Mother Nature, along with Typhoon Songda, seems determined to deprive me of living the lines to my favorite poem, Helen Hunt Jackson’s “October’s Bright Blue Weather.” “Oh suns and skies and clouds of June and all ye flowers together, you cannot rival for one hour, October’s Bright Blue Weather.” Though they may be able to deprive me of my October blue skies, they cannot rob me of my favorite season of the year, Fall. Continue reading
One of the sights in Idaho on my wish list is Hell’s Canyon, a 10-mile wide chasm carved by the Snake River, dividing Oregon, Washington and Idaho. At 7,993 feet, it is North America’s deepest river gorge. There are only three roads that reach the Snake River in the canyon – two from Oregon and one from Idaho. But the road in Idaho at Pittsburgh Landing is not in the steep canyon section. The only way to see the deepest sections are by boat or from a lookout. I originally envisioned myself careening down the Snake River wearing a helmet and wielding an oar over Class III and IV rapids. But I also envisioned myself here in August. At this time of year, the white water rafts are in dry dock while the River Rats scurry south for the winter. If I wanted to peer into Hell’s Canyon, I would have to resort to “Overlook.” Continue reading
Ten years ago, while vacationing on a tiny island off the coast of Belize, Tobacco Caye, I met a man who waxed poetic about Idaho’s Salmon River. I can still remember his vivid descriptions of rafting this wild and scenic river through canyons, rapids, and some of the largest wilderness in our country. He talked of pristine white sand beach camping under star-filled skies, Continue reading
Although the trip to the North Cascades Lodge in Stehekin was my “big birthday splurge,” it fell a few days short of my actual birthday. So when my brother Don asked, “How would you like to celebrate your special day?” the first thing that came to mind was all the beautiful vineyards we had floated by on our boat tour up Lake Chelan. Continue reading
There are many overnight options in Stehekin ranging from the luxurious cabins at the Silver Bay Inn, to “glamping” in tented camps at the Stehekin Ranch 20 minutes away from the boat launch. There are also a few privately-owned “log cabin” options which include a van as transportation, but these were all way beyond my budget constraints. The National Park Lodge seemed to be the “Goldilocks” of accommodations, offering Continue reading
I feel like I have started every blog post since early summer with “Back when I was here in 2014….” This will be the last time I do this, as every stop from this point forward will be forging new territory. But as I was saying….“Back when I was here in 2014,” I planned to explore the southern approach into the North Cascades National Park. While touring the Newhalem Visitor Center, I learned of a town on the southern edge of the park, Stehekin, only accessible by hiking, float plane, or boat ride 50 miles up Lake Chelan. Continue reading
I took an unexpected liking to the little town of Winthrop and it’s Pine Near Campground on my 2014 tour through the Pacific Northwest. I am not typically a fan of towns with an “Old West” theme…too much shtick. But something was different about Winthrop. It felt like authentic Western ambiance, with just enough tourism thrown in to make it convenient. A couple of well stocked outfitter stores, the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, and the cozy Rocking Horse Bakery offered Continue reading
Highway 20 is Washington State’s longest highway. Known as the North Cascades Scenic Highway and part of the Cascades Loop, it runs right through the heart of North Cascades National Park, earning its billing as “The most beautiful mountain highway in the state of Washington.” Continue reading
When I made the loop through the Olympic Peninsula back in 2014, the one thought I kept repeating in my head consistently was, “My brother Don would LOVE this place!” We have always shared a similar love for the “beauty in the pathless woods” and the serenity of a “lonely shore.”
So although I had not planned on making the loop any further west than Port Townsend this year, once he decided to join me, I could not miss the opportunity to show him Continue reading
I ended up staying my maximum allowed 14 days in the quaint little Point Hudson Marina. Slowly throughout the day after the mass exodus following the Wooden Boat Festival, the marina began to come to life again as a new crew of RVers settled in and weekenders moored their yachts in my back yard. Every day was spent Continue reading