Second Interim Report

 Wednesday, May 31, 2011 4:45 PM

Kennewick, Washington

Second Interim Report

The car people called at one o’clock and announced the car was ready and that Jerry (the shuttle driver) was on his way. This was very good news as we had not expected the car to ready until tomorrow.

We picked up the car and did some exploring (hence the images below), some shopping, ate lunch at Red Robin, and bought some camping gear at Sports Authority.

The sun has disappeared destroying our plans for sitting outside.

Carol is currently making reservations  in Missoula, Montana for tomorrow night.

View up the Columbia River at Kennewick, WA

 The "Blue Bridge" over the Columbia River at Kennewick, WA

The "Other Bridge" over the Columbia River at Kennewick, WA

Interim Report May, 31, 2011

Greetings Faithful Followers and Friends,

We are holed up in Super 8 Motel in Kennewick,WA awaiting the solution to a tire problem with the faithful Subaru. Actually we are happy to have a day without road noise and trailer trucks.

You too can visit Kennewick:

http://www.go2kennewick.com/

Visit Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River:

http://www.google.com/search?q=bonneville+dam&hl=en&biw=1402&bih=918&prmd=ivnsu&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=skflTcSVK4WesQPxmrwW&sqi=2&ved=0CHcQsAQ

The sun is shining and the weather pleasant. We are busy reading, computing, and enjoying the peace and quiet. We hope to be on the road by noon tomorrow.

Our plans have changed and we will not go to Glacier NP but will travel directly to Yellowstone with a stop for the night in Missoula, Montana.  This breaks up a very long days drive in 2 manageable parts.

Warner and Carol

Columbia River Gorge to Kennewick, Washington

Monday, May 30, 2011

Tumwater, WA to Kennewick, WA via the Columbia River Gorge

I have just added the pictures to yesterday’s blog for those whose life is not complete without pictures!  Now I need only to write today’s blog.

I was waxing philosophic was drove along the Columbia River Gorge from Portland, OR to Kennewick, WA.  This trip has not been “A Trip”; it has been, thus far, 29 individual trips, each one different from the one before (yet sharing some elements) and the one that followed.

Everything changed every day: the sky was blue or cloudy, or gray, or cloudless; the land  rose up into mountains or sank into valleys, it lay flat as water on plate or was as lumpy as a pile of rocks; the colors were red, green, brown, golden, or yellow; the rivers were babbling  brooks, raging torrents, or meandering streams.

Each day was a PowerPoint Presentation, a slide show, a kaleidoscope!

And today was no different. The Columbia River Gorge was waterfalls, huge dams with locks and power plants, mountains, and of the mighty Columbia.

The Gorge evolved slowly into desert with only river left.  The rocks and mountains were replaced by flat, flat land with low plants and no trees. The only patches of green were seen near towns and farms.

 Our first view of the Columbia River

 

The Gorge was lined on both sides with mountians

 The mountain ridges were lined with these

 The forests were filled with wildfowers and maiden hair ferns

 and waterfalls

 River traffic

Bonneville Dam and Locks

Once in the desert the only trees we saw had been planted

 The land became flat

and 1941 Packard Convertibles appeared!

Tumwater, WA to the Olympic Peninsula and back to Tumwater

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Tumwater, WA to Olympic Peninsula and return

What great day this was!! We just had the best time driving the Olympic Peninsula as far as Port Angeles

From Port Angeles we drove up a mountain to Hurricane Ridge. This was 40-minute 17-mile drive through three tunnels, around sweeping curves beside sheer cliffs and precipitous drop offs.  When we reached the top, it was buried in snow 10 feet deep. In addition, it began to rain and hail!

As an added bonus on the way up, we passed a black bear crossing a steep hillside beside the road. He seemed puzzled by the hoard of tourists (including me) who were taking his (or her) picture.

When we reached summit we were greeted by a panorama of snow-covered peaks wreathed in clouds and patches of sunshine. Awesome!

After returning from the mountain top jaunt, we drove to Crystal Lake for a hike Marymede Falls. It took us longer than most people because we were continually stopped to look at wildflowers.

The falls were spectacular dropping a hundred feet or more into a pool, which feed a stream.

From the falls, we drive back to Tumwater, WA whence we had set out that morning! Twas a long but satisfying day.

The drive from Tumwater took us along the shores of Puget Sound past small villages; in the morning, the tide was low exposing mud flats where groups of people were digging clams at the water’s edge. They were apparently selling them a man who had a truck loaded with bags of clams.

We passed several casinos operated by the local Indian Tribes. One community seemed to have cornered the fireworks sales market.

 By lunchtime, we had reached the community of Seqium so we drove out to the shore to an area that was once known as the town of Dungeness. We had lunch at the Three Crabs Restaurant admired the Lighthouse in the distance. After lunch, we toured the town and went on to Port Angeles.

I do not plan to add pictures to the blog tonight because it late.  I hope to add some in the morning.

First view of Olympic Peninsula Mountains

 Puget Sound Village

 View of  Puget Sound

Digging clams

Dungeness lighthouse

 Hurricane Ridge with snow, rain, and sleet

 View from Hurricane Ridge

Marymate Falls

Goodbye to the Olympic Peninsula

Jacksonville, OR to Tumwater, WA

May 28, 2011

Jacksonville, OR to Tumwater, WA

Left Jacksonville at 9:11 AM and drove north on I-5 toward Portland OR, and Tumwater, WA. The first part of the trip took us through the mountains with sweeping vistas and steep grades. There were occasional rain showers but nothing serious. The landscape was entirely green with none of the golden/brown of California. We stopped for gas and lunch near Eugene, Oregon.

We arrived in Portland, Oregon about 3 PM and stopped to visit the city we have been hearing a lot about lately.  We wanted to visit the Rose Garden (no blossoms!!), the Japanese Garden (very nice – see images), and Powell’s Books.  The latter is “THE” bookstore of the entire US of A. Incredible!!

Visit here:  http://www.powells.com/  Powell's Books is the largest independent used and new bookstore in the world.

Rooms after room filled with every book you have ever wanted – and a lot you do not want.  The Blue Room, the Gold Room, etc. plus a coffee shop where you read what you just bought.  This is one the 1000 places we all need to visit.

We left Portland and crossed the Columbia River into Washington. The landscape by now had changed to a broad valley filled with farms and bordered by mountains.

We reached Tumwater about 7pm, checked into the Comfort Inn and went off to the local sports bar for dinner and a Yankee’s game – in which I had no interest!

Olympic Peninsula tomorrow.

Mountain Road

Farm Land

Portland, OR Japanese Garden Waterfall

 Portland, OR Japanese Garden

 Portland, OR Japanese Garden

 Portland, OR View over the city looking east from Japanese Garden

Portland,OR

 http://www.powells.com/

Jacksonville, OR

Friday, May 27, 2011

Jacksonville, OR

We spent the day wandering about the area. We walked in the town park in Ashland along a rushing river past pink and white Rhododendrons in full bloom, over bridges, and past a lovely pool in the river.  It was raining lightly but it did not dampen our spirits. We stopped at a coffee shop for coffee, tea and a blueberry scone.

After lunch we returned home past Harry and David’s Pear Orchards, newly planted vineyards, and lovely landscapes. We stopped briefly and then drove to Central Point, OR to visit the Crater Rock Museum. I don’t believe I have ever seen so many mineral specimens in one place.  The entire collection contained minerals from all over the world and the United States, Indian artifacts, scrimshaw carvings, and rocks, Very impressive.

It was a very pleasant day.  

A pleasant stroll beside a rushing stream...

and a tranquil pool.

Rhododendrons in full bloom

and pink dogwoods

 The Cascade Mountains from our host's front yard

Santa Rosa, CA to Jacksonville,OR

May 26, 2011

Thursday

Santa Rosa, CA to Jacksonville, OR

We left Santa Rosa about 10 am and drove north through the golden hills one last time as we headed for Oregon. We drove up into the hills over twistng, turning, roads with no shoulders and precipitous drops. We were stuck in road repair traffic for a least a half hour. Coming down from the hills we were puzzled by the large areas of pond-like structures filled with water.  We realised they were rice paddies – acres and acres of them.

Rice is big business in Williams, CA. Once we left the hills, the land flattened out as we entered the Sacramento River Valley. Rice paddies gave way to olive and almond orchards as mountains appeared on the right, the left, and straight ahead.

After miles of driving through agricultural lands the highway (I-5) wound slowly upward toward the mountains. We passed Lake Shasta and a "real" mountain appeared -  the kind with a pointy top. Off to our right we saw Mount Shasta covered with snow and enshrouded in clouds - a magnificent sight to behold. I took  less than a hundred pictures of it.

We gradually reached an elevation of a little over 3,000 feet and entered the high desert. The road was magnificant as it meandered among the mountains clad in evergreen trees of very shade of green  immaginable.

We passed craggy peaks, farms, and snow capped mountains arriving finally at our destination – Jacksonville, OR.

We are staying with friends whose home over looks a valley surrounded with mountains.

The last of the golden hills of California

 Rice paddies in Williams, CA

Big sky land

 Olive trees

 Guess what

 I had to add a barn!

Big mountains appear

At last! A "real" mountain with a pointy top. 

The Sacramento  River

 Craggy mountains

 Cool barn!

Evergreens in every shade of green.

Mount Shasta

Trip to Jack London State Park

May 25, 2011

Trip to Jack London State Park

Sonoma County

Rainy day today so we hung around home all morning. I revised the entire illustrated text version of the blog. I have been writing the blog entries in Word and pasting them into the blog.  I get the images ready and add them to the blog. Once the images are in the blog I copy them and paste them into the Word version. My plan is to print all the blog entries as document. Today I edited the entire print version completed thus far.

This afternoon Judy, Carol and I visited the Jack London State Park. The park encompasses the land Jack London purchased to build a home and develop a farm.

He planted vineyard, experimented with spineless cactus for cattle feed, and practiced innovative approaches to farming.

After his death at a young age his widow built a large stone house as her home. The building now houses a Jack London museum. I was familiar with some of London’s books and poetry but had no idea he was so prolific. After visiting the museum we hiked to a lake he had constructed as a source of water for the farm.

The trail to the lake climbed through a lovely Redwood forest. It was a very pleasant walk although the lake was disappointing because it was essentially dried up and  covered with a layer of reddish vegetation.

On our way home we bought two large boxes of fresh strawberries. As I was in the back seat with the berries, a fair number of them disappeared before we reached home.

Tomorrow we will drive to Jacksonville, Oregon - about a six hour trip. This will be our last visit with friends and then it’s back to motels and camping. When we leave Jacksonville, we will have a little more than two weeks of traveling before we return to York.  Where has the time gone?

 

Sonoma County scenery

 more Northern California Scenery

and more of the same

The house built by Jack London's wife after his death. She named it

the house wth the "Happy Walls"

 Oak Tree in front of the house where Jack London died.

                                                                                         One of several stone barns built by Jack London.

Jack London's vineyard