Back on American soil in Anacortes, WA.
Diablo Lake, Washington.
The only other 2007 Lynx we saw on the road in a year of
travel.
Washington Pass.
Sunrise at Washington Pass. I was still sleeping, but Mark
got some great photos.
Washington Pass looking down at the road we'd be
traveling.
Wasington Pass.
Winthrop, Washington.
One of several brew pubs.
Winthrop, Washington.
Local bike shop in Winthrop, Washington.
Fiddlers Contest.
There were groups of all types up on stage and practicing
together in the grass.
The fiddlers were all ages.
Farmer's Market, Winthrop, WA
Farmlands along the Northern Cascades.
The climate changed from wetter on the western side of the
Cascades to drier as we descended the eastern slopes.
The towns along the way are small and inviting.
We stopped in Republic, Washington and searched high and
low for the visitors center, but despite several signs on the
road, no one in town could help us locate it.
Northern Cascades, Washington
August 25-27, 2007 - We arrived in Anacortes, Washington from Victoria, BC and,
after savoring a "burger and two beer" lunch special for a total of $7.50 at a cute little
bistro, we headed out over the Northern Cascade mountains towards Idaho. It was a
beautiful drive. We stopped for photos at the magical Diablo Lake where the water is a
brilliant turquoise.
While admiring the
view, we turned
and saw there was
another 2007 Lynx
travel trailer parked
nearby. What a
surprise! We saw only a handful of Lynxes all year -- an '05
and a few from the 1990's. Where are all the others?
After climbing through the trees for miles and miles we came
across a scenic viewpoint at Washington Pass. This is no ordinary
pullout. Set back a half mile from the road there are bathrooms,
picnic tables with water spigots and a charming paved walking trail
along a spectacular ridge overlooking the winding road far below.
We took our time at this spot.
The road over the Cascades was completed in 1972, and many of
the towns along the way took that occasion to dress up a bit for the
tourists. The very cute town of Winthrop was refurbished during the
1970's to reflect its western mining heritage, and today it is a
wonderful walking town.
When we arrived we
discovered they were hosting
a fiddling contest. Fiddlers
from all over the west had
come to compete. The
kids played really well.
Music seemed to be appreciated everywhere. We stopped in another
town to pick up some goodies at the farmer's market, and a group of
musicians was entertaining people there as well.
Leaving northern
Washington we crossed into
northern Idaho where we
discovered the delightful
Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
bike path.
Northern Washinton – Magical Mountains & Trees in Sleeves
1952 Argosy Travel Trailer
At the jailhouse in Black Diamond
Black Diamond Train Depot
What a surprise -- it's Mt. Rainier!! We both gasped when
we turned around and spotted it.
Mt. Rainier.
Lots of cyclists were doing the climb up to Sunrise Point on
this beautiful sunny day.
Views from Sunrise Point on Mt. Rainier.
Mt. Rainier. The wildflowers were in bloom everywhere.
The green grass on the lower mountains looked like it had
been carefully mowed!!
Mt. Rainier in July.
Lodge at the top.
Mt. Rainier. 14,000 feet of beauty.
Mt. Rainier hangs silently on the horizon, like a painted
backdrop to every scene.
Pigeon guillemots on Puget Sound.
Sailboat on the shimmering waters of
Puget Sound.
View from the hiking trail at Flagler State Park.
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington.
Happiness is...traveling and seeing new sights.
Washington coast.
Northern Washington
Jul 28-August 4, 2007 -- From southern Washington, we drove up to the northern
parts of Washington and the woods became thick, dark and damp. We learned that this
is "old growth forest" with treasured old trees and undergrowth. It is very beautiful, but
after a few days camped in this stuff you long for the sun!!
People camp in all
kinds of rigs, but this
one caught our
attention instantly.
Owner Dennis told us it
took over 1900 hours
of work to restore this
1952 antique to its
modern glory. He told
us his wife was very
tolerant, letting him
take a year off of work
to complete the
project.
We stopped at the town of Black Diamond, a cute town with a
historic jail and train depot. But the highlight for us was the
bakery's marionberry pie. Delicious!
For days we had driven around hoping for a glimpse of Mt. Rainier,
but there had been too much fog. As we stepped out of the bakery
we turned and were shocked to see the mountain resting quietly on
the horizon.
To get a better look at the mountain we drove up to Sunrise Point.
Others came up by bike. It looked like a hard but rewarding ride.
The next day 900 cyclists tackled three major mountain passes in
the area -- but they got a cloudy day with no views!!
Mt. Rainier. If you look really closely you can see something of a
trail which is where the mountain climbers hike up to the summit.
40,000 people hike to 10,000 feet every year, and of those 10,000
make it to the summit. You can't do it all in one day -- there is a
camp up in the snow somewhere where everyone stays overnight
on the way up and the way down. It is the tallest mountain in the
US and is the training area for mountaineers planning on
ascending Kilamanjaro and other tall peaks worldwide.
Mt. Rainier. It stands
over 14,000 feet tall. The
tallest point you can
drive to is at 6,400 feet --
which is the same height
as the summit of Mt.
Washington in New
Hampshire.
From Mt. Rainier we
traveled north to Puget
Sound and the Olympic
Peninsula. The boats and
sea life were inviting, and
the peaks of Hurricane
Ridge in Olympic National Park were inspiring.
From Hurricane Ridge in
Olympic National Park we
made our way to Port
Angeles where we
boarded a ferry bound for
Southern Washington – Falling Logs
All that mudflow used to be lush forest.
Mt. St. Helens. The mudslides carved up the side of the
mountain. The mountain used to be 1500 feet taller.
Downed trees flowed downriver and wreaked havoc.
The wind was so powerful during the eruption that acres of
trees were blown over and stripped. The lumber destroyed
could have built 500,000 homes.
The Washington coast is treacherous.
Ocean Spray has many cranberry growers in this region.
This region is one of the major cranberry producing regions
in the country.
A service station.
The electric company.
Ace Hardware.
Les Schwab Tires.
A trinket shop.
The shoe store.
The motel.
The grounds of Columbia Crest were beautifully kept.
And the wine was very tasty
One of the many million roses at the winery.
Southern Washington
July 20-27, 2007 - Now that we purchased a truck in northern
Oregon, we needed to get a new cap so everything in the truck
bed would be protected from the elements. We had to wait three
weeks for the new cap, so we used that time to explore southern
Washington. Our first stop was Mt. St. Helens. We discovered it
had been spewing and sputtering since May. Steam rose out of
the top, engulfing the area and giving the barren landscape and
stories of the 1980 eruption a spooky reality.
Next up was a visit to the Long Beach peninsula. The skies were
grey and the air was damp and cold, but the area was lovely. We
walked out to Long Beach and saw more evidence of this very
treacherous coastline: a government buoy had washed ashore
into the grass. There have been thousands of shipwrecks along
this coast as well. We also learned that this is a rich cranberry
growing region. There was even a cranberry research station and
museum that showed all the crazy methods people have used
over the years to harvest cranberries.
As we drove along the scenic back roads we came across the tiny
town of Milton-Freewater. They loves frogs. Every business in
town had a frog statue out front. They were charming.
Winding back through southeastern Washington we stopped in
at Columbia Crest Winery. Their gorgeous landscaping and
buildings were a treat to walk through, and the wine wasn't bad
either!
Roses grow really well around here and many people have them in their yards.
Our travels next took us from southern Washington into the central and