Departing with Fanfare

The four of us drove up to Mount St. Helen’s where the volcanic eruption in 1980 left a huge gaping hole, and reduced the size of the mountain several hundred feet. Destruction could be seen in the forests and rivers for many miles around. After 27 years, though, the forest regeneration is progressing well in many of these areas.
Northward, we continued to Seattle.





When I described Mt. Hood earlier as “jaw dropping,” I had not seen Mount Ranier. This sight as you round a curve in the interstate will render one speechless ……



Bob knows Seattle well, and drove us all through this beautiful city. We stopped to walk through Pike Place Public Market, and the Fish Market. Here, customers select their seafood from the open counter out front, (for example halibut or mussels). The fish clerk then throws it over the counter to be caught by the clerk who wraps it up. The thrower yells, “TWO POUNDS OF MUSSELS!“…..(toss); then all the clerks yell back “TWO POUNDS OF MUSSELS!”



We saw so many great sights, buildings and locales – like the Rose Garden!





A lovely town, Seattle – you should visit there if you get the opportunity.






We also liked the pleasant community of Gig Harbor - a quiet, pleasant, family-friendly town, with lots of people “messing around in boats.”



We extended our visit one more day to see more of Portland, and prepare for the long trip home. The weather was clear and cool as we saw downtown, water fronts, West Hills, West Linn, and many other great sights. Include some days in Portland on your next trip to the Northwest.



We said goodbye to our most gracious hosts, and we all held our breaths as Tom backed up the motor home, and turned up the steep hill which had to be rounded. He gunned the caterpillar engine and roared up the slope, blowing his air horn as he went. I quickly followed in the jeep, and we “hooked-up” on a level stretch of road.



Departing is so much more fun with fanfare!

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The drive through eastern Oregon was beautiful following the Columbia River. I tried to spot Mount Hood, but there were too many darn mountains in the way! We stopped at Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton, Oregon. The trick to staying overnight in a casino parking lot or RV Park is avoiding going into the smoky casino itself.
But, when you register, they give you discounts on the breakfast buffet, so of course we went for breakfast in the morning. And of course the route to the restaurant wound through a maze of slot machines.

We toured the Pendleton Wool Mill, and saw the raw wool being cleaned, carded, spun into thread, and woven on huge looms into beautiful blankets. After that, we were on the road again.

At Glenn’s Ferry, Idaho, we were happy to rediscover Three Islands State Park; we had stayed here a few years ago.

A lovely, quiet park, our site was large and grassy, and only $10/night. This location on the Snake River is very historic – the largest and most difficult water crossing on the Oregon Trail. Walking to the river, we flushed two coveys of quail, watched a flock of pelicans flying maneuvers over the lake, and listened to the symphony of millions of bugs.

The sun was setting on the mountains – in this place, all was right with the world.


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September 7, 2007

After 520 miles of driving, we stopped at Raulings Flying J Truck Stop, and parked way far away, we thought, from the 40 or so trucks already parked for the night. When we awoke, early the next morning, to start on the road, we were hemmed in by eighteen-wheelers all around, inches away from our windows! Then the driver on our left pulled out, and Tom was able to wiggle us out of there.

September 8

We arrived in Longmont at noon and began our visit with Ann and Adam; Laurel is presently on tour with “Up With People.”

September 9

We drove to Estes Park for the Scottish Festival. The majority of people attending wore tartans, and kilts – even the policemen on their Segways! Food, dress, culture, sports, language, and even dogs - it was a total celebration of everything Scottish.