A Visit With Bob

Late last week the Fam and I made a quick trip to the central part of the state to visit Mum's sister, Bob.  The reason behind the trip was to help Bob with a few items on her early retirement "to do" list, and since it meant cross a mountain pass with questionable weather - we opted to spend the night there before making the trip home again.

Along the way, we saw plenty of ice and snow, though not as much as we thought we would.  With all the hub-bub we had been hearing during the week leading up to the planned trip (including a lot of winter weather advisories), we expected a lot more than what we experienced. 

I admit, winter doesn't seem like winter without white on the evergreen trees and a little slush on the roadways.  That said, it is still technically autumn, so I'm okay if there is no white on the evergreen trees and slush on the roadways - especially since I'm driving on them.

However, we made it safe and sound to our destination and were greeted by the happy barks of this lovely lady... Missy.  The whole Fam adores this fabulous pooch, and I admit that on several occasions we've plotted her sudden disappearance and re-appearance at our place.  But whenever we come for a visit, we make sure to give her plenty of attention before we leave.  That, and have quiet conversations with her about how much better it would be to live with us.  However, she usually responds by tilting her head and goobs us with her tongue.

Bob lives in a house that looks like a cabin (complete with real timber walls), so her house looks especially festive when done up for the holidays.  The hundreds of ceramic, stuffed, and painted snowfolks and Santas help as well.  If anyone doubts what time of the year it is... They won't after stepping into Bob's house.

Since we were going to spend quite a bit of time at Bob's place, Mum decided she would cook dinner.  On the menu was Greek chicken, Italian potatoes, dinner rolls, and green beans.  Cherry Gallettes were for dessert.  Loved it!  That would be Mum (with the hat on) and Bob in Bob's 1950s kitchen.

When I say 1950s, I mean 1950s.  Bob hates it.  Mum hates cooking in it.  I think Bob has plans to gut it.  I would too, if that was my kitchen.  Though, it does have a certain ketchy cabin appeal.
 

Here's a little peek at the Italian potatoes.  They were fabulous!

After we gorged ourselves, we chatted a bit, tackled Bob's "to do" list, and made potential plans for a spring break photo shoot and summer road trip before the Fam and I headed back to our hotel room for the night.  The next morning we headed back home, which was when we experienced big winds and bigger snowflakes.  Sorry I have no photographs of that, but I couldn't peel my fingers off the steering wheel long enough to turn on my camera.

Happy Tuesday!

Road Trip: Palouse Falls, Washington

One of the awesome little wonders in the state I live is this little place called Palouse Falls.  Palouse Falls is in the middle of no where, deep in the heart of the Washington tundra (yes... we have a little tundra).  To access the Falls, you have to go over a series of cattle grates (which I assume is because the only man-made structures around are farms, ranches, and a fish hatchery) and drive down a dirt road for 2-3 miles.  There, you'll drive over a bridge (which provides a safe path over very active railroad tracks) and into a little mini oasis. 

Once you park you vehicle, you'll go down a series of steps to an outlook with this view...  Fabulous, isn't it?

This is the Palouse Falls up close.  It is difficult to get down to the bowl of the falls, but I do know a few years some guy on a kayak went over those falls and survived (yes, he is an idiot).  I don't know how tall those falls are or if the crash point of the water is over rocks, but I do know it is high enough for me to know I don't aspire to jumping off the flipping thing.

The lake spills into a small river that meanders through a canyon that is too deep and at an angle that makes it difficult for me to really capture it, so I thought I would take an image of the canyon walls.  Pretty awesome when you consider all this was carved by glaciers.

Once you leave the Falls, this is part of the view as you drive your way toward civilization.  Deeply cut canyons where only mountain sheep, deer, coyotes, and a few cougars live amongst grazing cattle.

Road Trip: Crater Lake National Park

One of my life goals is to see all of the National Parks here in the United States.  After that, I want to see all of the National Parks around the world.  But high on my list of parks to see first is Crater Lake National Parks.  I have heard a lot about Crater Lake in the news and various articles.  Friends and family have also visited the park, which has also lent to a huge desire to go.  Additionally, the park is only in the next state!

So our road trip definitely needed to include Crater Lake in the itinerary.  Here are some bits and bobs about our trip...

Getting to Crater Lake is not easy.  You will find yourself driving for hours to what feels like nowhere.  In fact, there were several times when I checked my Garmin to ensure it was still working properly.  And, at one point, I thought I was going to run out of gas.

It isn't as if the drive isn't pretty.  There are a lot of what you see above and below.  There is also a lot of charred earth and trees from wild fires past, but I elected not to photograph those images.

After a few turns, you'll enter the mouth of the park.  There, you see this vast expanse of trees, yellow grass, and blue mountains in the background.  Gorgeous, isn't it?  I can tell you that at this point, I was smiling widely and getting very excited (think kiddies on Christmas morning).  My only fear was my camera batteries would run out of juice or I didn't bring enough image cards.

This was my first view of the lake.  Now, I believe it is important to point out the day was extremely overcast and we arrived late in the afternoon.  Because of this, everything seemed very dark.

 

The image above does a pretty good job of showing the cloud cover.  This resulted in the water appearing quite dark and the view feeling incredibly gloomy.

 

This is probably the best image I took of Crater Lake.  It seemed lighter, at least, and gave a good view of Wizard Island.  Some little tid-bits about Crater Lake... It was actually formed when the volcano blew and is considered sacred to local Native tribes.  The Lake contains no minerals in it, which is why you can often see the floor - at certain depths.  Additionally, studies have shown that light can penetrate as far as 400 feet down - a substantial depth.

Crater Lake was beautiful, but I admit to being disappointed.  I don't know if it was the weather or the hype, but I was expecting more and felt like I walked away with less.  Mum, who saw the lake when she was much a kid, believe we need to go back in the summer - when the sunshine hits the water - so we will do that.  However, it won't be for a while.  I have other parks that are high priorities on my list.

Road Trip: Multnomah Falls, Oregon

 

When I say I was incredibly excited to visit Multnomah Falls, Oregon, I really do mean I was excited.  I have been wanting to see the falls for several years now, and plans to do just that were repeatedly cancelled or changed for one reason or another.  On this trip, even though it was getting late and we were exhausted by the day's exploring - I made sure we were going to visit the falls when I had planned to visit them.

What you see above is what I first saw when we arrived at the falls.  We parked in a small parking lot in front of the falls (where the parking was packed but we lucked out with a space right in the front), and the minute I stepped out of the truck - I snapped the image above.

 

Once you walk up a series of stairs and maneuver through a lot of people (don't under-estimate the words "a lot of people"), you come across a small outlook that has this view of the falls.  

  

This is the upper deck of the falls.  Notice the bridge? Anyone can access it and get an even getter view of the falls - if you're willing to climb another series of stairs.  I was game for it, but the rest of the family was not.  Nor were they willing to wait for me to do it.  I figure we'll e going back for another visit, and we'll climb the stairs then.  I really want to get a shot from that bridge.

 

This is the lower deck of the falls.  Absolutely lovely, and when I win the lottery - I plan on building a water feature in my back garden that looks similar to this one.

 

What is great about Multnomah Falls - the park has multiple waterfalls throughout.  Most of those waterfalls are accessible through walking trails; however, with the approaching darkness - it was clear we didn't have the time to explore them.  However, we did catch this one on the way out of the park as we headed toward our hotel.  And of course, we had to take the obligatory photo of it...

 

Dawn posed, while I snapped.  She was the only one game enough to hop out of the truck and walk the distance to obtain maximum views.  Mum, on the other hand, was too knackered and ready to check into our hotel and grab something to eat.

If you get the chance to go to Portland or find yourself in the area, give yourself a present and head to Multnomah Falls - which is roughly 45 minutes east of the city.  There will be plenty of hiking trails, a lot of scenic views, and a gift shop that has the most amazing huckleberry jam.

Stay tuned, as I share our visit to Crater Lake National Park.

 

Road Trip: Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge

Back in October, the family went on a road trip.  It was a week-long road trip through south-center Washington, down into Oregon.  The week was plagued with a few problems - all related to the weather - but considering it was October - we're lucky the weather was as good as it was.  That said, I thought I would share a little of our trip with you.

The first official stop on our road trip was this fabulous place outside of Goldendale, Washington... Maryhill Museum.  Nestled in the hills along the Columbia River, Maryhill Museum sits within the borders of an impressive park-like setting.  The park provides lots of benches and picnic tables for outdoor fun, but to enjoy the outdoor art pieces that litter the grounds.

 Impressive, isn't i? Maryhill Museum of Art was once the home of Sam Hill and was turned into an art museum by Loie Fuller - who filled it will a lot of work by Auguste Rodin.  In 1926, it was dedicated by Queen Marie of Romania (granddaughter of the United Kingdom's Queen Victoria).

Here is a small sampling of the outdoor art scattered throughout the grounds.  When I say "small," I do mean small.  There are dozens of pieces and some are bigger than 20 feet.

And these are the bathrooms.  I know... I know... I'm weird.  But look at these bathrooms.  Tin ceilings, real wood stalls and doors, art deco floor tiles and fixtures.  I found a lot of inspiration in this bathroom.

One of the several exhibits was chest sets from around the world.  Many of those chess sets were hundreds of years old.

My favorite was this chess set.  It reminded me of King Author and Camelot.

Another exhibit was from Africa.  I loved the carving and stylization.  In fact, some pieces reminded me of puppets more than wood carvings.  But, I suppose, puppets could literally be wood carvings.

As we left the museum, I stumbled upon this bronze statue of a heron.  My little family loves heron.  Their isolated lives, graceful flying, and stealthy and cautious approach on the ground is as impressive as their beauty.  So, of course, I had to take this photograph.

About four miles east of Maryhill Museum of Art is a Stonehenge.  Not the real Stonehenge (which you'll find on Salisbury Plain Wiltshire, England), but a replica that was built by Sam Hill.  His replica has Stonehenge as it would most likely have looked when it was originally built.  This one is made of concrete, though, and not the blue stones (among other materials).

Of course, here is Mum trying to photo bomb one of my shots of the very tall outter walls.

This is Stonehenge's view.  Not too shabby.  Here you'll see the Columbia River and either Mt. Rainer or Mt. Hood in the background. 

To give you an idea of just how tall the outer wall is, Mum and Dawn are standing in one of the stone's openings.  They're both 5-foot-7.

This is the heart of the Stonehenge replica.  Unfortunately, Sam Hill mistakenly thought Stonehenge's purpose was for sacrifice and built the sit on that basis (as a tribute to war veterans and their sacrifices).  However, this mistake does not minimize the amazing feat he accomplished.

And finally, here is a few of the inner and outer walls of this structure.  Pretty fantastic stuff and well worth the visit.  If you're interested in paying the place a visit, you may want to hop over to the Maryhill Museum of Art's website.  It will not only give the details about the museum, but also provide information about Stonehenge.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about our next destination... Multnomah Falls, Oregon.

Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving! The holiday to give thanks for all you have and eat a lot of food.  For me, this year has provided plenty of reasons to be thankful.  Those reasons include...

• Family...  Mum and Dawn are a great source of fun, comfort, and inspiration.  They're always game for an adventure, and I love adventures.
• Health...  I've been healthier this year than in many years, and I am hoping to carry that over into 2015.  But in 2014 I've managed to dodge flu and cold seasons, and I've had any major injuries.  The family's health has also been relatively positive.  Rock on, Health!
• Work...  Work has been good.  Clients have been calling, and I had many opportunities at the universities I teach at.  I'm actually looking at cutting back on work, so I can focus on other things in 2015.
• Travel... We had some travel opportunities this year.  I love travel, especially road trips.  We took two major road trips and several little road trips this year, and we had a blast on the road.  There were a few hiccups on our last road trip, but nothing that we couldn't work around.

 How about you? What are your reasons to be thankful?

Road Trip to Eastern Washington

By the time you read this blog posting, the family and I will be on the road - heading to San Jose, California for the big BlogHer 2014 conference.  Since I didn't want to leave you hanging, I thought I would post a few pictures from the road trip the family took to eastern Washington.

We went to eastern Washington because I had a workshop to present, so it was work related.  The kind of nice part was the workshop was being presented in an area the family is quite familiar with since Dawn and I were born and raised there.  So, along the way, I snapped a few photos to share with you.

Road Trip... Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park was the first item on our "to do" list when we embarked on this road trip.  Of all the places to see between Washington and Wisconsin, Yellowstone National Park was going to be the place for this little family.  However, we decided to see the park on our journey back to Washington instead of to Wisconsin.  That way, we could take our time and enjoy ourselves.

We entered the park through the east gate and what greeted us was this waterfall.  The water was coming down with such force that anyone standing within 4-5 feet of it was going to get wet.  We got wet.

But it wouldn't be the last time we got wet during this trip.  While in Yellowstone, we experienced rain, sleet, hail, and snow.  Yep... Snow! I was thrilled! Mum wasn't.

One of the unfortunate sites was the devastation from fires.  It doesn't help that the rapid rise of the pine beetle is destroying much of the forest - creating ready-made kindling for the fires.  As we explored the park, we were constantly reminded of the fires.  Charred trees, standing like sticks, was all that was of a mighty forest.  However, we did see bits of life returning.

I loved this little guy.  Growing tall and proud on a little island in Yellowstone Lake, this evergreen tree seemed right at home in a space where nothing else seemed to be growing.

Mid-way through our trip, we hit the Yellowstone Lodge.  Of course we had to buy souvenirs, but I had to pee.  We also wanted to get a look at the geyser, Old Faithful.

So, like many of the tourists, we hung around and waited... and waited... and waited... Until I was bored and annoyed and decided it wasn't worth it.  Just as we got back into the truck and was driving through the parking lot to leave - Old Faithful showed itself.  Luckily, there was time to pull out the camera and snap a few.

As we left Old Faithful and headed toward the West Gate, we saw the hot springs.  Steam filled the cool air. 

 Then there were the sulfur pots.  The stench was significant, but there is no doubting the beauty.

And as we neared the West Gate, we decided to stop.  One last exploration, while Mum fixed lunch.  Dawn was thrilled with the trip (as you can see), and it was fun to climb about - snapping photos while we still had the chance.

Mum was just grateful I didn't throw Dawn in the Yellowstone River (or she didn't throw me in there).  All in all, it was a great trip through Yellowstone.  It wasn't the first time we had been to the National Park, nor will it be the last.  In fact, we have another trip planned in October.  Only this time, we're doing the North to South Gates.  I cannot wait!