Paulina Falls, Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
The Eagle vs. the Turkey
I hadn't checked the comments on my blog until last night and noticed that piattrocks mentioned that Ben Franklin had wanted our national bird to be the turkey. Think about that for a moment. While the wild tom turkey seen in his natural environment surrounded by hens strutting his stuff all puffed up with his tail feathers in full display is impressive he can't engender that sense of soaring freedom of the eagle.
We have seen bald eagles four times while here in the Pacific Northwest, the most recent being yesterday as we were driving down SR 22 along the Santiam River and Detroit Lake area. We spotted a group of young men frolicking on top of a huge boulder in the water near the edge of the lake and as we passed them a bald eagle swooped right over their heads and continued across the water. They were so busy with their horseplay that they didn't notice, or perhaps to them it's a common sight. To us folks from Ohio, it's truly awesome.
We have seen bald eagles four times while here in the Pacific Northwest, the most recent being yesterday as we were driving down SR 22 along the Santiam River and Detroit Lake area. We spotted a group of young men frolicking on top of a huge boulder in the water near the edge of the lake and as we passed them a bald eagle swooped right over their heads and continued across the water. They were so busy with their horseplay that they didn't notice, or perhaps to them it's a common sight. To us folks from Ohio, it's truly awesome.
Heat and sunshine
After several weeks on the Olympic Peninsula and coastline we have moved 300 miles inland to LaPine, Oregon and we are actually wearing shorts again! We've been in jeans and sweatshirts and still had the flannel sheets and blankets on the bed as the nights were so cool. I have to admit I enjoyed the cooler weather because I can always add more layers but concern for the general public prohibits me from removing most of them.
We used U.S. and state routes to reach LaPine and it was a very scenic drive. Detroit Lake was absolutely gorgeous with its blue-green water and the rivers running along the roadway brought back memories of traveling in North Carolina. Six hours of driving is a long time for us, though, and we were glad to finally arrive and get the rig and the satellite dishes up with minimal fuss and bother. A quick cocktail of bitter lemon and vodka to cool us down and then we jumped back in the truck to find a pizza joint for a major junk food fix. We discovered the Pondersosa Pizza Parlor on Highway 97 about 3 miles south of our campground where they served a really good pizza and some terrific chicken wings. They have broasted chicken and this was our first experience with it and we like it inspite of the fact we prefer Buffalo wings for their heat. We ended up giving our huge platter of fried sliced potatoes (we didn't realize they came with the wings) to a table with three teenage boys who were thrilled. They looked like fried eggplant actually, as they had some type of breading on them so I was glad to pass them up. I have to admit an occasional craving for a french fry but those things didn't appeal to me in the least. So a word to the wise on the wings; they give you the whole wing so when you order ten wings, you actually have the equivalent of twenty pieces and they serve a whole pile of potatoes with them. Needless to say, we had leftovers for another meal.
As we approached LaPine we saw lots of signs for "lava this, caldera that" so I'm going to have to find a tourist information center to see what is available for sightseeing. I spotted a living musuem on the way down with a parking lot that was packed, so I think we'll have to check that out. And of course, Crater Lake is about an hour and a half to the south so we'll day trip down there at least once. There will be a trip north to Bend for an obligatory trip to Wal*Mart and to find a Ford dealer as the new transmission is making a funny squeal when we first accelerate from a stop or near-stop.
Diesel prices are sky high but we'll have to bite the bullet if we want to do any sightseeing while in this area since it's our first time in Oregon (other than our trips to Astoria to have the transmission worked on). As we pulled out of Long Beach this morning, diesel had reached $2.99-can you imagine? It doesn't seem so long ago that we refused to fill up at $1.06 a gallon. I think the oil companies are doing a happy dance about now, don't you?
We used U.S. and state routes to reach LaPine and it was a very scenic drive. Detroit Lake was absolutely gorgeous with its blue-green water and the rivers running along the roadway brought back memories of traveling in North Carolina. Six hours of driving is a long time for us, though, and we were glad to finally arrive and get the rig and the satellite dishes up with minimal fuss and bother. A quick cocktail of bitter lemon and vodka to cool us down and then we jumped back in the truck to find a pizza joint for a major junk food fix. We discovered the Pondersosa Pizza Parlor on Highway 97 about 3 miles south of our campground where they served a really good pizza and some terrific chicken wings. They have broasted chicken and this was our first experience with it and we like it inspite of the fact we prefer Buffalo wings for their heat. We ended up giving our huge platter of fried sliced potatoes (we didn't realize they came with the wings) to a table with three teenage boys who were thrilled. They looked like fried eggplant actually, as they had some type of breading on them so I was glad to pass them up. I have to admit an occasional craving for a french fry but those things didn't appeal to me in the least. So a word to the wise on the wings; they give you the whole wing so when you order ten wings, you actually have the equivalent of twenty pieces and they serve a whole pile of potatoes with them. Needless to say, we had leftovers for another meal.
As we approached LaPine we saw lots of signs for "lava this, caldera that" so I'm going to have to find a tourist information center to see what is available for sightseeing. I spotted a living musuem on the way down with a parking lot that was packed, so I think we'll have to check that out. And of course, Crater Lake is about an hour and a half to the south so we'll day trip down there at least once. There will be a trip north to Bend for an obligatory trip to Wal*Mart and to find a Ford dealer as the new transmission is making a funny squeal when we first accelerate from a stop or near-stop.
Diesel prices are sky high but we'll have to bite the bullet if we want to do any sightseeing while in this area since it's our first time in Oregon (other than our trips to Astoria to have the transmission worked on). As we pulled out of Long Beach this morning, diesel had reached $2.99-can you imagine? It doesn't seem so long ago that we refused to fill up at $1.06 a gallon. I think the oil companies are doing a happy dance about now, don't you?
Monday, August 08, 2005
A quiet Sunday
Breakfast this morning was at the 42nd St. Cafe which is actually on Pacific Highway (SR 103) in Long Beach. The chatty menu mentioned the "chef" so I figured the meal was going to be expensive and probably just adequate and I was right on both counts. We much preferred Laurie's Cafe across the street. If we ever come back to the area we'll try the restaurants about nine miles to the north in Ocean Park to see if prices are any more reasonable.
On the way back I snapped a couple of pictures of the carved animals in town, one of "the world's largest skillet" and then we drove down to the beach to take a couple of pictures of the reconstructed skeleton of a gray whale that has been placed on the beach as part of the Lewis and Clark celebration. The marker stated the whale had died on the beach a mile north of its current location and originally the town buried it right there but exhumed it for display as part of the bi-centennial next to the half mile long boardwalk and the Discovery Trail.
It was too early and a bit too windy for kites on the beach this morning. If we lived near a beach I think I'd get into flying kites as there are so many unique shapes and sizes now and with the constant breeze they would be much easier to get into the air. I wasn't very good at that as a child and wasn't much better with our kids' kites, much to my chagrin. But here all you have to do is let out the string and off it goes-I could handle that!
On the way back I snapped a couple of pictures of the carved animals in town, one of "the world's largest skillet" and then we drove down to the beach to take a couple of pictures of the reconstructed skeleton of a gray whale that has been placed on the beach as part of the Lewis and Clark celebration. The marker stated the whale had died on the beach a mile north of its current location and originally the town buried it right there but exhumed it for display as part of the bi-centennial next to the half mile long boardwalk and the Discovery Trail.
It was too early and a bit too windy for kites on the beach this morning. If we lived near a beach I think I'd get into flying kites as there are so many unique shapes and sizes now and with the constant breeze they would be much easier to get into the air. I wasn't very good at that as a child and wasn't much better with our kids' kites, much to my chagrin. But here all you have to do is let out the string and off it goes-I could handle that!
Saturday, August 06, 2005
The Astoria Column
After having the new seals installed on the truck and getting a couple more pictures of the bald eagle near the Ford dealership we drove up 16th St. in Astoria to the Astoria Column.
The Astoria Column is the twelfth and final historical marker placed from St. Paul, MN to Astoria, OR to commemorate the drive of early settlers and explorers to the Pacific Northwest. The monuments were conceived by Ralph Budd, president of the Great Northern Railroad. The Column is made of concrete, stands 125 feet tall on a hill that is 600 feet above sea level and there are 164 interior steps to the viewing platform (Denny counted them). There are 14 scenes curling around the Column describing the early history of the area and its people.
I was hoping to get pictures from the viewing platform as it overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River and you'd have a great 360 degree view, but the fog rolled in heavily and wouldn't clear even though the sun fought hard. I guess the best time to go would be early afternoon when the mist clears and before the evening mist rolls back in. So we traipsed back down and drove back to Long Beach where we stopped at the Cranberry Museum and Research Center.
The Cranberry Museum is a tiny building with several exhibits explaining the planting, fertilizing, irrigation and harvesting of cranberry crops. While not as extensive as the Ocean Spray museum in Plymouth, MA it offered a good overview of the process. There is a gift shop with a tantalizing display of jams, mustards, marinades and relishes made from cranberries as well as lotions, candles and crafts. To the rear of the museum are the experimental crops of cranberries and a couple of "bogs" of cranberries. It would be fun to be here in the fall when they flood the fields to see them harvest the crop.
Hmm, now I'm hungry for cranberry salad.
The Astoria Column is the twelfth and final historical marker placed from St. Paul, MN to Astoria, OR to commemorate the drive of early settlers and explorers to the Pacific Northwest. The monuments were conceived by Ralph Budd, president of the Great Northern Railroad. The Column is made of concrete, stands 125 feet tall on a hill that is 600 feet above sea level and there are 164 interior steps to the viewing platform (Denny counted them). There are 14 scenes curling around the Column describing the early history of the area and its people.
I was hoping to get pictures from the viewing platform as it overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River and you'd have a great 360 degree view, but the fog rolled in heavily and wouldn't clear even though the sun fought hard. I guess the best time to go would be early afternoon when the mist clears and before the evening mist rolls back in. So we traipsed back down and drove back to Long Beach where we stopped at the Cranberry Museum and Research Center.
The Cranberry Museum is a tiny building with several exhibits explaining the planting, fertilizing, irrigation and harvesting of cranberry crops. While not as extensive as the Ocean Spray museum in Plymouth, MA it offered a good overview of the process. There is a gift shop with a tantalizing display of jams, mustards, marinades and relishes made from cranberries as well as lotions, candles and crafts. To the rear of the museum are the experimental crops of cranberries and a couple of "bogs" of cranberries. It would be fun to be here in the fall when they flood the fields to see them harvest the crop.
Hmm, now I'm hungry for cranberry salad.
Friday, August 05, 2005
A bald eagle sitting on a piling in a tributary of the Columbia River next to the Ford dealership in Astoria, OR. He had been sunning himself and I originally thought he was a cormorant as he was quite a distance from me but a quick check with binoculars that we always keep handy in the truck showed this beauty. Who would have thought he'd be right in the city?
The jury is still out
This morning we have another appointment at Astoria Ford to have the transmission worked on. You remember we took it in last Wednesday and discovered the transmission fluid was fried and they recommended a rebuilt transmission. They finished on Saturday although the service manager told us we' d have to return on Tuesday as the mechanic dented the face rim of the new transmission temperature gauge he installed. Okay, we can do that. Tuesday rolled around and we stopped by to have them install the face plate and ask a couple of questions about the new transmission, after which we stopped at a local Chevron oil change business to have the oil and filter changed. The young man handling that told us that he noticed we had transmission fluid leaking from the seals although the fluid levels and everything else were fine. Hmm, leaking seals in a newly installed transmission isn't good, so back we went to the Ford dealer where one service man took a look and said it was residual fluid from the original installation, the service manager said it shouldn't have fluid leaking so fix it and the original mechanic said it appeared to be residual fluid but he would put in new seals if it would make us happy. Yep, that last option would make us happy so now we're going back this morning as they had to order the parts necessary for that repair.
What has us concerned is when we mentioned to the young man changing our oil that we had just had the transmission replaced at Astoria Ford he paused and then said that they didn't have a good reputation in town for doing repairs. Unfortunately, when you're on the road and you have serious issues with your towing vehicle that need to be repaired you get it fixed at the nearest location and have to trust that they will do a good job. So we'll have to hope that this time they get it done properly and we'll be totally good to go as we'll be leaving for Oregon on Tuesday.
What has us concerned is when we mentioned to the young man changing our oil that we had just had the transmission replaced at Astoria Ford he paused and then said that they didn't have a good reputation in town for doing repairs. Unfortunately, when you're on the road and you have serious issues with your towing vehicle that need to be repaired you get it fixed at the nearest location and have to trust that they will do a good job. So we'll have to hope that this time they get it done properly and we'll be totally good to go as we'll be leaving for Oregon on Tuesday.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Just golf
Today's adventure was simply walking nine holes at the Peninsula Golf Course. Last week we played the "front" nine and this week we played the "back" nine. Of course, this is a nine-hole course so you are playing the same holes, but here at Peninsula they have two separate tee boxes set well apart from each other to give variety to the second set of holes. In Queen Creek, Arizona a nine-hole course has chosen to have two sets of greens for each hole which was also fun. Both are much preferable to just having two sets of tees on the same tee box aiming at the same hole.
The weather was superb for walking as it was in the low 70s and breezy. We notice that the rest of the country is still sweltering and we're thankful we chose this summer to explore Washington as the weather has been cool/comfortable the entire season so far.
The weather was superb for walking as it was in the low 70s and breezy. We notice that the rest of the country is still sweltering and we're thankful we chose this summer to explore Washington as the weather has been cool/comfortable the entire season so far.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Sunday in Long Beach
Our campground has access to the beach via a pathway that stretches about two-tenths of a mile long. I decided yesterday that it had been long enough since I had sunned on a beach and took myself there along with my binoculars for spotting porpoises. What a gorgeous day it was! Warm, sunny and enough breeze to support the colorful kites flying in profusion up and down the beach. Kites have changed so much from my childhood-no more triangles of paper pulling long tails of ripped up rags but instead multi-colored contraptions in all shapes and sizes dancing merrily on the wind. Someone was beginning to learn to control one of those acrobatic kites that zoom and swirl around at the slightest touch-what fun!
It didn't take the lullaby of the waves long to lull me into a state of near-sleep and deep relaxation. I told Denny I'd be an hour but stretched it to an hour and 45 minutes simply because it felt so good to be there. I was surprised there weren't more people on the beach, but the rodeo was being held in town so I suppose a lot of folks were there.
Coming back to the rig I noticed our new neighbor was still struggling to set up his DirecWay satellite system that he had been working on when I left. Forty-five minutes later he was still struggling with it and I thought about offering our assistance but since he had given off vibes of "I can do it myself" when I made a light-hearted comment about the occasional frustration of setting up the dish I let it go. I don't think he ever got it up and running as he's a relative newbie to the process and the way he's trying to level his system is throwing all his settings off. Today we'll let him know we're available to assist if he wants some advice. It's hard not jumping in when you see someone doing something the hard way, isn't it?
We had a little excitement later as we were chatting with the same neighbors; Denny was showing the husband our DirecWay set up and I was talking to his wife who was holding the leashes of their two large mixed-breed dogs when a woman with a small dog and a poodle walked by the rear of the rig. Man, for some reason one of our neighbor's dogs took a dislike to that poodle and pulled the neighbor flat on her face, literally, getting loose in the process and attacking the poodle. Fortunately, Denny head the ruckus and pulled the big dog off the little one which was screaming like it was being killed. Wow! I guess the poodle turned out to be okay, but everyone was shaken by the whole thing. If the neighbor's dog is that protective, they could have a problem here because it appears there's at least two dogs to every rig here which makes for a whole lot of dogs walking around at all times. While Denny and I both like dogs, neither of us has owned one in years and we have no desire to take on that responsibility again. Incidents like yesterday's just reconfirm that.
It didn't take the lullaby of the waves long to lull me into a state of near-sleep and deep relaxation. I told Denny I'd be an hour but stretched it to an hour and 45 minutes simply because it felt so good to be there. I was surprised there weren't more people on the beach, but the rodeo was being held in town so I suppose a lot of folks were there.
Coming back to the rig I noticed our new neighbor was still struggling to set up his DirecWay satellite system that he had been working on when I left. Forty-five minutes later he was still struggling with it and I thought about offering our assistance but since he had given off vibes of "I can do it myself" when I made a light-hearted comment about the occasional frustration of setting up the dish I let it go. I don't think he ever got it up and running as he's a relative newbie to the process and the way he's trying to level his system is throwing all his settings off. Today we'll let him know we're available to assist if he wants some advice. It's hard not jumping in when you see someone doing something the hard way, isn't it?
We had a little excitement later as we were chatting with the same neighbors; Denny was showing the husband our DirecWay set up and I was talking to his wife who was holding the leashes of their two large mixed-breed dogs when a woman with a small dog and a poodle walked by the rear of the rig. Man, for some reason one of our neighbor's dogs took a dislike to that poodle and pulled the neighbor flat on her face, literally, getting loose in the process and attacking the poodle. Fortunately, Denny head the ruckus and pulled the big dog off the little one which was screaming like it was being killed. Wow! I guess the poodle turned out to be okay, but everyone was shaken by the whole thing. If the neighbor's dog is that protective, they could have a problem here because it appears there's at least two dogs to every rig here which makes for a whole lot of dogs walking around at all times. While Denny and I both like dogs, neither of us has owned one in years and we have no desire to take on that responsibility again. Incidents like yesterday's just reconfirm that.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Misty mornings
Mornings here at Long Beach are gray and misty no matter what the weather forecast, so we waited until mid-morning to drive south to the Cape Disappointment State Park. As you can see in the photos I posted, we didn't wait quite long enough. However, the marine layer would drift and blow so I was able to get a few good pictures.
Cape Disappointment received its name from British fur trader John Meares after he was unable to locate the mouth of the Columbia River. The state park encompasses 1,882 acres that includes two miles of beach, a large campground, two lighthouses and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. We stopped at the North Head Lighthouse first, climbing the several sets of steps to the top and marveling that the lighthouse keeper would carry 30 pounds of kerosene up with him to keep the light going. Both the North Head and the Cape Disappointment lighthouses are still functional and are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.
While up in the lighthouse we saw a black-tailed doe, a yearling and a fawn. The parks volunteer mentioned that there were two other volunteers below who were doing a wildlife count, so I stopped by to check out their sign board to see what types of birds and mammals had been sighted that morning. There were several varieties of gulls, cormorants, sparrows, ravens and pelicans, the deer, porpoises and harbor seals. I was able to see a porpoise splash a couple of times, but they weren't jumping out of the water as we sometimes would see at Myrtle Beach.
There was a tour bus crowd at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive center, so Denny and I chose to hike up to the Cape Disappointment lighthouse to take in the view. The last stretch was uphill but doable for seniors although you can't go inside the lighthouse as you can at North Head. The view was worth the walk.
A lunch of burgers, onion rings and clam chowder at Julie's Loose Caboose diner in Long Beach completed the morning. We also tried their "Coastal Pie" which had raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples and rhubarb. We decided that we'd try making our own version as it was quite good and I know Denny could make it better. I'm thinking raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, apples and rhubarb-sounds good, doesn't it?
Cape Disappointment received its name from British fur trader John Meares after he was unable to locate the mouth of the Columbia River. The state park encompasses 1,882 acres that includes two miles of beach, a large campground, two lighthouses and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. We stopped at the North Head Lighthouse first, climbing the several sets of steps to the top and marveling that the lighthouse keeper would carry 30 pounds of kerosene up with him to keep the light going. Both the North Head and the Cape Disappointment lighthouses are still functional and are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.
While up in the lighthouse we saw a black-tailed doe, a yearling and a fawn. The parks volunteer mentioned that there were two other volunteers below who were doing a wildlife count, so I stopped by to check out their sign board to see what types of birds and mammals had been sighted that morning. There were several varieties of gulls, cormorants, sparrows, ravens and pelicans, the deer, porpoises and harbor seals. I was able to see a porpoise splash a couple of times, but they weren't jumping out of the water as we sometimes would see at Myrtle Beach.
There was a tour bus crowd at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive center, so Denny and I chose to hike up to the Cape Disappointment lighthouse to take in the view. The last stretch was uphill but doable for seniors although you can't go inside the lighthouse as you can at North Head. The view was worth the walk.
A lunch of burgers, onion rings and clam chowder at Julie's Loose Caboose diner in Long Beach completed the morning. We also tried their "Coastal Pie" which had raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples and rhubarb. We decided that we'd try making our own version as it was quite good and I know Denny could make it better. I'm thinking raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, apples and rhubarb-sounds good, doesn't it?
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