October, 2012

We arrived in Mankato at the Good Counsel motherhouse to visit until 10/17.   While we were there we:

• Enjoyed yummy caramel and cinnamon rolls at the Amboy Cottage Cafe in Amboy, MN.   
• Celebrated Jean's 50th high school reunion at Loyola with 29 of her classmates.   The class has definitely spread out! - Rapid City, SD, Arizona, San Diego, CA, Raleigh (us) and locations all over the state.   It was awesome to see everyone.   
• Enjoyed a cookout with Jeans nieces and nephew and their families 
• Visited with friends from Belle Plaine,  Buffalo, and Amboy, MN
• Attended the Good Counsel Craft and Garage Sale with hundreds of like-minded bargain hunters.  The talents of the sisters are awesome!
• Were piggies at Jake's Stadium Pizza in Mankato where we wolfed down two HOUSE SPECIALS!   
• Loved our time with Jean's sister and the nuns who seem happy to see us when we come (or maybe they are just good actresses????)

On October 17 we left Mankato and started our journey toward North Carolina and home.    Our first stop was in Madison, WI where we ended up staying an additional night as the truck died (ended up being a small issue, so we happily spent the afternoon exploring a shopping mall).  

Crawfordsville, IN KOA was our next stop - just an overnight.   We were thankful we could get in, as it didn't look too promising when we arrived.   

Saturday we stopped at the Renfo Valley KOA in Mt. Vernon, KY.   They were celebrating Halloween, so we saw a lot of little ones dressed and parading before getting their treats from the willing campers.   We were also asked if we would show our trailer to a couple of young women who had been admiring the trailer as we pulled in.   They were awed.

On Sunday we arrived in warm, sunny Swannanoa, NC and enjoyed two days there.  We visited the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock, NC and enjoyed our favorite German restaurant in Black Mountain, NC.   

We are currently camped at Fort Mill, SC at the KOA and are enjoying the company of our friends from Raleigh who have moved here.    

On Friday, October 26 we will head for Raleigh and a reunion with family and friends.   It's been a great trip!    

Pictures - MT and ID

Falls at Twin Falls, ID

Idaho Falls, ID

Doll House at Butte, MT

My new buddy - Idaho

Jack's new buddy

Jack at Rock Creek Station in ID

Side view of the station

Minnesota 9/24- 9/30

From Iroquois, SD we drove to Worthington, MN to visit with the Burkard side of the family.   We enjoyed seeing our nephews and their wives and Jack's brother and sister-in-law and seeing all the bean and corn harvesting that was taking place.   To be honest, we also enjoyed breakfasts at the Hy-Vee in Worthington.   It's one of our favorite grocery chains, and we enjoy having their fresh bakery.   We always camp at the Olson Campground in Worthington, which is right on the lake and it has a wonderful hiking trail along the lake.   We made very good use of the trail and so didn't gain weight eating all the homemade goodies we enjoyed while visiting.

One day we drove over to Pipestone, Mn to see the Pipestone National Monument where Indians of many different tribes would come to quarry for the red stone used in making their peacepipes.   The Indians consider the area as sacred ground, and even warring tribes were there at the same time to quarry.   No fighting was allowed in the area.   To this day Indians still come to quarry the stone, and the Park Ranger said there is a 10-year waiting list to come and quarry.  

On Saturday we drove to Fairmont, MN to visit friends and stayed until Oct. 1.  

South Dakota 9/15-9/24, 2012

We traveled on 9/15 from Sheridan to Rapid City, SD where we stayed at the KOA.   On Sunday we headed for Mt. Rushmore to revisit the Monument.   We hadn't been there since the 1980's when we took our girls to see it.   My, what a big difference!   Since our last visit a new granite front entrance had been put on it, and a new amphitheater was added, as well as two book stores and a Borglum Museum.    We took many pictures and enjoyed the gift shop and book stores.    While in the gift shop, Jack met one of the men who worked on the the sculpture and bought an autographed book by the man.   It was nice to see that they had a "made in the USA" section to the gift shop, although the majority of the clothing and souvenirs were made in China :-(  

After Mt. Rushmore we drove the 16 miles or so to see the Crazy Horse Monument.   When we were there in the 80's, only the "armpit" was being worked on.   Since then his face is done, his arm is outstretched, and they are beginning to work on the horse's head.   They now have an Indian museum, a gift shop, and an area where the Native Americans may set up tables and sell their crafts.    What impressed us the most was the fact that they DO NOT ACCEPT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE US GOVERNMENT!  All work is paid for by donations and admissions to the site.   As Crazy Horse is quoted as saying:  The only promise the EuroAmericans kept was the promise to take our land,  and they did!"  

On Monday we stayed in camp to take care of household chores, and to pack away some of our summer clothes and get out our warmer clothes, as the evenings were getting down into the 30's and the days were only getting up to 50-60 degrees.   Brrrr.

Tuesday we left Rapid City for Mitchell, SD and drove through the Badlands.   We were fortunate enough to see some wildlife on the side of the road, and stopped at the visitor's center to see the movie on the Badlands.   We camped at the KOA in Mitchell - no tv, no wi-fi signals so rented The Hunger Games from Redbox and watched it.  

From Wednesday to Monday the 24th we visited with relatives in Iroquois and Brookings, SD.   We celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary with Barb and Rollie Walter and went to dinner at Tailgate restaurant in Huron, SD.  

September 11 - 14, 2012

We spent September 11 at the Battle of the Little Big Horn near Hardin, MT.   We had been here before, but felt it deserved a closer look now that we had read quite a number of books about the battle and about the Indian version of the battle.   Our first stop was the Introductory film at the Visitor's Center and went back through the museum which meant so much more to us this second time.  A ranger gave a talk on the patio about the strategy Custer used and the reasons for the fight. At 12 we took the Crow bus tour to the Benteen battle site.   Our guide was Lakota Sioux, and she emphasized the idea that there were about 2000 Indians vs only about 650 soldiers, Indian guides, and civilians who were in the group.   We appreciated the guide's attention to detail and her ability to describe and point out the various areas of the battle to us.   We hiked one of the battlefield trails and visited the National cemetery which is at the site before leaving.   It was a very moving 6 hour visit and only made us want to dig even further into the events of that fateful day.

Sheridan, Wyoming - Sept. 12 - 14.  

Sheridan is a true western town and has an extensive historic area.   We drove 11 miles out of town to the Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum.   Bradford Brinton was from Chicago and bought the Quarter Circle A ranch in 1923.   He used this ranch for a vacation home and as a repository for the bulk of his collection of Western art including works by Russelll, Remington, Borein and F. T. Johnson.  At his death his sister inherited the rance and kept her brother's collection in tact.   The house with it's original furnishings and artworks, the barns, and the bunkhouse were available for tour.   It was  a very interesting tour!

After lunch we toured the Trail End home of John B Kendrick, former Wyoming Governor and US Senator.   He came to Wyoming territory in 1879 as a trail rider on a cattle drive.   He married in 1891 and for 18 years lived in SE Montana where he started what became the Kendrick Cattle Company, a 210,000 acre collection of cattle ranches in northern Wyoming and southern Montana.

The house was finished in 1913 and was lived in by the family until 1961.   The house was empty for seven years until the Sheridan County Historical Society purchased it.   The furnishings in the house are all original to the family.   It's an outstanding home museum.

On September 14 we drove about 25 miles south of Sheridan to the Fort Phil Kearny Historic Site.   We made a wrong turn and ended up at the Fetterman Battle Site, part of the Phil Kearny site, but about 5 miles from the fort site.   It is here that on 12/21/1866 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors engaged a military force commanded by captain William J. Fetterman.   Fetterman's group was sent to rescue a wagon train.   The warriors attacked the soldiers, overwhelming the separated cavalry and infantry units.  All 81 men were killed within thirty minutes.  Only the Battle of the Little Big Horn stands as a worse defeat for the US Army and a greater vistory for the Plains Indians.

We found our way to the Fort and stopped at the Visitor's Center to see the introductory movie and go through the museum before going out to see the outline of where the various buildings had been.   The fort was only occupied from 1866 - 1868 and then was decommissioned when train travel made protection of wagon trains no longer necessary.   The fort was abandoned in early August 1868, and was burned soon afterwards by the Cheyenne.   In 1963 the fort was designated a National Historic Landmark.  

We left September 15 to travel 225 miles to Rapid City, SD.

Butte, Montana - Sept. 5-10, 2012

Butte, MT is called the "Richest Hill on Earth".    At one time the town had miles of tunnels and many copper mines.   The population of Butte at one time was 100,000 people!   Most of the miners were immigrants from various countries who were hoping for a better life.   When the copper ran out, the population of the town dropped to about 35,000 people, which is the approximate population at this time.

The Butte, MT KOA is really a convenient campground.   The Visitor Center and a walking trail are both next door, so we walked over after getting the trailer set up.    We also took a walk on the hiking trail - very nice.   We picked up many brochures of possible things to do.   However, I was frustrated when I tried calling the two house museums I was hoping to visit -- no answer at either.   The lady at the Visitor's Center indicated that since Labor day, many of the facilities were likely either closing for the season, or cutting their hours.  

Thursday we tried stopping at both the house museums, but neither was open, although their web sites indicated that they SHOULD be open.   We ended up walking through the historic "uptown" and reading signs on the historic buildings.    Hmmmm,  not exactly what we had in mind, although exercise is good!  

Friday we stopped at the Mai Wah museum, a Chinese museum in the heart of the area that had been China town.   The historic Wah Chong Tai Company and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor building were the cornerstone of Butte's once vibrant Chinatown.  They are now Montana's only museum devoted to the history of Chinese immigrants in the mining west.  They were particularly excited about obtaining the return of an extensive collection of Chinese material.   The items were the remaining inventory and personal items of the Wah Chong Tai Company and the Mai Wah noodle parlor.   They represent a range of items from clothing, spices, herbal medicines and household religious items.  

We stopped at the Mall and inquired about the Our Lady of the Rockies statue which overlooks the city of Butte from the Continental Divide at 8510 ft.   The statue is 90 feet tall and is the end result of a dream and six years of work.   The statue is lighted and visible at night.   The project was the result of volunteers of all faiths working together to construct a road to the top of the mountain and the fund raising projects to make the statue possible.   It was started on 12/29/1979 and was completed on 12/17/1985.   The statue is reached by school bus and tours occur twice a day.   The next project is to build a gondola to take the visitors to the top in 5 minutes, rather than the 1 hour bus ride each way that is currently occurring.

We took the Trolley Tour from the Visitor's Center that afternoon.   IT was the best thing we did in Butte, as the guide was extremely knowledgeable about the town and it's history.   We shared the trolley with the Red Hats who had come to Butte from 5 states for their annual convention.  

Since the Red Hats were in town, I figured that women like house museums and sure enough, on Saturday both the Copper King Mansion belonging to William A. Clark and the Clark Chateau which belonged to his son were both open for tours.    Unfortunately the Copper King's Mansion only had a few original pieces, but was furnished with period furniture of the era.   The Chateau had been turned into an art gallery, but the house was interesting.   Again, very little furniture was in the house, and again it was period, not anything that had belonged to Wm. Clark's son.  

Sunday we completed our sightseeing of Butte with a trip to the World Museum of Mining at the Orphan Girl silver mine.    The other mines were copper mines, but the Orphan Girl was a silver mine.   We enjoyed the DVD about the history of mining and the town, and the exhibits were interesting.   There is generally an optional tour of the mine, but on Sunday there was no tour.   OK with me, I don't like going underground -- mines, caves, etc.

Idaho Falls Aug. 30 - Sept. 5

Idaho Falls is only about 3 hours from Twin Falls, and we arrived at the Snake River RV Resort and Campground around 1:30.    A classy name for an ordinary campground :-)    After lunch our first stop was the Visitor's Center to get information on things to do and see in the area.  

Our first excursion was to Craters of the Moon National Monument which is about 70 miles NW of Idaho Falls.   Not much to see between Idaho Falls and the Monument.   We went through the little town of Arco, which was the first town in the US to have electricity powered by nuclear energy....even if it was only for about 30 minutes!   The lava flows and features of the Craters are thousands of years old and are easily damaged by off-trail travel.   The site has a 7-mile driving loop with several stops where various features of the lava can be witnessed.   They have put down a tar trail over the lava, to protect visitors and the lava.   It's very rough terrain, and long pants and sturdy shoes are strongly recommended.   I'm glad we were there on a cool day (75 degrees), as during the heat of the summer, the black lava can reach 150 degrees!   NASA's Apollo Astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, Eugene Cernan and Joe Engle learned basic volcanic geology at Craters in 1969 as they prepared for their moon mission.

On our way back to Idaho Falls we stopped at EBR-1 National Historic Landmark.   EBR stands for Experimental Breeder Reactor-1.   It generated the world's first usable amount of electricity from nuclear energy in December 1951.   Here we saw nuclear reactors, a control room, remote handling devices for radioactive materials, radiation detection equipment and 2 aircraft nuclear propulsion prototypes.   Since 1951, the National Reactor Testing Station (now known as Dept. of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory has designed and built more than 50 other pioneering nuclear reactors.

Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market, and I bought more cherries....the last of the season.  After lunch we went to the Museum of Idaho and spent the afternoon learning about the history of the area, and marveling at the King Tut exhibition that was also going on there.  

Sunday we drove 60 miles to Pocatello to visit the Bannock County Historical Museum and the Fort Hall Replica, a 19th century fort.  The museum was very well done and we thoroughly enjoyed it.   The Fort was not open, as the person in charge was in the hospital, and since it was Labor Day weekend, no one was available to take his place.   We stopped at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum in the town of Fort Hall, but that was also closed, and appeared to have been closed for a long time.

Labor Day we stayed in camp and labored.   Jack cleaned the inside of the truck, washed the windows of the trailer and I cleaned mirrors, counters, vacuumed the bedroom and kitchen.  

On Tuesday the price of diesel jumped from $4.269 to $4.369.    Ouch!   We drove to Blackfoot, ID and visited the Potato Museum where we learned all about growing and grading potatoes.  The SE State Fair was also going on, so we walked to the fairgrounds and enjoyed our second Idaho fair.   This one was much bigger than the one in Boise.   We explored every building with the exception of the animal barns!   Great fun!

Wednesday, Sept. 5 was a long travel day to Butte, MT.  

Twin Falls, ID area Aug. 26 - 30, 2012

We drove I-84 E from Boise to Twin Falls and on our way we noticed a sign indicting that there was an Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Glenns Ferry.   Since we were in no hurry to arrive at camp, we decided to take a side trip and visit the center.   We found it about 2 miles south of Glenns Ferry in a very nice State Park called Three Islands State Park.   The center was partially funded by the H.J. Heinz company and very well done.   The site is at the point where wagon trains had to ford the Snake River. This was a dangerous place to ford, as the current was extremely swift.   The Indians in the area were very helpful and assisted the pioneers across the river.  

As we were leaving Glenns Ferry we noticed that it was clouding up and by the time we reached the KOA in Twin Falls we were in a downpour!   It stormed all evening, and while we were in town at a restaurant, the power went out for a short time.   The truck got a good rinse!

Monday dawned sunny and crisp.  After breakfast we went to the Perrine Bridge visitor's center to learn about the huge canyon the bridge spans and to find out what we should see in Twin Falls.  The bridge is 1500 feet in length and is 486 feet above the canyon floor.  We noticed several young men and women on the lawn (I thought they were packing sleeping bags) and the visitor center said they were packing their parachutes and were going to jump off the bridge into the canyon.    We watched five of the jumpers and then left in search of Twin Falls and Shoshone Falls.   Twin Falls has been compromised by the city as they have built a dam and a power plant at that site.   Instead of two falls, there is only one now.   From there we went to Shoshone Falls called The Niagara of the West, as it tumbles 212 feet to the canyon floor, and is 50 ft. higher than Niagara.  The Frederick Adams family donated the falls and surrounding area to the city of Twin Falls in 1932 with the stipulation that the land be maintained as a public park for park purposes only and for the enjoyment of all people.   Smart!

We were looking for a museum or house to visit, and it was suggested we stop at the public library.   Odd.   There was a young lady there, however, who directed us to a real gem:   Rock Creek Station and Stricker Homesite, about 10 miles outside of Twin Falls in a little town of Hansen.  In 1865 James Bscom and John Corder built the Rock Creek Store.   The small log building is still intact.   In 1876 German immigrants and gold seekers Herman Stricker and John Botzet bought the store, and Stricker and his family ran the store until 1897.   An addition on the back of the building housed a saloon.   The Strickers  six room log cabin burned in 1900, and so they built the house that is on the site and which we were able to visit.   The furniture in the house is Mrs. Stricker's, and much of it dates back to 1900.
In addition to the store and saloon, Ben Holladay built a freight station at Rock Creek where off-duty stage drivers and attendants  lived and where passengers could buy a meal or night's lodging.  Emmigrants on wagon trains also stopped at Rock Creek as it was a popular camping spot as there was water and shade, and they could buy provisions.  Down by the stream wagon ruts can still be seen.

We spent one morning at the Centennial Park down in the Snake River canyon.   It's a beautiful park and is especially good for fishing, with easy access to the Snake River.  However, by noon,  it was getting very warm, so we exited the park and headed for the Twin Falls Museum.   It is a small museum and is currently under renovation, so the sound of drills made me think of a dentist office.   The exhibits were well done, but in a bit of disarray due to the work being done.  

We left the next day for Idaho Falls.
   

Touring Boise

We drove into Boise on Tuesday and found the Visitor's Center and picked up information on things to see.   We have been to:

1.   Idaho Historical Museum where we spent 3 hours reading and looking at the exhibits on the state of Idaho.

2.  The Basque Museum - In the old section of town is a one-story building which tells the story of the immigration of the Basque people to the United States.   It was very interesting, as I knew nothing about that nationality at all.   The most interesting thing was to read about the famous people who are of Basque nationality:   Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Ravel (composer of Bollero),  Ted Williams.   I enjoyed watching a video of a 105 year old lady who told of her coming to the United States and settling in Idaho.   She spoke in the Basque language, so it was translated on the screen.   

The Capitol Dome, as seen from the Rotunda

Idaho State Capitol building

3.  The Capitol Building - the Territorial Capitol was built in 1885, but because of crowding (and no indoor plumbing) a new capitol was built in 1912.  It was remodeled during the 1950's and 1970's.   In 2005 the building was restored.  It is unusual in that atrium wings were added on both the east and west side of the building....underground!   It adds space for committee hearing rooms and offices.   The building is heated with geothermal energy.

4.  The Old Idaho Penitentiary 1870-1973.     The pen was started in 1870 and over the course of the prison's open period there were 10 executions - all by hanging.   We were able to tour the 1899, 1921 and 1954 cell blocks, the Women's Ward, and see the "cooler" and the solitary confinement building.

5.  The Black History Museum which traced the achievements of the black citizens of Idaho and the fight for integration and equality.   The museum features artwork and sculptures of local artists as well.  

The downtown area of Boise is very easy to navigate, and there is plentiful parking.   On Saturday, our last full day here the smoke from the fires in the area had become so think you were unable to see the tops of the buildings downtown, and the air was heavy with smoke.   We will leave tomorrow (Sunday) for Jerome/Twin Falls KOA which is about 2 hours SE of Boise on I-84.   

The Trip to Boise - August 20, 2012

We left Coeur D'Alene about 8:30 on Monday and started our trek down ID 95 (a major state highway).   The scenery was really neat -- Lake Coeur d'Alene, then fields of wheat, the town of Moscow.   From there things deteriorated considerably!   To get to the next large town we had to descend a 7 mile, 7% grade "hill".    I prayed all the way down!!!!    When we got to the bottom, we had decided to get fuel in Lewiston as the next big town was miles away, and access to fuel was doubtful.   When we stopped at the gas station, Jack said that standing 4 ft. away from the trailer, he could feel the heat from the brakes.  

Hell's Canyon

More Hell's Canyon

After fueling, we entered the Indian Reservation and drove miles without seeing much besides farm land.   Suddenly we were in a wilderness area called Hell's Canyon.  It seemed like we drove for hours in this wilderness.   Oh no!   Another 7 mile, 7% grade hill (with the promise it would get steeper in 3 miles).   OMG!  Once we were through that, our next decision was in New Meadow -- some campers at Wolf's Lodge suggested we take ID 55 into Boise instead of staying on 95.   Looking at the map, it was a scenic loop - lots of curves and hills.   Opted to stay on ID 95.   It's a good thing we did.   There is a large forest fire in that area, and ID 55 was closed in some areas due to heavy smoke.   We didn't  pull into Meridian, ID until 6:20 Mountain Time.   Our campground is 8 miles outside Boise, ID.   Very nice....and right across the street from McDonald's, the DQ, Subway, a grocery store and a Home Depot.   Something for everyone!

Pictures - Coeur d'Alene

At Coeur d"Alene Resort

Boat Slips at the resort

Our guide, Bob Singletary at Ft. Sherman Chapel

In front of the Ft. Sherman Chapel

Mission of Most Sacred Heart - Oldest standing building in  Idaho

Main Altar of the Mission church

We did it!   We've camped in all 48 lower states!!

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho August 16 - 20, 2012

The trip to our campground took only about an hour.   We are camping about 8 miles east of Coeur d'Alene at the Wolf Lodge Campground.   We were fortunate that we were able to upgrade to a full hookup site.   The only drawback to this campground -- NO TV!   It's in a valley and the mountains on all sides block the signal.   Thank heavens for strong radio stations and Red Box!

Since we arrived in early afternoon we set up and then drove into town and walked the shopping area and then the 3/4 mile floating board walk at the Coeur d'Alene Resort.   It was built in 1986, and is the world's longest floating boardwalk.  We saw an advertisement for a tour of Ft. Stevens and so stopped at the Museum to buy tickets.  

Our tour on Friday was at 11 a.m., and our tour guide was the local historian Bob Singletary who was dressed in a Civil War uniform and took us along the lake to the remains of Ft. Stevens.   The fort was built at the request of William Sherman, and was built about the same time as Ft. Spokane in WA.   Mr. Singletary took on the persona of the fort commander, and spoke as though we were visiting during the time it was inhabited.   We were able to go into the Single Officer's barracks, the chapel and saw the brick magazine.   The rest of the fort has been acquired by the Lewis and Clark College, and so those are the only remaining buildings.    Since Jack is a history buff, the two of them carried on a lively conversation and the tour was truly interesting and enjoyable.   After the tour we stayed at the Museum and toured it.  

Saturday we drove to Wallace, ID about 50 miles east of our campground to see the historic town.  The historic buildings in town were saved from destruction by quick thinking residents when the I-90 interstate wanted to demolish several blocks of historic buildings to build I-90.   The town sued on environmental grounds, and the I90 was built on an overpass on the edge of town.   About 900 people live in the town, which is called the Silver Capital of the World because of the many silver mines and gold mines in the area.   They also had a rich history of logging.   The 1910 fire destroyed several blocks.   The Union Pacific and Northern Pacific both came though the valley, but by the 1980's both were gone.   The Northern Pacific station has been moved from it's original location to downtown, and has a railroad museum inside.   Two other museums are also in town :  the Bordello museum and the Mining Museum.   There is also a tour of an old Silver Mine available.   When we arrived we learned that it was the Huckleberry Festival downtown, so we toured the booths and enjoyed huckleberry ice cream  (huckleberries look like wild blueberries).   The ice cream was great!

Sunday we drove 17 miles to the Old Mission near Cataldo, ID.   The State Park has Idaho's Oldest Standing Building - a missionary church and priest's residence with a visitor's center.   The church was constructed in 1850-53 by catholic missionaries of the Society of Jesus and the Coeur d'Alene Indians.   The building was designed by Father Anthony Ravalli, SJ who studied in Italy.   In 1887 the Indians were relocated near DeSmet, ID and a new mission was erected.   The Cataldo Mission served as a seminary for brothers of the SJ, since the Indians had been relocated.   Every August 15 the Couer d'Alene Indians come back to the Mission on the feast of the Assumption and hold an outdoor Mass and celebration.   The Visitor's Center has a permanent exhibition which tells the story of the "Blackrobes" and Coeur d'Alene Tribe.  

Monday we'll move to Boise, ID.

Spokane, WA August 10 - 16, 2012

We left the wheat fields of Wilbur and headed further east to Spokane.   Our actual campground was in Mead, a few miles from north Spokane.   The campground was very nice - paved sites with brick patios.    We ventured into Spokane after supper, and headed for a mall I'd seen on our way through town so I could go to Penney's and hopefully get a haircut.   Success!

Our first venture into sightseeing was actually on Sunday when we went into downtown to visit the Riverfront Park, site of the 1974 World's Fair.   The idea started in the late 1960's when 17 acres of railroad land along the Spokane River was acquired. The construction on Expo '74 began in 1972 with the construction of the largest building, the $11,500,000 US Pavilion which now houses an IMAX theater.   The expo focused on the environment, and Spokane was the smallest city to host an international exposition.    As you walk through the park, there are plaques indicating where the various  countries had built their pavilions.   The park is beautiful and has walking/bike paths throughout.   We rode the gondolas over the Spokane River Falls and then decided to walk the park.   The flowers and sculptures are beautiful!   Two of my favorites are the "garbage goat" who will eat your paper garbage (cups, straws, etc.), and the Big Red Wagon which has a slide as the tongue.   We enjoyed the Looff Carousel (built in 1904-07 as a wedding gift for his daughter).  After walking the majority of the park, we took a trolley tour but the audio was so poor we could not hear what the gentleman was telling us.   After 3 1/2 hours, we left the park.   Our next stop was the Visitor's Center where a charming lady gave us TONS of brochures on things to see in Spokane and also in Idaho.  

Monday found us at Gonzaga University looking for the boyhood home of Bing Crosby.   Not only did we go into his home, we also went to the library building he built on campus (now the Student Center) and visited the Crosby Room inside.   Jack took my picture by the bronze statue of Bing which sits in front of Crosby Hall.   We also visited the St. Aloysius church which was next to the Admin building.  
It was still early, so we drove north to a tractor museum in Deer Creek.   It's called "the Red Shed" and the owners farm and have their collection of goodies in one of their machine sheds.   The owner has the largest historical collection of Ironstone dishes in the northwest.   Besides the tractors, there was also a 1950's kitchen, 1940's bedroom, a 1920's kitchen and a Queen Victoria area.   There was also an extensive collection of antique and horse drawn equipment.   It was the perfect museum -- Jack and the owner talked farming while I poked around the female interests.  

Tuesday we drove to Manito Park, a 90 acre facility (FREE) with 5 distinct gardens:  the lilac garden, which because of the time of the year is not blooming;  the Rose Hill which we could see from the fence, but because of fertilizing and spraying were unable to go in;  the quiet Nishinomaya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden, the Perennial Garden and my favorite of them all, the formal English Duncan Garden which had two fountains, a gazebo and beautiful flowers.   The park also has a small outdoor restaurant where we enjoyed lunch and rested in the shade of the trees.  

August 15 we stayed in camp to take care of housekeeping chores and make reservations for our next campgrounds in Idaho.   August 16 was a travel day into Couer d'Alene, Idaho about 50 miles from our Mead campground.

Wilbur, Grand Coulee Dam, Fort Spokane

Ellensburg was a college town of 15,000+ and Wilbur is a farming town of 800.   Our campground was called Country Lane Campground and RV Park.   The campground had perhaps 25 sites, but what it lacked in size and amenities, it more than made up for with heart.   The owners, Bob and Linda bought the park 4 years ago and have been working hard to upgrade it.   Aside from being the most friendly and accommodating people, they spoiled us!   They had a unique offering in their campground....RV Room Service!   They had a menu for breakfast and supper, and Linda would prepare it and Bob would deliver it!   We had huge cinnamon rolls one morning and bacon and eggs another.   

Wilbur is in the heart of the wheat-growing area.   The fields were huge!   As far as you could see was wheat.   The town is about 20 miles from Grand Coulee Dam, the main purpose of our staying there.   We drove over and took the free dam tour.   We had to go through a scanner, just like in the airport, and we had  an escort as well as a tour guide on our bus.   Our destination was the pump room where we were met by a guard armed with an automatic rifle in addition to our escort and tour guide.   A bit unsettling.   From the pump room we went out on the spillway and took pictures before everyone climbed back on the bus and headed back to the car and headed to the Visitor's Center to learn more about the construction of the dam.

The cam was started in 1933 and took 9 years to complete.  It is 550 feet above bedrock (as tall as the washington Monument) and is 500 feet wide at the base.  There is enough cement in the dam to build two standard six-foot wide sidewalks around the world at the equator.   We learned that 12 towns were destroyed with the building of the reservoir (Roosevelt Lake), and salmon fishing was diverted to tributeries of the Columbia river.   This disrupted the farming in the area and caused the Indians to have to move to other areas to fish.   The dam played a key role in the WWII, as  it furnished electricity for the region to build the ships and planes needed in the war, and now the electricity is used for peaceful means and the waters provide the life-giving water needed for irrigation of the crops, and supplies the towns with their needs.  It irrigates more than 600,000 acres of rich farmland annually.   One of the pump-generators can pump 1,948 cubic feet of water PER SECOND.    One unit can fill the water needs of a city the size of Chicago.

That evening we drove back to the dam to watch the laser light show which is a 30-minute history of the dam done in laser illustrations against the spillway.   

The following day we drove to Fort Spokane.   Out of 42 buildings, only 3 remain.   The fort was built to keep peace between the farmers, miners, and the Indians who lived along the Columbia river.   IT was built where the Spokane River joins the Columbia on a bluff overlooking the river.   When the fort was closed, the buildings were used for an Indian school.   In our infinite wisdom, we removed Indian children at the age of 5 and forced them to come to Indian residential schools where they were forced to wear white people clothes and learn English.   The purpose was to integrate them into the white world as it was felt that the Indian way of life was dying, and this would provide them with the tools to exist in a white world.   After about 5 years the Indians were able to get schools on their reservations, so the children could live at home while attending school.   That left the fort with empty buildings again.    It was decided to use the buildings as a TB sanitarium for the Indians.   The fort was finally closed in 1929.   The wood from the buildings was used to build homes in the area.   The only buildings remaining are a mule stable, the guardhouse, the arsenal, and foundations of many of the other buildings.   There is a walking tour which explains the use of the various buildings.  It was a good history lesson.   

On Friday we left Wilbur and headed to Mead, about six miles from Spokane.   

Ellensburg, WA Aug. 3-7, 2012

We drove 164 miles from Burlington to Ellensburg on the eastern side of the Cascade mountains.   By doing so, we left the cool breezes of the Pacific ocean and discovered the heat that the rest of the country has been suffering.   What a shock!   Aside from needing a jacket in some stores/restaurants, we won't be wearing them much.   There are 5 Airstreams in camp -- feels like a rally!

Saturday was Farmer's Market day in Ellensburg, so we joined the crowd and bought cherries and apricots. We stopped at the County Museum and spent 2 hours learning about the area.  From what we learned there, we ventured 15 miles to Thorp to tour the historic Thorp grist mill.

Sunday found us driving 65 miles to Leavenworth, advertised as a Bavarian village.   The town is beautifully done - window boxes overflowing with flowers, and streets with German names.   The town was actually a mining and lumbering town and the railroad came in and the town grew.   Unfortunately in the 1950's the town started to die -- the kids left for college and didn't come back, the mining, lumbering, and railroad were no longer a part of the town, and the residents were looking for something to save the town.   There was a vote -- turn it into a German settlement or a Swedish settlement.   The German won out, and a man was hired to help remodel the buildings to look like a town in Germany.   The people learned the German dances, and set themselves up as a tourist destination with alpine sports in the winter and several celebrations during the year.   It worked!   The day we were there, the town was packed!   We drove around the town for 20 minutes before we found a parking spot.   While we were there we toured their museum and learned about the town.    It drive over was beautiful -- we passed through flat farmland and mountain passes.   We shared the road with a bicycle ride that had about 200 cyclists chugging up the hills.

  Monday was a stay-at-home day to wash clothes and relax.  On August 7 we drove "up the road" to  Wilbur, WA.

Pictures from Washington - 1

Admiral Light at Ft. Casey State Park on Whidbey  Island

Wild flowers at Mt. Rainier National Park

At Diablo Lake Dam - North Cascades National Park

More North Cascades Mountains

Diablow Lake Overlook with Mt. Prophet in background

Huge Falls in North Cascades National Park

Wow!  Boeing's 787 is HUGE!

Leavenworth Bavarian Village  - 2

Leavenworth Bavarian Village - 1

Paradise Visitor Center at Mt. Rainier National Park

Mt. St. Helens

Burlington, WA July 29 - Aug. 3, 2012

July 29 was travel day, and we left the Kent KOA at 10:30 and arrived at the Burlington KOA at 12:30.   Ahhh, grass, large campsites, cable and wi-fi!   We liked it so much, we went back to the office to see about extending until August 4.   Nope.   So, we spent the afternoon searching for our next two campgrounds!   This campground is a favorite of Canadians, so the campground was more Canadian than American!    Most of the campers were from British Columbia and Alberta.  

Our first destination was the historic area called Fairhaven in south Bellingham, WA.   The area is a beautiful tourist site with historic old buildings that have been converted into tea rooms, boutiques, book stores and other locally owned one-of-a kind shops.  Definitely NOT Jack's favorite things to do.   We enjoyed the ride over and walking through the district.  

LaConner , WA was our destination the following day.   Our first stop after breakfast was the Visitor's Center in Burlington where we picked up ideas for the rest of our stay.   LaConner has the Skagit County Historical Museum and is about a 45 minute drive from Burlington on the Puget Sound.   The museum was really interesting, and the receptionist plied us with questions about MN after Jack told her we "live in NC, but we're originally from MN".   It seems her grandmother was born in LeCenter and lived in Waseca.   She asked tons of questions about the area.   We went downtown and ate fish n' chips at a restaurant on the waterfront.   From our table we could watch the boats going in and out of the inlet.   One of the most interesting exhibits was about Edward R. Morrow.   We agreed that this little town was much more to our liking than Fairhaven.

Off to North Cascades National Park on August 1.   It's about 60 miles from Burlington to the Visitor Center.   We met a ranger who is from Clayton NC - right down the road from Raleigh.   He gave us some great tips on hikes to take and things to be sure to stop and see.   We took his advice and had a wonderful time.   We didn't start back to camp until almost 4 p.m.    The mountains up here are much more rugged than the others we've seen, and the park is huge.   It's a FREE park, as hwy 20 winds through it.  

Whidbey's Island was another gem.   To get there we crossed Deception Pass on the high bridge.   The bridge is itself a tourist destination.   The Whidbey's Island town of Coupeville has a museum so of course we visited it.   We walked the downtown area and then headed out to Fort Casey State Park, which has the WWI and II gun mounts and battery which has 2 10-in guns and a couple of 6 inch guns still in place.   It reminded me of Fort Stevens in Hammond, OR.  We also stopped at the Admiralty Head lighthouse which is within walking distance of Fort Casey.   The light house is being restored, but at this point lacks the light.   The light keepers house is an interpretive center and was quite interesting.

August 3 is moving day - We've enjoyed a month of temps in the 60's and low 70's, but Ellensburg, WA is on the east side of the Cascade mountains, and we hear that we'll "enjoy" temps in the high 90's.  

Seattle/Tacoma, WA July 23 - 28, 2012

We left Cascade Locks on July 23 and headed north up I-5 toward Seattle/Tacoma area.   On the way we made a short side trip to the Mount St. Helen's Visitor's Center at Castle Rock, WA.   We were over 50 miles from the mountain, so all I could do is get my passport stamped and buy postcards and a magnet.   Then back on the road toward Seattle.

Our destination was the Seattle/Tacoma KOA in Kent, WA.   We were so packed in that campground that  peas in a pod have more room than we did!   Our $50.00 site came with the bare essentials - water, electricity and sewer hook up.   No cable or wi-fi.    Bummer.   We called Jack's cousin Ron at 5, and by 6:30 he and Linda were at the campground with a bag of Rainier cherries and street maps of Tacoma and Seattle.   We spent Tuesday and Wednesday visiting with Ron and Linda and they very graciously gave us a tour of Tacoma and on Wednesday there was a mini reunion of Jack's first cousins (Ron's brother and sister and their spouses) at Ron and Linda's lake home near Olympia, WA.   Beautiful!

On July 26 we woke to heavy clouds, but had planned to go to Mt. Rainier National Park, so packed up and headed the 60+ miles hoping to at least get a glimpse of the Mountain!   As we got closer, the sky cleared and it turned into a beautiful day after all.   We went as far as the Paradise Visitor's Center where we saw a movie and exhibits and enjoyed the alpine flowers and the views of the mountain's glaciers.   We took pictures of waterfalls, glacial rivers, and ate lunch at the Visitor's Center.

July 27 we drove up to the Boeing airplane factory for an 11 a.m. tour.   After a 6 minute "propaganda" film on Boeing airplanes (If it isn't a Boeing, I ain't going) we boarded two tour buses and headed out to the hangars to watch them building planes.   It was a 1/3 mile fast hike to the elevators taking us to the first gallery to watch the building of the 747's, and 777's and then back down the elevators and another 1/3 mile hike to the buses for the trip to see the very newest Boeing planes being built, the huge 787's.   The lighting is changed, the overhead compartments are larger, and the improved circulation systems ensure that you don't leave the plane with your neighbor's illnesses.    The very first US carrier to buy a 787 is United Airlines.   We also saw several new planes take off on their initial inspection flights.   Exciting!

Our next adventure was back in Tacoma, where we toured the huge LeMay car museum.   Donnie Pearce, I was thinking of you on this one!   Four floors plus 8 ramps of cars, trucks, muscle cars, roadsters, English cars, custom made limos and motorcycles!    If that wasn't enough, there were more outside that were there for a local car show!   They had a Delaurian gull wing and a Tucker car on display - first I'd seen.   For entertainment there was a barbershop quartet on the main concourse, and on the lowest level a very loud rock band!   My poor eardrums!

Next stop, Burlington WA!

Pictures!

Astoria Column, Astoria OR

Sunday Market, Astoria OR

At Fr. Stevens, Hammond, OR

Hiking Sand Dunes, North Bend, OR

At Timberline Lodge, on Mt. Hood OR

Multnoma Falls, Columbia River Gorge

Mt. St. Helens from McClellan Overlook, WA

Cascade Locks, OR July 14 - 22

We arrived on Friday the 13th (we aren't superstitious) and set up.   We met the KOA cat, Thomas, a real moocher!   On Saturday morning we enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes and sausage at the campground, and then decided to go across the river to Stevenson, WA to find the church and see what else is in the town.   The Visitor's Center was open, and the volunteer loaded us down with brochures AND directions to the church and incidentally the Gorge Interpretive Center Museum was on the same road.   Since it was cloudy and threatening to rain, we decided to stop there and check it out.   Fantastic!   We especially enjoyed seeing the information and equipment on salmon fishing and the exhibit of the wood industry.  

I was particularly looking forward to visiting the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive center in Oregon City, about an hour from Cascade Locks.   We drove over on Sunday and found the site with no problem....except that the site was no longer open.   It had been closed in May.   It evidently had run into hard times and had struggled for some time, as the buildings were in need of care.   There was a walk with signs on the outside, so we read the informative signs about the various people who lived in the area, and then drove back to the campground.

On July 16 we drove the scenic route to Mt. Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon.   Our goal was to see the Timberline Lodge at the 6000 ft. level.  It was built by the WPA and dedicated by Roosevelt in 1937.  We ate lunch at the Rams bar on the second floor, and enjoyed watching the skiers and snowboarders on the ski runs.   We toured the building and the day use building next door where skiers got their lift tickets and  got their equipment for skiing.   It seems that the Timberline Lodge is home to several ski teams who use the ski runs to practice during the summer.   We continued on hwy 26 to Sandy and Gresham and then back to I-84  and since it was late afternoon when we arrived, we were able to find parking at the Multnomah Falls, the 620 ft. waterfall right on I-84.  

Some of the other experiences we had while camping at Cascade Locks include the 2-hour ride on the Crystal Dolphin, a tour boat that sails from Cascade Locks on the Columbia River.   The river is a training area for sailing in high winds, and we were treated to the sight of Laser sail boats on the river.   It seems that the Olympic sailing team uses the area between Cascade Locks and Hood River for experience in high winds.   Another day we crossed the river and went to McClellan's Overlook, about 40 miles from camp, to view Mt. St. Helen's.   The side we saw was the south side, so we didn't view the crater that was formed after the 1980 volcanic eruption.   Another excursion was to the Evergreen Museum in McMinnville, OR about 80 miles from camp.   The museum has two buildings: the first houses experimental aircraft and military  planes from WWII and older.   The most famous plane is the huge Spruce Goose, the enormous experimental plane built by Howard Hughes.   In fact, in order to obtain the plane, the museum had to promise that the plane would be housed inside and so the hangar had to be built to hold the plane!   The second museum building holds planes from the Korean War to the 1990's, rockets and space exhibits.
It was an awesome museum!

On our last day in Cascade Locks we went to the Maritime museum in town and then drove to the edge of town where I bought 5 lbs. of cherries for $10.00.  I wish the kids were closer so I could share my loot!  

The historic Columbia River Gorge area is beautiful, and Cascade Locks was a central area from which we could explore the area.   We loved the waterfalls, the river and the mountains (we could see Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood) and the KOA folks were really great.   I of course loved the cat, Thomas :-).   The only negative to the whole experience was THE TRAINS!   They roared past the campground at all hours of the day and night (5-6 per night), with their whistles blowing from one side of the camp to the other.   Jack lost a lot of sleep due to their whistles!   After a few nights, I generally slept through them.

On July 23 we left the Columbia River Gorge and moved into Washington.

Warrenton/Astoria OR July 6-12, 2012

AWK!   No fast foods in Warrenton!   Oh no!  What are we going to do for breakfast?????   Horrors!
We arrived after lunch on the 6th, and got settled in our campsite at Kampers West in Warrenton.  Our GPS suggested that there was salvation across the river in Astoria, a mere 8 miles from camp.   Saturday morning we drove over and discovered a bakery, and then hit the McDonalds to use their wifi and get our drinks.   After breakfast we came back to Warrenton and went to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park to visit Fort Clatsop, the Corp of Discovery's winter camp.  The fort is a reconstruction on the actual site of the original fort.   Our next goal was to visit Seaside, 15 miles south, to see their salt camp, but traffic was stop and roll on Hwy 101, so headed back to Warrenton.

Sunday found us back in Astoria at St. Mary, Star of the Sea.   To live in Astoria is a constant climb up hill.  It was a steep climb to the church (thankfully we drove it!) and then there were STEPS!   After breakfast we visited the 3-block Sunday Market .  Fruits, veggies, food trucks, and crafts of every kind were available.   I spent $6 on 2 pts. of raspberries and $3 on some beautiful tomatoes.  The flower stalls were tempting, but with no vase or fruit jars to put them in, I had to pass.

Monday dawned cloudy and foggy but we drove over the HUGE Astoria-Megler bridge to Washington to see Cape Disappointment and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.   The center contained exhibits offering a view of the entire journey from St. Louis to the Pacific of the Corp.   They originally stopped here, and then after taking a vote crossed the Columbia and made camp at Fort Clatsop.   The site also had the remains of Fort Canby, a fort built in 1863 and used until 1947 as protection of the area during WWII.  We saw the Cape Disappointment lighthouse, and then drove to the North Head lighthouse.   Both are automated.  

Tuesday dawned SUNNY!   Back to Astoria for breakfast and then drove the steep and winding road to the Astoria Column, which is 125 ft. high and depicts the history of local Native Americans and the early Development in Astoria on a series of murals winding around the column.   If ambitious, you may climb 164 steps to the observation deck to view the area.   We opted to view the area from the ground.  The Column was paid for by the Great Northern Railroad and Vincent Astor, great-grandson of John Jacob Astor.

Back to Warrenton and into Hammond to Fort Stevens State Park which houses the remains of Fort Stevens which was constructed in 1865 to protect the Columbia River.  The Fort remained active until the end of WWII.   Fort Stevens was the ONLY US site fired on by the Japanese in WWII.   It was the only attack on the US by a foreign power since the war of 1812!   The fort did not return fire, and the sub went up the Pacific to the Aleutian Islands.   As a result of not firing on the sub, 20 men went AWOL in disgust.

On July 11 we went back to Astoria (more clouds, more fog) to tour the Flavel House Museum, home of Captain George Flavel in 1885 and owned by members of the family until 1935 when it was donated to the city of Astoria.     We also visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum where we learned about the fishing industry (39 canneries at one time), the Coast Guard Rescue Training site, and the river pilots and Columbia River BAR pilots, a group of 20 pilots who board ships and direct them over the treacherous river bars into the Pacific.   Their job is to travel the 15 mile section of water, one of the most respected and feared in the world.  It's known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.

To wrap up our time in this region, we went back to Astoria on Thursday to tour the Clatsop Historical
Society Museum.   We spent 2 1/2 hours there, enjoying their exhibits.  Tomorrow we'll go inland to Cascade Locks, a town along the famous Columbia River Gorge.  

Waldport/Newport OR July 3-5, 2012

The drive from North Bend to Waldport was beautiful.    We saw sandy beaches and farm land and tons of Oregon State Parks.   Nothing like the NC coast, where it's one big hotel or house after another. The legislature of Oregon was really great about making the beach accessible to all.    Wish NC had been thinking like that too!

Our KOA was celebrating Independence day on July 3,  so at 7:30 I participated in a S'mores party at the community fire pit.   I guess I overdosed on S'mores as a Girl Scout leader, as I only wanted the toasted marshmallows.   Yummy!!!!!    At 10 the town had their fireworks, so I only had to walk to the edge of the campground to watch.   Very nice, but by 10:20 I was COLD so headed back to the trailer.

July 4 we went across the bay for breakfast and stopped at a small street market before heading up 101 to Newport.   It's a bigger town and is 15 miles north of Waldport.   Ah, civilization!!!!!   A Safe-way grocery store (think Harris-Teeter), fast food, beauty salon and lighthouses to tour!  

On Thursday we satisfied our need to sightsee by heading back up to Newport to see the Yaquina Head lighthouse.   It's a National site, complete with a Visitor/Interpretive center.   We then drove to the lighthouse.   It's the tallest one on the OR coast at 93 ft. tall.   It was built in 1873 and has a Freznel #1 lens, which beams its light 20 miles out into the Pacific.   It was open for tours, but we declined....114 steps and a long wait wasn't at all what we had in mind.   We did enjoy seeing the thousands of birds on the rocks, a short distance from the light.   We also saw six Pacific sea lions sunbathing on the rocks below us and were able to get pictures.    When we get the camera unloaded I'll add some to the blog.

From the Yaquina Head lighthouse, we drove to the historic Yaquina Bay lighthouse, which was built first, in 1872.   It has a Fresnel #5 lens, which only shines about 8 miles into the bay.   Since it wasn't sufficient for the area, it was closed and decommissioned only two years after being finished.   It sat for the next 100 years or so, and then the Historic Society of Yaquina Bay restored the house and the light, and started offering tours.    In 1995 the light was turned back on, and since then has provided the light to local navigators in the Bay.  

July 6 we headed 141 miles north to Warrenton and Astoria, OR.  

North Bend, OR June 30 - July 3

We arrived from Gold Hill in the rain.   The road into the campground was a quagmire of mud and ruts.      I was cussing up a storm, as I had my Merrills on, not my waterproof hiking boots.   Sure did a number on my clean kitchen floor -- even WITH a mat and papers to step on!    This campground is a Off Road Vehicle friendly campground, so almost every camp site has 3-6 quads parked next to their trailers.   Lots of guys, not a lot of women.   The reason it's so popular with the ORVers is that there is direct access behind the campground to the sand dunes where they spend their days roaring up and down the dunes.

We settled in and read our brochures and decided on a plan of action for Sunday and Monday.   Luckily the rain stopped overnight, so after breakfast we headed out to the visitor's center for more into and directions.   Our first jaunt was to the Cape Arago highway which took us to the OR beaches, state parks, and Charleston, a small historic fishing village.   The road is about 16 miles long, and has features such as Simpson Bay were you can stand on an overlook and experts help you direct the telescopes to a rocky stretch which is populated by Pacific sea lions.   We tried to take a picture through the lens of the telescope.   You can see brown "bumps" on the beach -- those are the sea lions!   We also saw the Cape Arago lighthouse, which is deserted and unreachable.   From there we came back past our campground and headed to Hall Lake loop where we could see the coast's largest dune at 140 ft. in height.   Deciding we really needed to get close and personsal with the dunes, the visitor's center suggested that the safest place to hike would be the John Dellenback Dunes Trail, as on other dunes you would likely be competing with the quads.   The north half of the trail was an easy hike, and the trail was paved.   When we got to the dunes we climbed the closest dune.  Whew!   That was a job with  the soft sand and going up one of the highest dunes along the coast.   The southern trail back to the trail head was sand for a good part of it, so my legs felt like rubber when I got to the truck.   ENOUGH!

Monday we decided to tour a Myrtlewood factory and learn about the myrtlewood trees that only grow in a small area of OR and Northern CA and in Israel.   The tree reminds me of a Bradford pear in shape, but it has many thick trunks.   It's slow growing, and takes 100 years to get to a size that can be used.   The factory makes furniture, golf putters, decorative and kitchen items.   Very pretty.

Tomorrow (July 3) we will drive about 75 miles to Walport, OR where we'll hide out until July 6.

Pictures from Crescent City,Sequoia and Yosemite

The Battery Point Lighthouse, Crescent City CA

Jean crossing to lighthouse at low tide 

Fallen Redwood in Stout Grove near Crescent City

On the rocks at Sequoia NP

Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite NP

Half Dome and Vernal Falls from Glacier Pt, Yosemite NP