OH NO...don't let the rain come down....

After almost 3 weeks of beautiful weather, we are getting a good rain. It actually won't really be much of a hinderance since we planned today to do inside museums. Besides worse case scenario....I will have to settle back with The Kite Runner....it is the #1 best selling novel and not anything I thought I would enjoy. My friend Bobbi Lee insisted I get it....thanks Bobbi it's wonderful. Since I know she hasn't been convinced to come into the 21st century yet (email) I will have to count on one of the Pullaw girls to pass the thanks along.

Bobbi also knitted the most beautiful afghan for us and unbeknown to her it matches the stripe in the upholstery. I LOVE it and use it almost every night!

OK...so we went up to the Visitors Center at Mount St. Helens. I am SO glad we did. We gathered so much information not only on the volcano but also lumbering in the area which is a huge industry, and much info on the animals that inhabit the area.

One thing I learned was that the guy from Missouri (who we met up at Windy Ridge) didn't know what he was talking about. He told me there was 2 million trees planted....that would in fact be 2 billion! 18 million were planted, by hand, in the first 7 years after the eruption by Weyehaeuser. This same company also salvaged 850 million board feet of lumber....enough to build 85,000 homes. The destruction spread over 234 square miles. http://www.mountsthelens.weyerhaeuser.com/

From Washington we headed to the Oregon Coast. Check out the logs being shipped ....they were piled up on both sides of this bridge we crossed.

We settled in a beautiful KOA http://www.astoriakoa.com/

The landscaping is beautiful here. This Hydrangea bush is right outside my computer window. There is a large inside pool and hot tub. We settled in for 2-3 days before moving on to Redmond, where we will visit with Jason Renzi (Mike's best friend)...and one of our favorites.

We did some shopping this morning....I broke down and bought a FEW warm clothes and Salt found a Black and Decker outlet which was having a big sale. He ended up with a new cordless hammer drill for half price.

We decided to have a cup of coffee before we went grocery shopping so we popped into a chocolate/espresso cafe. Check out the candy apples; this was only one of the 3 carts of different

coated apples. I tried to rationalize.."an apple a day keeps the doctor away" but backed down and only had the coffee.

Brother Joe called from Horseheads, NY where Janna was playing in a Volleyball Tournament. There team is HOT! They took first place and are 7-0 for the year. Janna is the only Freshman starter on the team (middle, back row)....You go Janna!!!! Love and miss you!

Joe sent the picture from his cell phone so it is a bit blurry, but not bad for a phone!

I guess if I am going to put a picture of Janna in the Blog I can't forget Matthew.....here he is on the first day of school this year! Handsome Dude isn't he!!

Salt is mapping out the route for tomorrow. We are planning to travel 101 along the coast. We have been told it is a beautiful drive so expect a lot of pictures tomorrow!

I may not be a "10" but the boys say I clean up good...

In keeping with my promise to try and catch up on last summer's activities here are a few pictures of Emma.

First day of school September, 2007. This is her "I want to look like Molly" (American Doll) look.

Flower Girl in Kriston and David's wedding September 8, 2007

Brownie Uniform September, 2007

She looks SO much like her mother did at this age....I call her "Baby Boop"!

When I die I may not go to heaven cuz I don't know if they let cowboys in....

I woke up this morning to the aroma of bacon cooking on Salt's new Webber grill. Yesterday, we purchased these stupendous tomatoes at one of the fruit markets . Salt decided to gather all the ingredients for BLT's and make them up on the tailgate while we were up in the mountains.

We are loving all the picnics we have been having while we are traveling. Since we abhor fast foods and that is pretty much all that is available in these sightseeing areas we are packing lunches almost daily.

Yep....we weren't 2 miles down the road and up popped this Cowboy Coffee stand. I am going to have withdrawal when we leave the West...for sure!!

We started up through the Pischnot National Forest; green, green, green.


Except of course for all the magnificent colors that are becoming more and more prevalent.

We decided to do one side of the mountain pass today and do it thoroughly, stay over another day and do the other side and the visitor center (where they show the movies) tomorrow. There is just so much to see it is almost impossible to take it all in. Especially since we like to stop at all the lookouts and/ or historical markers to get the "whole story". The first lookout we stopped at was Bear Meadow. I took a picture of the info marker as I thought it was pretty amazing that someone actually got these pictures. These were taken by a couple of young kids just as the mountain erupted. After getting the 4Th picture they realized how close they were to disaster, so quickly started back down the mountain path. They had to literally grope their way down in the dark because of all the flying ash.

I don't know exactly what I expected to see when we reached the so called "devastation". I figured after 27 years there really wouldn't be that much to see.....WRONG! It was another one of those situations where unless you see it with your own eyes you cannot imagine the enormity of it. It just went on for miles.

If you enlarge this picture it is quite interesting!

Over 2 million seedlings have been planted (spread) and yet you can see how little growth has actually been restored.

As we ascended the mountain we came across this lake. It was called Spirit Lake and before the eruption was an upscale Resort and Children's Camp. It is hard to tell from the picture (this was as close as I could get). What appears to be ice jams is merely tons and tons of log jams from when the mountain erupted and blew the trees in the lake. Of course with all the ash and lava the lake is now nothing more than a memory.


We are really excited to finish the tour tomorrow. We have only just begun to actually learn about the volcanic activity. Tomorrow we will actually get to see movies and talk to people who can explain things more clearly. We did hear today that the mountain is steaming and bubbling again. Whatever that means. I know in 1980 it was set off by an earthquake....I have no idea what it means if it is steaming again???? Stay tuned!

I haven't checked this website out yet but it is a high definition web camera to give web visitors a more detailed view of the mountain, the crater and the growing domes. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/


And......here she is!


Oh yes, on the way home Salt decided that if we took Route 25 which was CLOSED, we could save about 50 miles. Someone had taken a portion of the gate down and since we knew they were done working for the day we were tempted. We hemmed and hawed and then I said, "well we could do what my brother Joe does"....He always maintains it is better to apologize than ask questions....so off we went. Fortunately we did not run into anyone and when we went the 22 miles we managed to get around the other gate that was in fact CLOSED....thank God for 4 wheel drive! I think I do not make a good outlaw!


Betty and Mike.....if you are reading this we will call you as soon as we get in range of phone service again. If you need to get in touch with us... email or text message!

Don't blink...time goes faster than you think...

Right after we left Spokane Valley, Salt looked at the odometer and we were both shocked to see that we have already traveled 3,236 miles...that's not counting all the side trips we take with the jeep.


We are very happy we decided to add Washington to the itinerary! When we first entered the state I was kind of blase. We stopped at a scenic overlook and took these pictures. I thought the topography was certainly different and pretty but not necessarily beautiful, as I had heard.





We drove for a couple of hours before pulling over for lunch. Shortly after that we were starting to see a much greener topography and acres and acres of all kinds of fruit orchards. We pulled off for gas and walked across the street to one of the many fruit stands along the highway. The fruit was so cheap and is fabulous.

We are loving the fact that we have access to all these wonderful fruits and vegetables. We do most of our meals right in the motor home (or grill outside) and both of us are having fun experimenting with new recipes.

Once we got back on the road we really started to do some major mountain climbing. These rapids went on for miles and miles... there were all kinds of guides taking people through on rafts. I really want to do this before we leave but Salt isn't as gungeho as I am. I'll be able to talk him into it!

After going over 4 passes we turned a corner and there was Mount Rainier. http://www.visitrainier.com/ I thought I was going to need an oxygen mask...it was that breathtaking! They of course had a scenic overlook, so we pulled over for a quick photo op . It was amazing I took one picture and then walked about 10 feet and took the second shot with the sun at at different angle.

We will be visiting Mount Rainier National park tomorrow as well as Mount Saint Helen.

We are parked at a small RV resort in Packford; 6 miles from the park and 53 miles from the volcano. Should be an interesting day...a lot to see in the immediate area.

You may hear that I'm talking foolish; you may hear that I am wild and I am free.....

As planned we spent a couple of days in West Glacier, MT. This has been one of our favorite resorts so far. It is privately owned, so the office is right in the owner's home. They also have a really cool "visitors lounge". It has an ambiance that makes you feel so at home....fire in the wood stove, dogs in front of the fireplace (if the master is not watching....on the couch), a library and ping pong table. I love the libraries at the campgrounds....you leave the books you have read and take new ones. Of course for me, reading is one of the BEST things about traveling; I get to READ, READ, READ...my passion!

We headed toward Idaho, and pulled over in a rest area for homemade fajitas at lunch time. This was the view from our dining room window....doesn't it look like a watercolor?

And of course before we leave Montana....one more coffee. I am really going to miss these little Espresso drive through stands. I really splurged on this farewell stop....double mocha latte....mmmmm! That stop took us about 20 minutes, as the owner gave us the whole scoop of where to go in Washington. She told us to definitely see Mt. St. Helen's and the volcanic devastation from the last eruption. She was living there at the time. She also suggested routes along the coast line where we were likely to see seals.

As we were driving today, I believe I formulated the perfect plan! December through March in Florida, April in Myrtle Beach, May through August on Grindstone , September and October in Montana and back to Myrtle Beach in November. Logistics would be something like this. .. Store the motor home at the end of April and drive the jeep to Grindstone. Fly to Montana for September and October, fly back to Myrtle Beach, spend November there and then drive the motor home to Florida in December through March drive back to Myrtle Beach for April and then storage. Nothing set in stone yet as we vowed not to make any firm decisions until we had visited 48 of the a50 states. A few I can automatically eliminate but we have not done New England yet and I loved New England when I traveled and lived there years ago. The only thing carved in stone at this time is summer on Grindstone and winters where it is not COLD.We arrived in Spokane Valley around 6:00 (crossed into Pacific time). Crashing at a Wal Mart and heading out early tomorrow....for the coast!

I always scan the AAA guides to see if there is anything in particular we want to stop and see while we are cruising through new areas....Idaho did NOT have a lot of "gems. Since Salt was not interested in seeing the world's largest potato chip, we headed right on toward Spokane Valley, Washington where we planned to spend the night.

You don't know where you're going until you know where you're at....

As planned, we got up early this morning, changed the bed, did laundry and cleaned the motor home. I cooked a few meals that we can simply heat up while we are on the move.

After lunch we headed for a grocery store in Whitefish. We were driving down the road and I looked up and asked Salt..."is that snow? no that can't be snow, it's not steam; oh my gosh..."

This is what it looks like when you hear people say "when the mountains meet the sky". The clouds actually appear to be resting on the side of the mountain.

I know the trip through Idaho and into Seattle, Washington is going to be exceptionally beautiful but I really do hate leaving Montana. Salt and I are seriously thinking about picking up a couple of acres in the mountains for future options.

On the way in to Whitefish we ran across a huckleberry and cherry stand. We picked up some Huckleberry jam (Montana is noted for it's Huckleberries) and some fresh cherries...the cherries are the sweetest I have ever had. We are definitely stopping on the way out of town for some more. When we arrived in Whitefish (really cool western town) we stumbled upon a small Historical Museum; it was housed in the same building as the train station. It was very small but interesting as it traced the lives of the loggers and well as the railroad. We also found quite an interesting bass....took a picture for all my fishing buddies (Shane and Daryl). Is this the first fur covered fish you have ever seen?

Of course we had to stop at the Montana Coffee Traders.....I can't get enough of that coffee...sorry Starbucks!

We decided to take some of the back roads. One in particular we loved; it ran along the banks of Whitefish Lake and right through a forest. Salt and I were both hanging our heads out the window "sniffing". It smelled just like Christmas potpourri with all the pine trees.

While we were cruising, we received a phone call from one of our favorite "adopted" daughters; Janna Jedrzejewski. Many of you will remember Janna, as she spent 2 summers with us on the island. She is married, has 3 BEAUTIFUL children and is living in Laramie, Wyoming. We had planned to visit her on the way back through but didn't want to tell her yet as we really don't have a specific date when we will be there. I couldn't resist telling her today, and now I am getting really excited to see her, Jerry and the 3 boys! I will have lots of pictures when I leave there!

As we will be spending the next couple of days putting in some road miles, I am going to try and post some pictures from last summer (the lost summer...it went so fast...we were very busy!). Lots happened I just didn't have time or energy to keep up the blog......stay tuned!

We are watching the movie Fracture. In one of the truck stops, we found these disposable DVDs. Once they are opened they can be watched for 48 hours and they expire. How do they do that???? I really need to find out....not knowing things like this bugs me. Anyway, they are all recent releases and are under $5.00. They are perfect for our lifestyle

P.S. The fish is a joke!

It should be illegal it gets me so high.....

Before we left the KOA Saturday morning, we received a call from our good friend Jim Adamson. Jim had owned a home in Montana (and says his heart is still here) so was able to give us all kinds of information about what roads to travel to see the "real west" and some of the more beautiful parts of this picturesque state.

I set the GPS for Whitefish, a small town just outside Glacier National Park www.nps.gov/glac/home.htm . By the way...the person who invented the GPS should win the Nobel Peace Prize for saving marriages. I LOVE that thing! We made it as far as Great Falls, and pulled into a Sam's for the night.

Sunday morning we headed out again and about half way through the drive encountered this!!

We didn't know whether to push on or change plans and head a little more south. After stopping for gas on the Blackfeet reservation, we checked with some of the locals and they told us to go on because it would melt and the forecast was for a nice day tomorrow. Within 15 minutes we were out of the snow and into a very fall like drive for the rest of the way.

We found a very nice campground in West Glacier, right next to the park. We have decided to stay put for a couple of days and do some catching up on some of our "domestic" chores and just mellow with a movie or book between our sightseing tours.

We were a little disappointed to find out a large portion of the park is closed due to road reconstruction. There was a big washout in the spring so they were forced to close several of the roads. We toured a part of it this evening after dinner and found it as beautiful as we had imagined.

We had planned on going only as far as Oregon this trip but now that we are so close to Washington we have decided to add that to our itinerary. I think we are making Betty and Kriston a little nervous, making them wonder if we will get back to Myrtle Beach for their visit in November. Don't worry girls (and of course Emma) we will be on the beach waiting for you!

Felt the rush of the Rio Grandee, then saw Yellowstone first hand....

We left Gardner early Friday morning to spend our second day at Yellowstone. We drove into Mammoth Falls and hiked up to the hot springs falls. It was so strange to see all this boiling (literally) water cascading down the rocks and sitting in pools along the roadway.


Below is the picture of "Old Faithful" the geyser that erupts every 90 minutes. We arrived at the site at 12:30 pm and were told she would be erupting again at 12:42. We had front row seats and I had my camera ready. After taking 4 pictures, I looked at my cell phone and it was 12:43 pm....pretty accurate!

I think my favorite part of the entire drive thorough not only the park but a large part of Montana is the crystal clear brooks that run along the winding roads. The quivering Aspens throw a reflection into the waters that look like sparkling diamonds flowing through them. I told Salt it feels like we are spending personal time with God!



There were parts of the park that were not so pretty. There have been acres and acres destroyed by forest fires. Some are standing as just a charred mess while some like the ones below have started to regrow. You can see all the old charred trees standing in the picture below, as well as the new growth. This is supposedly from the major fires of 1989 so has taken 18 years to get it to this stage.



Oh I almost forgot to put this little bit of trivia in for Mike. There is a ski slope up where we traveled that is open only between May and July....as that is the only time they can get to it!

We left the park, (via this cool tunnel) spent a quiet evening at the KOA and mapped our way to Glacier National Park where we will head tomorrow.

Meet me underneath the blue Montana sky.....

"I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect....even some affection, but Montana, it's love...!"

John Steinbeck

AMEN!!

We love everything about Montana; the scenery breath taking, the people SO friendly and caring.

We parked the motor home at the bottom of the mountains at a KOA, 63 miles from the entrance to Yellowstone National Park and took the jeep into the mountains. We had purchased a Season National Park Pass last year when we went to Big Bend, and since we traveled later in the year it is still good. It is working out well since we are visiting so many more National Parks this year.

I packed an overnight bag and we decided if we were too involved in the park instead of traveling back to the motor home we would just stay in the park and do another day.

We took advice from the owner of the RV resort and headed up Bear Tooth Pass. The road winds 32 miles up the mountain and is a white knuckle ride all the way up. Once we reached the top (where Salt saw the only snow he will see this winter.....I hope) we stopped at a little store called The Top of the World . We grabbed some buffalo jerky and beef sticks for Matthew and a cup of coffee for ourselves and headed back down the opposite side of the pass.

What a trip....the road was full of hairpin turns and around every corner was a view more beautiful than the previous one. It was full of mountain lakes all of them as blue as the Caribbean! The fall colors are just starting to bite at the trees and bushes and we have been blessed with sunshine and low 70 degree weather....perfect for hiking.

This is Tower Falls, one of the many beautiful waterfalls gracing the park.

.

Since the elk are in rut right now, we were able to see many of them out feeding right before dusk. there were also herds and herds of Buffalo!

Since the night was creeping in and we were a little leery of the unfamiliar mountain roads we decided to stop for the night. We slipped just outside of the park into the little town of Gardner, where we stayed in this little very rustic cabin.

I should have been a cowboy....

Last night when we returned from the park we stayed in the little town of Medora, SD http://www.medora.com/ . It was a very small town; still very western (we had Buffalo Burgers in the Saloon) and full of history.

Our plan was to get moving early, stop at the Cowboy Hall of Fame http://www.northdakotacowboy.com/ and have a full day to move on toward Yellowstone National Park.

The plan fell apart when I forgot to unlock the slide on the motor home before I popped it out last night...whoops!! Fortunately Salt and the manager of the RV park were able to tear it down and get it back on track.

We did get to the museum and were still able to drive as far as Billings, Montana. We stopped in a Wal Mart where we will spend the night and move on to Yellowstone by tomorrow afternoon.