Seattle, Washington

While we were in Washington, we made a trip to Seattle. I had not been there since I was six and my parents took the family to the World’s Fair; Dan had actually lived in Seattle briefly back in the 1960’s. So, we were both looking forward to touring the area again. As an added incentive, one of my daughters now lives in West Seattle, so there was much to do while there. We arrived on a Thursday morning and checked into our hotel room. We were situated within walking distance to everything we wanted to do, and never drove the truck again until we left on Friday afternoon. On Thursday, we visited the Space Needle and rode up to the top. Although I had done this when I was six, I had no memory of it, so it was like the very first time. Although high rise buildings have since dwarfed the Space Needle, it is still a pretty unique structure. Later, we walked downtown and found a very cool kitchen wares store, went to the 7th floor of a seven store Macy’s, and walked all over downtown Seattle. That night we attended a Mariners baseball came at Safeco Park, where Dan caught the homerun ball that won the game – for the Orioles! You can bet that caused some controversy in the stands! On Friday we walked to Pike Place Market, which is a very fun place to spend a morning. It is a giant Farmer’s Market with vegetable stands, art work, coffee shops, restaurants, flower stands, jewelry, and so much more. It has three or four levels, stairs everywhere, street performers at every turn, all set on Puget Sound. After we were done there, we drove to my daughters house where we picked up my seven-year-old granddaughter and brought her back home with us for the weekend.

We have wrapped up our time in Washington. Tomorrow we are on the road again, driving to Alaska via Canada!

Cannon Beach, Oregon

For a very long time my mother wanted to have a family gathering in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Many years ago, when my father was still alive, her dream was to rent a place on the beach for several weeks, and have her five daughters and their families come as they were able, to spend as much time as they could. For one reason and another, this never happened, and after my father passed away, the idea seemed to fade away as well. Then late last year my youngest sister decided to revive the Cannon Beach trip, but this time it would just be Mom and her daughters. The plan was put together, with each sister assigned a task, and soon everything was in place. On April 18th we all arrived – Terry, Nancy, and Jennifer coming from California (Southern and Northern), Chris plus Mom coming from Washington, and me. Dan and I were currently staying in Washington, so I rode with Chris and Mom. The first night we were there Terry gave each of us a memory tote bag filled with goodies – it was like opening a stocking on Christmas morning! Throughout the weekend, we cooked, ate, played games, laughed, talked, cried, walked on the beach, shopped in Cannon Beach, flew kites, and one night some of us stayed up until 4:00 in the morning. It was a really good visit, and I am so very happy we were able to do this!

Olympia, Washington

As Washington State's capital city, Olympia is home to one of the last great domed capitols built in America. Set on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound, it stands 28 stories high. Forty-two broad granite steps lead up to the entrance which symbolize Washington's place as the 42nd state in the Union. One word comes to mind when I try to describe the structure – Marble. The walls, the floors, the staircases are all made of marble (or granite or sandstone, which look just like the marble). This was the most formal looking capital we have visited so far. There were no pictures on the wall, no displays of any kind. It was almost austere in its grandeur. A team of thirty artisans spent five years carving the building's details in sandstone, marble, and wood. Stone ox skulls circle the base of the dome in a frieze that commemorates Washington's ox-cart pioneers. Elaborate plaster ceilings, rich with eagles and gilded rosettes, crown each legislative chamber. There were many chandeliers, all designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the last of his major commissions, and .the five-ton Angels of Mercy chandelier, centerpiece of the rotunda, hangs from the dome on a massive 101-foot chain – quite spectacular!

Bob's Red Mill

Anyone who has ever browsed the aisles of Whole Foods or any other health food store, and in some cases, certain grocery stores, has most likely seen the flour and grain products from Bob’s Red Mill. I have been using BRM products for a number of years. When I was checking out BRM on the internet, I saw they were located just outside Portland, Oregon, so I figured the next time I was in that area, I wanted to make a side trip to visit their store and mill. It looked like a fun place to visit, especially if you enjoy just browsing in natural food stores like I do! From the BRM website: “Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods produces more than 400 products, including a full line of certified gluten free products and an extensive line of certified organic products. With a wide variety of whole grain products, from flours and hot cereals to baking mixes and grains, Bob’s Red Mill has “whole grain foods for every meal of the day.”

While staying at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, we were only about 50 miles from Bob’s, so we decided, this was the time to go! We arrived just in time for lunch (there is a restaurant in the store), so we both had veggie burgers on whole grain buns baked in their on-site bakery. After lunch, we walked up and down every aisle of the store, and filled our basket with whole rolled oats, split peas, flour, burger buns, sliced bread, millet, and a couple of cookies. It was a fun place to visit!

Salem, Oregon

While we were staying at Silver Falls State Park, we made a day trip into Salem, capital of Oregon. The city of Salem is very charming, set on the Willamette River, and just west of the Cascade Mountain range. There is a progressive midtown shopping area, and a pleasant strip along the bank of the river called Riverfront Park. The Capital itself was small, and it did not take us very long to tour. It did have a pretty rotunda, and the Capital dome is interesting, topped by a twenty-two foot bronze figure with gold overleaf called the "Oregon Pioneer." But what we found even more interesting than the capital was the Riverfront Park area, and for me in particular, the Carousel. The Carousel is comprised of completely hand carved horses (and other animals) and trim, painted in the most beautiful colors. Each horse is unique and carved by a variety of artisans. I was so intrigued with the beautiful poses of the horses, the colors, the mirrors, and the lights. It was truly the most beautiful carousel I’ve ever seen.

I have attached a couple of pictures form the capital, and three from Riverfront Park.

Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

On April 11th we left Sacramento, on our way to Alaska, with several planned stops along the way.

Our first planned stop was Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, about 25 miles east of Salem, for five days. When we arrived at the park on Saturday, April 12th, it was a beautiful sunny day, temperature around 75 degrees. Everyone was outside hiking, biking, skating, and jogging, in shorts and T-shirts, enjoying the wonderful weather. We got ourselves settled in and explored the park, making plans for our hike the next day. Sunday was just as beautiful as Saturday – sunny and warm, blue skies with only a few big puffy clouds overhead. The hike we took was called “The Trail of Ten Falls” which took us on an 8-mile loop through the park past ten gorgeous waterfalls (plus a couple “bonus” falls that weren’t in the “ten”). This has to be one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever taken. Nestled in the lower elevation of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, in a temperate rain forest, the falls were stunning, and the trail meandered over gentle slopes, along side creeks and rivers, with birds singing everywhere. We took so many pictures! Spectacular is about the only word I can think of to sum up the hike, the waterfalls, the entire day. And, how fortunate we picked that day to hike – on Monday it started raining, turned very cold, and by Tuesday morning it was snowing! We spent a couple of days indoors (needless to say), cozy and warm inside our 5th wheel. Since we didn’t have Internet connectivity, cell phone reception, or Satellite TV, we spent a couple of days catching up on our reading and watching “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy on DVD.

Hope you enjoy the pictures of Silver Falls I’ve attached.

Carson City, Nevada

While in California we decided we would visit Carson City Nevada, since we were so close, and it would help us get one state closer to our goal of visiting all the State Capitals. We had to drop off the 5th wheel for some maintenance, so used that opportunity to drive to Carson City, tour the capital, stay the night, and visit historic Virginia City the following day before driving back home. Carson City is really small (in my opinion) for a Capital City. It is very historic, however, and we picked up a brochure that guided us on a walking tour of “The Kit Carson Trail” which follows a blue line painted on the sidewalks throughout the city. We took that walk and saw many beautiful old houses and mansions, and got a feel for the city overall. The Capital itself was very small, with almost all working government offices moved off site, and the capital itself more like a museum.

Virginia City is even smaller than Carson City, and seems to be no more than a collection of old-timey shops, saloons, restaurants, and tourists attractions. The highlight here was the Catholic Church, St. Mary’s in the Mountains. It was a beautiful old church inside and out with lots of stained glass and woodcarving. It is an active church with regular masses, but also welcomes tourists.

The pictures attached include a shot of the Capital entrance, a picture of the Great Seal of the State of Nevada, Nevada’s 125th Anniversary quilt, and a picture of St. Mary’s in the Mountains church.

Feather Falls Hike

We can’t quite remember if it’s been five or six years that we have made our Annual Feather Falls Hike, but no matter, every time there are two things that never change. One, the falls are always spectacular, and two, the hike always kicks my butt!! Feather Falls is located on a modest tributary of the Middle Fork Feather River, in Plumas National Forest in Butte County, California. At 640 feet, it is the sixth highest waterfall in the United States. It is visible from the middle arm of Lake Oroville. There are two trails maintained by the United States Forest Service leading up to it. The nearby town of Feather Falls, California takes its name from the falls.
The first quarter mile of trail is easy, gently rolling downward until you come to a split. At this point, you can take a shorter, steeper trail down (3.3 miles), or a longer, less steep trail down (4.5 miles) to reach the Falls. Going down isn’t such a big deal, and there isn’t much difference between the two trails if you are in pretty good shape. Coming back up, however, it is much easier to take the longer less steep way out. We’ve done it both ways. The first year we went we didn’t realize the difference, and took the short way in and out. Ouch!! We weren’t in shape for that and felt the aches and pains for several days. The next two or three times we took the short way down, the long way back, and it was better. It still kicked my butt, but not as hard or as long! This year we thought we would try the short trail back up because we have both taken up running in the last couple of years and figured we must be in better shape than ever. And, it may not have been such a big deal except that we sort of got off trail on the last mile out and climbing out of the hole we found ourselves in was probably harder than if we had stayed on the actual trail. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men, now we’ll never know!

Here are a few snap shots from the hike.

Annual Wildflower Hike on the Darrington Trail

Before Dan and I started living full time in our 5th wheel, we enjoyed first, tent camping and, eventually, trailer camping in a small 22 foot travel trailer. When we lived in the Sacramento area, we would often camp, hike, and bike at the Peninsula Campground, located on the east side of Folsom Lake in a remote location, approximately 45 minutes from the closest town of Auburn or Placerville. The campground is nestled in low, rolling hills that for most of the year are dry and brown, like the rest of the surrounding area of the Sierra Mountains foothills. But for a short period of time each year, usually in late March through April, the hills turn a beautiful green, and the wildflowers explode. This is our favorite time of year to visit Peninsula, and we have made it an annual tradition to hike on the Darrington Trail (a 7.7 mile hiking and mountain biking trail) during this brief wildflower season. We have seen many varieties of flowers over the years, including buttercups, lupine, poppies, Indian paintbrush, wild iris, mule’s ears, fivespots, and larkspur. It’s hard to believe the difference in this area from early spring through the end of summer, and to be able to visit Peninsula Campground and the Darrington Trail at least once during these brief few weeks to experience the beautiful green and flowers is well worth it. Of course, while staying in Sacramento this Spring, we made it a point to make the drive for a day hike on the trail. What surprised us this time was how low Folsom Lake and the American River were. In all the years we’ve been going to this area, we’ve never seen it this low. In fact, at about the half way point on the trail, we came across an old concrete bridge that we had never seen before, never even knew it existed! It was fun to explore this area again, especially since we don’t know for sure where we will be next Spring. Here are some pictures Dan took along the trail.

Sacramento, California

Even though Dan and I are both from the Sacramento area (me from birth until age 51, Dan since the 1970’s), neither one of us had ever properly toured our own state capital. Sure, we had been inside numerous times, it is a fixture in downtown Sacramento, and I’ve even ran a couple of 5K’s that started on the capital grounds. And, since visiting all the state capitals is one of our goals, we felt Sacramento should be no different. So one day when the 5th wheel was in the shop for routine maintenance, we took off on foot to tour downtown Sacramento and the capital. I’ve always felt that Sacramento has one of the prettiest capital buildings and the surrounding park, and so far I haven’t changed my mind. Not to say I won’t – we’ve only seen seven so far! I worked right across the street from the capital for 20 years, and one of my favorite things to do during my lunch break was to walk around Capital Park. The entire loop measures 1.1 mile, and is a beautiful tree-lined walk with flowers, birds, squirrels, lots of people, and changing scenery depending on the season of the year. Attached are some pictures of our tour.