Self-explanatory...
My wife standing at the entrance...
Crow sculpture.
Elk.
California Coast.
On some trail near Mt. St. Helens.
On some trail...
On some trail...
The Oregon Coast
Jonathan Livingston Seagull?
White Feather.
Plaque on a bench on the Oregon Coast.
The best fresh seafood we have ever eaten.
Come and get it!
On the Washington side near Astoria, OR.
Johnston Observatory at Mt. St. Helens.
My wife.
Remnants of a very powerful force that snapped these pine trees like matchsticks.
Three Sisters near Bend, OR.
Mt. Hood next to the Timberline Lodge.August 27, 2010:
Made our way through Yosemite National Park to Lee Vining headed north to Reno and stayed the night in Susanville.
August 28, 2010:
Rain was the order of the day through the rest of California and through Oregon's Outback. We stop at La Pine State Park north of La Pine to set up camp. By then the rains had stopped. Oregon's state parks are some of the best parks in the country. In this state park, each site had an electrical hookup for RVs and a spigot. There are showers in one central location at this park with no extra charge. You can purchase a bundle of wood for $5.00. Also, the Little Deschutes River flows nearby.
August 29, 2010:
We head north to Madras before cutting across the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. We tuned into a Native American radio station and listened as we drove through the reservations. Added to the ambiance. Stopped to tour Timberline Lodge where the movie "The Shining" was filmed and get a sneak peak of Mt. Hood (11,239 feet) and then made our way to Clackamas to check into a hotel room and to have dinner at Claim Jumper. And it just so happens that REI is also in the same complex. Yes, roughing it does have its advantages.
August 30, 2010:
Drove around Clackamas and the surrounding area. We cross over into Washington. Stopped at the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center in Silver Lake. Drove up to the Johnston Observatory. My first visit since 1989 and a lot has changed. The route used to take you to Spirit Lake. No more. It was my wife's first visit to MSH. We spend the night in Ecopark near MSH. Got a lot of flea bites. This place had a shower. Not bad for $18.00 a night. There are not fire pits. The campground does have yurts for $100.00 a night but they fill up fast through reservations.
August 31, 2010:
Broke camp and drove along Highway 4 on the Washington side of the Columbia River. It starts to rain as we near Kelso on Interstate 5. Crossed into Astoria to have lunch and to purchase some salmon steaks. Stopped to tour the Tillamook Cheese Factory. I indulge in a Tillamook Mudslide ice cream cone. We also sampled many of their cheeses. Burp! Drove further down the Oregon coast to Newport to stay at a hotel. Had dinner at Rogues along the waterfront. They brew killer IPAs: Brutal, Yellow Snow, and XS Imperial.
September 1, 2010:
Drove down the Oregon coast before deciding to stay one more night in Oregon at Harris Beach State Park just north of Brookings. Great state park to stay. We walk down to the beach to see the sunset. Doesn't get any better than that!
September 2, 2010:
We return to California and decide to go the road less traveled to Highway 1 after we reached the holy city of Leggett, CA. Twisting winding road all the way to the coast. We camp at MacKerricher State Park just north of Ft. Bragg. The next morning we realized we had been robbed by a racoon or racoons. They took off with our breakfast sausage, our hotdogs, and our SALMON STEAKS!
September 3, 2010:
Spent the night in Sacramento to go to IKEA the next day to pick up a bed for JayMi. Dinner at Islands. It is hot in Sacro!
September 4, 2010:
IKEA in West Sacramento. Note to self: Never plan a vacation trip with a stop to IKEA after having been on the road and camping. Didn't think we were going to load the entire bed accessories but we managed.
