Washington to Oregon

Now on the home stretch ... The trip into Oregon on Highway 84 along the Columbia River was beautiful; a wide expanse of water and small communities along its banks. We passed two large dams, viewed from the backside along the highway, with Mt. Hood in the background. Driving got a little tense through The Dalles area, known for its windy spots, but fortunately traffic was light.

We camped in a little town on the Columbia River called Irrigon. Yes, Irrigon, Oregon ... say that fast a few times. It was one of the nicest parks we've been to and we got 50% off on the Passport America card. The state line goes down the middle of the Columbia at this point, so you pass into Oregon on the bridge. And, the local Sheriff greets you as you drive into town.

After Irrigon, we headed for Scio, OR for a few days to visit Louise's side of the family; Sister and Brother, his wife Lesta, Son, Daughter, Grand kids, and Nephews/Nieces. This is a great reunion, as we haven't seen these folks for years, and I had never been to Hazel's current place. A big spaghetti feed was in order, using some of the sauce I made while in Alabama. Yum!

Scio is a cute little community known as the "covered bridge capital of the West". We drove through a couple of them on our way to see John and Lesta's new house in Lebanon, a few miles away from where we are parked. Population here is somewhere around a 800, I think ... a nice place to visit.

The not-so-little town of Lebanon, where John and Lesta have settled has a population of 17,500 or so, and offers all of the usual stores and conveniences of a town this size. Main street was decorated with flowers and restored businesses. The communities around Scio, Lebanon, and Albany support industries of farming hazel nuts, corn, a couple lumber mills, and a few scattered cattle ranches.

I'll leave you with a few pictures of carvings my Brother-in-law John widdles in his spare time. He has become quite the craftsman and has won prizes at local events.

We will cross the border on Monday headed for Blue Heron RV park in Hornbrook, right on the Klamath River ... yet another adventure. And, we should be home next week, too soon in some respects, but after 4 months away, it will be nice to catch up on a few things.

Stay tuned ...

Idaho to Washington

Now in Spokane, WA at the Spokane County Fairgrounds for a night. We arrived early, so decided to drive into Spokane to visit the Riverfront Park. This is a must-see place to visit if you find yourself in Spokane. There were bike and scooter paths, walking bridges, fountains, and simply a beautiful place to meander on a gorgeous day in Spokane.

Yes, even a carousel you can ride for the small fee of $3, to help keep it in top shape. The Looff Carousel was built in 1906 and it appears expertly maintained with those $3 donations.

We were especially impressed with the architecture in the surrounding area. And, at the time of day we were there, no evidence of transients or any undesirable elements could be seen. We hiked around for an hour and could have easily spent another.

Louise suggested we get a pizza to take back to the bus, so I used Steve Job's girlfriend, Siri, to find us something close. She came up with David's Pizza, just a short distance from the park. David's serves up hand-crafted pizza, spun in the air while you wait! Excellent pizza and a fantastic atmosphere.

Cool bar, hey? The people were so friendly ... this place looks like it might really be jumpin' after work hours and on weekends. We just had to have something to drink while we waited for the pie.

Tomorrow we point the bus South and head for Oregon ... more adventures, and to visit Louise's Brother and Sister ... and families.

Stay tuned ...

Montana to Idaho

The trip through the remainder of Montana was breathtaking ... what a beautiful place this is in the Summer. Of course, you have to like snow, ice and sanded roads to live here in the Winter ... burrrrr!

Next stop was the Granite Peak RV Resort in Missoula. This stop turned out to be a first-class camp spot for only $50/night. Space between rigs was adequate and angled so you had plenty of privacy. Hey, you shouldn't be looking out your windows at your neighbors anyway, right? We didn't ... We jumped in the car and headed for Fort Missoula Regional Park.

This is a 156-acre park and sports complex that just happens to sit right next to two museums; the Fort Missoula Historical Museum and the Rocky Mountain Military Museum. The Historical Museum is comprised of a 2-story building with mostly artifacts and examples of US Forest Service radio and communications equipment; very well presented and documented. 

Another wing of the building was dedicated to the Fort's inhabitants from its inception to closure in 1946 ... Japanese and Italian internment. We had no idea that these peoples had been shipped all the way here to Montana! Very interesting, and a bit depressing to read what they left, lost and endured during the 2nd world war. Several families were documented and followed from the time of their arrest and internment to their release ... Not a good time for "Americans" of Japanese or Italian decent!

After checking out the interesting Origami display, we decided to leave that part of history behind and venture outside where we found acres of interesting history ... Buildings with stories to tell, rail and farming equipment, and many other interesting bits of Montana history being preserved for coming generations.

We walked around for a good hour ... much to see. Then, we headed for the Military Museum, another excellent example of folks caring enough about our history to preserve it for generations.

Exhibits here went from a brief overview, with artifacts, from the Civil War, to WWI and II, and the most complete arms cache I've ever seen. All behind bars, of course, there were examples of several other country's WWI and WWII arms, and everything we used from bazookas to 50cal machine guns. The entrance to the museum was guarded by a menacing looking tracked vehicle.

No, that's not a Halloween costume in the last picture ... it's of a "Halo jumper", soldiers and SEALS who leave a perfectly good airplane at between 15,000 and 35,000 feet, on oxygen, depending on how clandestine they need to be. These guys are pros! They can drop from 35,000 feet, into your backyard, and take a steak off your grill before you know it!

Okay, let him keep my steak as we need to get on the road. After a brief trip through Northern Idaho (more beautiful country), we will stop in Spokane, WA for the night.

Stay tuned ...