Back in August of this year (2013) Catherine and I took a little road trip to Portland for
Stonerose and made a detour or two on the way home. I don't do many summer road trips, unless I'm on fire suppression assignment, but due to an on-the-job-injury, this was my first summer off in 36 years. I agreed to tag along on this road trip to share some driving, provide moral support and enjoy the company of my fine lady...
Here's a bit of the story...
Our meanderings took us from the north country of Eastern Washington, down the San Poil River, across a corner of the Colville Nation, thru the Grand Coulee, along the mighty Columbia River and all the way to the Pacific Ocean. We followed the coastline for a bit, visited the fishing mecca of Westport, crossed over a northeastern shoulder of Mount Rainer and somehow found our way back home...
In the later part of the 1970’s the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor
Center was designed and built by architect Marcel Breuer as part of the dam’s
third power-plant. Breuer designed the visitor center to resemble a generator
rotor. From this center the National
Park Service stages an evening laser show using four large ion gas lasers. 
So were traveling over Manilla Creek Pass in the lower Okanogan Range, crossing a portion of the Colville Nation tribal lands, out in the pine and sagebrush forest lands, when my lady says to me, "I need a restroom break. Preferably a scenic one."
"A scenic one?" I ask glancing around at the towering Ponderosa pines surrounded by sagebrush and bitter bush and not another car or residence in sight.
"A real restroom," she says reading my mind.
"Hmm, a real restroom and s scenic one at that." I mumbled. "Hope you can hold it"... She could and here we are at the National Park Service restroom with the Grand Coulee Dam in the background. Boy, do I ever deliver...
Steamboat Rock on Banks Lake…
Steamboat Rock State Park is located on Banks Lake in the
Grand Coulee of Eastern Washington State, U.S.A.
Morning Sunrise Sun Lakes
Sun Lakes and Sun Lake State Park are downstream of the Dry
Falls area of Northeastern Washington State at the southern reach of the Grand
Coulee.
Towering Basalt Cliffs over Sun Lake…
These towering basalt cliffs, illuminated in the early
morning sun, rise over the western shore of Sun Lakes in the Grand Coulee of
Washington State, U.S.A.
The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge
U.S. Highway 97 between Washington and Oregon is spanned by the "Biggs Rapid Bridge" also known as the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge. Connecting Maryhill, Washington to Biggs Junction, Oregon the bridge is owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WA DOT). The bridge. The is located 13 miles above The Dalles Dam. Bridge length is 2,567 feet, with a 26 foot deck width and has an 88 foot clearance above the Columbia River below.
U.S. Highway 97 between Washington and Oregon is spanned by the "Biggs Rapid Bridge" also known as the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge. Connecting Maryhill, Washington to Biggs Junction, Oregon the bridge is owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WA DOT). The bridge. The is located 13 miles above The Dalles Dam. Bridge length is 2,567 feet, with a 26 foot deck width and has an 88 foot clearance above the Columbia River below.
The Maryhill Museum of Art is perches on a south facing
slope overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. Open to the public in 1940 the
structure was originally intended as a mansion for entrepreneur Samuel Hill
(1857-1931). During May of 2012 a plaza open that overlooks the Columbia River,
serving as an education center, a collections suite and a café.
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| Mother Goddess Native American display at Maryhill Museum of Art |
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| Seal Skin Shirt - Native American display at Maryhill Museum of Art |
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| Stone Carving - Native American display at Maryhill Museum of Art |
On to Portland, Oregon and the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals
Well, err, almost...
We did manage to hit rush hour traffic on a Friday summer's evening in Portland and trying to reach our evening destination was a bit delayed. Although I must say if your going to get stuck for an hour in traffic the peak of the I-5 bridge over the Willamette River, over the downtown Portland waterfront on a fine summer's eve is not such a bad place to have to creep along with fellow motorists...
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| Compilation of images by Catherine L. Brown |
Our mission with Stonerose took us to a gathering of rockhounds, scientists, collectors and the general public at the Rice Museum, a fifty year old establishment that has become nationally recognized as the finest rocks and minerals museum in the Pacific Northwest.
The traveling Stonerose booth at the Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals.
Clementine and Catherine staffing the Stonerose booth on the back lawn of the Rice Museum.
Deep Forest Road of Oregon
Western Oregon has near-rainforest conditions that promote
large tree and foliage growth as this one lane road through the deep forest
illustrates.
Turn easterly off Oregon Highway 26 and cross the one lane
bridge over Cloochy Creek into the picnic area. This is in the heart of
deceased author Ken Keasy’s Oregon Coastal Mountain country and the story on
the plaque of the Cloochy/Cloutrie Creek Picnic Area is one worthy of the great
author himself.
The Astoria–Megler Bridge…
The Astoria–Megler Bridge is the longest continuous truss
bridge in North America. This steel cantilever bridge spans the Columbia River
between Astoria, Oregon and Point Ellice, Washington. Located 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the
bridge is 4.1 miles long and has the distinction of being the last completed
segment of U.S. Route 101 between Olympia, Washington, and Los Angeles,
California. Seen here in transit from the Oregon side.
The longest continuous truss bridge in North America…
Looking down the maul of the the Astoria–Megler Bridge
spanning the Columbia River near it’s mouth at the Pacific Ocean.
Twilight at Westport – North Pacific Ocean…
It had been a long time since either Catherine or I had visited the ocean. While we occasionally sail the saltchuck of the Salish Sea there is a great difference from the placid inside waters and the Mother Ocean. We walked with cousin Kathleen and Ralph for a twilight walk on the beach. Here Kathleen and Catherine are walking a stretch of the Westport Beach near the
Grays Harbor bar crossing during a late summer’s twilight.
Beach Walker and Dog, Cohassett Beach…
Catherine and Pinja on Cohassett Beach during a calm
summer’s day near Westport, Washington U.S.A.
Hanging at Westport we enjoyed the hospitality of cousin Hillary and hubby Rob. Professional fisherman and gourmet cooks go together hand-in-hand in this family. What a grand table they set.
Pacific Sunset
We'll wrap up the visit to Westport with a golden orange sunset off Cohassett Beach, near
Gray’s Harbor, Washington, U.S.A. Notice the two sailboat’s dim silhouettes under the setting sun.
Pacific Crest Trail
Leaving the I-5 corridor behind we again wandered off the main roadways and found ourselves at the Pacific Crest Trail where it crosses this bridge over the Chinook
Pass Highway in Mount Rainer National Park in Washington State, U.S.A.
Mount Rainer…
Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility…
Mount Rainer…
14,411’ Mount Rainier, in the heart of Washington State is a
massive strato-volcano. The topographical prominence of this mountain contributed to the Puyallup
Peoples naming it Tahoma, from the Lushootseed word meaning "mother of waters". Mount
Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Seen
here behind Governor’s Ridge in Mount Rainer National Park.
Tipsoo Lake, Governors Ridge, Mount Rainer…
Catherine and I hamming it up in front of: Tipsoo Lake at 5,400 feet vertical elevation is the
foreground for this image of Mount Rainer behind Governors Ridge in Mount
Rainer National Park, Washington State, U.S.A.
Yakima Peak, Mount Rainer National Park…
The 6,226 foot summit of Yakima Peak towers over
Tipsoo Lake in Mount Rainer National Park near 
Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility…
With tongue-in-cheek it might be said that an astute traveler may note not only the topographic differences but the climatically distinct variations between the western and eastern geographic areas of Washington State. Whiskey Dick Mountain is the site of the Wild Horse Wind and
Solar Facility. The farm, with 149 wind turbines, is owned by Puget Sound
Energy and named after the famous metal sculpturing ‘Grandfather Cuts Loose the
Ponies’ which is located across the Columbia River.
Columbia River – Vantage Bridge Crossing…
The Vantage Bridge carries Interstate 90 across the Columbia
River. Due to the Wanapum Dam this section of the river is named Wanapum Lake.
This 2,504 foot long bridge carries over 10,000 vehicles daily. The bridge
separates the Ginkgo Petrified Forest (east) and Wanapum Recreational Area
State Park (west) in this portion of the Columbia River Valley.
Sunset over Windy Ridge and the Columbia River Valley…
Whiskey Dick Mountain is the highest point on Windy Ridge in
the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area. Seen here with the mid-August sunset flaming
over the landscape.
Lead Pony – Wild Horses Monument…
This is the lead horse of fifteen metal sculpted wild horses
from artist and sculpture David Govedare.
While WA DOT refers to this larger-than-life sculpture as Wild Horses
Monument the artist has entitled it GRANDFATHER CUTS LOOSE THE PONIES.
Alkali Lake – Sun Lakes Basin
Alkali Lake was formed by the Missoula Floods in the lower coulee
south of Dry Falls. The lake is located in Grant County, Washington, just north
of the town of Soap Lake. The Sun Lakes drainage runs north and south right
beside Washington State Route 17 leading from near the city of Moses Lake to
Coulee City, Washington, U.S.A.
These basalt cliffs and Washington State Highway 17 form the
western shore of Alkali Lake in the Sun Lakes drainage. The lake is a critical
habitat for wildlife, especially waterfowl in this parched area of the
Evergreen State. These massive basalt
cliffs and rock formations were exposed by the great Missoula Floods during the
last ice age and form a part of the Grand Coulee in Washington State.
Morning in the Grand Coulee
Morning sunlight softens the otherwise harsh features of
these unique rock formations. Castle-like topographic features top the basalt
cliffs forming the rim of the Grand Coulee.
Road trips these days have a lot of user-friendly technology available to the savvy traveler. And so it was that Catherine was checking her Facebook profile whilst we were on the road and discovered that the Washington State Department of Transportation, operators of the Keller Ferry, which crosses the lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt / Columbia River, was staging the dedication ceremonies of the new M/V SAN POIL, (the new Keller Ferry).
Logistics worked out for us to spend the night nearby and attend the celebration the next morning.
And as it worked out our ship's dog and canine traveling companion, Pinja, was the first pooch on the new MV SAN POIL once it was open to public. And to seal her place in on-board canine history Pinja was also first dog onto the fly-bridge of the new vessel, as captured here in a photo by Catherine...
On that first ride across of the MV SAN POIL this old truck was the in the front of the line. It happened that this truck was built the year that the retired Keller Ferry, MS MARTHA S. had been brought into service. A fun loop of history for the inaugural ride across the lake...
Thanks for checking out the FIREWATER blog. Please take the time to leave a comment or "follow" this blog...
Foster
Logistics worked out for us to spend the night nearby and attend the celebration the next morning.
And as it worked out our ship's dog and canine traveling companion, Pinja, was the first pooch on the new MV SAN POIL once it was open to public. And to seal her place in on-board canine history Pinja was also first dog onto the fly-bridge of the new vessel, as captured here in a photo by Catherine...
* * *
Postscript: in the wake of the dedication ceremonies the new MV SAN POIL began her mission of ferrying vehicles the impounded waters of the mighty Columbia River on the lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt and we also caught the first ride across the lake. From that northern landing it is less than two hours to Riverhome and the end of this fine summer's road trip... 
On that first ride across of the MV SAN POIL this old truck was the in the front of the line. It happened that this truck was built the year that the retired Keller Ferry, MS MARTHA S. had been brought into service. A fun loop of history for the inaugural ride across the lake...
Thanks for checking out the FIREWATER blog. Please take the time to leave a comment or "follow" this blog...
Foster
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