Day 10: Talk about Big Trees!
Got RB all squared away, then we completed the trip towards Redwood National Park. The sign leaving Oregon looked more welcoming than the one we passed on arrival. I actually stopped to get pictures of the California welcome sign. This is far from my first visit to the state, but I’d always flown in before, so… Upon reaching Redwood National and State Parks, my first order of business was to stop by the visitors center at its entrance. (I also had to do a quick clothes change–anything that can spill on white will spill on white.) The rangers there gave me a map of the park and a couple of suggestions on routes based on the amount of time I had available to visit. I was surprised there was no admission charge into the park (nor did they ask for my national park pass). I found out why.…
Day 9: Heading South(west)
Sunday morning. Before leaving the Portland area, I went to a Missouri Synod Lutheran church to worship. On one hand, it was wonderful to be able to sing very familiar hymns and to be able to sing as I have been unable to do in a while. On the other, it was a curious thing to watch the minister, who clearly was leading a more contemporary version of the standard service, give a sermon based on very conservative beliefs–ones I guess I’ll never reconcile with my fellow Missouri Synod Lutherans. Still, folks were very gracious and welcoming. One lady even tried to recruit me for the choir until I told her I was only in town for the day. Sunday is not a good day for sightseeing. Most things are closed. By this point, it was nearly noon, so I decided to head south towards my next major objective: Redwood…
Day 8: When It Rainier(s), It Pours
Saturday morning, but I got off to an early start in the hope of beating the crowd into Mt. Rainier National Park. First things, first, though. I discovered you don’t enter one of these parks low on gas. There’s usually no gas station inside, and you can potentially be miles away from one. So, I gave RB a half-tank (at $4.16 a gallon, I wasn’t going to fill her up). (A side note: when I left Des Moines, I filled RB up at a gas station that charged $3.39 a gallon. It’s going to be a long time before I complain about our prices again!!!) Mt. Rainier is HUGE. Much of it seems to be geared to the climber and the hiker, but there is plenty of roadway for the auto tourist. The red lined route I drove is below, going from the yellow highlight on the left to the…
Day 7: From Olympia towards Rainier
Got off to a later-than-usual start. What the heck, I’m on vacation, aren’t I?! Any way, I decided to try to get in two national parks that day since both were near the Seattle area (greedy state–four national parks?!?). Really, the plan was to see one and complete the drive to the other so I could have all of the next day there. I made it to the outskirts of Olympic National Park and after chatting with the ranger at the visitor center, I realized there was no way I could do more than a cursory visit of the beach area on the park’s outer edge and still make the drive to Rainier that day. So, RB and I drove to Ocean City and a couple of other beaches. We had journeyed 2451 miles to see the Pacific Ocean. I didn’t get out, though. The air that afternoon was quite…
Day 6: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
After a late arrival in Seattle Wednesday night and with nothing specific planned until the Thursday evening game between the Mariners and the LA Angels, I’d decided to turn it into a rest day. Good idea, but I was too hyper to just sit in the room. My solution was simple: select activities that didn’t require a lot of activity. I did a search and found a movie theater close by the motel where I was staying that had an early afternoon showing of “Belle,” which I’d been unable to see at home. After the movie, I’d get something to eat and then drive to the game, which had a schedule 7 p.m. start. It turned out to be a pretty good plan. The movie was excellent (when you can get me to cry, you’ve accomplished quite a bit), and I found a restaurant that served pseudo-Cajun cuisine–tasted fine, it…
Day 5: There’s More Than One Washington
Having made the decision to forego visiting Glacier National Park, saving over 200 miles of travel, RB and I set out from Missoula early and headed west. The 600-mile drive took us through the upper portion of Idaho–unfortunately my first time in that state didn’t include any stops. There was a state park off the interstate, but it hadn’t opened yet and I wasn’t willing to wait. I did get a few pictures. It didn’t take long to cross into Washington State. Under the category of unplanned stops, I ran into an exit that took me by Grand Coulee Dam, and the route went by Chief Joseph Dam, both on the Columbia River. I didn’t tour either facility, but I did get in a few shots. Rather than choosing to stay on I-90 and take the direct route to Seattle, we turned north and sent the day in the North…
Day 4: Yellowstoned
Yellowstone National Park has been on my bucket list for years, and I’d missed two previous opportunities to visit. With this in mind, and looking forward with concern that the visit would not live up to expectations, I left Billings earlier than usual and without visiting the two sites I’d added to my list for the town because I wanted to spend as much time as possible at Yellowstone. The park entrance was in Montana, but I shortly entered Wyoming during my driving tour. (This was not my first visit to Wyoming. In 2008, one of my nieces and I crossed briefly into the state during the first Goin West adventure–our visit to the Black Hills in South Dakota. A couple, who were also there to tour Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, suggested we should see The Devil’s Tower since it was only about an hour’s drive further west. …
Day 3: Memorial Day at Little Bighorn
Before hitting the road, I headed to the nearby zoo but didn’t go inside. The weather was a little cool, and I was still getting over the flu. So, I visited the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. They had just concluded a Memorial Day program, and there were WWII posters on display in the corridors. The main displays featured animals from prehistorical eras and Native American artifacts. There was also a small display of gemstones. My next scheduled stop was Billings, Montana. I heard, however, that the Little Bighorn Battlefield was not far from my planned route. Since this was Memorial Day, it seemed like a most appropriate place to visit. This visit was indescribable, seeing the many markers where soldiers had fallen and imagining how many Sioux must’ve died there, too. Drove into Billings, Montana–also a first visit for me (this was the second of four states…
Day 2: A Little Bit of History
Although this is not my first visit to Minnesota, I want to stop somewhere new in each state, whether or not I’ve previously visited the area. This time, I visited the Runestone Museum in Alexandria. They have historical displays of cultures that developed in the area. Town’s getting ready for Memorial Day, but I’m hoping to be at least a state away by then. RB and I crossed into North Dakota–my first visit to the state. Got as far as Bismarck before calling it a night. The full range of pictures I took during the first six days of what I’m calling “North by Northwest-2014” is available at http://singin1.com/piwigo/index.php?/category/north-by-northwest-2014-days-1-6. To see those from specific parts of the trip, click on the indicated regions on the map at the top of the album.
Day 1: Off to a Quiet Start
Left Grinnell at 10:00 to make a hair appointment in Des Moines before hitting the road. My car, Red Barron (hereafter called RB), was packed and ready for the trip. I reset her trip mileage gauge so that she could keep track of how far we actually travelled. My journey is minimally planned to allow me maximum opportunities to be flexible. This is the proposed route, which Mapquest indicated was just over 5598 miles: This first day was primarily spent driving. After taking care of business in Des Moines and filling up RB’s gas tank, we headed north. Once outside the Des Moines area, the traffic became surprisingly light for the Memorial Day weekend. This allowed us to make very good time. We crossed into Minnesota and drove until tired, so there’s not much on the picture front. Yet. But I’ve got a digital camera with a 16GB SD card…