Tuesday, May 23, 2006
4:00 a.m.
Our room alarm clock, Becky's cell alarm and our wake up call all happened within seconds of each other. We repacked Becky's car and beat the rush over to the airport. We checked in with no problems and now there is a long line behind us. We hug and kiss Becky, thank her for doing all the driving, the planning, the snacks and she takes off for Montana and home.
Skies are clear and we leave on time and arrive back in Milwaukee on time. Troy picked us up and we were back in Watertown by 2:30 p.m. Mom left shortly after that for her drive back to Hortonville.
Now wash clothes, get ready for work the next day. Start getting pictures and postcards in order. Start dreaming (planning) our next trip. Seattle and the San Juan Islands in 2008!!
Monday, July 03, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
We were up and on our way by 9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast this morning was only a muffin or bagel and juice or coffee. Very uninspiring - we've been spoiled! We are driving east along the Columbia River - home. Our vacation is almost over. It is lightly raining off and on this morning. We have been blessed with such good weather for our trip that we aren't going to complain now.
We take a pit stop in Arlington - imagine our surprise when we realize it is exactly where we stopped when we were heading towards the coast. We stopped later for gas and again at a Wal Mart. We thought we might put the second 'bunch' of pictures on a CD here. There were too many people in line so we continued our drive.
We arrived in Spokane around 1:00 p.m. Becky drove thru to the other side where we found a Wal Mart. We dropped the pictures off and stopped at a nearby SubWay for lunch. It was raining gently but steadily now. Then it came down real hard while we were inside Wal Mart picking up the CD. We came out and it quit raining so Becky could take us to a park in downtown Spokane that she wanted us to see. I keep telling you - we were blessed with good weather.
This park was beautiful. You could smell all the roses, lilacs, dogwoods. It was right along the Spokane River. It had been the site of the 1974 World's Fair. Mom was not feeling well so she rested in the lobby of the Red Lion Inn (in the park) while Becky and I walked a little more.
We saw a great water fountain that in the summer the kids could run in and out of to cool o
ff. A carosel that had been built in 1908 and was kept in great shape by being used inside a structure where they also sold souvenirs, T-shirts, ice cream and other snacks. Becky and I had a cone that I proceeded to have problems with - dropped part of it on the ground, got it on my face and dripping down my fingers. Luckily I missed my clothes and Becky didn't have the camera so she couldn't blackmail me. Now I remember why I don't do cones.
We went into Macy's across the street so we could use the restroom and clean up. Who am I kidding - Becky wanted to shop there too. We had no extra money along & didn't want to leave Mom abandoned too long so I pushed Becky along.
Back in the
park I took this picture of Becky "running" with the statues in honor of Spokanes Bloomsday Run. They have a Gondola Ride that looked fun but again, no money. Finally got back to the Red Lion and picked Mom up and we headed back to the west side of town and Airport Ramada where we were staying for our 6:00 a.m. flight.
We checked in only to find out they messed up and gave us a single room. Becky went back and talked to the front desk. They were filled up - no other rooms. They "gave" us a rollaway bed. I would have slept on the floor - I was that tired. We found the cafe and ordered sandwiches for our room. We were all tired and wanted a quiet evening.
We were up and on our way by 9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast this morning was only a muffin or bagel and juice or coffee. Very uninspiring - we've been spoiled! We are driving east along the Columbia River - home. Our vacation is almost over. It is lightly raining off and on this morning. We have been blessed with such good weather for our trip that we aren't going to complain now.
We take a pit stop in Arlington - imagine our surprise when we realize it is exactly where we stopped when we were heading towards the coast. We stopped later for gas and again at a Wal Mart. We thought we might put the second 'bunch' of pictures on a CD here. There were too many people in line so we continued our drive.
We arrived in Spokane around 1:00 p.m. Becky drove thru to the other side where we found a Wal Mart. We dropped the pictures off and stopped at a nearby SubWay for lunch. It was raining gently but steadily now. Then it came down real hard while we were inside Wal Mart picking up the CD. We came out and it quit raining so Becky could take us to a park in downtown Spokane that she wanted us to see. I keep telling you - we were blessed with good weather.
This park was beautiful. You could smell all the roses, lilacs, dogwoods. It was right along the Spokane River. It had been the site of the 1974 World's Fair. Mom was not feeling well so she rested in the lobby of the Red Lion Inn (in the park) while Becky and I walked a little more.
We saw a great water fountain that in the summer the kids could run in and out of to cool o
ff. A carosel that had been built in 1908 and was kept in great shape by being used inside a structure where they also sold souvenirs, T-shirts, ice cream and other snacks. Becky and I had a cone that I proceeded to have problems with - dropped part of it on the ground, got it on my face and dripping down my fingers. Luckily I missed my clothes and Becky didn't have the camera so she couldn't blackmail me. Now I remember why I don't do cones.We went into Macy's across the street so we could use the restroom and clean up. Who am I kidding - Becky wanted to shop there too. We had no extra money along & didn't want to leave Mom abandoned too long so I pushed Becky along.
Back in the
park I took this picture of Becky "running" with the statues in honor of Spokanes Bloomsday Run. They have a Gondola Ride that looked fun but again, no money. Finally got back to the Red Lion and picked Mom up and we headed back to the west side of town and Airport Ramada where we were staying for our 6:00 a.m. flight.We checked in only to find out they messed up and gave us a single room. Becky went back and talked to the front desk. They were filled up - no other rooms. They "gave" us a rollaway bed. I would have slept on the floor - I was that tired. We found the cafe and ordered sandwiches for our room. We were all tired and wanted a quiet evening.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
We kind of slept in today. Mom and Becky were even up before me. We packed up and went down to a Continental Breakfast that was almost as nice as the ones at Overleaf - one
memorable item was hot cinnamon rolls. After breakfast Becky and I left for a walk along the docks. It used to be mostly sa
lmon canning factories but now are converted into apartments, hotels, small restaurants and little shops. (Picture on the left is a couple of shops.) The picture above is of one old factory now called Cannery Row Hotel (red building) with the trolley tracks that we were walking on.
We walked down to 12th Street where the Astoria Sunday Market is - it runs about 4-5 blocks and has about 200 vendors. People come from all over - by ferryboat, tour
bus, cars, bikes and foot. We were told last weekend they had over 10,000 people attend. Becky found things she wanted to buy for Christmas gifts and we had no money along. So we had to walk back to the hotel (another mile walk). We packed the car, checked out and drove back down to 12th Street. We walked back through it so Mom could see things and Becky made her purchases.
Then we drove to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. We learned a lot about this valuable river. This is one of the most dangerous areas because of the force of the River meeting the strong currents of the ocean and many shifting sandbars. We learned that since 1792 approximately 2,000 vessels, including 200 large ships, have sunk at the Columbia River bar, and more than 700 people have lost their lives to the sea. They call this area "Graveyard of the Pacific."
We wanted to take a 45-minute trolley ride outside of the museum. We waited over a half hour only to find out that some IDIOT parked across the tracks farther down and they had to have the vehicle towed before the trolley could move. We decided not to wait, we wanted to get moving and it was starting to sprinkle. So by 1:30 we were on Hwy 30 heading towards Portland. We picked up Hwy 5 into Longview, WA and drove along the Washington side of the Columbia before coming back across another bridge into Portland. Now we picked up 84 to head east.
Once again we could see Mt. Hood in the distance. We took a side road off Hwy 84 to the Memaloose Overlook. Memaloose was a series of islands in the Columbia where the Indians laid their dead above ground, often in canoes. When dams were built they had to remove the remains because of flooding. Now only one island remains above water.
Next stop was on the Rowena Plateau where you could look down over Hwy 30 as it descends in what is referred to as Rowena's Loops. Maximum grade of any ascent/descent does not exceed 5% with decorative stonework along the loops.
It was somewhere along here that Mom told us we had to quit making her laugh - she had reached her quota! It was something about whenever we got in the car, Becky seemed to take off before Mom and I were buckled in (or doors shut) and everything would fly off the dashboard at me. So after we looked at whatever scenery we had gotten out to look at I would tell Mom - "Ok, hurry, get in the car before Becky does."
Anyway we laughed our way into The Dalles around 6:30 p.m. and checked back into the same Super 8. When we walked back into the motel the same guy was on duty. His comment was "Oh, look, the sisters are back!" I guess we've made a name for ourselves.
We went downtown and ate at a Chinese Restaurant for something different.
We kind of slept in today. Mom and Becky were even up before me. We packed up and went down to a Continental Breakfast that was almost as nice as the ones at Overleaf - one
memorable item was hot cinnamon rolls. After breakfast Becky and I left for a walk along the docks. It used to be mostly sa
lmon canning factories but now are converted into apartments, hotels, small restaurants and little shops. (Picture on the left is a couple of shops.) The picture above is of one old factory now called Cannery Row Hotel (red building) with the trolley tracks that we were walking on.We walked down to 12th Street where the Astoria Sunday Market is - it runs about 4-5 blocks and has about 200 vendors. People come from all over - by ferryboat, tour
bus, cars, bikes and foot. We were told last weekend they had over 10,000 people attend. Becky found things she wanted to buy for Christmas gifts and we had no money along. So we had to walk back to the hotel (another mile walk). We packed the car, checked out and drove back down to 12th Street. We walked back through it so Mom could see things and Becky made her purchases.Then we drove to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. We learned a lot about this valuable river. This is one of the most dangerous areas because of the force of the River meeting the strong currents of the ocean and many shifting sandbars. We learned that since 1792 approximately 2,000 vessels, including 200 large ships, have sunk at the Columbia River bar, and more than 700 people have lost their lives to the sea. They call this area "Graveyard of the Pacific."
We wanted to take a 45-minute trolley ride outside of the museum. We waited over a half hour only to find out that some IDIOT parked across the tracks farther down and they had to have the vehicle towed before the trolley could move. We decided not to wait, we wanted to get moving and it was starting to sprinkle. So by 1:30 we were on Hwy 30 heading towards Portland. We picked up Hwy 5 into Longview, WA and drove along the Washington side of the Columbia before coming back across another bridge into Portland. Now we picked up 84 to head east.
Once again we could see Mt. Hood in the distance. We took a side road off Hwy 84 to the Memaloose Overlook. Memaloose was a series of islands in the Columbia where the Indians laid their dead above ground, often in canoes. When dams were built they had to remove the remains because of flooding. Now only one island remains above water.
Next stop was on the Rowena Plateau where you could look down over Hwy 30 as it descends in what is referred to as Rowena's Loops. Maximum grade of any ascent/descent does not exceed 5% with decorative stonework along the loops.
It was somewhere along here that Mom told us we had to quit making her laugh - she had reached her quota! It was something about whenever we got in the car, Becky seemed to take off before Mom and I were buckled in (or doors shut) and everything would fly off the dashboard at me. So after we looked at whatever scenery we had gotten out to look at I would tell Mom - "Ok, hurry, get in the car before Becky does."
Anyway we laughed our way into The Dalles around 6:30 p.m. and checked back into the same Super 8. When we walked back into the motel the same guy was on duty. His comment was "Oh, look, the sisters are back!" I guess we've made a name for ourselves.
We went downtown and ate at a Chinese Restaurant for something different.
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