2011-42 Roosevelt Elk, Oregon & Grand Coulee Dam, Washington
Hello
All,
Our last adventure in the Pacific Northwest took us from the Seattle area into Oregon where we visited family and friends. It is always great to catch up on what is happening in their lives. We decided to take a short road trip out of Roseburg with Dave’s cousins and husband.
One of our favorite things to do in Oregon is the drive to the coast for some of Mo’s world famous New England Style Clam Chowder with bacon. Wow, it makes the mouth water just writing about it! Barb and I normally order a bucket of the chowder and split it for dinner. Should you ever get to the Oregon coast we highly recommend trying it. Finding a Mo’s restaurant is pretty easy as they have six different locations along the coast and have been in business since 1946.
Our target destination for this trip was the city of Florence. On the drive to the coast we passed an area that was loaded with elk. It is a protected area and the wild elk seem to know it as they flock in from the surrounding mountains. It was July and the antlers on the bulls were starting to get some pretty good growth and were still in velvet. Calves born in the spring were good size also and still nursing. We had to stop and snap a few photos, as they are such magnificent animals.
The bulls for the most part hung out in groups while the cows and calves wandered around feeding in the lush green grass.
Our last adventure in the Pacific Northwest took us from the Seattle area into Oregon where we visited family and friends. It is always great to catch up on what is happening in their lives. We decided to take a short road trip out of Roseburg with Dave’s cousins and husband.
One of our favorite things to do in Oregon is the drive to the coast for some of Mo’s world famous New England Style Clam Chowder with bacon. Wow, it makes the mouth water just writing about it! Barb and I normally order a bucket of the chowder and split it for dinner. Should you ever get to the Oregon coast we highly recommend trying it. Finding a Mo’s restaurant is pretty easy as they have six different locations along the coast and have been in business since 1946.
Our target destination for this trip was the city of Florence. On the drive to the coast we passed an area that was loaded with elk. It is a protected area and the wild elk seem to know it as they flock in from the surrounding mountains. It was July and the antlers on the bulls were starting to get some pretty good growth and were still in velvet. Calves born in the spring were good size also and still nursing. We had to stop and snap a few photos, as they are such magnificent animals.
The bulls for the most part hung out in groups while the cows and calves wandered around feeding in the lush green grass.
Upon
arriving in Florence our first bit of business was lunch of course. We made our
way to Old Town Florence where a Mo’s Restaurant sits on pilings in the
beautiful Siuslaw River.
As
seen in the photo below the restaurant is not fancy. It is all about service
and high quality seafood. It’s a very popular stopping place for the locals as
well as visitors to the area. While dining it was fun to watch fishing boats
passing by and seals playing in the river.
After
lunch we walked the streets of Old Town and some of us checked out the many
gift and antique shops--every one of them!
It
was a typical day on the coast with a low overcast of clouds. Some of the
fishing boats were selling slabs of freshly caught tuna.
Departing
Florence we drove south down the coast stopping here and there for a photo
opportunity. At one stop a home built RV really caught our eye. Many of us can
remember the “hippies” of the 60’s and their flowery painted VW bus campers.
And, we have all seen old school buses that have been converted into campers.
But, have you ever seen the two combined? It was a new first for us. Can you
imagine riding up in the VW bus while going down the highway approaching a
highway overpass? Bet it would make you duck! Maybe a little “wacky tabaky”
mellows them out.
Might
have known the “Rollin Thunder” was from California!
After
bidding farewell to friends and family we started our trek back to Seattle. For
a little change of scene we hopped over the Cascade Mountain Range and traveled
up the east side of the range towards Washington. The Cascade Range runs north
to south down the middle of the two states. For the most part east of the range
is considered high desert while the western parts of the states are covered
with lush evergreen forests and beautiful valleys.
Our first stop on the eastside of the range was at Peter Skene Ogden Park at Crooked River Gorge. Peter Ogden, 1793-1854, worked for the Hudson Bay Company. In 1825 he led a trapping party on the first recorded journey into central Oregon crossing the Crooked River Valley near the location of the park. He passed through the area again in 1826 bound for the Harney Basin and the Klamath Region where he discovered Mount Shasta in northern California. Ogden was an important figure in the early fur trade and ranged all over the west. He also rescued the survivors of the Whitman Massacre. This massacre took place on November 29, 1847, in the Oregon Country. Missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa, along with eleven others were killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians.
Here’s a bit of trivia for you--Ogden, Utah, is also named for Peter Skene Ogden.
Central Oregon’s roads were primitive at best during the early 1900s. Until the 1920s, U.S. Highway 97 was a collection of unpaved roads. Prior to the construction of the Crooked River (High) Bridge over the gorge in 1926 there was only a one-lane wooden structure to cross it. The new bridge was 464 feet long, and at 295 feet above the river it was the nation’s highest single arch span when constructed.
Our first stop on the eastside of the range was at Peter Skene Ogden Park at Crooked River Gorge. Peter Ogden, 1793-1854, worked for the Hudson Bay Company. In 1825 he led a trapping party on the first recorded journey into central Oregon crossing the Crooked River Valley near the location of the park. He passed through the area again in 1826 bound for the Harney Basin and the Klamath Region where he discovered Mount Shasta in northern California. Ogden was an important figure in the early fur trade and ranged all over the west. He also rescued the survivors of the Whitman Massacre. This massacre took place on November 29, 1847, in the Oregon Country. Missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa, along with eleven others were killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians.
Here’s a bit of trivia for you--Ogden, Utah, is also named for Peter Skene Ogden.
Central Oregon’s roads were primitive at best during the early 1900s. Until the 1920s, U.S. Highway 97 was a collection of unpaved roads. Prior to the construction of the Crooked River (High) Bridge over the gorge in 1926 there was only a one-lane wooden structure to cross it. The new bridge was 464 feet long, and at 295 feet above the river it was the nation’s highest single arch span when constructed.
Continuing into the
state of Washington we stopped and picked up two of our grandkids at their home
in Winthrop and then proceeded to Grand Coulee Dam. The dam, located on the
Columbia River in central Washington, is the largest concrete structure in the
United States. It forms the centerpiece of the Columbia Basin Project, a
multipurpose endeavor managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In addition to
producing up to 6.5 million kilowatts of power, the dam irrigates over half a
million acres of farmland.
However
with all that said, the main reason we wanted to visit the dam with the
grandkids was so that they could see the amazing laser light show held nightly
from May through September. Spillways across the dam are opened and form the
screen for the lightshow. Imagine the Columbia River telling you the story of
how and why the Grand Coulee Dam came to be built. The narrated story combines
colorful laser figures that dance across the entire span of the dam spillways.
You can sit on the grass or in bleachers at the visitor center each evening
after dark to watch the show. It is great family entertainment with beautiful
music and an uplifting patriotic finish for all ages.
Since it was still daylight when we arrived at the dam we checked out the many exhibits in the visitor center. We normally don’t include photos of family and friends in our write-ups but these of our granddaughter were just too cute not to share. She is trying out one of the diving helmets workers used while constructing the dam.
Since it was still daylight when we arrived at the dam we checked out the many exhibits in the visitor center. We normally don’t include photos of family and friends in our write-ups but these of our granddaughter were just too cute not to share. She is trying out one of the diving helmets workers used while constructing the dam.
When
darkness came and the light show started it was awesome. Trying to photograph
laser images rapidly moving across the huge screen of the dam spillways was a
challenge and these photos don’t do it justice. If you are ever in this neck of
the woods we highly recommend checking out the light show.
All
good things must come to an end so we said goodbye to the Pacific Northwest and
flew back home. Waiting to greet us was the heat and humidity of the south in
the summertime. It inspired us to start planning our next adventure--but more
on that in our next little blurb.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns