Coasting thru Oregon

Jesse Honeyman State Park, OR

We pulled out of camp fairly early this morning and continued our journey down the Oregon Coast. I'm still not acclimated to the cool coastal breeze, especially after all the triple digit heat waves and humid days of the South. Ned bundled up, but I held fast to my shorts, tshirt and flip-flops. Driving down the coast we were treated to several pretty dramatic views so indicative of the Northern Oregon area.

 

 

 

Our first excursion this morning was a trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We had visited here several years ago. We didn't notice a lot of big changes except for the cheese vats are now enclosed. We sampled the cheeses, but didn't get any ice cream. Hard to believe, I know, but eating ice cream before 9 is a little too early even for us!

 

Just down the road from Tillamook is the Blue Heron Cheese Company. We took a quick spin thru there as well. Personally, I don't think anything is as good as Cowgirl Creamery! We have high hopes for the new creamery opening up in Nevada City. We're definitely looking forward to sampling that as well.

After all that cheese what a better way to work it off than taking a hike. Ned spotted a waterfall sign for a State Park so we decided a hike to the falls was just the thing to do. As far as waterfalls go, this one was pretty good! I'm still trying to get my head around all the lush green in Oregon and all the rivers and waterfalls. I have an idea that we are going to be shocked when re-entering California with the "golden" hills.

 

Here's Ned with the falls behind him.

 

 

 

 

 

By early afternoon we reached Yachats and visited our friends Dean and Shelly. They treated us to a wonderful lunch made from lettuce grown from their own garden. Here's a pic of their community garden. So beautiful and tasty too!

 

 

Here we are in front of their garden.

 

After lunch Dean and Shelly took us on a walking tour of their community. They were the best tour guides ever! We took a walk along an ocean path...

visited a log house church/museum,

 

 

 

 

 

 

meandered through several of the shops and met the local merchants. I'm so impressed with the gardens in Yachats. It reminds me a lot of Mendocino and all the beautiful flowers and gardens through-out town.

 

Thanks Dean and Shelly for a wonderful afternoon and for your warm hospitality.

 

 

 

 

 

We were going to stay at William Tugman State Park this evening and even had reservations. However, we decided to go home via Eugene tomorrow so we settled on Jesse Honeyman State Park instead. It's a huge park, but so beautifully layed out. Every campsite is in the trees. This is our last night camping out, and I'm trying really hard not to be a little sad. Here's me raising a glass of wine to all my friends and family back home. Looking forward to getting together, swimming in the river and enjoying the heat once again!

On the way home tomorrow, Ned and I will compile our "best of" for the trip. We are also going to pick up some cocoa beans from one of our brokers. Stay tuned! One last blog to go...

 

 

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From Sea to Shining Sea

Location: Nehalem State Park, OR

I had the best time following along the Russell 1929 trip from Mound City, MO. to Puyallup, WA. Usually the "plain" states (Iowa & Nebraska) are well - a little plain. This trek made it fun to search for clues and imagine life on the road during the early days of the Lincoln Highway. I also thoroughy enjoyed reaching the coastal Pacific Northwest and finally geting a respite from the triple digit temperatures! Love this picture of one of the fishing villages.

For the first time in weeks we weren't held to a certain route or schedule. We took advantage of this and did a lot of meandering today! We hugged the Pacific Ocean driving down inlets and discovering bays until eventually coming upon Cape Disappointment. We had previously visited Lewis & Clark's starting point near St. Louis so thought it only fitting to take some time to visit their ending spot here. In some ways I've felt like Lewis and Clark, going from Sea to Shining Sea and discovering so many wonderful things. (One of my favorite books is called "From Sea to Shining Sea" and is about the Lewis & Clark expedition. I heartily recommend it).

The museum and interpretive center was so fun! It takes you through their entire journey with lots of displays and hands-on exhibits.

 

 

Here I am using a telescope to find our "dinner" for the evening, looking for turkeys, elk, rabbits, etc.

Patrick Gass was one of the men on the expedition. He died at age 99 and was the longest living member of the Corp of Discovery. His family donated many items to the museum. My favorite was the razor box carved by Sacajawea. How cool is that!

 

 

 

 

 

The top floor of the interpretive center concentrates more on the military and marine history of Cape Disappointment. It's beautiful to look out through an entire wall of glass over the ocean. We had a great view of the lighthouse too.

We've seen many lighthouses in our travels, including the fresnel lens up close. This is the first exhibit where we could actually play with the lenses and create interesting prisms and lighting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What would a trip down the coast be without stopping to partake in some yummy seafood? We found this little fishing village and Ned enjoyed fish and chips and shrimp cocktail, while I ate clam chowder and crab cakes. Yum!

 

Ned enjoying one of the few rays of sun we had today.

 

 

 

 

We continued to explore more fishing villages until

eventually pulling into Nehalem State Park. It's definitely beach camping, but the campground has lots of cypress trees. We were going to jump on our bikes and go on one of the trails, but we decided to take a nap instead. I think enjoying the cooler weather and being on the road for 7 weeks finally caught up to us!

 

 

 

We did manage to rally for an evening ride and exploration of the park

and beach.

I can't help but reflect on all the beaches we've explored this trip, from the Gulf of Mexico to the tip of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean, not to mention the eastern point of the Dominican Republic in the Carribean. Unlike the other beaches we won't be doing any nighttime swimming here!

 

 

 

 

One of the paths from the beach has a beautiful view of the mountains. Stunning in the early evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Final Day of Russell Trek Re-enactment

Location: Lake Sylvia State Park, Washington

 

Laurie waxed poetically in her journal describing the last day of their trip to Everett, Washington. "The last day of our trip dawned clear and beautiful. We all had fun breaking the last camp. The drive for the first 50 miles was too lovely for words through the mountains and along the Yakima River...We got more than one thrill on this real mountain road. Stopped at Ellensburg for no good reason."

Debi and I stopped in Ellensburg also, and took this photo of the historical downtown.

 

Laurie continued: "We went up into the Cascade Mountains. Reached the summit of 3010 feet about 1:30."

Here's a photo Debi took today when we were near the summit.

Laurie goes on: "Passed along the edge of Lake Ketchelbus for a mile or so. The roads made one's hair stand on end, but after we entered the great forests."

Debi took this photo from the van this morning as we passed Lake Ketchelbus. Rather than a hair-raising mountain road, we experienced a major interstate highway, which is in the middle of a huge upgrade project with major machinery everywhere, although not working because today is Sunday. Our mission was to make it to the Salish Lodge at Snoqualme Falls for a late breakfast.

Laurie describes that "Once a construction gang held up traffic because of using dynamite and we were held in line for over an hour." We also saw a sign today warning that we should not use two-way radios or cell phones, as there was blasting taking place in the area.

We were pleased to arrive at our breakfast destination by 10:30, and get seated quickly. Nancy and I had completed our journey in 1999 by stopping here also. It's in a beautiful setting next to the falls.

As we waited for our meal to arrive, we drank their very good coffee which comes with a tray of condiments including: cream, whipped cream, and dark & white chocolate shavings. This was a definite hit with Debi.

 

 

 

Here I am just as my breakfast has been served. The white line that you can see across the right side of my face is actually the famous "honey from heaven" technique which the servers are famous for delivering honey onto your biscuit. You can see the bowl of honey in the server's hand on the far left. Breakfast was delicious.

Laurie's journal concludes for that day's entry with "We drove furiously to reach Everett before dark." (This was the home of my Great Aunt Eva and Great Uncle Jack Dana) "We received a real welcome." Laurie's journal then continues for about 11 more days in which she describes all the places, from Portland to Vancouver, Washington, which the family searched to find the "right" place for them to settle. This culminates on with her final daily entry: "When Dad had the key to the little brown and tan bungalow at 623 Ninth St. S.W., Puyallup, Washington, we were HOME." Debi and I went to this location today, as Nancy and I had 16 years ago, and confirmed that this address was now a brick house which was probably built around 1950. However, we took a photo of a bungalow down the street that we think might be in the style of the Russells' new home on August 26, 1929.

Here's Puyallup High School which is very nearby, which looks like it might have been in service in 1929.

Having completed our mission of retracing the steps of my father's family move from Missouri to Washington in 1929, Debi and I found our way to a favorite campground of ours at Lake Sylvia State Park, nearer the coast. We soon settled into a sweet little spot next to the lake, as we welcomed the cool, cloudy weather.

 

My Aunt Kay (Clara) is the only surviving member of the six Russell children, and she is now 99 years old, turning 100 on February 15, 2016! One of Laurie's final trip entries read: "We passed a landing field and Clara (Kay) wants to make note that in the plane going up, the aviator waved at her!" Kay was 13 at the time.

I'm hoping my Aunt Kay (Clara) is reading this blog with help from my Cousin MIchael, and that she will correct any mistakes I have made here.

Kay, is this photo from this trip? It's obviously not the Chevy Truck that Grandpa Dan modified for the occasion.

 

The next photo is at one of the Tourist Camps which the family stayed at along the way. I believe Laurie is seated on the left, Kay, is that you in the center, and my Uncle Danny in the cap on the right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final photo is certainly not from the trip, but I think everyone's age looks very close to the same time. Back row from left to right: My Dad, Ocrel (Oak), my Uncle Bob, My Aunt Ellen, My Aunt Laurie, My Aunt Kay (Clara), and a girl I don't know.

Front row: Another boy I don't know, My Great Granpa and Grandma Holmes (my Grandma Lula's parents), and my Uncle Danny seated on the ground.

As my final entry here, before returning authorship of his blog back to Debi, I am including the song which Laurie put on the last page of her journal:

 

 

OUR SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD

The broad highway is a friendly way

The auto trails are calling,

Carefree ways are merry ways

Adventures are enthralling,

So we'll stick to the trail

In dust or gale

Or even if rain is falling,

And with helping hand

We'll reach the land

Where auto trails are calling.

Original words and music by the Russell children

 

 

 

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Going Underground in Pendelton

Location: Yakima Sportsman State Park, Washington

Our first stop today was in Pendelton, famous for the Woolen Mills. Turns out they don't give tours of the mill on Saturday, so we drove to the place where they give Underground Tours of Pendelton. Luck was with us, the tour was sold out, but two people had just cancelled. Our tour guide was named Chris, a former middle school English teacher, and she was a crack up. The tour was billed as 90 min. but it lasted 3 hours! Chris had a never ending supply of stories that kept us well entertained.

Our first destination once underground was an old bar where I sat in on a poker game with some of the regulars.

Debi got friendly with one of the cowboys.

But after he bought her a drink, things kinda went downhill from there.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, I tried to make the best of the situation by chating it up with another one of the oldtimers. (Hey Bud, do any of these guys remind you of your "friend" who used to stare at you at Charlie's?)

In another section of the Underground, the Pendelton Candy Works, I did an endorsement of a competitor's product.

Moving on, we visited the butcher shop, where meat was butchered and 100 pound blocks of ice were manufactured.

Here's our tour guide Chris, explaining about how soft the stuffed grizzly bear is. The entire town of Pendleton has blocks and blocks of tunnels underneath it and she took us through multiple sections of it.

One of the next stops was above ground at Madame Stella's bordello, which operated from 1928 to 1967, when Stella decided to finally retire. (Prostitution had been officially proclaimed illegal in Pendelton since 1953). In it's heyday, Pendelton had 14 houses of Ill repute. Here I am with Madame Stella in front of her "Cozy Rooms" which are up 32 steps through the doors behind us. Some customers referred to these as the Stairways to Heaven.

 

 

 

 

Here's Debi in front of one of the posters inside Madame Stella's.

Later I tried out the jail cell inside the Chinese section of the Underground. So sad.

Finally we finished the tour and had lunch at a local cafe. Delicious!

Soon we had driven into Washington and through Walla Walla, just as Lauie's crew had in 1929.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as the Russell's had in 1929, we crossed the Columbia River over the bridge at Pasco, but it was no longer a toll bridge.

 

Before we got to our present campground in Yakima, we stopped to take a photo of the Teapot Dome Gas Station National Historic Site. (We thought this must be related to the Teapot Dome Scandal that we learned about in history class, but it turned out to just be a historic gas station that's shaped like a teapot.). We went for a bike ride when we got to the campground and it was 106 degrees! However, it's supposed to cool off to a chilly 77 degrees by sunrise tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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