USA NORTHWEST 2014
~PART 1: OREGON & WASHINGTON~

Photos © R.Leeuw

With Delta we flew into Portland (PDX), Oct.10th. We collected our rental car from Alamo and made our way
to the hotel I had booked. There was a noticeable price difference in hotels / motels in town and those at the airport.
So we had booked the Red Lion Inn, which had a restaurant on the premises (open only for breakfast & dinner; they
served a nice Bridgewater IPA). The autumn had clearly arrived here. We left our bags in our room and in some twenty
minutes we were in the city center. All day parking cost me around 15 dollars, the city center is easily covered walking.

We had entered the USA via Portland before, but then I had not taken the trouble to explore the city then. So this time
we allowed ourselves a day and a half here. Much of the praise diminishes when compared to European towns,
but Portland does have historical buildings and facilities for a pleasant stroll. Bicycles seemed popular too.
We had a few things on our list we wanted to see, so read on.

The bridges across the Willamette river define the landscape here. There is a park here and plenty of opportunity
to get involved in some healthy exercise. Despite the signs of autumn we enjoyed lovely balmy weather.

One of the sites to explore was the Portland Saturday Market, the scene of eateries and trinkets for sale.

For more images on our Portland visit see my page PORTLAND,OR

 

We drove from Portland,OR to Seattle,WA. We wanted to do a whale watching trip, but found opportunities limited
so late in the season. It also had to fit in the time schedule I had planned. Island-adventures.com in Anacortes
offered such an opportunity and we had a great day! For a report see my page USA 2014 Whale Watching

The area of Seattle offered various places for me to search out vintage aeroplanes, e.g. The Historical Flight
Foundation (HFF) at Paine Field (above) and old warhorses at Arlington airfield (below).
Those and other vintage & classic aeroplanes, see my aviation page: Propliners in NW USA

SKYKOMISH

We had been exceptionally lucky with the sunny weather the past few days, but the day we left Seattle, driving east
over the Cascades, the weather changed on us. We headed out on US Route 2, the Stevens Pass Highway. The clouds
made the landscape look even more dramatic. We stopped at Skykomish for lunch and also had a quick look around.

Some true frontier spirit captured here.

I 'collect' libraries. I love books and would hate to see them replaced by e-books. So when I come across
libraries, and can spare the time, I check them out and add them on an album on my Flickr account. Check it out!

Like I said, the clouds made the landscape look even more dramatic.

Almost across the mountains and the weather cleared, as we had expected. We did not expect to pass through this
'Bavarian' town of Leavenworth! As if we were driving in the Alps!

'Bavarian Bakery - Bäckerei'. Unfortunately there was no time to stop, we had to press on.

This wasn't the first time we visited Washington State and we knew the coastal region could be wet, but over the Cascades
there is a dry, almost arid climate. And as we expected the weather cleared after we crossed those mountains.
We continued on Route 2, via Wenatchee and Ephrata (Rte 28), to Moses Lake.
The next stop was in Idaho however, so follow the link to the next page, for impressions of Idaho & Montana!
› † ‹

Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune--I myself am good fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.

You road I enter upon and look around! I believe you are not all that
 is here;
 I believe that much unseen is also here.
-Walt Whitman

USA NORTHWEST 2014
THE START: OREGON & WASHINGTON
PORTLAND, OR
WHALEWATCHING FROM ANACORTES
PAGE TWO: IDAHO & MONTANA
NATIONAL BISON RANGE
PAGE THREE: WYOMING
YELLOWSTONE NAT'L PARK
JACKSON,WY
PAGE FOUR: IDAHO
CRATERS OF THE MOON
THE END: OREGON

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INDEX PAGE FOR MY TRAVELS

Reactions / comments welcomed.