd seen on the way into town. It said 'CAZADERO' in Huge letters on the side! (Wasn't able to find on Street View.)

Departing Estacada on time, across the highway from the Library.

TriMet and SAM sharing stops .. makes transferring a cinch! How civilized.

The northbound stop at the library is not shown on Google Maps, but you can see it on Street View.

SAM to Sandy

Ho Ho Ho. Upon boarding and paying $1, I got a token to use on my next leg.

Sandy - Estacada Route

What a scenic ride! Over gentle hills, through open fields, views of Mt Hood. Arriving in Sandy, from the south!

Here's their little transit center.

What to do in Sandy?

Mural in Sandy, Oregon

La Di Da

SAM to Gresham

I examined and photographed the token over espresso at Mountain Moka.

SAM token, good for One ride (transfer)

I did use the token, but I also put a dollar in the fare box when boarding SAM for Gresham.

MAX to Downtown Portland

Looks like this Tour will be a smashing success. Hard to mess it up now! When I arrive at Gresham TC aka Central, I’ll scope it out and get on a BLUE LINE MAX to Portland. Arrived at Gresham. Waiting for BLUE to City Center....

MAX Platform

Commenting from Facebook at time time — Now on the train! Thus ends the Live portion of the Tour. Signing off for now. Might have to have a brewski at Bailey’s Taproom to celebrate. Nah. :^)

Made it to Pioneer Courthouse Square, with the Portland XMas Tree all lit up! To summarize, I left Sandy at 4:30, and I’m on my last leg home. Looks like I’ll be home just after 6:30pm. Incredible! What a day!

References ( ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION! )

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