The Pacific Northwest called to us, and off we went on another adventure with Carolina Tours.  On June 16th, with 19 new and old friends, we boarded Anne (the super motorcoach) and headed west.  We took off for 25 days on the road with Curtis Hooper at the wheel and Ingrid Long riding shotgun.  

We traveled 7,648 miles through 17 states:  South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana.  We visited 6 national parks:  Grand Teton, Crater Lake, Olympic, Rainier, Glacier, and Theodore Roosevelt. 

And best of all, the weather was just about perfect - Lots of sunshine and hardly a drop of rain.  We didn't need our rain jackets - except when it was windy or cold.  And it sure wasn't cold back home in South Carolina!  We hope you will enjoy reading about our journey and seeing photos of some of the beautiful sights along the way.  Remember that you can enlarge a picture by double-clicking on it.  

MISSOURI

The Show Me State – home of Budweiser, Harry Truman, Gateway Arch, Kansas City Barbecue, Mark Twain and lots of tornadoes. 

St. Louis is home to the magnificent Gateway Arch, a fitting memorial to the people who made possible the western territorial expansion of the United States, particularly President Thomas Jefferson.  As we glimpsed the arch from the highway, it marked the real beginning of our trip, following the great explorers – Meriwether Lewis and William Clark - to the Pacific Northwest. 

The Missouri River was long believed to be part of the Northwest Passage, a water route from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  When Lewis and Clark traveled the river’s entire length, they confirmed the mythical pathway to be only a legend.  Nevertheless, the river was one of the main routes for the westward expansion of the United States in the late 1800s.  St. Louis was the starting point for many explorers and pioneers heading west. 

Kansas City sits on Missouri's western edge, straddling the border with Kansas. The state’s largest city is known for its barbecue, jazz heritage and fountains.  The Kansas City Trolley Tour gave us a good overview of the city. 

Crown Center was one of the nation's first mixed-use redevelopments, an 85-acre complex that is home to Hallmark's international headquarters, a huge shopping center, two hotels, the Crown Square Fountain (with 49 water jets and 48 water shooters), and a number of large sculptures.  Shown here is the piece called Triple Crown by Kenneth Snelson. 

 

The Missouri River, which is the longest river in North America (from Montana to Missouri) runs through the city.  There are numerous bridges over this section of the river, but the ASB Bridge has to be one of the most unusual designs ever.  The bridge was built to carry car traffic on the upper level, and rail traffic on the lower level. Plus, the lower deck could be raised to permit riverboats to pass without interrupting car traffic on top. In 1987, a new bridge opened nearby to replace the vehicular portion, but the original structure still stands and has been recognized as a national landmark in civil engineering.

 

Kansas City is nicknamed the City of Fountains and there are plenty of them around town.  There are 200 officially registered fountains in the city; this excludes those corporation and sub-division entrances, office atria, private gardens and homes.  Pictured here are the Neptune Fountain and Nichols Memorial Fountain. 

 

Union Station is Kansas City’s 100 year old train station.  It was originally constructed as a massive railroad terminal, but it quickly became a center for commerce, culture and community.  There are still plenty of trains, but today there were all sorts of exhibits, entertainment, and food – even a wedding!

 

The National World War I Museum and Memorial is dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its impact on the world.  The Liberty Memorial Tower rises over 200 feet above the main courtyard. 

 

The Western Auto Building is the place with one of the biggest signs in town, but its history is more than that.  It was originally built (1914) as the regional headquarters for the booming Coca-Cola Company.  When Coke moved out, Western Auto moved in.  When Western Auto faded, the building was converted to lofts, which remain popular today.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum is Kansas City’s art museum, with free admission for all.  Within its walls the museum has extension collections of art, but it may be best known for its assortment of monumental sculptures outside on the lawn. 

The Trans World Airlines (TWA) Corporate Headquarters was located in Kansas City until 1964, when the airline moved to New York City.  The building is now occupied by an advertising agency, but it still sports a 22-foot tall TWA Moonliner II rocket, symbol of the company’s long range plan for flights to the moon. 

Kansas City Catholics number nearly 2 million people, including a growing Hispanic population.  We saw three of the largest Catholic churches in the city:  the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1883), the Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral (1895), and the Redemptorist Church (1888), also known as the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. 

 

NEBRASKA

The Cornhusker State – home of the Reuben sandwich, Arbor Day, Henry Fonda, Mutual of Omaha, Boys Town and lots of corn.

The Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Visitor Center, near Nebraska City NE, was our first opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.  The center sits on a scenic wooded bluff overlooking the Missouri River, giving visitors a sense of what greeted the Corps of Discovery 200 years ago.  The center focuses on the flora and fauna (178 new plants and 122 new animals) and scientific discoveries recorded by the expedition.  Also on the grounds is an earth lodge, a re-creation of a traditional communal dwelling inhabited by numerous tribes of the Great Plains. 

 

 

The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island NE is a living history community spread out over 200 acres of Nebraska prairie.  With displays, exhibits and historic structures, it offers a thousand ways to explore the lives of the prairie pioneers.  Some highlights:

The 1890s Railroad Town was a great way to learn about life in one of the small towns that sprung up along the tracks at the locomotive pushed west.  Sixty century-old shops, homes and other structures were moved here and restored.  In each building, the town’s “residents” welcomed us as they went about their daily lives. 

 

 

The 1860s Road Ranche Settlement interprets an early Nebraska community located along the Overland Trail.  This log cabin community pre-dated the railroad and served travelers heading west (or east).   We found everything in working order.

 

The Runnelsburg Community represents one of those little towns that were bypassed by the railroad.  With the railroad to transport goods to and from smaller remote communities, town growth was difficult at best.  A windmill, one-room schoolhouse and church stand alone on the prairie.

 

The Pawnee Earth Lodge represents one of the oldest communities in Nebraska.  The Pawnee were the dominant people in the region until the 1850s.  They created permanent communities of 40 to 200 earth lodges and used the more portable tepees for shelter when they were on the move (e.g., hunting trips).

 

Henry Fonda was born near this spot in 1905.  The house in which he lived is in Railroad Town, not far from a memorial rose garden.  Fonda starred in many films and television shows and ranks as one of Nebraska’s most favorite sons.

 

The cottonwood is the state tree of Nebraska, and it was easy to spot all over the grounds.  Literally.  Cottonwoods are a nuisance to some and a treasure to others.  They yield shade, beautiful foliage, and a kind of warn, fluffy “snow” from their cottony seeds.

 

The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is a museum of and monument to Nebraska and the Platte River Valley’s role in America’s westward expansion.  The Archway stretches 310 feet across Interstate 80 about 3 miles west of Kearny NE.  Displays and exhibits indoors and out help tell the story of the brave pioneers who settled this land. 

 

Elsewhere, all around, farms - lots of corn, wheat and hay. 

WYOMING

The Cowboy State – home of our first national park, first national monument, Buffalo Bill, Jackson Hole, Frontier Days, Rodeos, and lots of cows.   

Cheyenne, WY is the capital and largest city in the state.  The city had its beginning in 1867, when the Union Pacific Railroad came through on its way to the west coast.  Today it is known for Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration – since 1807.

The Wyoming State Capitol is a National Historic Landmark, one of the most important buildings in the state; its cornerstone was laid in 1887.  Today, it is a mess during a major renovation project.

The Wyoming State Museum houses artifacts and collections showcasing Wyoming's history. 

The historic Governor’s Mansion is the home of Wyoming Governors, including Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first female governor in the U.S.

The Big Boy Steam Engine is the world's largest steam locomotive, one of eight such remaining locomotives on display in the U.S.  It was designed to pull a 3600-ton train over steep grades between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah. 

The Cheyenne Depot is the former Union Pacific train station, now a National Historic Landmark that houses a museum, visitor center and restaurant.   This was the place where we saw our first 8-foot-tall cowboy boot!

 

Big Boots are located throughout Cheyenne.  They are decorated by local artists who painted them to show the history of Wyoming and Cheyenne.  “These Boots are made for Talking” was a joint project of Cheyenne Depot Museum Foundation and the Downtown Development Authority.  The boots were sponsored by local businesses and then auctioned off as a fund-raiser for the museum. 

The Albany is a bar once owned by Adolph Coors, who sold Budweiser beer here.  Later he moved to Colorado and stirred up his own namesake brew.

The Phoenix is a building that burned to the ground in one of many fires that tore through old Cheyenne.  The owners rebuilt so quickly that the building was nicknamed “The Phoenix.”  It is now the home of Wrangler. 

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church was built on a lot that cost only one dollar – the town fathers were eager to gain a little respectability.  The builder ran out of stone before the bell tower was complete.  Look closely to see that the upper 2/3 of the tower is a dark gray, while the rest of the structure is a lighter, pinkish color.

The First United Methodist Church was founded in 1867; the church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.  The property also was purchased for one dollar from the Union Pacific Railroad. 

The Rainsford Historic District is a group of Victorian houses, many designed by architect George Rainsford.  The areas is known locally as Cattle Baron Row because it includes the homes of many big cattle ranchers.  Several houses are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the entire district was listed in 1984. 

 


Driving from Cheyenne to Jackson, the scenery was interesting and beautiful - we saw miles of snow fences, horses, pronghorns, little lakes, wide open spaces, and lots of mountains.

 

 

 

Jackson, Wyoming sits at 6,237 feet above sea level in the northwest section of the state.  The population of the town and surrounding area is about 20,000, but this number increases dramatically  during tourist seasons (summer and winter).     "Jackson Hole" is a common nickname for this area and refers to the entire valley which is surrounded by national parks and mountains. 

We weren't the only travel group in town.  The parking lot at our hotel was loaded with vintage corvettes, in perfect condition and very polished.  They belonged to a corvette club - about 20 guys and gals touring around the west.  They loved to talk about their cars, and they were having a lot of fun surprising the locals with a caravan of corvettes driving through town.

Jackson Town Square epitomizes the town of Jackson itself.  Its blend of 19th century log cabins next to modern western architecture and high-end boutiques next to western supply stores reflects the unique blend of the people that call this place home. The bulk of Jackson’s shops, restaurants and bars are located around Town Square.

 

 

The square is also home to the often photographed antler arches. Curved over the four corners of the Town Square, these arches are created from antlers that elk shed annual and contain about 10,000 pounds of antlers. 

 




Lots of public art, too - in the square and all around town.  Nice touch.

 

 

For over 100 years, the National Elk Refuge has provided, preserved, restored, and managed winter habitat for the Jackson Elk Herd as well as habitat for endangered species, birds, fish, and other big game animals. The refuge consists of 24,700 acres on the northern edge of Jackson; in winter there some 7500 elk grazing on native vegetation and alfalfa pellets.  In summer, the elk move to mountain meadows and forests, which offer abundant food and escape from the warmer temperatures.  It’s still a pretty place to visit, and … we thought we saw a moose.

 

One thing for sure, wildflowers were blooming all over the place.

 

 

 

Grand Teton National Park covers over 300,000 acres just north of Jackson.  The park was named for its tallest peak (Grand Teton, 13776 feet) and includes all of the major peaks of the 40-mile long Teton Range, as well as most of the northern section of Jackson Hole (i.e., the valley). 

 

Human history here dates back at least 11,000 years when the earliest nomadic native tribes came in warm weather in search of food and supplies.  The first White explorers were the fur traders who came in the early 1800s.  Fortunately, conservationists recognized the value of this place and the national park was established in 1929. 

In spite of millions of visitors who come for mountaineering, hiking and fishing – or just enjoying the beauty of the mountains – the park remains an almost pristine ecosystem.  The same species that have existed since prehistoric times can still be found here - even ground squirrels and wildflowers.  

 

IDAHO

The Gem State – home of the Fosbury Flop, trout fishing, the Center of the Universe, Hells Canyon, Sun Valley, and lots of potatoes.

Leaving Jackson, the green mountains become rolling hills and soon we were driving through the Wapi Lava Field, the southern-most edge of the Craters of the Moon National Monument.  It is low shield volcano that formed during an eruption about 2300 years ago.  It produced about 1.5 trillion gallons of pahoehoe lava which covered about 80,000 acres of south central Idaho.   

Wheat and potatoes are major crops in this area, but rape also is grown here (and all over the world) for its extremely fatty seeds that are used for nutritious animal feed and for oil.  These plants, closely related to kale and cabbage, are cool-weather crops that tolerate a wide range of soils.  Their bright yellow flowers make for beautiful fields.  Note:  The words rapeseed and canola are sometimes uses interchangeably, but they are not quite the same thing.  Canola is a specific cultivar of rape plant that is grown to produce food grade oil. 

We spent a night in Eagle ID (a suburb of Boise) and were happy to learn that our hotel was located on Eagle Creek and then delighted to learn that both sides of the creek have wonderful paved walking/biking trails.  We put them to good use.  

 

We saw a few birds and a snake, met several dogs walking their owners, and chatted with some local folks about the town, the pathway, and the creek – which was running high and fast.  

 

There had been much flooding here from snowmelt, as this past winter was a record-setting for snowfall.  Near our hotel, part of the walk was still underwater.

 

Cottonwood trees were plentiful here.  Sure looks like snow!

 

Leaving Eagle, the landscape changed again – bigger hills, less green – rugged cowboy country.  Our destination this day was the Cascade Raft and Kayak Company at Horseshoe Bend on the Payette River, a major tributary of the Snake River.  

 
  
Our rafts were ready and waiting, so we suited up in splash jackets and life preservers – ready for a relaxing float trip on the fairly calm-looking river. 

 

Our job was pretty easy – hold on tight, try not to fall in the water, and enjoy the ride while our guides did all the work.  We did pretty well, though there were a few anxious moments near the end as we learned that our guide believed that no raft trip was complete until everyone was wet. 

 

Coeur d’Alene is the largest city in northern Idaho (our route when we headed back east).  It takes its name from the local tribe of Native Americans.  The Coeur d'Alene area is surrounded by dozens of lakes left behind by the glaciers of the ice age; the city itself is located on the north shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene.  Our hotel was near Independence Park, a waterfront playground with plenty of places to walk.

We enjoyed walking around the park and the town, admiring all sorts of interesting sculptures.   The moose statues are some of the five bronze statues of Mudgy the Moose and Millie the House, characters from a children's book written by local author, Susan Nipp.

 

 

The Lake Coeur d’Alene cruise was a good way to learn about the lake, look for wildlife, view secluded lake homes along the shore, and cruise alongside the world’s only floating golf green.  The narrated cruise was a mix of scenery, local history, Big houses, and wildlife watching.  The lake has 135 miles of shoreline and covers about 50 square miles.  It is 10 miles long and 220 feet deep. 

 

 

OREGON

The Beaver State –home of Nike, Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Trail, no sales tax, legal marijuana, and lots of hazelnuts. 

Bend was our first stop in Oregon.  Once again, our hotel was near a river – the Deschutes River.  And once again, we found ourselves in a city that has figured out how to capitalize on riverfront property.  Old warehouses have been transformed into upscale shops and restaurants, and the place is alive with active people – bikes, skates, skateboards, kayaks, and surfboards.

 

And the mountains are never far away - lots of ski slopes in this area - and lots of folks bragging that they would be skiing on July 4th, thanks to the abnormally large amounts of snowfall this winter.

Crater Lake National Park is on the crest of the Cascade Range in southwestern Oregon.  The lake here has long attracted the wonder and admiration of people all over the world. Its depth of 1,943 feet makes it the deepest lake in the United States and one of the most beautiful.  

The water's intense blue color is an indication of its great depth and purity. Surrounded by cliffs, the lake is fed entirely by rain and snow. Scientists consider Crater Lake to be the cleanest and clearest large body of water in the world.  

The interaction of people with this place is traceable at least as far back as the eruption of Mount Mazama, some 7700 years ago.  The volcano once stood 12,000 feet tall, but it collapsed after its eruption, leaving a six-mile-wide crater filled with sparkling clear water and surrounded by lava cliffs.   Crater Lake National Park was founded in 1902 to preserve these natural and cultural resources, including Clark's nutcracker and pesky chipmunk.

 

Wizard Island is a symmetrical cinder cone almost completely encircled by dark, rugged flows of lava. The summit of the cone rises 763 feet above the lake, about one square mile above water. The Klamath Indians used the lake and its surroundings for “vision quests,” their ritual searches for spiritual life purpose. They would run down the sides of the giant volcanic crater, scale the caldera walls or scramble to the top of the island to showcase their hidden strength.
  

Rim Drive encircles the Crater Lake caldera and is 33 miles of pure scenery – when it’s open.  The road is closed in winter due to heavy snow (148 inches this winter), but is usually drivable by July.  No such luck this year – large sections were still under many feet of snow, so we walked over and around snow pack to cover as much ground as possible.  Cold, wet feet, but beautiful views.

Eugene was a spend-the-night stopover as we reached the southern end of Oregon’s Willamette River Valley.  This is home to the University of Oregon and the place where Nike had its beginnings.  We had time for a walk around campus and dinner with a bunch of Ducks.

The Oregon Dunes extend for nearly 50 miles along the Oregon Coast, from Florence to Coos Bay, between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains.  The wind-sculpted sand dunes tower to 500 feet above sea level, but there is also diversity here - tree islands, open dunes, marsh-like deflation plains and beaches.   Formed by the ancient forces of wind, water and time, these dunes are like no others in the world. These are the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America – over 32,00 acres are set aside as the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. 

 

 

Heading north from the Dunes, the Oregon Coast features some spectacular stretches of scenery.  Rocky headlands, driftwood, tidal pools, secluded coves – something for everyone who loves the ocean.

 

 

Yaquina Head extends a mile into the Pacific and is home to the Yaquina Head Light, Oregon’s tallest lighthouse.  Small offshore islands offer habitat for seabirds and harbor seals.

Newport is the largest city on the central Oregon coast – in the past 20 years, it has grown from a charming village to a bustling tourist attraction.  The historic bayfront area is still there, but one has to look hard to get beyond Ripley’s, the wax museum and other commerce aimed at separating tourists from their dollars.   

 

Portland is Oregon’s largest city, located at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, in the shadow of snow-capped Mount Hood.  The city is known for its parks, bridges, bicycle paths, microbreweries, coffeehouses, bookstores, and doughnuts. 

Portland prides itself on being a little bit weird and we arrived just in time for the 2017 Gay Oregon Pageant, sponsored by the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court and held at our hotel.  The Imperial Sovereign Rose Court is Oregon’s oldest LGBTQ organization; in over 55 years the group has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities.  What fun!

 

Portland is a place we have visited before, so we skipped part of the city tour to spend some time walking around places we liked, wanted to see again, or wanted to spend more time.   

Waterfront Park lines the west bank of the Willamette River, which passes through the heart of the city.  The plays host to the Saturday Market, which has grown to be the Weekend Market.    This is not the local farmers market, but there’s much from which to choose – arts and crafts, pottery, jewelry, flowers, tote bags, tee shirts, blown glass, and foods from many lands

Nearby is the City Market, which is really not a market at all, but an upscale, free-standing food court.  Good place to get ice cream, Tillamook cheese, and southern-style hamburgers.  “Bless Your Heart” is a hamburger joint run by two guys from South Carolina – what a surprise to find home folks here.

 

Voodoo Donuts is known for its weird and wonderful flavors of donuts, as well as the crowds that line up around the building for a chance to buy these crazy sweet pastries.  Some interesting choices include:  the Marshall Mathers is covered in M&Ms to signify the rapper Eminem, the Loop Donut is covered in Fruit Loops, the Dirty Snowballs have marshmallow topping dipped in coconut and topped with peanut butter, the Old Dirty Bastard is covered in crumbled Oreo cookies and peanut butter.  There’s even a Maple Bacon donut.  Fittingly, the shop is located right across the street from the ‘Keep the Portland Weird’ sign.

 

The Lan Su Chinese Garden opened in the year 2000 to shed light on Chinese culture and history after the city developed a relationship with its sister city of Suzhou, China. Artisans came from Suzhou to construct traditional buildings and walkways, and native Chinese plants were imported. This tranquil environment blends rocks, plants, trees, gardens, and a lake on about 40,000 square feet (roughly one city block) of land in central Portland.

The place was constructed to resemble the private home and garden of a wealthy family in 16th century China.  The garden was designed to enable the family to escape the problems of everyday life while inspiring them through the interplay of architecture, plants, poetry, rocks and water. 

Doorways and windows throughout the garden form views within views, creating the illusion of infinite space within a single city block.  Here, the Scholar’s Courtyard is an extension of the study and a quiet place for reflection and inspiration.

From the terrace, there is a sweeping view of the garden.  Everything has been carefully arranged to make the visitor feel as if s/he is standing in a Chinese landscape painting.  The water in front suggests a vast lake; the rocks in the distance serve as great mountains with waterfalls and cascading streams.   On a clear night, the reflection of the moon shimmers in the center of the lake, locked in by the shadow of the Moon Locking Pavilion.  The shifting of light throughout the day – and night - can dramatically alter the garden’s appearance.

The Pavilion of Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain features six panels carved from gingko wood; they illustrate the actual gardens in Portland’s sister city of Sushou.   

From inside the Pavilion of the Painted Boat in Misty Rain, the visitor is meant to feel as if s/he is anchored on shore and being rocked gently by small waves.  This pavilion also represents the friendship and exchange between Sushou and Portland.

Astoria OR – Native Americans lived here for thousands of years before Capt. Robert Gray found the mouth of the Columbia River and sailed in with his ship in 1792. In 1805, Lewis and Clark led their expedition here and spent the winter just south of town. Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, dating from the fur trading post set up by John Jacob Astor’s men in 1811.   In the following decades, Astoria was the destination of traders, explorers, missionaries and settlers. 

The Columbia River is North America’s largest river flowing into the Pacific Ocean.  It is one of the world’s greatest sources of hydroelectric power, representing a third of the potential hydropower of the United States. In addition, its mouth (at Astoria) provides the first deep water harbor north of San Francisco.  The Columbia River Bar, is a system of sandbars and shoals spanning the mouth of the Columbia River between the two states, Oregon and Washington.  The bar is about 3 miles wide and 6 miles long.   The waves, wind, and current are hazardous for vessels of all sizes.  Since 1792, approximately 2,000 large ships have sunk in and around the Columbia Bar; because of the danger and the numerous shipwrecks the mouth of the Columbia River acquired a reputation worldwide as the Graveyard of the Pacific.  In spite of all that, Astoria is still a busy shipping port.

The Astoria Column was built in 1926 to commemorate the discovery, exploration and settlement of the Pacific Northwest.  The column is 125 feet tall and stands on Coxcomb Hill for a spectacular view of the city, the bay, the Coast Range, the Columbia River, and in the distance—the Pacific Ocean.  Modeled after Trajan’s Column in Rome, the Astoria Column features a hand-painted spiral frieze depicting scenes from Oregon history.

The Astoria Riverwalk stretches along part of the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad, providing an easy tour of the city's waterfront. Along the way, there are museums, restaurants, breweries, and interpretive kiosks providing information on one of the oldest European American settlements in the West.  We walked it and took a ride on the Riverfront Trolley, which comes with an entertaining historical narrative provided by a couple of retired guys.   Restored trolley car “Old 300” was built in 1913 by the American Car Company of St. Louis, MO.

 

The Columbia River Maritime Museum was founded in 1962 to preserve the rich maritime heritage of the entire Columbia River region. The Museum has the largest collection of Pacific Northwest maritime artifacts in the country; it is the official state maritime museum of Oregon.  A wide range of exhibits describes history through artifacts, fishing vessels, ship models, paintings, and photographs.  There is much to learn about exploration, salmon fishing and canning, and the shipping industry.

 

 

Fort Clatsop National Historical Park contains the site of the encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition near the mouth of the Columbia River during the winter of 1805-1806. It took just over 3 weeks for the Expedition to build the fort, and it served as their camp from December 8, 1805 until their departure on March 23, 1806, to return home.   The park contains the re-constructed fort and canoe landing, as well as several trails through the park’s wetlands and rainforest.  The visitor center has many exhibits and demonstrations to understand what it was like to winter over here. 

 

WASHINGTON – The Evergreen State

The Evergreen State – home of the Space Needle, Mt. Rainier, Boeing, legal marijuana, Amazon, Bill Gates, and lots of apples.

Cape Disappointment lies across the river, in the extreme southwest corner of Washington State.  It provides a vantage point for observing the turbulent meeting of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.  It was named Cape Disappointment by English Captain John Meares, as he missed finding the passage over the river bar while in search of the mouth of the Columbia River. 

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, in Cape Disappointment State Park, overlooks the confluence of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.  It traces the 8,000 mile trek led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Exhibits describe the Corps of Discovery’s 1804-06 overland expedition, as well as the natural and maritime history of the area.  The North Head Lighthouse is here, as well as miles of trails and hundreds of wildflowers.   

 

Ilwaco WA lies west of Cape Disappointment and just inside the mouth of the Columbia River.   Ilwaco is a working fishing village, a popular spot for sport fishermen in search of salmon, halibut, tuna and sturgeon. 

 

To the north is Willapa Bay, the second largest estuary on the US Pacific Coast; nearly 10% of all oysters in the U.S. are grown here.  That leaves behind quite a pile of oyster shells!  This area is also known for cranberries, lumber, and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. 

 

Long Beach WA is a popular oyster farming and vacation center, providing access to Long Beach Peninsula – 25 miles of hard sand beach, said to be the longest beach in the world.  William Clark explored these sandy beaches in 1805, as he and his men pressed northward from their winter quarters in Oregon; the 1805 marker indicates the northern end of the Lewis and Clark Trail.  There are plenty of trails here for walking or biking around this peninsula; the paved trails are decorated with scenes describing the area.  

 

The town itself is a nice place to walk around - plenty of shops for t-shirts and flip-flops, lots of public art, and plenty of flowers.

 

Long Beach is also home to the World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame, which is dedicated to the thrill, art, science, sport, and history of kites worldwide.  The museum was developed by a group of local kite enthusiasts who wanted to create a place where people could go to learn about kite history and see kiting displays.  Today the museum collection houses over 1500 kites from 26 countries around the world; it also sponsors workshops and festivals throughout the year.

 

The Quinault Valley is the southwestern gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic National Forest, and the Olympic National Park.  It is known as the ‘Valley of the Giants’ for the record-setting evergreen trees that grow there.  Averaging 12 feet of rain per year, the valley has the ideal climate for growing big trees.  It is home to six conifers that are among the largest living examples of their species:  Western red cedar, Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, yellow cedar, mountain hemlock and western hemlock. 

 

Olympic National Forest covers 633,600 acres on the Olympic Peninsula.  It is noted for its rugged mountain terrain, lush rain forest and glacial streams.  Wildlife is plentiful; trees and wildflowers are magnificent.  In large part, the forest surrounds the Olympic National Park.

Olympic National Park was created in 1938 to protect the forest and its herds of Roosevelt Elk.  It has four very different regions: the rugged Pacific coastline, snow-capped peaks and glaciers of the Olympic Mountain Range, lush rainforests to the west, and the drier forests of the east side.  With peaks of nearly 8000 feet right next to rainforests that see 140 inches of rain annually, it’s easy to see why this park is one of America’s most diverse.  It encompasses nearly a million acres of land, 95% of which is designated as wilderness areas.  UNESCO has recognized this special place as a Man and the biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Park.

The Roosevelt Elk is the largest land mammal in the park.  A bull elk can weigh 1000 pounds.   Also known as the Olympic elk, this is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk in North America.  Elk browse understory vegetation, creating the open, park-like character of the forest.  Names after President Teddy Roosevelt, who established Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909 to protect the elk from over-hunting.  Today in the park there are about 4000 elk; we saw one female, grazing alongside the road.

Lake Quinault is in the southwest corner of Olympia National Park, but it is owned by the Quinault Indian Nation.  It is three miles long, has an elevation of less than 200 feet above sea level, and is surrounded by 4,000 foot mountain peaks.  The area is covered with lush temperate rainforest – Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, big-leaf maple and red alder, as well as mosses, lichens and ferns. 

The Lake Quinault Lodge is located on the lake, within Olympic National Park.  It is a grand and rustic lodge built in 1926, and it seems somehow suspended in time.  We had dinner in the Roosevelt Dining Room and sat at the very same table used by Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he visited here. 

 

The Quinault Rain Forest Trail is an easy loop trail near the Lodge.  It passes through dense old-growth conifer forest with rain forest vegetation, offering a nice introduction to the area.  

Nearby is the sign announcing the Rain Forest Giant, a 270-foot Sitka spruce said to be about 550 years old.  The tree is the largest of its species in the world.  Here’s a picture of the whole tree and another shot of our group, gathered around the tree base.  It’s a big tree!

The waters along the southwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula are a safe haven for thousands of marine species. The marine environment and offshore islands are protected by three national wildlife refuges and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The refuges manage the islands visible above high tide waters for 135 miles along the coast.   Common murres, tufted puffins and other marine birds have large nesting colonies on these rocky outposts. 

Olympic National Park protects 65 miles of wild coastline, and the Kalaloch area offers a sampler of the variety of coastal habitat here, from sandy beaches to rocky headlands.  For millennia, these beaches have offered a safe landing place for ancient tribes.  For thousands of sea creatures, these waters continue to provide a safe haven.  The beach here is pristine, with spectacular cliff-top views. Enormous drift logs, bleached white and smoothed by the weather, clutter the sand.

Ruby Beach has a meandering creek and short trail that leads to the driftwood-strewn beach, intriguing sea stacks, as well as sea arches.  At low tide, there are tide pools with sea stars, hermit crabs, mussels and anemones.  The sand contains tiny crystals of red garnet that give it a pinkish hue at certain times of day. 

 

 

Note: Sea stacks are blocks of erosion-resistant rock isolated from the land by sea.  They begin as part of a headland or sea cliff. Relentless pounding by waves erodes the softer, weaker parts of the rock, leaving harder, more resistant rock behind.  This one is known locally as Sasquatch.  

About 3 miles offshore is Destruction Island.  A Spanish expedition christened it Isla de los Dolores (Island of Sorrows), a reference to the deaths of several members of the exploration party.  It was later named by Captain George Vancouver for the number of shipwrecks and deaths that occurred in this area. 

The Hoh Rain Forest is located in the stretch of the Pacific Northwest rainforest which once spanned the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to the central coast of California. It is one of the finest remaining examples of temperate rainforest in the United States.  Throughout the winter season, rain falls frequently in the Hoh Rain Forest, contributing to the yearly total of 12 to 16 feet of precipitation each year. That’s not counting the additional 30 inches coming from condensed mist.  The result is a lush, green canopy of both coniferous and deciduous species. Mosses and ferns that blanket the surfaces add another dimension to the enchantment of the rainforest.  The day we visited the Hoh, it didn't feel much like a rainforest - no rain, no mist, not even any mud - just beautiful sunshine.

 


The signature scenery of the park is a lush forest that includes moss-draped big-leaf maples, Sitka spruce, and western hemlocks.  Mild winters, cool summers and plenty of water produce the giant conifers that dominate this area.  Some 3,000 species of trees, epiphytes, shrubs, ferns and mosses thrives create one of the most spectacular temperate rainforests in the world. Thousand-year-old trees have limbs draped with moss.  Sword ferns, huckleberries and lichen surround picturesque streams, and everywhere new life sprouts from downed trees known as nurse logs.  There are several good trails near the Hoh Visitor Center; we spent most of our time on the Hall of Mosses Trail, which shows off the moss-draped maples.

The 50-mile-long wild Hoh River is born high on glacier-capped Mount Olympus and descends 7000 feet to the Pacific Ocean, fed by snowmelt and rain along the way.  Glacial “flour” (ground up rocks) colors the river a milky blue.  On its descent, the river meanders, creating gravel bars and cutting into the lush rain forest along its banks. 

 

Just outside Olympic National Park, Lake Crescent is a deep freshwater lake carved by glaciers.  Surrounded by high mountains, the lake is twelve miles long and over 600 feet deep. The water here contains very little nitrogen, thus limiting the growth of algae.  The water is extremely clear and highly reflective, thus its stunning blue-green color.  

   

Port Angeles WA is the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula and an important fishing port and paper milling center.  Discovered in 1792 by Spanish explorers, it is now home to the Olympic National Park Visitor Center and Harbinger Winery, an artisan winery that claims to make premium, ultra-drinkable wines from Washington State.   We tasted, but did not buy.

The Sequim Valley area of the Olympic Peninsula is known as the Lavender Capital of North America.  It has many beautiful lavender farms, and we stopped to visit one of the prettiest, Washington Lavender.  It is an oceanfront lavender farm and a Bed and Breakfast along the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Sequim and Port Angeles, Washington.

 
Located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the rich soil and the ideal microclimate make a perfect environment for growing lavender.  We were fortunate to visit when much of the lavender was in bloom – delightful aromas and unparalled views.

Hurricane Ridge, at 5,230 feet above sea level, is the most easily accessed mountain area within Olympic National Park. It gets its name from the 75-plus-mile-per-hour wind gusts that buffet the mountainside as more than 30-35 feet of snow falls each year.  Its weight challenges trees; its persistence maintains open meadows.  Wildflowers cover the ground of these sub-alpine meadows and black-tail deer are seen grazing.

Hurricane Ridge has a number of hiking trails, from ridgetop traverses to steep trails that descend to lakes and valleys below.  We had planned to hike the Cirque Rim Trail, which is known for its great views.  Alas – we expected the mountains would still be snow-capped in early summer, but we were surprised to find this totally blocked by a wall of snow about 4-5 deep.  So … no big hike after all, but nobody complained about spending some time wandering around this beautiful place.   

 

Back to the coast again, Port Townsend is located at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula.    In the early 1800s, Port Townsend was envisioned to become a significant harbor with rail connections to the Seattle side of Puget Sound.  That plan did not materialize, but today the town is one of only three Victorian seaports on the National Register of Historic Places.  Here we caught the ferry to Whidbey Island.

The ferry landed at Coupeville, on Whidbey Island.  Coupeville is Washington State’s second oldest town; it has over 100 buildings on the National Historic Register.  Located on Penn Cove, its historic waterfront reflects the character of a frontier seaport.  Shops, restaurants and lodging are housed in buildings dating to the 1850s.  Good ice cream, too.

 

Deception Pass is a deep and turbulent channel connecting the Strait of Jan de Fuca with Saratoga Passage.  The bridge that connects Whidbey Island and Fidalgo Island is an engineering marvel and one of the Pacific Northwest’s scenic wonders.   Deception Pass State Park is Washington’s most-visited state park; people come to explore the area’s freshwater lakes, rugged cliffs, ocean shoreline and miles of trails. 

The San Juan Islands include over 700 islands in the waters between the mainland of Washington State and Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  The glaciers that covered northwest Washington (15 million years ago) created the San Juan Archipelago.  There are 172 named islands, ranging in size from mere rock islets to 57-square mile Orcas Island; forty of the islands are inhabited, some by only one person.

Anacortes is the main town of Fidalgo Island, the easternmost of the San Juan Islands.  It was once the salmon-canning capital of the world and now serves as a hub of modern boat building.   There is still an active port and a commercial fishing fleet here, but today most of the marina is filled with recreational boats.  We had a clear day here, and Mount Baker (10, 781 feet) was easily visible.

The Anacortes Mural Project grew out of the Anacortes Renaissance and Revival Confederation, organized by a man named Bill Mitchell with the intent of inspiring the town’s merchants to spruce up their buildings.    The Women’s Club sponsored the first mural for a scant $50.  Mounted May 3, 1984, the mural was christened with a bottle of Miller High Life.  In a shower of beer and broken glass, the Anacortes Mural Project was launched. Add    Additional murals have been sponsored by families, friends, businesses, the City, Chamber, and local service clubs.  Mitchell meant to end the mural project years ago but can't seem to let go.  There are still too many characters and scenes he'd like to capture. 

 

 

Anacortes is the main terminal for ferry service to the San Juan Islands.  Here we board the ferry to Friday Harbor, a trip billed as the most scenic ferry ride in North America.  We passed by countless small islands and three of the largest islands - Lopez, Shaw and Orcas - before docking at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. 

 

 

San Juan Island is the archipelago’s most populous island and home to its only incorporated town, Friday Harbor.  Friday Harbor is the county seat of San Juan County, which covers all of the islands.  The island’s rolling hills and rugged terrain have been attracting visitors ever since Captain George Vancouver sailed by in 1792 and described their serene climate and pleasing landscape.  Sailors, pirates, smugglers, soldiers and settlers soon followed.   Friday Harbor is a charming, historic, walkable seaport just steps from the ferry landing, with small, friendly shops and restaurants, and a refreshing absence of fast-food chains.  Instead, there are galleries, boutiques, museums, and great water views.

 

From Friday Harbor, we traveled the scenic byway that loops around the island.  Lots of nice views and several stops:

Lime Kiln State Park, also known as Whale Watch Park, is a 36-acre park with an iconic lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island. The park’s shoreline viewpoint is considered one of the best places in the world to view whales from land.  Orca whales are common in the waters off Lime Kiln, as well as Minke whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, otters and bald eagles.  We spotted a couple of boats, but no wildlife on this day. 

Roche Harbor is perched at the island’s northwest corner.  It is an upscale resort area and a popular yachting destination, as evidenced by the mansions along the shoreline and luxury yachts anchored at its marina. 

 

There are still remnants of the old Roche Harbor Lime & Cement Company.  Lime was a major necessity in the production of steel, plaster, cement and paper, and was shipped worldwide from Roche Harbor.

All in all, it was a very pleasant day - great weather, nice sight-seeing, etc.  But ... the best part of the day was the ferry ride back to Anacortes.  Whales - a beautiful, easy-to-see, pod of orcas feeding.  What a grand way to end the day!

 


Skagit Valley is a rich agricultural area about 60 miles north of Seattle.  It is a center for flower growing, both in fields and hothouses.  Most notable for us was the world class view from our hotel room - spectacular sunsets and a great look at Mount Baker.

 

Seattle is a city surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, and containing thousands of acres of parkland. It is Washington State’s largest city, home to a large tech industry, with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in its metropolitan area.

The Boeing Future of Flight Aviation Center is all about airplanes.  This is where the 747, 777, and 787 Dreamliners are assembled before they take to the sky.  The Center houses a variety of exhibits and interactive displays.  On the day we visited, everyone was excited about the enormous Russian cargo plane parked on the tarmac, but no one seems to know why it was there.

The Boeing facility sits on 1025 acres of land, with 2.3 miles of underground pedestrian tunnels.  There are 40,000 employees working here in the assembly factory, a huge building with no heat or air-conditioning; overhead lights and body heat keep it warm in winter, and the big bay doors can be opened for cooling.  The bay doors are painted with airplane pictures – said to be the largest murals in the world. 

The Space Needle is Seattle’s most iconic structure.  At a height of 605 feet, it boasts 360-degree views that include Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the city of Seattle and beyond.  Lots of folks stand in long lines for these views, but our guide had a better idea.  He took us to the observation deck of the Columbia Center.  At 937 feet, it’s taller than the Space Needle and the views were grand - good views of Mt. Rainier, the city, and the world's longest floating bridge (Lake Washington).  

 


Pike Place Market is usually Seattle’s most fun place to visit - aisles of fresh fruits and vegetables, tables overflowing with fresh floral bouquets, and booth after booth selling all manner of locally made jewelry, clothing and gifts.  Also lots of eateries, and of course, the fish-throwing thing.  Our timing was a bit off – we hit the market a lunchtime on a Saturday.  The place was a zoo, but we still enjoyed the spectacle and managed to find some good things to eat. 

 

 


St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral was founded in 1889.  Grand plans for a new Gothic cathedral were drawn up in 1927, but the stock market crash and depression that followed led to a considerable decrease in funds.  The present building, nicknamed the “Holy Box,” represents what could be done with the money that was available.  The building exterior is hard to find beneath all the scaffolding for an ongoing renovation, but the interior is quite beautiful.

 

Houseboats, that uniquely Seattle form of living immortalized in the movie Sleepless in Seattle, line the shores of Lake Union and Portage Bay. Actually, they are not really houseboats – most of them are floating homes that are permanently attached to their docks.   Their history is as old as the city itself. Originally built as crude structures on rafts to house logging workers, the houseboats provided cheap housing during the depression.  Today there are about 500 remaining - in all sorts of shapes, sizes and price ranges. Some are tiny, others are funky, some are modest and others are multi-million dollar palaces on the water.

The Lake Washington Ship Canal connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks accommodate the 20-foot difference in water level between Lake Washington and the sound.  It’s fun to watch the boats file into one end of the lock and float out of the other, but …. It’s even more fun to watch the salmon navigating the fish ladder that enables them to bypass the locks in their annual effort to swim upstream.  We know that salmon are good to eat, and so do harbor seals and California sea lions – these guys were having a fine time feasting on fresh fish in the canal.

 

Our last evening in Seattle included dinner at Salty's on Alki Beach, a well-known seafood restaurant across Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle.  It was worth the trip for two great views:  Mount Rainier from the freeway and the city skyline from Alki Beach.  Food was good, too!

 

Mount Rainier National Park is the home of Seattle’s distinctive natural backdrop.  Looming over 14,000 feet high, Mount Rainier is one of the highest peaks in North America.  It is snow-capped year round, with glaciers radiating downward from the peak to an elevation of 6000 feet.  Mount Rainier is a training mountain for expeditions preparing for climbing in the Himalayas and Andes ranges.  

Mount Rainier is an active volcano, sometimes called the Mount Fuji of the USA.  Volcanic activity built the mountain, but itis glaciers shape it.  Mount Rainier is the most glaciated mountain in the lower 48 states, with about 75 glaciers, endangered like others throughout the world by global warming.  Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1899; it covers 378 square miles, with a rain forest at 1880 feet and snow year round at the peak. 

Once again, a major park road was closed due to snow.  We didn’t make it to the Visitor Center, but we got great views at Crystal Mountain, a popular wintertime ski area.  Today we rode the Rainier Gondola to Summit House on the ridge of the Green River Valley.  Here there are amazing views of amazing view of Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Mount St. Helens (grayish color with flattened top, in background of photo).

The Wild Horses Monument stands high on a hill overlooking the Columbia River and Wanapum Lake (in central Washington).  The real name of this sculpture is “Grandfather Cuts Loose the Horses;” it was begun in 1989 and is unfinished due to lack of funding.  The sculpture was designed and created by local sculptor David Govedare. He envisioned a 36-foot tall woven basket made of steel, tipped up by Grandfather (a symbol of the Great Spirit), to allow the 18 horses within to run free.

 

Elsewhere in eastern Washington, there are LOTS of farms, especially wheat and wind.

MONTANA

The Treasure State – home of elk, trumpeter swans, buffalo, Charles Russell, Going to the Sun Road, Little Bighorn, and lots of big sky.   

Glacier National Park is located in western Montana, adjacent to the reservation of the Native American Blackfeet Nation.  The park is on the Canada–United States border, adjacent to Waterton National Park in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.  Together the two parks comprise Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.  Glacier encompasses over 1 million acres and includes parts of two mountain ranges, over 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 different species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals.   

This vast pristine ecosystem is the centerpiece of what has been referred to as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem", a region of protected land covering over 16,000 square miles.  Over 95% of the park is Wilderness – no roads, no vehicles.  Glacier is the headwaters for streams that flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and to Hudson's Bay. What happens here affects waters in a huge part of North America.

Glacier National Park is dominated by mountains which were carved into their present shapes by the huge glaciers of the last ice age. These glaciers have largely disappeared, but signs of their action is found throughout the park in the form of U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, cirques, horns, and large outflow lakes radiating like fingers from the base of the highest peaks.  Maps and photographs dating back to the late 1880s provide clear evidence that the 150 glaciers that existed in the park a hundred years earlier have greatly retreated, and in many cases disappeared altogether.  Today there are only 25 remaining – a sad state of affairs for a park named “Glacier.”

In general, glaciers can be defined as masses of ice, snow, water, rock and sediment that move under the influence of gravity. They are formed when snow and ice accumulation exceeds summer melting. They "retreat" when melting outpaces snowfall.   Technically, there are three criteria that must be met to be qualify as a glacier:  (1) must be made of ice – not snow pack; (2) must originate on land – thus the Arctic Ocean doesn’t count; and (3) must move – only happens when the ice reaches sufficient size, thickness and configuration.  Glaciologists have stated that most - if not all - of the glaciers in the park may disappear completely by the year 2030. 

Going to the Sun Road is a quintessential part of any visit to Glacier National Park. The Road connects the east and west sides of the park; it spans 50 miles and crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. The road has been designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark, placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated a National Historic Landmark.  It is the only road in the U.S. with all three designations.  

Along the way, the Going to the Sun Road passes impressive glaciers, beautiful valleys, cascading waterfalls, towering mountains and colorful wildflowers. Wildlife is abundant, but a bit shy.  The road is one of the most difficult roads in North America to snowplow in the spring.  We were very fortunate that the road opened for summer 2017 a few days before our arrival. 

We tackled this scenic highway in one of the parks historic (1930s) red touring buses – a symbol of Glacier National Park and a reminder of a time when adventurous travel was done with style and grace. The drivers of these touring coaches are called "Jammers" - a name which carries over from the days when the buses had standard transmissions and the drivers could be heard "jamming" the gears as they drove up and down the rugged mountain highway.

Since much of the park’s scenery is vertically oriented, the buses’ roll-back tops are perfect for providing full views of the stunning mountains, as well as the Montana’s signature Big Sky.  The fleet of 33 buses in Glacier is thought to be the oldest touring fleet of vehicles anywhere in the world.  The original White Motor Company vehicles were refurbished by Ford in 2002 and now run on propane fuel.

Highlights:

St. Mary Lodge was our starting point for exploring the park.  Our hotel was located in the midst of gift shops, grocery stores, cabins, and restaurants – all necessary to service the park’s many visitors.  There was a creek right behind our hotel, and our room came with a nice view of beckoning mountains.

 

St. Mary Lake is 10 miles long and 300 feet deep – beautiful, clear and cold water surrounded by mountains.  

Two Dog Flats is where the mountains meet the prairies – and for us, it was the place we saw a bear lumbering along eating berries in the meadow.  Major league excitement for a cinnamon black bear, not a grizzly.  Two Dog Flats was named by the Blackfeet Indians as a measure of how many dogs were needed to sleep in the tent to protect against bear.  Two dogs were needed for a medium risk location.    

Wild Goose Island is in the middle of St. Mary Lake. Legend is that two native tribes resided on opposite sides of St. Mary’s Lake.  A handsome young warrior from one tribe fell in love with a beautiful maiden from the other tribe.  They planned to marry, but both tribes’ elders denied them.  The lovers ran away to the island, where the Great Spirit transformed them into geese so they could fly away and be together forever.  When the tribal search parties arrived on the island, all they found were two geese, tenderly rubbing necks. They flew away and never returned.

 

Jackson Glacier is one of the 25 glaciers remaining in the park and one of few visible from this road.    

Blackfeet Glacier is the second largest of the remaining glaciers in the park (just barely visible in this photo).  It was once connected to Jackson Glacier, but most of the ice has disappeared.   









Siyeh Bend is a really big curve on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  It marks the transition point between the higher elevation sub-alpine vegetation and the forest of the East Side.   Here Siyeh Mountain (10,003 ft.) is to the far right, Going-to-the-Sun Mountain (9642 ft.) is in the center, and Cataract Mountain and Piegan Mountain (9219 ft.) are to the left.    

Lunch Creek is a favorite stopping place for visitors to the park. If offers good views of waterfalls and wildflowers.  One of our new favorite wildflowers, bear grass, was especially plentiful in this valley.

 

 

Logan Pass, at 6646 feet, is literally the high point on the Going-to-the-Road, and for many visitors, the high point of their trip to Glacier.   There are great views of the mountains, and some snow still piled around.  

We actually made two stops here (morning and afternoon), and it turned out to be a good place to see bighorn sheep and mountain goats.  At our first stop, the main event was a Columbian ground squirrel and some bighorn sheep well-camouflaged and/or distant.   

 



On our second stop, the goats were very close to the pathway – almost close enough to touch.  (Note that mama goat was shedding.) The bighorns were not as far away and could be seen grazing in the warm sunshine. 

 

Triple Arches is one of the most recognizable features along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. An elegant solution to an early engineering problem, the three arches span gaps where the road was to be built.  It has become a symbol of the care and dedication in the original construction of the road. 











Great views abound all along this magical road. 

 

 


Weeping Wall is a series of waterfalls that delights early season visitors to Glacier National Park as they drive through its spray.  We were surprised to learn that these waterfalls were manmade – they resulted from the construction of this road.  Water once stored underground now seeps to the surface in spring and early summer.  

 

Bird Woman Falls sits between Mount Oberlin and Mount Cannon on the west side of Glacier National Park. It is a classic glacially-sculpted waterfall, dropping 492 feet from a beautiful hanging valley.

 

Haystack Creek/Falls flows under the Going-to-the-Sun Road, opening into a beautiful valley.  The many cleared spaces down the sides of the valley are avalanche chutes – caused and maintained by avalanches.   















The Loop is the switchback that defined the Going-to-the-Sun Road as we know it today.  The original design for this road called for 15 switchbacks that would have changed the landscape forever.  The design chosen had but one – and it was a big one – blending with the landscape so that it’s barely visible from a distance.  

Avalanche Creek is one of the most popular spots in the park, with camping, picnicking, and hiking trails.  Here there are old growth cedar and hemlock more common in Washington and Oregon than in the Rocky Mountains.  














McDonald Creek Overlook provides an up-close look at McDonald Creek, a beautiful and powerful force of nature.  Its blue-green waters are lovely in summer, but in early spring snowmelt turns this stream into a raging torrent.  Left photo looks upstream; right photo looks downstream into McDonald Lake.
  

 



Red Rock Point is good place for another look at McDonald Creek, huge rock slabs, cascading water, and sparkling pools.  It was also a good place for a geology lesson summed up in four words:  silt, tilt, slide, and glide.  Much of the rock around here is from silt (i.e., sedimentary rock), mostly red and green argillite, a fine-grained sedimentary rock that contains iron – red when exposed to air and green when under water.   

Garden Wall Road Camp once stood on this site, with its magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.  Six structures were built here for the laborers constructing Going-to-the-Sun Road in the 1920s.  The wild animals were their pets and the park provided everything they needed.  The workers were eventually moved to Park Headquarters and the cabins were taken down – the view remains quite impressive.  

 

Lake McDonald is on the west site of the park.  It is the largest lake in the park, about 10 miles long and 1 mile wide.  Its water fills a valley formed by a combination of erosion and glacial activity.  The Lake McDonald Lodge pre-dates the park; it was originally built as a hunting lodge, accessible only by water.  McDonald Lake is a glacial (U-shaped) valley that has filled with water.

Near the lodge, there was a gigantic colony of Columbian ground squirrels  There were holes and critters all over the place.  They are common in this part of the country and are significantly larger than its cousin, the prairie dog.

There also were many wildflowers here, as well our other stops throughout the park.  In my next life, I will learn to identify them all; for now, here is a sampling of some we saw along the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

St. Mary’s Rising Sun boat tour began on the east end of St. Mary Lake, near our lodge.  From the lake, the views are vastly different that what we saw from the road. 

Wild Goose Island was right where we left it, but not quite as romantic up close at eye level.  Here it’s a little easier to see that the island is a limestone pillar that somehow resisted the force of the glacier as it scoured this valley.













Spectacular views of the surrounding peaks are visible from the middle of the lake. 

 

We disembarked at the trailhead for Baring Falls and took a short hike to see the 25-foot-tall waterfall.  After tumbling over the rock ledge, Baring Creek continues to flow for another hundred yards or so before spilling into St. Mary Lake. The area around the falls was loaded with wildflowers.

Sexton Glacier is located in a cirque north of Going-to-the-Sun Mountain at an elevation of about 7500 feet.  The glacier covers an area of approximately 68 acres; it once was much larger, but it has lost over 30 percent of its surface area between 1966 and 2005.










Hill Cabin was the private island getaway of Louis Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway.  Only remnants are found today, none visible from our boat.  But look who was resting under a tree as we passed the island. 

 

The Great Northern Railway also built chalets for tourists to stay in scenic spots throughout the park.  One of these stood on the ridge above; only a historic marker remains to identify this location. 









As we left Glacier National Park, the scenery changed dramatically as we drove east across Montana.  It was different, but still beautiful - rolling hills, lakes and rivers, and endless farms - growing rape and lots of hay.

 

 

 

We stopped overnight in Bozeman MT and found yet another city that has figured out how to build trails for walking and biking.  We enjoyed the area around our hotel, catching a magpie still enough for a photo and adding a few more shots to our wildflower collection. 

 

 

Also near Bozeman are the Bleu Horses.  High on a hillside overlooking the highway, is a set of 39 steel horse sculptures.  They are named for a color of horse known as a blue roan, though the live animal color is actually closer to gray. The horse sculptures were created and set up by artist Jim Dolan.  The horses are his gift to the people of Montana, a way of giving back to a place that has supported his art for many years.

NORTH DAKOTA

The Peace Garden State – home of sunflowers, Lawrence Welk, the Enchanted Highway, Sacagawea, badlands, and lots of wheat. 

If depopulation predictions are true, North Dakota will soon have less residents than giant concrete and metal creatures.  One example of this stands along I-94; the piece named Geese in Flight was created by Gary Greff.  It is claimed to be the world's largest scrap metal sculpture (Guinness agrees).

Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established in 1947 as a national memorial park to honor President Roosevelt and to provide an opportunity for all to experience his beloved badlands.  Teddy Roosevelt first came to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison; his love for the rugged beauty of the land brought him back time and gain for the rest of his life.

 

As President (1901-09), he translated his love of nature into law.  He established the U.S. Forest Service and signed the 1906 Antiquities Act, under which he proclaimed 18 national monuments.  He worked with Congress to create five national parks, 150 national forests, and dozens of federal preserves – over 230 million acres of protected land.

 

For thousands of years, the Little Missouri River and its tributaries have cut through the soft sedimentary layers of the northern Great Plains.  Flowing water, wind, ice and plants continue their erosive action.  Land in transition is visible throughout the park.

This place  may be bad land for human travelers and farmers, but wildlife and wildflowers are abundant.  Bison, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and prairie dogs thrive here, along with herds of feral horses descended from ranch stock. 

WISCONSIN

The Badger State – home of Door County, the Dells, Frank Lloyd Wright, Barbie, Harley Davidson, dairies, and lots of cheese. 

Eau Claire WI is the home of the Foster Cheese Haus, which is loaded with all kinds of cheese, especially Wisconsin cheese curds.  Cheese curds are the earliest form of cheddar first made in England.  They are said to be best when they are warm and fresh, and they can be made to squeak if they are brought to room temperature.  Pretty tasty stuff!  And nice flowers, too.

 

 

 

The House on the Rock, near Spring Green WI, was designed and built by Alex Jordan, Jr.  Legend is that the inspiration for this place came from a meeting between Jordan and Frank Lloyd Wright.  Jordon supposedly showed Wright the plans for a house he wanted to build.  Jordan worshipped the famous architect and hoped for his approval. Wright looked at the plans and told Jordan: "I wouldn't hire you to design a cheese crate.”  Fuming, Jordon drove back home and vowed that he would build a fantastic “spite” house to taunt Wright and show just how capable he was.  It’s a good story, but maybe just a figment of Jordan’s endless imagination.   

Jordan built his house as a weekend retreat atop a 60-foot chimney of rock, a sandstone formation known as Deer Shelter Rock, not far from Wright’s masterpiece Taliesin.   People kept coming to see Jordan’s architectural wonder and he eventually started asking for 50-cent donations. His 14-room house is the original structure of what is now a complex of rooms, streets, buildings and gardens covering over 200 acres.  

A 375-foot ramp through treetops takes visitors to the entrance of the house filled with galleries, waterfalls, massive fireplaces and walls of rock.  Furnishings include Oriental art, stained glass lamps, bronze statuary and a three story bookcase filled with rare books. It can take many hours to walk through the House on the Rock,and it’s pretty much impossible to see it all in one day.  

 

Jordan was a life-long collector with eclectic tastes. Over the decades, he filled the house with an astounding array of objects: carousel horses, dolls, large and small automobiles, coin-operated music machines, chandeliers, model ships and glass bottles, to name a few. Jordan died in 1989, but his house of treasures lives on. Though parts of his collections could have easily found their way into museums, the House on the Rock is more of a trip through the wild and fantastic imagination of Alex Jordan than a visit to a dusty, lifeless museum.

 

 

 

 

Amid the sensory overload, several parts of the house stand out. The Carousel Room contains the world's largest merry-go-round, featuring 269 animals (none of which are horses), 182 lanterns, over 20,000 lights, and hundreds of topless angels hanging from the ceiling around it. 

The Infinity Room is a cantilevered, glass-walled hallway that extends 218 feet out over the valley.  It tapers to a knife's point 15 stories over a forest floor.  A hole in the floor blocks visitors from the end of the room but treetops can be seen far below.  

Heritage of the Sea is a four-story blimp-hangar-of-a-room dominated by a 200-foot-long sea monster battling a giant squid. Ship models and other flotsam line the ramp that climbs to the top of the chamber. People grip the railing, fixing their sights on the exit, far above. 















From the sublime to the ridiculous, this trip had it all.  And ... the weather was just about perfect, barely a drop of rain in 25 days.  Another winner for Carolina Tours!  Special thanks to Ingrid Long (tour director), Curtis Hooper (ace driver), and all our fellow travelers who made up a most congenial group - posed here at McDonald Lodge, Glacier National Park, on the Fourth of July.

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