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Animal Bike Falls River Road Travel

World’s Fair Riverside Park

Worlds Fair Riverside Park
It was getting dark and I was still running around taking pictures of the Spokane River Cascades. Ascending some stairs I found myself staring at this not-too-happy beaver. Hissing at me, it was!

Arrived in Spokane in the late afternoon but before finding my hotel I visited two spectacular parks: Manito and Riverside. The former was designed by the firm that did NYC’s Central Park while the latter was done for the 1974 World’s Fair. Both are varied, beautiful, well-maintained and very appealing. 

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Historical Mountain Road Train Travel

Great Northern over Stevens Pass

Great Northern over Stevens Pass
I can always tell when I’m about to embark down a vintage highway. These roadside giants, remnants of the Muffler Men chain of stores, are there still today tempting passers-by to come visit.

I’m about to head home via Hwy 2 along the path of the Great Northern.

With the vision of connecting Europe to Asia via a transcontinental railway along the northern United States, James J. Hill founded the Great Northern Railway line. The last and largest obstacle to realizing his vision was effective rail over the Cascades Mountains at the chosen site known as Stevens Pass.

The challenge wasn’t easily met but instead took several attempts to secure a safe and predictable path. First the crossing was done by an extensive series of  switch backs which took many hours to traverse. Then a two-mile tunnel was built but both snow and smoke were troublesome and when an avalanche occurred killing many passengers an 8-mile tunnel was built. For 60 years this was  the longest in the western hemisphere and its still in use today. 

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Road Summary Travel

Summary: Time with Kelsey along the PCH

Time with Kelsey along the PCH
This shot has two of the most beautiful things on our Big Blue Ball but only one travelled with me from Tijuana to Victoria! Actually, she did most of the driving so I guess I travelled with her!

“They grow up so fast” is a cliche but I feel the lament in my heart. With Courtney half way through college and Kelsey just two years away from high school graduation I know our days with them are numbered. “Cherish the time you have!”

On the eve of Kelsey getting her driver’s license we took a 10-day trip along the West Coast. It was the latest in our series of road trips with one BIG difference: Kelsey would drive. Days covering lots of  miles and packed with full agendas with only enough motel idle-time to check mail and sleep, that was the plan and that’s exactly how we rolled! 

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Bridge Road Travel

Tootling Towards Seattle

Tootling Towards Seattle
For years I lived within an hour’s drive of Fort Vancouver. Never once did I visit. It’s a place rich in history of trade, military, shipping, aviation and much more. Why do we take for granted what’s near?

It was time to take a day to catch my breath. Being in Hillsboro, OR on a Sunday is a good time to do that. I’m able to attend church with my mother, see old friends from decades ago, and spend time “doing things with mom”. A great way to unwind and prepare emotionally for the next push.

My plans for a return up the Inside Passage and down the Yellowhead Highway weren’t working out. Winter ferries were few and all were fully booked as evidenced by the first available slot: May 17! Also, getting over the Rockies and having ready access to Jasper and Banff wasn’t looking likely with a winter storm en route. I needed a different plan

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Bridge Family Hike River Road Travel

Two States of the Gorge

Two States of the Gorge
Looking down the Columbia River Gorge with Washington in the foreground and Oregon mountains rising up from the river. Oh, my mother and daughter are also in this picture on the left.

Let me set the stage. Kelsey hadn’t been to Oregon since 1998 when she was six years old. She’s now 16. Most of my family lives in Oregon and after a 10-year gap they all had expectations of seeing her … in the 20 waking hours we had scheduled for Kelsey to be in the area. We had a LOT of ground to cover. Ready. Set. Go!

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Bridge Family River Road Travel

12-hour Dash Through Canada

Dash Through Canada
This is where we made our west coast trip a three-country affair. We began in Tijuana, MX then we drove and ferried all the way north in to Canada, entering via Victoria and exiting south of Vancouver.

Hold on to your hat because the crazy-fast pace isn’t slowing yet! In the next twelve hours we entered Canada, ferried across two bodies of water, drove 180 miles, and toured two cities before reentering the U.S. Where we done then? No! We still had sixty miles to drive till we reached our hotel!

We awoke in Port Angeles very early to get in line for the 8:00AM ferry but thankfully I was able to get Starbucks coffee to help me pass the time in line. As we pulled away from the dock I looked back to see the town and rising quickly behind it the Olympic Mountains. An awesome site.

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Animal Family Lighthouse Mountain Road Travel

Wet Coast in a Storm

Wet Coast in a Storm
Along the coast of Oregon and Washington and against the coastal range can occasionally be found rainforest conditions. This stretch is within the Redwood Forest but the densest is the Hoh Rainforest in Olympia National Park.

Our comfortable sunny weather was about to turn wet as we headed north toward the Oregon border. Actually “wet” isn’t strong enough. After driving many hours through the lovely winding roads of the Shorline Highway, we turned inland just above Fort Bragg and the weather became soggy.

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