Crater Lake National Park

Posted on November 1, 2024 by admin

La Conner, Washington

We had another beautiful campground in La Conner, Washington. It was right on Kilket Bay which connects to Puget Sound. A nice beach area was within walking distance of our campsite.

The weather was nice, for the most part, with foggy mornings that cleared up by noon. The evenings were nice for taking walks and watching the sunset.

Deception Pass, Washington

Just across the bay from us and around the point was Deception Pass which opens into Puget Sound. This bridge is the only way to cross over to Whidbey Island by vehicle.

Deception Pass is a state park with scenic trails through old growth forest. Its rocky beaches are popular, especially on a sunny day.

Tree covered islands dot the bay, while waves crash over rocks.

Leaving Washington

On one of our last days in northern Washington, I captured one last photo of the illusive Mount Baker from a distance. It was covered with a cap cloud once again.

Columbia River

Washington gave us a rainy day farewell, the same as its welcome. We crossed over the Columbia River into Oregon, stopping in the Portland, Oregon area. The Columbia River is very wide at this point and forms the border between Washington and Oregon.

I had another item on my bucket list–seeing Multnomah Falls. The rain cleared and the day was beautiful. To get there, we had to drive along the Columbia River. We took a wrong turn and discovered another waterfall–Horsetail Falls.

This 224 foot waterfall gets its name from Horsetail Creek and is right off the access road to US Hwy 84. Horsetail Falls is one of many waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

I have wanted to see Multnomah Falls for a long time. The first time we tried, we couldn’t find parking. This time, we waited a short time and were able to find a parking spot. At the bottom of the falls is this historic stone lodge built in 1925.

Multnomah Falls is part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area under the protection of the U.S. Forest Service.

Multnomah Falls is 620 feet high. It’s the tallest waterfall in Oregon.

This is a year-round waterfall fed by underground springs.

The Multnomah Creek Bridge was built in 1914.

Multnomah Creek Bridge over Multnomah Falls

Here’s a short little video of the waterfalls.

Bend, Oregon

From Portland, Oregon, we headed further south to Bend, Oregon. We began to see autumn colors, and the nights got cooler. Not many people were left in the campground. It was emptying out for the winter.

This area had a wildfire within sight of our campground, so the air was thick with smoke. We didn’t go outside much because of the smoke. Here it is drier and more prone to fires.

Smoke from wildfires rise into the air creating a cloud.

Several rabbits hopped around our campsite. This black one was my favorite.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

From Bend, Oregon, we took a day trip to Crater Lake National Park. It was about a two-hour drive. This was another item on my bucket list. We had tried to see it years ago, but it was early spring and the roads were closed due to snow.

This was my first view of Crater Lake. The deep blue surprised me, even though I knew what to expect. This is the deepest lake in the United States. It is nearly 2,000 feet deep. There are no rivers that flow into or out of the lake and the water is very clear.

Wizard Island, the island you see here, is a volcano within a volcano. It is believed that Crater Lake was formed from a large volcano that collapsed, forming Crater Lake.

This chipmunk scrambled around the rocks. It is one of 70 species of mammals that live in the park.

We drove the Rim Drive around the entire lake. It is 33 miles long. We stopped at many different viewpoints on our way.

Vidae Falls was one of our stops. It is about 100 feet high and tumbles over rocks in several cascades. It was just a few steps from the roadway, so it was an easy hike.

The tiny island on this side of the lake is called Phantom Ship. Its tall craggy rocks and shape give it the appearance of a ship when silhouetted.

Central Oregon

We swung over to the coast after leaving Bend, Oregon, and stayed in Florence, Oregon. We drove a few miles inland to see some fall color in the trees on Hwy 126 going toward Eugene.

We took a side road at the town of Mapleton, a cute town situated along the Siuslaw (See-you-slaw) River.

Along the river, the yellow alders, cottonwoods and maple trees created a beautiful scene reflecting on the water.

Pacifica, California

After a few more stops while on our way south, we reached Pacifica, California, near San Francisco. Our campground was right on the ocean. The waves are something I never tire of seeing.

I also loved watching the sunset. A lot of the campers would come out in the evening to watch the sun setting over the ocean. It’s a nice ending to the day.

The Pacific Northwest has so much beauty. During our six months of travel during the late spring, summer and early fall, we visited five national parks, one national monument, eight waterfalls, three lighthouses, several museums and one new country. It has been one of my favorite places to visit.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
   covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    stretching out the heavens like a tent.” Psalm 104:1-2 ESV

Crescent Bar

Posted on September 14, 2021 by admin

Quincy, Washington

August, 2021

As we were making our way across Washington, we stopped for a couple of nights in Silver Creek, and then went on to on to Crescent Bar which is outside Quincy, Washington. From Silver Creek to Quincy was 213 miles–a longer drive than usual for us, as we try to keep it to 3 hours or less.

View from Paradise RV Campground in Silver Creek, WA.

From Silver Creek, we drove Highway 12 through the most beautiful country. High mountains lined either side as we drove through thickly wooded forest with an occasional small town. The primary industry is lumber. We passed some sawmills with stacks of 2×4’s and other sizes of lumber. We were very near Mt. Rainer, but we couldn’t see it because of the mountains that blocked our view.

As we went further east, the terrain became dryer and the land changed to hay farms, dairies, apple orchards and Christmas tree farms all watered by irrigation. Our campground was on a cliff overlooking the Columbia River. The Columbia river makes a huge bend in the shape of a crescent. It is probably a mile or more across. There were mountains on the other side that made a beautiful background for sunsets. It was, however, very smokey when we got there. But later, a windy day and some rain cleared the sky.

Crescent Bar on the Columbia River

Japanese Peace Garden, Moses Lake, WA

We took a drive to Moses Lake, a town about 40 miles away, to see the Japanese Peace Garden. I couldn’t find any information about its history, who created it or why. It would have been a nice quiet place to enjoy if it hadn’t been so hot. We walked through quickly and got back into the car to cool off.

The brook winds through the Peace Garden

Another side trip we took while in Quincy, Washington, was a trip to Grand Coulee Dam about 75 miles away. The drive there was along a canyon with the Grand Coulee lake beside the road.

One of the scenic spots along the way was Dry Falls Visitor Center. The Visitor Center was closed, but the view of the dry falls was worth taking a photo. This area was once a huge waterfall when water broke through a glacial ice dam. The lake behind the dam was approximately the volume of Lake Ontario. The waterfall would have been 5 times the width of Niagara Falls and twice the height. Today, the falls are dry, hence the name.

Grand Coulee Dam, Washington

We got to Grand Coulee Dam just before sunset. After dark, there is a laser light show that tells the story of the dam and the surrounding area.

After dark, the spillway gates open and start spilling water until all the gates are completely spilling, creating a backdrop for the light show. Here they are before they start to spill.

I was unable to capture photos of the light show. I got some short videos, but they really don’t do it justice. Even though we arrived home late that night after the light show, it was an interesting side trip worth the time.

Washington Lighthouses

Posted on August 28, 2021 by admin

July 29, 2021

We drove across the famous Astoria- Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon. The bridge is a feat of engineering and quite impressive. The bridge is over 4 miles long and crosses the mouth of the Columbia River connecting Oregon and Washington on Highway 101. The ramp to the bridge steadily gains in elevation in a 360 curve. At the Oregon side, it is 200′ from the river below, allowing large ships access to travel up the Columbia River.

Astoria-Megar Bridge, Astoria, Oregon on Highway 101.

We drove to Cape Disappointment State Park in Washington state where we ate a picnic lunch. The beach was lined with a barrier of fallen trees. It is my guess that they were put there to protect the park from the tremendous breakers during bad weather. In the distance is Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, Washington.

Cape Disappointment was named so because Captain John Meares was unable to find the mouth of the Columbia River while sailing south in search of trade. He mistook it to be a large bay and was prevented from entering because of a large shallow shoal.

Looking back at Cape Disappointment State Park and beach in Washington.

We drove a short ways to The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Although we did not pay to see the museum, there were exhibits in the lobby that were free to view.

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Washington.

One exhibit was a first-order Fresnel Lens that was meant for the lighthouse. However, the lens was too big, so another one had to be ordered.

Fresnel Lens at Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Another display showed several lighthouses on the Oregon and Washington coast and their identifying light flashes.

Display at Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Cape Disappointment, Washington.

From the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, we had a better view of the lighthouse.

From there, we drove a short ways to see the North Head Lighthouse. North Head Lighthouse was built because ships approaching from the north could not see the lighthouse at Cape Disappointment.

I nearly missed getting a photo because of the fog that was blowing in. Cape Disappointment is one of the foggiest places in the U.S.

North Head Lighthouse keeper’s quarters.

I felt satisfied that we had seen as many lighthouses on the Oregon and Washington coast as we could during the time we were in Seaside, Oregon. We saw some beautiful scenery, we enjoyed the cool weather, and we feel sure we will be back.

A Museum and a National Historical Park

Posted on August 27, 2021 by admin

July, 2021

Columbia River Maritime Museum

While we were staying in Seaside, Oregon, we went to The Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. As we entered the museum, we saw a large map of the shipwrecks at the mouth of the Columbia River.

We watched a 3D surround sound documentary of “Aircraft Carrier–City at Sea” in the Theater. Then we wandered around the exhibits and learned about the extreme conditions of the Columbia River Bar, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Columbia River Bar Pilots.

U.S. Coast Guard Rescue display at Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Display in Columbia River Maritime Museum.

The museum tells the history of the Columbia River from the times of the Indians and their dugout canoes to the present day. The museum is very expansive and takes 2 or 3 hours to see everything. We took a break for lunch and walked across the street to a food truck to get lunch and then came back to see more.

Outside the museum is docked the Lightship Columbia, a National Historic Landmark. It is an actual lightship that used to guide ships to safety at the mouth of the Columbia River. I was able to go aboard and see the sailors living quarters. The lightship is a floating lighthouse manned by a crew of 17 men working two to four week rotations, with 10 men on duty at a time. It was in use from 1951 to 1979.

The Columbia Lightship–part of The Columbia River Maritime Museum.

We learned at the museum that ships today must have a specially trained pilot to guide them through the mouth of the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean. This pilot will come aboard their ship and guide the ships through the treacherous waters and sand bars at the mouth of the river. We saw several large cargo ships waiting their turn.

Cargo ships on Columbia River await their turn to go through the dangerous waters at the mouth of the Columbia River.

Lewis and Clark Natl. Historical Pk.

Lewis and Clark have always been two of my favorite explorers ever since I read “Streams to the River, River to the Sea” by Scott O’Dell. The story of their amazing adventure is told in part at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park near Astoria, Oregon, off Highway 101. Besides having another national park to check off of our list, it gave us a day of learning about the history of our country and some exercise as we hiked the trails near the visitor center.

We stopped at the Visitor Center where we saw a short film about the story of the winter fort of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in1805 – 1806. They named it Fort Clatsop after the nation of Indians who resided nearby.

Replica of Fort Clatsop, the winter fort of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

At the fort we watched a demonstration of the loading and shooting of a black powder rifle.

We walked down a pathway to the place on the river where Lewis and Clark could possibly have docked their dugout canoes.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park actually has several different site locations. Many of the other sites are only minutes away. We decided save some of those different locations for another visit at another time. In all, we had an enjoyable day visiting this park.

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