June 25, Thursday - Oakland to Winnemucca Less smoke than last year's fire season; nicer drive. Gold Run rest stop still closed on I-80 above Auburn; no picnicking there. Big Bend USFS station on old Lincoln Highway closed, so use employees area; nice, shady. Then discover hidden driveway to picnic area. Rest rooms! Wonder where Lake Tahoe drains to; per highway sign, into Pyramid Lake. Apparent Mima mounds east of Reno @ ~mile 60, east of Fernley Sink. Storm of white alkali dust about a mile south of I-80 @ mile 82. Lovelock NV is a pleasant town with a round courthouse;and in adjacent park, a "locks of love" stand of chains with couples' names inscribed on locks; said to be old Chinese custom. Photo at Southeast of town, very secure looking prison; no love there, just locks. Narrow 2-lane road runs parallel to south of I-80; old US 40? Heavy black storm clouds, but no rain reaches ground. Pass "Thunder Mountain Indian Monument" east of Imlay; weird hodge-podge built by WW II vet. June 26, Friday - Winnemucca to Frenchglen Winnemucca Best Western good: quiet A/C, TV is off in breakfast room; BW's in general seem to be a good choice, based on our experience. Leave town via "Winnemucca-to-the-sea" highway (via Denio Jct., Lakeview, Klamath Falls, Crescent City). The highway: Deserted road to Denio; will count cars and compare. No casino at Denio; it may be the only Nevada border town without one. Denio Junction a mile south has a combined grocery-hardware-restaurant- casino, as close as it gets. Loneliest-highway smackdown results: NV 140 to Denio Jct.: 15 vehicles in 66 miles Denio Jct to Fields: 3 in 21 miles Fields to Frenchglen: 4 in 50 miles All much lower than US 50, so-called loneliest highway; about on a par with Alt 93 from Wendover to Ely NV, or US 6 from Ely to Tonopah. Frenchglen has some mosquitoes but not nearly as many as nearby Diamond. Must remember to bring flyswatter next time; store sold out. Find Frenchglen traffic webcam (); it's mounted on wall of FG School. Stay at FG Hotel Drover's Inn, behind hotel building. After dinner, take road into wildlife refuge; see deer, rabbits; and 2 pronghorn antelope! June 27, Saturday - Frenchglen to Pendleton Stop at Buena Vista Ponds overlook on OR 205 above wildlife refuge. Strange experience: dry silent gray-brown desert behind, noisy emerald-green marsh ahead. Pause at Narrows General Store between Harney and Malheur Lakes, buy "Empire berry" jam for cat-sitter and selves: are told it's a hybrid of blackberry, raspberry, olallieberry, and 2 other varieties. The Narrows between Harney and Malheur Lakes is dry; Harney looks empty. Stop for coffee at Burns; two working cowboys wearing spurs drop in. Up to John Day via scenic Devine Canyon; lunch in JD at Grubsteak; good food, friendly service; nice change from grumps at Frenchglen Hotel. North on 395 to Pendleton, fill tank, show 35 MPG! Buy cowboy hat at Hamley's Western Wear; they feature "Cruel Girl" jeans. (Web site is cruelgirl.com, not cruelgirl.org; you have been warned.) Also buy cowboy lip balm; who knew? Has SPF 15, makes sense. See pink and pastel lassos; some folks on Folsom St. would die for this: Dinner at Stetson's Steak House in Pendleton; happily, steak is not the size of a Stetson. Motel is a gem: Rugged Country Lodge is in tired, older part of town (Hwy 30) near RR tracks but exceptionally well maintained with clean, attractive garden, friendly staff, bountiful varied continental breakfast. Top recommendation except for location, but frankly Pendleton doesn't have any charming neighborhoods that we saw. One caveat: what they call a "suite" is their lowest price room in the basement with a bed and sofa; best to ask for room on upper floor. June 28, Sunday - Pendleton to Newport WA (NE corner of state) Drive NE from Pendleton; vast green-gold wheat, alfalfa fields. Milton-Freewater is full of frogs: Hiway sign N of Walla Walla bars "throwing burning material from vehicle". Besides cigarette butts, what? Blazing logs? Maybe new NW sport involves tossing Molotov cocktails back & forth. Waitsburg WA has poster for "Lavender Fair" in window of leather shop. Pink lariats, anyone? NE of Dayton, miles of bright yellow mustard fields in bloom. Cross Snake River on bridge at Central Ferry; maybe they should rename. Colfax WA; nice old town center, courthouse no bad for 1950's style. We forget to look for 'codger pole'; oh well next time maybe. "The Codger Pole is a chainsaw-carved monument ... It is located on Main Street and commemorates a 1988 rematch, 50 years after the original 1938 game, between arch-rival football teams from Colfax HS and St. John. At 65 feet tall, it is the largest sculpture of its type in the world, and consists of portraits, carved into five upended red cedar logs, of the 51 players involved. The players are shown in old age but are wearing the football uniforms of the thirties." Evidence of immense basalt floods (17-15 million years ago) everywhere; hillsides, road cuts. Ascend Steptoe Butte; rare geological feature of quartzite mountain that was not engulfed in basalt, geologists call them "steptoes". Narrow, 1+ lane road with no guard rails circles butte; white-knuckle time when meet other car. But great view from top; fields look like giant's golf course. Pass through Spokane; the less said, the better. Miles of strip malls. Newport WA looks economically depressed from slump in timber, mining. Rancho Alegre Mexican restaurant a good dinner place; thirsty, suck down beer; good thing we walked from our B&B (Walden House, not a bad place). Courthouse is classic 1915 Classical Revival style. June 29, Monday - Newport to Chelan Driving north from Newport, look for evidence of U-shaped "Newport fault". Pass through evergreen forests along Pend Oreille River, and towns like Usk, Cusick, and abandoned Lock. Town of Tiger barely viable with decline in timber, RR traffic; turn west here into mountains. This is geologically the oldest part of the state; terranes to west either bumped into state from crustal drift, or rose as volcanoes. Crystal Falls on Little Pend Oreille River like small Snoqualmie Falls. Enter Kettle Falls WA, "Home to 1640 friendly people and 1 grouch". Hold annual election to be official grouch; much vote buying, $$ to charity. West of K Falls, fewer conifers, more aspens; more rain? Colville WA; pleasant city, old brick downtown; buy huckleberry scones at cafe near courthouse. WA Highway Department is pulling down loose cliffs at Sherman Pass; rocks the size of VWs line the road. Republic WA is tiny county seat of Ferry County. How tiny? Two deer graze on lawn of house across street from courthouse. East of Tonasket, emerge from forests into sagebrush and rhyolite tuff (surely not John Day volcano rhyolite?) Stop at espresso shack in Tonasket for caffeine booster shot; these shacks are all over Washington. Bridge over US 97 out, detour for miles on other side of Okanogan River. Once-sleepy Chelan is prosperous resort town surrounded by new vineyards. Campbell's, once a quiet inn (1982) now a vast - hundreds of rooms - convention center and playground for DA's, salesmen who made quota, etc. Giant parking lots full of SUV's, Lexus, Cadillacs, etc. Remind self it's like mosquitoes at Frenchglen; this is their place, we are the visitors. Chelan realty boom appears to be in full swing, at least from ads for 'planned leisure communities' (whatever that is). My favorite: "Karma Kanyon vineyard estates & view lots". Omm, people. June 30, Tuesday - Chelan to Stehekin Check out of Campbell's; to be fair, the large place is meticulously cared for and all the facilities well maintained. The (expensive) room rent includes an iPod holder, humongous HDTV, fridge, microwave, toaster, as well as outside pools, spas, lakefront lounges, pools and beaches. Find Lady Of The Lake dock, then long-term parking. Board boat, cast off, travel uplake. Winds ~30 MPH, er knots; voyage ~4 hours to Stehekin. Includes bow-first stop at no-dock trailhead to let off hikers; lakeside slope very steep, boat just noses in and extends bow gangplank. Land at Stehekin, check into lodge, hike Purple Pass trail a ways; very steep slope. Most trails here are either along a canyon (gentle) or up the canyon sides (vroom). July 1, Wednesday - at Stehekin Get early breakfast at lodge, pack lunch, catch 1st shuttle bus up canyon to High Bridge. (Bus makes 4 trips a day the 10 miles up canyon and back down to lodge; Stehekin is not connected by road to rest of world, all vehicles must be carried uplake on a barge.) Hike Agnes Gorge trail in AM; lunch at High Bridge amid bear warnings. Mosquitoes very pesky. Pee on one in flight as it attacks, revenge is sweet (almost said golden). Agnes Gorge flower list: lilies, wintergreen (Moneses), columbine, wild roses, penstemon, twinflower (Linnaea), thimbleberry, spiraea, lupine, yarrow, fireweed (Epilobium), mock-orange (Philadelphus), ocean spray (Holodiscus), Oregon grape (Mahonia), goats'-beard (Tragopogon), dogwood, arrow-leafed balsamroot, yellow tarweed(?), equisetum, sweet peas. Also maple, spruce, pine, manzanita, ferns. Then hike to Coon Lake below Mt. McGregor, catch bus back at Bullion Camp. Take bus to Stehekin Bakery (valley has no grocery, hardware, etc. stores but does have cafe/bakery); good stuff and many hiker-patrons are famished when they arrive, which helps. Talk with hikers doing entire Pacific Crest Trail this summer. Later, look at map; no road shown at north end (US-Canada border). How do you get there; from Canada side? Is there a Customs station? Hope Al Qaeda doesn't know about PCT. They probably don't like gorp. July 2, Thursday - at Stehekin Up at dawn to photograph canyon at sunrise; flock of geese obligingly paddle in foreground. Take bus to Rainbow Loop Trailhead; hike south to R Creek, stick feet in water. Fish jump onto shore for safety, river choked with sock lint. Return to lodge via bakery (of course); happy to catch unscheduled bus run. Mail postcards to friends at Stehekin Post office. It has two drop boxes: Local and Downlake (rest of world). Rent bike, ride up to end of paved road at Company creek and back. Legs are *so* tired. Waitress at dinner says she's from here, back from college for summer. Is studying to be a vet, plans to return & live here. "It's like heaven on earth." Hard to disagree. Despite lack of grocery, hardware store, etc., medical care in valley is good with resident doctors. Medevac flights mean help available for more serious needs within 30 minutes, better than some cities. July 3, Friday - Stehekin to Leavenworth Freight barge passes our window; carries propane tank and fire truck. They should cancel each other out. Check camera; have taken 955 photos so far. Big fuel crisis at the dock. Main gasoline underground storage tank had collected water. Most recent gas delivery included unannounced ethanol additive, which mixed gas and water into emulsion, got into boats' tanks, engines, very bad juju. Think they will have to empty tank (into what?), purge water (except it's mixed with gas). Ethanol much reviled here. Fortunately the Lady Express boat we're booked for has own fuel; we board at noon. It takes 2 hours, 1/2 the time of the stately Lady Of The Lake, less fun maybe but more practical. The boat company also has the "Lady Cat" which takes 1 hour but guzzles gas and has been benched. Cruising Lake Chelan in an hour is like gobbling bonbons IMHO; you want time to appreciate it. Weather clear, calm, grows hotter toward town of Chelan. We pass Prince Creek campground. Earlier scout camp and forest-service station were destroyed by catastrophic avalanche a few years back (in winter, no loss of life). Lake's steep sides and V-shaped valleys produce occasional monster snow and rock slides that wipe out whole mining camps, and giant floods every decade or so that swell the river and send trees, houses, everything into the lake. Even in a heaven on earth, you need to be on your toes. or (Not Prince Creek, but you get the idea.) Many jet skis and speedboats at south end of lake, but only 1 sailboat. Disembark, get into hot car, drive to Cashmere. Load up in Aplets and Cotlets at factory store, then drive to Leavenworth. From here till we leave state, see many tourists from India, more than any other ethnic group. Not just software engineers but families, children. On not overplaying one's hand: we stayed 3 yrs ago at Leavenworth Village Inn, tried to stay there again this year. They said no, multi-day stay req'd for July 4th weekend. I said we couldn't, are just passing through, they said (in essence) too bad, a rule's a rule. Did same at Pension Anna up to "too bad" part but instead they said "Well, Friday night isn't that busy, OK". Turns out everybody had vacancies that night so LVI lost our business. Both are good places, but Pension Anna is special, with more of a personal touch and willingness to help; lacks in-room fridge but we'll probably stay there again if we're in town. Leavenworth's conversion in the 1960's to a faux Bavarian Disneyland has probably saved the town from economic ruin and given it several good restaurants and overnight accommodations. It's worth overlooking the shtick for those benefits, and with a little effort it's possible to get into the mood, kind of. Kids love it, with buggy rides etc. Also the town has a very nice un-Bavarian park along banks of Wenatchee River; tree-shaded paths, band shell, etc. July 4, Saturday - Leavenworth to Montesano Head west over Stevens Pass. Road sign says we've reached 681st Avenue NE; obviously not the center of town. Store in Sultan WA offers "Liquor and convenience". So many signs for "upickberries" it looks like a new species. Big July 4th parade at Carnation; traffic detoured around town. Polyglot crowd at Snoqualmie Falls speaking Hindi and Chinese mostly. Stop at Olympia (a favorite city of ours) for 1892 and 1930 courthouses, also state supreme court building. Visit capitol, restored after quake. Head west to Montesano (named for Mt. Sinai). To south of highway, see nuclear reactor towers; are told it never started up. Fine old 1911 courthouse, quite large for small county; probably held all county offices at the time. We stay at Abel House B&B nearby, pleasant former home of county judge. Go to dinner "downtown" at the Beehive, a favorite of local farmers. Have clam chowder, salmon, local blackberry pie. Three kinds of gravy are available to put on potatoes. Right after we place orders, state forestry dept orders 125 sandwiches for firefighters in hills battling blaze. Kitchen goes into tizzy. After dark, extensive display of fireworks all night in courthouse parking lot across street and all over town - while fire dept is away. Hmm. July 5, Sunday - Montesano to Astoria Have enormous breakfast (hotcakes, eggs, sausage, homemade applesauce); go upstairs to lie down. Note to self: must begin to exercise self- restraint someday. Luckily only a short drive today to Astoria. Drive south through Naselle. Many many cars, almost solid stream, heading north on last day of weekend, probably returning to Seattle. Just north of town, see extensive swath of downed trees. Big Weyerhaueser billboard says "hurricane-force winds in 12/07 devastated the area". In other words "It wasn't us". Pick up scone, pretzel to go at South Bend bakery; sure to regain appetite in time. Very prescient move.. Enter tiny Wahkiakum County. Pause at 1905 covered bridge over Grays River then into Cathlamet. Photograph courthouse, leave at 12:57. Uh oh; hourly ferry across Columbia River leaves at 1 PM, dock is 3 miles away. We decide to amble and wait for next one. Are third in line at little dock on Puget Island. We are in luck; double runs today, next boat 1:30! Hungry by now, have scone & pretzel at local park. Wahkiakum ferry, one of last on Columbia River, holds 9 cars, charges $3. (On foggy days, drivers requested to turn on headlights so ships will see ferry.) Fun trip across river, disembark at Oregon side. Once again very heavy oncoming traffic, eastbound on US 30 to Portland most likely. Have no idea how heavy until we get to Astoria and see Megler Bridge across river is at standstill. We probably saved an hour or more, and much aggravation, by taking ferry. Highly recommended. Stay at Cannery Pier Hotel just west of bridge. Luxe, nice change from funky places at Frenchglen, Newport, Stehekin, Montesano. Bask in luxury; also have panoramic view of the river. Walk into town (traffic still gridlocked) along shoreline path & trolley tracks, view ships. Buy cans of smoked fish at Josephson's, just like last time here. Dinner at Bridgewater Bistro, run by former owners of excellent Shoalwater Cafe at Seaview WA (memory of oyster sandwich there in 2002 yet lingers). Gorge on seared ahi, clams, oyster, scallops, draft IPA. Note to self: screw self-restraint. Life is good. July 6, Monday - Astoria to Bandon View Columbia River mouth from room; much mist and fog, but can see ship traffic. Numerous large vessels and fishing boats going to and fro. Tide is running fast out to sea; tugboat heads downriver into fog. Turn on in-room coffeemaker, watch birds swoop outside window; find oatmeal cookie from Stehekin bakery, eat same. Have taken 1237 photos. Large ship labeled "Kentucky Highway" in English and Japanese passes upstream; probably car carrier from looks of it. Inspect little bottles from hotel in bathroom; apparently liquid soap is now called "body wash"; sounds more elegant? Go downstairs for breakfast, then check out; Head south on 101 in fog which changes to light rain. Car could use the bath. Signs along highway warn "entering tsunami zone"; keep eyes peeled but don't see any. Nehalem is cheerful-looking town with flowers everywhere; in hanging baskets, on ground. In Tillamook, pass immense cheese factory with immense parking lots filled with immense RVs driven by you guessed it. Obesity R Us. Tillamook Cheese Co. reputed to buy rival cheese-makers, close them. We like smaller Blue Heron Cheese to south. City center of T-mook has fine old brick buildings, 1932 courthouse. Buy marionberry muffins at Blue Moon Cafe, Oregon trivia book at Rainy Day Books. Farm south of town may have world's largest collection of old tires piled outside barn. Area so green, so different from eastern Oregon desert spaces. Stop at Depoe Bay for chowder, oyster stew at Sea Hag. Mm, good. Town has grown north, south, and east. Skip salt-water taffy stores: been there, done that, lost the filling. Many geographical features in Oregon are credited to the kitchen of the Evil One: Devil's Churn, Devil's Punchbowl, etc., so old-fashioned. How about Devil's Crockpot or Devil's Cuisinart? Devil's Microwave would be interesting. Enter stretch of road where myrtlewood stores every 100 feet. Drive from Astoria to Bandon very l-o-n-g; Oregon is taller than it looks. Finally arrive at Bandon Inn above Old Town. Not a bad place. Have dinner at Wheelhouse restaurant with cousin; plain but good (the dinner that is). July 7, Tuesday - Bandon to Yreka Head east from Bandon to Coquille, past "Odd Fellows' Cemetery". Must have been a lot of them in Bandon, it seems full. Drive past farmhouse with sign offering to sell "Guns, Ammo, Topsoil". Pass outdoor woodworking shop, see woodworker working wood. Wonder how much wood would a woodworker work if-- never mind. Pause at Coquille to photograph 1916 Moderne Coos County courthouse, with adjacent block-long jail. Must be lots of criminals here, or else they're easy to catch. Pass another covered bridge west of Remote, and read about 3rd one in vicinity. Had no idea so many in west, thought they were New England feature. (Later, read Wikipedia: they were built to keep rain off wood beams, prolong useful life of structure.) Take byway through Dillard and past galaxy-sized Roseburg Lumber sawmill along old Route 99. Reach Ashland in time for lunch. Why do I dislike this town so much? I ought to like the place with its famous Shakespeare festival and nice downtown park. Actually I love the park, it's the town I can't stand. Maybe it's all that money; Ashland seems a victim of its own success with angry drivers of expensive sports cars and SUVs jostling one another for scarce parking space. The "Travel Essentials" store downtown is filled with useless luxuries like stakes to hold your wine glass above the lawn, and expensive shirts. At lunch two men at the next table take cell phone calls and discuss numbers. I think Ashland is too much like Brigid O'Shaugnessy in the Maltese Falcon: it knows it's attractive and uses that to its own commercial benefit. Still, there are pockets; besides the park, we love the Greenleaf restaurant on the creek. Good simple food, friendly staff. The two restrooms are labeled "People" and "Other People"; a sign inside says "Please don't overstuff the low-volume toilet; we really mean it". Right after our sandwiches arrive, the place empties, even before I have the chance to call the cell-phone users selfish yuppie scum. Maybe they suspected. No actually, it's matinee curtain time. Tip for visitors: eat at 2 and 8 PM, have restaurant to self. Head south over Siskiyou Pass into Yreka, the anti-Ashland with "Izzie's Tattoo Parlor" next to bar on main street. (Last year Izzie took her kid to work, left the stroller in the store window.) We stay at the Best Western on the edge of Old Town, same as last year; good basic value place. Take side trip east to Montague, once a railroad hub, now almost a ghost town, but for some reason with a 2-hour parking limit. End of the line at Montague: or Dinner at Lalo's Mexican restaurant. Walls lined with airbrushed velvet portraits of banditi; also owner's graduation and wedding photos. Christmas tree in lobby is decorated with red, white, and blue ornaments for July 4th. July 8, Wednesday - Yreka to home Out of the sack early, breakfast, hit the road by 7 AM to beat the intense Central Valley afternoon heat. I-5 almost deserted; if driving was like this every day I could come to love it. Pass Mount Shasta wreathed in cloud; no surprise it was worshipped in early times. Stop at Olive Pit in Corning for early lunch; not bad for roadside, not a chain; decline to buy jars of olives at store, though. Hit I-80 around 1 PM. Usual ten lanes of congestion, 16-wheelers rolling at top speed, the usual. Reach home by 2:30, start doing laundry. Glad to be away, but glad to be back too where I know where the soap is in the shower with eyes closed, etc. - The end -