Yesterday we returned the car to Alamo and there weren't even any raised eyebrows at the 5000+ miles that we had used. The young woman even gave Bob a $50 refund for the oil and filters change that he had paid for. The mechanic told us that the air filter was dirty from all the smoke we had been driving through.
We then caught the train from the Airport into town for some final bits of shopping. Bob was a bit amazed at the quantity of seersucker that I bought for new table cloths for the Country Club but the US is the only place to buy 60 inch wide seersucker and we need that width. I only bought enough for three cloths but that is quite a bulky parcel and he always has caniptions about my shopping. We always fit it in and we always comply with the weight rules.😀
From downtown we walked uppp over the hill and dooown the hill to the Fishermen's Market for lunch. We opted to walk because we couldn't find the bus stop for the trolley bus and the old fashioed Powell Street tourist trolley had huge queues. After we crested the hill I said that I had been happy to walk one way but we needed to find a ride back!
We had a crab salad for lunch just to experience the tourist thing but agreed that we had been spoilt but eating our own marron. The crab was just the meat from the claws and not from the body of the crab, Then we found the trolley bus stop and rode in comfort back to the train station for the trip back to the hotel.
Last night we went to the Japanese/Korean restaurant across the road and had a great Koream BBQ dinner. Bob has plans for Udon Soup for lunch after we have been for a walk along the foreshore.
This will probably be my last post from the USA as we have to vacate the hotel in the morning and fly out just before midnight tomorrow. I have scoped out showers at the airport so we can wash off the days sweat before we board and to fill in some time. It will no doubt be a long day. Talk to you when we get home.
Sunday, 17 September 2017
Saturday, 16 September 2017
Return to San Francisco 15/9
I must have been in a very vague space yesterday because I wrote that we were in Cleaverville when it was actually Cloverdale. Cleaverville rings bells from somewhere in our history and I usually write early in the morning while I am waiting for Bob to wake up so I obviously wasn't quite awake myself.
As we drove down the 101 yesterday morning Bob commented on the speed of the traffic. The speed limit was 55 mph, we were doing 65mph and most of the vehicles were streaming past us. Clearly the speed limit was viewed as only advisory. We did notice that conformity increased as we came closer to larger cities enroute.
The early part of our drive was through the valley around Santa Rosa and my comments from the previous days boutique wineries did not hold up here. The valley floor and surrounding hills were covered in vines. It made a beautiful picture with the bright green neat plantings edged by the yellowed grass of autumn.
We stopped off at a Walmart to do some final bargain hunting. Bob found a pair of light weight Wrangler jeans that he had been hunting for at their usual $20 price. Winter stock is taking over here so he was pleased to find this summer weight pair at our last check.
We didn't have a long drive today and had worked out how to pay the toll for the Golden Gate Bridge if the GPS took us into San Francisco on that route. However it soon became apparent that "she"was taking us around through The outer suburbs towards the other bridges. We then became stuck in a very congested section of Hway with wall to wall trucks and inched along for 20 minutes before clearing a port area where the trucks left us. By now I had pulled the map out to see where we were heading and realised that the GPS was taking us a long way south towards San Jose. The mental tumblers began to rattle and we realised that "she" was still programmed to avoid toll roads. Fortunately there was a bridge exit coming up which we managed to take and we happily paid the $5 toll saving ourselves an extra 30 miles around the end of the bay. There wasn't a major worry time wise as we were too early to check into our hotel. It was just the pressure of dealing with the city traffic. We found a car wash close to the hotel and sat in comfort while we drove through the automatic system.. it was really disorienting to feel as if the car was moving as the machine worked back and forwards giving it a thorough scrub.
We have checked into the Airport Hyatt for three nights as a wind down treat to ourselves before the 27 hour flight home. Internet booking made this usually pricey place quite competative with every other motel/hotel in San Francisco which is very expensive. We decided that we deserved a treat and it is very convenient with a shuttle to the airport coupled with the cheap tourist fare on the train into the city. We will return the car to the rental depot this morning and spend the next few days repacking and pottering around the city.
For those of you who hadn't read yesterdays post when i wrote this i need to explain that I managed to edit Cleaverville out and insert the correct name Cloverdale.
As we drove down the 101 yesterday morning Bob commented on the speed of the traffic. The speed limit was 55 mph, we were doing 65mph and most of the vehicles were streaming past us. Clearly the speed limit was viewed as only advisory. We did notice that conformity increased as we came closer to larger cities enroute.
The early part of our drive was through the valley around Santa Rosa and my comments from the previous days boutique wineries did not hold up here. The valley floor and surrounding hills were covered in vines. It made a beautiful picture with the bright green neat plantings edged by the yellowed grass of autumn.
We stopped off at a Walmart to do some final bargain hunting. Bob found a pair of light weight Wrangler jeans that he had been hunting for at their usual $20 price. Winter stock is taking over here so he was pleased to find this summer weight pair at our last check.
We didn't have a long drive today and had worked out how to pay the toll for the Golden Gate Bridge if the GPS took us into San Francisco on that route. However it soon became apparent that "she"was taking us around through The outer suburbs towards the other bridges. We then became stuck in a very congested section of Hway with wall to wall trucks and inched along for 20 minutes before clearing a port area where the trucks left us. By now I had pulled the map out to see where we were heading and realised that the GPS was taking us a long way south towards San Jose. The mental tumblers began to rattle and we realised that "she" was still programmed to avoid toll roads. Fortunately there was a bridge exit coming up which we managed to take and we happily paid the $5 toll saving ourselves an extra 30 miles around the end of the bay. There wasn't a major worry time wise as we were too early to check into our hotel. It was just the pressure of dealing with the city traffic. We found a car wash close to the hotel and sat in comfort while we drove through the automatic system.. it was really disorienting to feel as if the car was moving as the machine worked back and forwards giving it a thorough scrub.
We have checked into the Airport Hyatt for three nights as a wind down treat to ourselves before the 27 hour flight home. Internet booking made this usually pricey place quite competative with every other motel/hotel in San Francisco which is very expensive. We decided that we deserved a treat and it is very convenient with a shuttle to the airport coupled with the cheap tourist fare on the train into the city. We will return the car to the rental depot this morning and spend the next few days repacking and pottering around the city.
For those of you who hadn't read yesterdays post when i wrote this i need to explain that I managed to edit Cleaverville out and insert the correct name Cloverdale.
Friday, 15 September 2017
Photos from the 101 14/9
You can just see the back of Bob's hat at the bottom if the picture as he cranes his head to look up at thr Redwoods.
Hway 101 scenery.
Arcata to Cloverdale Thurs 14 /9
Our planned route was to follow the 101 Hway as it passed through the Avenue of the Giants initially and then swing back to the coast down to Albion before we cut across to Cleaverville. What I hadn't understood looking at our map was that the Redwood Highway was a 32 mile section of the old 101 which was parallel to the new road and was retained to provide access to the Redwood groves that had been preserved by the conservation movement. There were small communities remaining along the Avenue which survive on the tourist trade. We entered this road quite early in the morning and found the self guide pamphlet which suggested that the nicest short walk was just down the road. We decided to take this 2.5 mile stroll and thoroughly enjoyed strolling along the path looking and photographing with hardly anyone else around. We could hear the traffic on the 101 at one point and really appreciated the foresight of the people who had worked to save these groves. The trees are just wonderful. They are soooo tall and amazingly resilient. They have natural fire resistance because their bark is very thick and lacks resin. They can be damaged by fire but like the Tingles can buttress around the damage. Only after repeated fire attacks do they succumb and I did see one burnt out stump.. More seem to be blown over and it takes a long time for them to break down because they are so big so they provide nutrients for the next generation. By the time we were returning to the car more people were arriving to walk so we were glad to have had the quiet time. We heard quite a lot of birds and even heard a woodpecker though he was so high up we couldn't see him.
We then drove on through the Avenue and rejoined the 101 heading for the coast. At lunchtime we found a rest stop which had one picnic table. A young Dutch couple arrived at the same time with the same intention so we shared the table and chatted about our respective travels. The coastal drive down to Fort Bragg and Albion is beautiful and is more scenic than the Big Sur section south of San Francisco in our opinion. We were so close to the ocean cliffs most of the time that we were held up a couple of times by roadworks where they were repairing places where the road edge had given way in last Winters storms.
From Albion to Cloverdale the road followed the river valley and wound over the coastal hills. We passed through more groves of Redwoods though this time they were "River Redwoods" and not as quite as tall. The whole road was shaded by trees of various sorts and we passed through vineyards of the boutique variety. Smaller than the extensive plantings at home or in the Nappa Valley. The day had been pleasantly cool but warmed up as we headed inland.
Cloverdale is an attractive "artsy" town and it was relaxing to stroll the main street while our laundry tumbled. We decided to have pizza for dinner with a bottle of wine we had been carrying for a while. We really are slow to learn, we ordered a large with extra toppings because Aamerican Pizza is sometimes very limited in what goes on top. This was HUGE and wasn't even the largest size. It had plenty of veges on it as well as the chicken and anchovies we had ordered. We could only manage half of it and just hope the cleaner has some hungry children who are not too fussy.
We then drove on through the Avenue and rejoined the 101 heading for the coast. At lunchtime we found a rest stop which had one picnic table. A young Dutch couple arrived at the same time with the same intention so we shared the table and chatted about our respective travels. The coastal drive down to Fort Bragg and Albion is beautiful and is more scenic than the Big Sur section south of San Francisco in our opinion. We were so close to the ocean cliffs most of the time that we were held up a couple of times by roadworks where they were repairing places where the road edge had given way in last Winters storms.
From Albion to Cloverdale the road followed the river valley and wound over the coastal hills. We passed through more groves of Redwoods though this time they were "River Redwoods" and not as quite as tall. The whole road was shaded by trees of various sorts and we passed through vineyards of the boutique variety. Smaller than the extensive plantings at home or in the Nappa Valley. The day had been pleasantly cool but warmed up as we headed inland.
Cloverdale is an attractive "artsy" town and it was relaxing to stroll the main street while our laundry tumbled. We decided to have pizza for dinner with a bottle of wine we had been carrying for a while. We really are slow to learn, we ordered a large with extra toppings because Aamerican Pizza is sometimes very limited in what goes on top. This was HUGE and wasn't even the largest size. It had plenty of veges on it as well as the chicken and anchovies we had ordered. We could only manage half of it and just hope the cleaner has some hungry children who are not too fussy.
Thursday, 14 September 2017
Photos of the Redwoods
Bob beside fallen giant.
Best I could do to give impression of the forest.
Root system f a big one.
Medford to Acarta. Back to the 101
Driving out of Medford we were struck by the influence of the Rogue River. It was funny to see the Rogue Community Centre, Rogue Community College and the Rogue Bank. Would you feel comfortable leaving your money in that bank?
There was still some evidence of the fires in the area and we passed a large "fire camp" set up on vacant land beside the river. There was also roadworks going on as the roads were being repaired for winter. There were still repairs being done to the 101 where land slips during last winters heavy rains caused the edges of the road to vanish down the hill. This reduced the road to one lane and we were either escorted through the roadworks or had our turn to proceed managed by traffic lghts.
Close to the coast we entered Redwood Country.. These trees are so magnificent that we pulled into a layby just to look at them. Then we discovered that there was a day use area just up the road with a short walk and we stopped there to take the walk. This was lovely and peaceful with people just quietly rambling around enjoying the forest. We learnt from small plaques around the walk that most of the Redwood Forest pockets have been saved by private individuals purchasing the land and handing it over to the State and National Parks to be managed. As we left the forest and turned south on the coast road there was an abrupt change in the weather. While the forest had been cool we now encountered the Pacific Ocean fog bank that California is famous for. Hunting for a lunch spot we found a picnic area right on the beach and had to haul out jumpers because of the cool wind. We had set off in shorts and T shirts and I had goose bumps on my legs by the time we retrned to the car.
We had found a "Fred Meyer" store as we left Medford and discovered that they sell their French Bread in paper bags so they don't go soft and they also had a real deli where I could buy sliced cold meat by the ounce and not predigested and packaged in plastic. We had a good lunch despite the wind.
We stopped at a National Parks information centre and for the first time found the person responding to our queries was not very knowledgeable about the area. This was only realised after we had driven down the road and opened up a magazine we had picked up discovering we had just left an area we would have explored more thoroughly. Fortunately there a more Redwoods ahead of us.
Our motel is comfortable as usual. Having checked out the two nearest options for dinner we had Mexican and both enjoyed our menu choices.
There was still some evidence of the fires in the area and we passed a large "fire camp" set up on vacant land beside the river. There was also roadworks going on as the roads were being repaired for winter. There were still repairs being done to the 101 where land slips during last winters heavy rains caused the edges of the road to vanish down the hill. This reduced the road to one lane and we were either escorted through the roadworks or had our turn to proceed managed by traffic lghts.
Close to the coast we entered Redwood Country.. These trees are so magnificent that we pulled into a layby just to look at them. Then we discovered that there was a day use area just up the road with a short walk and we stopped there to take the walk. This was lovely and peaceful with people just quietly rambling around enjoying the forest. We learnt from small plaques around the walk that most of the Redwood Forest pockets have been saved by private individuals purchasing the land and handing it over to the State and National Parks to be managed. As we left the forest and turned south on the coast road there was an abrupt change in the weather. While the forest had been cool we now encountered the Pacific Ocean fog bank that California is famous for. Hunting for a lunch spot we found a picnic area right on the beach and had to haul out jumpers because of the cool wind. We had set off in shorts and T shirts and I had goose bumps on my legs by the time we retrned to the car.
We had found a "Fred Meyer" store as we left Medford and discovered that they sell their French Bread in paper bags so they don't go soft and they also had a real deli where I could buy sliced cold meat by the ounce and not predigested and packaged in plastic. We had a good lunch despite the wind.
We stopped at a National Parks information centre and for the first time found the person responding to our queries was not very knowledgeable about the area. This was only realised after we had driven down the road and opened up a magazine we had picked up discovering we had just left an area we would have explored more thoroughly. Fortunately there a more Redwoods ahead of us.
Our motel is comfortable as usual. Having checked out the two nearest options for dinner we had Mexican and both enjoyed our menu choices.
Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Photos of Crater Llake And Rogue Canyon
Crater Lakeanyth
As we left Roseburg we drove through undulating grass covered hills until they soon morphed into pine covered mountains. We followed the Umpqua River valley most of the time as as we headed toward it's source and the junction with the Rogue River. These are classic mountain rivers racing over rapids through rugged basault valleys churning through rapids as they wear away at the rocks in their path.
Unfortunately the magic became muted as we encountered heavy smoke and fire warning signs. As we drove we were wondering if we were going to get through to Crater Lake. When we were halted at by a woman waving a stop sign there was no effort made to tell us what was happening but after three or four minutes an escort vehicle appeared around the bend. After a brief chat with his co workers he lead us through the next 5 to 10 miles. This area still had the river on our right most of the time but the fire had been right down to the road with occassional jumps across. There was also occassional fire blackened debrie lying where it had been cleared away. By the time our escort left us we were quite a bit higher and the smoke had thinned. We drove on to Diamond Lake which is Crater Lakes neighbour.
We stopped for a break and to have a look at the lake which is huge and vanishd into the smoke haze. We chatted to a fisherman who had just pulled his boat out of the Lake and he told us that they had caught 18 Rainbow Trout but only kept four to eat as the others were too small. He said we could see them if we went ino the fish cleaning shed where his partner was preparing them. The shed turned out to be a very sophisticated, fly screened building with stainless steel sinks and plenty of running water from well positioned outlets. The trout were beauties, by then all ready for the pan. The man described his boat as a "river boat". It was sturdy metal with a curved flat bottom to slide over river rocks. He admitted that it rocked a bit if the Lake was anything except glassy smooth. The breeze had come up and that was why they had stopped fishing,
We drove on to the North entrance to Crater Lake only to discover it was closed due to the fire which was in the National Park. We then had to drive around to the western entrance which was fortunately closer to our overnight destination. When we arrived at the Park and stood on the caldera of the old volcano overlooking the Crater Lake it was all worthwhile. The Lake was 1900 feet below us, 4 miles by 6 miles in diameter, 1900 feet deep and clear blue. The smoke haze detracted from the colour slightly but couldn't spoil the effect. We couldn't drive around the West Rim due to the fire but the East Rim was accessible right around to where the Northern access road came in. We drove and walked taking in all the explanatory signs. The volcano has a history going back 400,00 years forming a mountain 14,000 feet high. 7700 years ago the accumulation of magma below was so great that when it erupted it blew the mountain away across about 6 states. The crater base solidified except for a couple of minor eruptionns and gradually filled with snow melt and rain water. They receive at least 15 feet of snow per year so this plus rain keeps the water level stable.
When we headed to Medford we made one further stop at the Canyon of the Rogue River. This is near the headwaters and is where the water has forced it's was through old lava tubes on its way to join the Umpqua. The result is a fiercely contrained river which had earned it the title of the "wild" Rogue.
Our receptionist recommended the Irish Pub Downtown for dinner so we had a leisurely walk and a goood meal to round off the day
Unfortunately the magic became muted as we encountered heavy smoke and fire warning signs. As we drove we were wondering if we were going to get through to Crater Lake. When we were halted at by a woman waving a stop sign there was no effort made to tell us what was happening but after three or four minutes an escort vehicle appeared around the bend. After a brief chat with his co workers he lead us through the next 5 to 10 miles. This area still had the river on our right most of the time but the fire had been right down to the road with occassional jumps across. There was also occassional fire blackened debrie lying where it had been cleared away. By the time our escort left us we were quite a bit higher and the smoke had thinned. We drove on to Diamond Lake which is Crater Lakes neighbour.
We stopped for a break and to have a look at the lake which is huge and vanishd into the smoke haze. We chatted to a fisherman who had just pulled his boat out of the Lake and he told us that they had caught 18 Rainbow Trout but only kept four to eat as the others were too small. He said we could see them if we went ino the fish cleaning shed where his partner was preparing them. The shed turned out to be a very sophisticated, fly screened building with stainless steel sinks and plenty of running water from well positioned outlets. The trout were beauties, by then all ready for the pan. The man described his boat as a "river boat". It was sturdy metal with a curved flat bottom to slide over river rocks. He admitted that it rocked a bit if the Lake was anything except glassy smooth. The breeze had come up and that was why they had stopped fishing,
We drove on to the North entrance to Crater Lake only to discover it was closed due to the fire which was in the National Park. We then had to drive around to the western entrance which was fortunately closer to our overnight destination. When we arrived at the Park and stood on the caldera of the old volcano overlooking the Crater Lake it was all worthwhile. The Lake was 1900 feet below us, 4 miles by 6 miles in diameter, 1900 feet deep and clear blue. The smoke haze detracted from the colour slightly but couldn't spoil the effect. We couldn't drive around the West Rim due to the fire but the East Rim was accessible right around to where the Northern access road came in. We drove and walked taking in all the explanatory signs. The volcano has a history going back 400,00 years forming a mountain 14,000 feet high. 7700 years ago the accumulation of magma below was so great that when it erupted it blew the mountain away across about 6 states. The crater base solidified except for a couple of minor eruptionns and gradually filled with snow melt and rain water. They receive at least 15 feet of snow per year so this plus rain keeps the water level stable.
When we headed to Medford we made one further stop at the Canyon of the Rogue River. This is near the headwaters and is where the water has forced it's was through old lava tubes on its way to join the Umpqua. The result is a fiercely contrained river which had earned it the title of the "wild" Rogue.
Our receptionist recommended the Irish Pub Downtown for dinner so we had a leisurely walk and a goood meal to round off the day
Monday, 11 September 2017
More photos, the scenery was so lovely I can't help myself.
Photos from the 101
To Roseburg down the 101. Mon 11/9
Today we headed south again along the Pacific Scenic Hway. The first overlook we stopped at was at Foul Weather Cape. We discovered that this had been named by Captain Cook on the first leg of the journey which ultimately brought him to Australia. He named it after he had battled the wind for seven days and was in exactly the same position. While we were there we read the sign board about the local wildlife including the Grey Whales whose juveniles often spend the Autumn months in the Bay. Then we saw one. He/she was mooching along surfacing every so often and spouting as it surfaced. The further South we traveled the fewer rocky headlands there were and more beaches. There were lots of lakes and the rivers all had huge deltas where the birds were feeding. At Reedsport we turned West to go over to Roseburg to be closer to Crater Lake which is our goal tomorrow. Soon after the turn we saw a wildlife viewing roadside bay with people using binoculars. We surmised they were looking for elk since there had been a warning sign. Assuming that they were up in the tree line we did not stop. Imagine our delight when about 5 miles down the road there was a small herd grazing in a pasture quite close to the road. Photos in the next posting. We had the usual hunt for a lunch spot but fortunately we weren't famished. However after watching for a picnic spot for a while we were pleased to find that the small town of Elktown had a city park beside the river with tables under shady trees. The weather has warmed up again today so we were grateful for the shade. We have discovered that Roseburg is a very sprawling town so when our host recommended the Chinese restaurant next door we took him at his word. We ordered a dish each and even there the meals were HUGE. We had no chance of finishing them but it was not because we didn't enjoy them.
Sunday, 10 September 2017
Photos from Oregon Sun 10/9
View from a lookout on the highway.
There are some amazing bridges of this style because there are lots of estuaries and marshes.
Lincoln City Oregon Sun 10/9
We were up early this morning and had walked to the car park and brought the car back to the Hostel by 8am in time for breakfast. Wonder of wonders the sky was clear and the sun was shining. We were on the road by 9am and being Sunday morning it was easy to leave the city. We drove the main highway south to leave Washington State and enter Oregon because this was the most direct path. The highway was busy enough but not frantic because there were few trucks. As one loomed up beside us doing more than his 60 mph Bob commented that it felt like being the lettuce leaf in a BLT. Not far out of Seattle Mt Rainier appeared ahead of us. At 14,411 feet it reared above it's low personal cloud bank. I was just disappointed that it's misty cloak at that hour of the morning meant it was pointless to try for a photo.
The first 40 miles were just a continuous urban sprall from Seattle. I forgot to mention yesterday that Seattle is the home base for Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing. We were told when travelling on the Trolley that Amazon employs an estimated 20% of the city's work force and it is expected to rise to 25% next year. They have purchased apartment blocks for their employees so that they can live close to work. Bill Gates is dog friendly and their head quarters have a floor set aside for employees dogs while they are at work. How the other half lives.
We were able to leave Hway 5 after two hours of steady driving and moved to the quieter Hway 101 which follows the Pacific Coastline all the way to the California border. We had a few tense moments when we pulled into a State Park to have our lunch and discovered the usual fee. Bob said he was not b---- well paying a day use fee for half an hours use of a picnic table. We decided to detour to the boat launching area prior to the honour box and and found picnic tables there. The other slightly disconcerting feature was the roadside warnings that we were driving through tsunami vulnerable areas.
The coastline is beautiful with sandy beaches not dissimilar to ours interspersed with rocky headlands, pines right to the water and holiday towns. As we drove further south the towns were more spread apart by rural activites such as cattle and pigs. We couldn't see the latter but we could certainly smell them. At one stage we passed through a very threatening cloud band but this didn't last for long and the day remained cool but sunny. A nice change.
Tonight we are comfortably ensconced in a motel a stones throw from a seafood restaurant. Photos separately.
The first 40 miles were just a continuous urban sprall from Seattle. I forgot to mention yesterday that Seattle is the home base for Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing. We were told when travelling on the Trolley that Amazon employs an estimated 20% of the city's work force and it is expected to rise to 25% next year. They have purchased apartment blocks for their employees so that they can live close to work. Bill Gates is dog friendly and their head quarters have a floor set aside for employees dogs while they are at work. How the other half lives.
We were able to leave Hway 5 after two hours of steady driving and moved to the quieter Hway 101 which follows the Pacific Coastline all the way to the California border. We had a few tense moments when we pulled into a State Park to have our lunch and discovered the usual fee. Bob said he was not b---- well paying a day use fee for half an hours use of a picnic table. We decided to detour to the boat launching area prior to the honour box and and found picnic tables there. The other slightly disconcerting feature was the roadside warnings that we were driving through tsunami vulnerable areas.
The coastline is beautiful with sandy beaches not dissimilar to ours interspersed with rocky headlands, pines right to the water and holiday towns. As we drove further south the towns were more spread apart by rural activites such as cattle and pigs. We couldn't see the latter but we could certainly smell them. At one stage we passed through a very threatening cloud band but this didn't last for long and the day remained cool but sunny. A nice change.
Tonight we are comfortably ensconced in a motel a stones throw from a seafood restaurant. Photos separately.
Seattle Day 2
This was the morniing set aside for the "hop on, hop off " troĺley. The bus stops were not particularly well marked so we had another walk past the markets before we tracked one down. The day was cool and even threatened rain so it was good weather for sitting is the enclosed area. The commentary was interesting and we saw most of the run by the time we decided to hop off at the waterfront for a cup of clam chowder and a shared fish (halibut) and chips. By then it was attractive to wander through the shopping area and we found some bargains in Maceys. This then requird some rest and recuperation and we retired to our room and spent some time planning the route down through Oregon and northern California for our last week.
Bob still hadn't found a pair of sneakers he had been hunting so we checked out Google and walked back up to Downtown to Nordstrum Rack. Nordstrum's is the swankiest shop in Seattle but Rack is their outlet store next door. The shop was packed with their last seasons unsold items. Bob quite quickly found a pair of sneakers that he was delighted with at a very low price. Then he suggested I take a turn even though I knew I had done my dash with shoes. Wonder of wonders I found a pair of Sketches golf shoes for $20. Irresistible.
By then it was late evening and we headed for the waterfront looking for somewhere to eat. It was beautiful down there with everything from the ferris wheel down brightly lit in neon. By the time we walked up to the markets we discovered that they close up early even on a Saturday night. We chose a nearby restaurant and had a pricey and our
first disappointinng meal. You can't win them all.
The photo is of an amazing building housing a museum of Pop Culture.
A fantastis playground for children.
Bob still hadn't found a pair of sneakers he had been hunting so we checked out Google and walked back up to Downtown to Nordstrum Rack. Nordstrum's is the swankiest shop in Seattle but Rack is their outlet store next door. The shop was packed with their last seasons unsold items. Bob quite quickly found a pair of sneakers that he was delighted with at a very low price. Then he suggested I take a turn even though I knew I had done my dash with shoes. Wonder of wonders I found a pair of Sketches golf shoes for $20. Irresistible.
By then it was late evening and we headed for the waterfront looking for somewhere to eat. It was beautiful down there with everything from the ferris wheel down brightly lit in neon. By the time we walked up to the markets we discovered that they close up early even on a Saturday night. We chose a nearby restaurant and had a pricey and our
The photo is of an amazing building housing a museum of Pop Culture.
The famous Space Needle built for the World Fair in the 1960's
Saturday, 9 September 2017
Photos of Seattle
Seattle Fri 8/9
Yerterday turned into our personal walking tour of Downtown. We set off for the Visitor Centre but detoured to the Pike Street Market. This extends for two city blocks and about 4 levels. Seattle is almost as hilly as San Francisco and the Market is down beside the waterfront. Then the area has become a tourist mecca so restaurants have grown back up the hill adjacent to it. The Market is primarily fresh food and flowers interpersed with restaurants and small tourist oriented businesses. The flower stalls extend for almost the entire front of the Market and the fish stalls are amazing. Everything from huge deep sea fish to monster Alaskan Crabs to oysters. We wandered almost the entire area and then set off uphill for the Visitors Centre. We circled the entire block of the huge Convention Cente looking for an Information sign before we found the Visitor Centre in the foyer. The young woman who greeted us was extremely helpful and gave us two pointers which we opted for. There is a " hop on hop off" trolley bus tour around the cental area and we have always found these usful for getting the overall picture of a city. Then we asked about the State
ferries which go to the Islands in Puget Sound. She recommended her personal favourite out to Bainbridge Island which features the Bloedel Reserve. This is the former home of a timber baron set in 150 acres of landscaped natural forest and garden. Meanwhile we walked back across town to collect our car to move it the Convention Centre 24 hour car park. It had spent the first night parked on the street in the residential area of nob hill about a mile from our hostel. This was the recommendation of the hostel staff because the 24 hour parking near the hostel is not particularly secure. They implied that they were very insecure. However this option left us feeling concerned and as we were reassured that the Convention Centre Parking was fairly reliably secure we hiked across town to retrieve it and were able to set off for the day's activities feeling that we had done what we could.
We thought at first of the hop on trolley and even stood at the bus stop for 10 minutes but then realised there was a cool breeze blowing on a cloudy day and everyone waiting to board the trolley had at least light jackets compared to our short sleeved shirts. I didn't want to repeat my experience of ending the trip feeling frozen so we changed plan. We walked back to the hostel collected jackets and then walked down to catch the ferry. We bought a sandwich on the way to eat while we waited for the ferry. I say 'sandwich' deliberately because we had half each and it was plenty. The ferry was huge and cost us $4 each return. This compared to the tour boats which were up to $50 each. It was a car ferry which had two levels and we watched in amazement as it just kept disgourging cars upon it's arrival. The cabin area was very comfortable and the trip was about 30 minutes so we relaxed and enjoyed the ride.
At the Island terminal there was a shuttle to take us out to Bloedel which was at the extreme end of the Island. We had approximately two hours to saunter the 2 miles of paths. The garden was beautifully maintained in a very understated way and included a number of large ponds, streams, a variety of huge forest trees, the landscaped residence gardens which overlooked the waters of the Sound and a Japanese guest house and garden. It was a delightful walk and we headed back to the ferry thinking that we had been somewhere special.
For dinner we decided that the Morrocan Restaurant across from our hostel was worth exploring. When we arrived we discovered that it was quite busy and we were asked if we would like to share a table with the couple who arrived just ahead of us. We were all agreeable and were taken to a low table surrounded by a couch. The restaurant was decorated with a soft fabric to represent the ceiling of a tent and the walls were hung with Moroccan carpet squares to give an authentic atmosphere. We discovered that the menu provided a choice of main course dishes but the remainder of the meal was a set 5 courses for $21 plus tax of course. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and our companions were interesting. They hailed from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They were in their early 60's. She worked as a nurse and he was a heart specialist who now worked for the veteran's service. We talked briefly about families, their decision to leave private practice for the salaried option of the DVA, travel and told them a bit about Australia. He was unaware that Aussies had served alongside the Americans during WW2 and Vietnam and they had as usual only heard of Sydney and Brisbane. They were returning from a cruise to Alaska and added a couple of days in Seattle to their holiday. They had thoroughly enjoyed their experience but had not seen a bear.
We walked back across the road to our bed and were asleep almost immediately.
ferries which go to the Islands in Puget Sound. She recommended her personal favourite out to Bainbridge Island which features the Bloedel Reserve. This is the former home of a timber baron set in 150 acres of landscaped natural forest and garden. Meanwhile we walked back across town to collect our car to move it the Convention Centre 24 hour car park. It had spent the first night parked on the street in the residential area of nob hill about a mile from our hostel. This was the recommendation of the hostel staff because the 24 hour parking near the hostel is not particularly secure. They implied that they were very insecure. However this option left us feeling concerned and as we were reassured that the Convention Centre Parking was fairly reliably secure we hiked across town to retrieve it and were able to set off for the day's activities feeling that we had done what we could.
We thought at first of the hop on trolley and even stood at the bus stop for 10 minutes but then realised there was a cool breeze blowing on a cloudy day and everyone waiting to board the trolley had at least light jackets compared to our short sleeved shirts. I didn't want to repeat my experience of ending the trip feeling frozen so we changed plan. We walked back to the hostel collected jackets and then walked down to catch the ferry. We bought a sandwich on the way to eat while we waited for the ferry. I say 'sandwich' deliberately because we had half each and it was plenty. The ferry was huge and cost us $4 each return. This compared to the tour boats which were up to $50 each. It was a car ferry which had two levels and we watched in amazement as it just kept disgourging cars upon it's arrival. The cabin area was very comfortable and the trip was about 30 minutes so we relaxed and enjoyed the ride.
At the Island terminal there was a shuttle to take us out to Bloedel which was at the extreme end of the Island. We had approximately two hours to saunter the 2 miles of paths. The garden was beautifully maintained in a very understated way and included a number of large ponds, streams, a variety of huge forest trees, the landscaped residence gardens which overlooked the waters of the Sound and a Japanese guest house and garden. It was a delightful walk and we headed back to the ferry thinking that we had been somewhere special.
For dinner we decided that the Morrocan Restaurant across from our hostel was worth exploring. When we arrived we discovered that it was quite busy and we were asked if we would like to share a table with the couple who arrived just ahead of us. We were all agreeable and were taken to a low table surrounded by a couch. The restaurant was decorated with a soft fabric to represent the ceiling of a tent and the walls were hung with Moroccan carpet squares to give an authentic atmosphere. We discovered that the menu provided a choice of main course dishes but the remainder of the meal was a set 5 courses for $21 plus tax of course. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and our companions were interesting. They hailed from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They were in their early 60's. She worked as a nurse and he was a heart specialist who now worked for the veteran's service. We talked briefly about families, their decision to leave private practice for the salaried option of the DVA, travel and told them a bit about Australia. He was unaware that Aussies had served alongside the Americans during WW2 and Vietnam and they had as usual only heard of Sydney and Brisbane. They were returning from a cruise to Alaska and added a couple of days in Seattle to their holiday. They had thoroughly enjoyed their experience but had not seen a bear.
We walked back across the road to our bed and were asleep almost immediately.
Thursday, 7 September 2017
Winthrop
I completely forgot to mention yesterdays morning tea stop. This was the delightful town of Winthrop. As we drove in we saw all the old wooden buildings and decided to stop. We pulled up beside a beauty parlor and Bob announced that he was going to get a hair cut. I pointed out the feminine focus and implied that he didn't quite fit the inage but in he went. There were no other customers and the room was fitted out with male and female style barbers chairs so the hairdresser was happy to accommodate him. We chatted and the female hairdresser helped us with some information about the Native American names in the area. For instance the previous town which had the unusual name of Twisp was named for it's abundance of wasps. The River passing through town was the Chewach. However the town was named by the first Post Master back in the 1880's in honour of an academic who explored the area. It was also the place where the author of "The Virginian" which is recognised as the first western ever written holidayed. The town was also known in it's early days for a publican who hated drink. He built the pub to keep out the opposition and would throw out any customers whom he thought had consumed enough.
New painting that the hairdresser was very proud of.
Ad on the side of the saloon.
Town Hall
Bakery where we had wicked morning tea.
Photos from the Cascade Mountains Washington State
The road just visible below Washington Pass
Omak to Seattle 6/9 &7/9
Yesterday as we left Omak we discovered that we had been staying in an apple growing area. We wound up through the valley surrounded on either side by red apples ripe for the picking. As we gradually climbed higher the forest returned and we were soon driving between dense pine forests. We kept climbing into the Northern Cascade Mountains. The highest point was Washington Pass. There was a delightful lookout there and we wandered around the overlook and a short walk trail. The view was spectacular because the road has been cut into the side of the mountain. There was an information board giving the history of the road construction. When it was decided that a road was needed through the mountains the route was planned and work began from two towns on opposite sides of the mountain. The middle section took two years in the 1920's with the men working for $2/day. When it was almost completed the whole road was washed away in a winter storm. This delayed things somewhat and it wasn't until the late 1960's that a new survey devised the current route. Modern explosive technology was used to blow the new path through the rock in one big bang. It was completed in 1972.
From there we drove on to the Northern Cascade National Park and found the picnic area for lunch. We then tackled the Visitor Centre and picked a nice relaxing 3 mile River Walk Loop. The water in the rivers in the mountains is wonderfully clear and a beautiful greenish blue when there is depth. We were walking along the path when we came upon a family of flightless birds. The biggest (mumma) was the size of a small hen only a bit closer to the ground. They were fairly untroubled by us so we managed to get some photos. Back at the Visitor Centre we checked and found that they were Sooty Grouse and the rangers have only noticed the one family.
Our accommodation that night was on the Highway between two small towns. There was not a lot of choice in that part of the world but the Totem Trail Motel was very comfortable and had interesting benefits. Before dinner we were sitting outside in the Gazebo and I was eating my fill of juicy blackberries. They are everywhere in this part of the world and the motel had a huge hedge of them around the back of the units and the car park. We had to drive a couple of miles back to get dinner and I tried my first "pulled pork". It was tasty but as usual I couldn't eat it all.
Today we had a short run into Seattle where we have accommodation for 3 nights at the City Hostel. So we have two days to explore. We stopped at the outlets on the way into town and did some shopping because we couldn't check in until after 2pm. The traffic coming into Seattle was very heavy but Bob and our faithful GPS managed it safely. Photos of the Cascades Loop Hway separately.
From there we drove on to the Northern Cascade National Park and found the picnic area for lunch. We then tackled the Visitor Centre and picked a nice relaxing 3 mile River Walk Loop. The water in the rivers in the mountains is wonderfully clear and a beautiful greenish blue when there is depth. We were walking along the path when we came upon a family of flightless birds. The biggest (mumma) was the size of a small hen only a bit closer to the ground. They were fairly untroubled by us so we managed to get some photos. Back at the Visitor Centre we checked and found that they were Sooty Grouse and the rangers have only noticed the one family.
Our accommodation that night was on the Highway between two small towns. There was not a lot of choice in that part of the world but the Totem Trail Motel was very comfortable and had interesting benefits. Before dinner we were sitting outside in the Gazebo and I was eating my fill of juicy blackberries. They are everywhere in this part of the world and the motel had a huge hedge of them around the back of the units and the car park. We had to drive a couple of miles back to get dinner and I tried my first "pulled pork". It was tasty but as usual I couldn't eat it all.
Today we had a short run into Seattle where we have accommodation for 3 nights at the City Hostel. So we have two days to explore. We stopped at the outlets on the way into town and did some shopping because we couldn't check in until after 2pm. The traffic coming into Seattle was very heavy but Bob and our faithful GPS managed it safely. Photos of the Cascades Loop Hway separately.
Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Spokane to Omak Tues 5/9
This morning as you will see in the previous post we went out early to retrace our steps and take photographs. We then had some domestic chores to accomplish including and oil change for the car. Bob had realised that it was due 1000 miles ago and he can't leave something mechanical undone. By the time we set off it was close to 11am but we didn't have far to go. We were travelling over those undulating plains of golden stubble again at first. The most remarkable thing we saw was a huge pile of barley grain dumped beside two huge silos which must have been full. They were using a front end loader to load it into trucks (we surmise beasues there was no train line there). They are obviously not expecting rain.
The obvious place to stop for lunch was marked on the map as " The Grand Coulee Dam". When we arrived we were almost rendered speechless. It is indeed GRAND. The first phase of construction was in 1933 to dam the Columbia River. Even then it was a grand scheme. It was part of Roosevelt's New Deal recovery plan after the Great Depression. It expanded under the leadership of Truman after WW2 and then again in the mid 1980's. It is so big that I couldn't fit the whole dam wall into my photo frame. Bob had to use video to get it all. It generates enough power to supply about 7 States around it. Then there is a complimentary process with 17 tributary rivers having dams on them which provides water right across to Seattle - approx 200 miles.
After that we were back in the mountains but lower than the Rockies and forested with pines. Tonight we are staying in the Omak Inn which is located much to our amusement in Koala Drive. The family restaurant across the street apparently has suitable Aussie themed decoration. So we should feel right at home when we go for a meal tonight.
The obvious place to stop for lunch was marked on the map as " The Grand Coulee Dam". When we arrived we were almost rendered speechless. It is indeed GRAND. The first phase of construction was in 1933 to dam the Columbia River. Even then it was a grand scheme. It was part of Roosevelt's New Deal recovery plan after the Great Depression. It expanded under the leadership of Truman after WW2 and then again in the mid 1980's. It is so big that I couldn't fit the whole dam wall into my photo frame. Bob had to use video to get it all. It generates enough power to supply about 7 States around it. Then there is a complimentary process with 17 tributary rivers having dams on them which provides water right across to Seattle - approx 200 miles.
After that we were back in the mountains but lower than the Rockies and forested with pines. Tonight we are staying in the Omak Inn which is located much to our amusement in Koala Drive. The family restaurant across the street apparently has suitable Aussie themed decoration. So we should feel right at home when we go for a meal tonight.
This only shows 2 sections, the 3rd is obscured by smoke.
I am not going to talk about smoke again. We saw a map of fires burning in Washington State and they are all down the coastline so take it as given from now until I can say we have clear skies.
Photos of Spokane
Waterfall in the centre of Spokane.
Bing Crosby Theatre built in 1914.
West to Spokane Washington State 4/9
We actually drove NW from Kalispell to visit two small towns that were mentioned as interesting. This took us back into small town rural US and the forests and mountains. As we drove I jotted down some names that tickled our fancy. There was Bitter root Lake, Kick Horse Saloon, Loon Lake, Stampede Lake, Crazy Moose Crossing, Bear and Beaver Creeks, Snowflake Lane, Silver Spur Restaurant, and Lake Cocolalla. As you may gather we were passing lots of water features but there were at least two major fires in the hills nearby and the day was clouded in smoke.
This is what the sky looked like all day. We stopped at Bonners Ferry which was a very pretty litle town. It is beside the very large Kootanai River. The history is that gold miners heading to the gold strike in British Columbia, Canada could not cross this river without the help of the local Indians who took them across in their canoes. An enterprising propective miner realised there was a development opportunity here and persuaded a couple of others to join him in purchasing a ferry. So his fortune was made and the now substancial town has a bridge. We were now on the Wild Horse Trail and drove on to Sandpoint the other town in the county but got lost in the suburbs trying to find the river again and somewhere to eat out lunch. As is often the case the private land owns most of the river bank and we decided to head SW to our last destination for the day. Fortunately just out of town we found a State Park camping area beside a lake. After a conversation with the Park Ranger during which he explained that we couldn't picnic in their camping bays and there was a free but unsignposted picnic area 100 metres away we settled alongside the lake. The view would have been stunning but we couldn't see more than 100 metres.
This is what the sky looked like all day. We stopped at Bonners Ferry which was a very pretty litle town. It is beside the very large Kootanai River. The history is that gold miners heading to the gold strike in British Columbia, Canada could not cross this river without the help of the local Indians who took them across in their canoes. An enterprising propective miner realised there was a development opportunity here and persuaded a couple of others to join him in purchasing a ferry. So his fortune was made and the now substancial town has a bridge. We were now on the Wild Horse Trail and drove on to Sandpoint the other town in the county but got lost in the suburbs trying to find the river again and somewhere to eat out lunch. As is often the case the private land owns most of the river bank and we decided to head SW to our last destination for the day. Fortunately just out of town we found a State Park camping area beside a lake. After a conversation with the Park Ranger during which he explained that we couldn't picnic in their camping bays and there was a free but unsignposted picnic area 100 metres away we settled alongside the lake. The view would have been stunning but we couldn't see more than 100 metres.
We arrived in Spokane in mid afternoon and found our very comfortable motel which is located in the centre of the city. The nice young man registering us explained that there was a three day food and music festival occurring in the River Park 3 blocks away for the Labor Day long weekend. After settling in we walked down to the Park half expecting that the festival would be closing down but found it still in full swing. We browsed the food options, made our selections, perused the seating options overlooking the stage, bought a beer and settled at a table to listen to the music. They were a local rock band who almost immediately played a Split Ends composition and we felt right at home. They were very good and we stayed to the end of their performance. After I had bought myself my first icecream of the trip, a "small" Ben & Jerries Cherry waffle cone we walked the extent of the River Park. Spokane's claim to fame is the only City built around a waterfall. The hydro elctricity from the falls provides a lot of the citys power but this doesn't detract from their beauty. The surrounds have been landscaped and the Park is currently being expanded to make even more of the site. We will go back this morning to take some photos.
Monday, 4 September 2017
Sunday, 3 September 2017
GLACIER NP Day 2
Today we adjusted our plans and decided on a 1.5 mile walk out to Rocky Point on Lake McDonald. This gave us quite a good view across part of the lake that minimised the effect of the smoke. We then retaced our steps and drove up to a tiny place 20 miles up the road called Polebridge. I had visions of an old wooden bridge but the expanse across the river was very wide so it was concrete pylons with huge logs hoizonally as rails to stop the drivers sliding off when it is icey. We went for a walk through the pines which were regrowth from a fire in 2003 and across a grassy meadow. I had a vague hope we might see a deer grazing but it was not to be. By then it was late lunch time and we headed back towards the Park Entrance to look for a picnic spot. Imagine our amazement when a medium size Black Bear lolloped across the road in front of us. He was very handsome but you will have to take my word for it because he didn't stop for photos. I was sooooo excited to see a real bear. Shortly afterwards we passed a deer browsing on the verge. It lifted the whole day. We then gave up on the Park as this side was crowded wth all the people like us who couldn't access the trail to the east of the lake. Instead Bob remembered there was a recreation area on our way back to Kalispell, the Hungry Horse Reservoir. We had a very relaxed lunch then took the car to the car wash because it was very dusty. And now I am writing to you.
Glacier National Park Sat 2nd Sept.
The Park is a very sad place today. There is a big fire in it's heartland and there is a smake pall everywhere. We arrived at the beginning of the "Going to the Sun Hway" at about 10-30am and collected our map and read the fire bulletin. The Sun Hway which cuts across the centre of the Park was open so we proceeded as planned. The scenery is obviously magnificent but the smoke everywhere blurred the outlines and sapped the colour. We stopped at lots of overlooks as it was only the main carpark at the top of the pass which was impossibly crowded. The road was constructed in the 1920's. It is narrow and constantly windng with precipitous drops to the river valley and must have been incredibly difficult to work on given the machinery of those times. There are still large ice sheets across many of the mountain tops so climate change hasn't done away wih the glaciers yet. I couldn't help wondering how they may have looked even 10 years ago. There is a wonderful swimming hole in the river where the hardy types were having a great time. We were tempted to try to eat our lunch by the river but there wasn't any conveniently level places. Instead we drove on to the picnic area beside Lake McDonald. This is a huge glacier gouged lake. We found a remarkably peaceful spot wih picnic table under the pine trees and went for a walk by the lake after we had eaten. On our way back we came across a ranger putting up a notice advising that all the camp grounds to the east of the
Lake are to be evacuated by midday tomorrow because of an expected dangerous wind change. We have accommodation booked for two nights to the west of the Park so checked in to the Visitor Centre to find out about walk trails that are safe to use on the west side of the Lake. We have a couple of good options so can spend the day exploring.
Note the blue water of the river which is crystal clear.
Camp ground near where we had lunch.
Note the blue water of the river which is crystal clear.
I have picked the snots which show the clearest pictures.
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