Sunday, August 16, 2009 Bend friends and Joan Baez

Heading to Bend early in the morning for a Unity church celebration. Then to meet up with our friend from Tacoma, Tara and her friends, some of whom live in Bend. They invite up to “Raft” on the slow moving, relaxing Deschutes River in town. Rafting here means any air filled contraption that you can find including air mattresses! We have a lovely calming time floating downstream for the afternoon.

Then off to a concert with Janis Ian opening for Joan Baez. Wonderful!! So nice to see so many people loving these beautiful strong older wise women. We did notice that there were a lot of white-haired and older people in the audience and then we noticed we were them!! We sleep at Terry’s, one of our coaching buddies, and Bruce’s beautiful large “castle” on a lake 20 minutes away from Bend. They have a lake in their backyard with a view of Mt Bachelor!!

Saturday, August 15, 2009 Columbia River to Mt. Hood

Wake to a beautiful day on Columbia River Gorge by The Dalles. Checking email at the library we head to Mt Hood and farmers market there. This is an apple, pear, cherry, etc valley extraordinaire of Eastern Oregon. We enjoy some of the summer’s harvest. After exploring the area a bit further we slowly head up the Hood River. We stop at the Naked Winery wine tasting and fruit stand (there are many wineries in Washington and Oregon). We particularly enjoyed the Orgasmic Red. Guess you could have guessed! We see so many volcanic mountains around here.

All in a line from Mt Rainier, St. Helens, now Mt. Adams which Myia and Gerrit have never seen, now Mt. Hood (remarkable!). And more to come. We are beginning to think it is a plan or something. We sleep for the night at a skiing parking lot with a striking view of Mt hood. And amazing dark night of stars!

Friday, August 14, 2009 Rainy Mt. Rainier and to the Sun of Eastern Washington

Awaking to mist, the Northwest is proving its name of poor weather as we go into the park and check with the ranger about conditions higher up. No change he says unless you are on the mountain top, clear, but at the highest Paradise Rd. is only 5000 ft. We decide to go another time perhaps and head to Mt St. Helens back side nearby.

We have good views of some of the devastation but no sight of the Mountain still in clouds. We wonder at first about the somewhat burnt, somewhat dead tress standing around and big trees looking burnt but lying on the ground with full roots exposed. And then it dawns on us that these are still from the blast of hot air and ash that the volcano spewed 30 years ago. We head down toward the Columbia River Gorge and along the River. We stop in Stevens for the County Fair! Gerrit’s first. And get the fish Hatchery right before it closes and a lovely lady agrees to take us around. As we head down the river we notice blue skies ahead!! We do know that Eastern Oregon/Washington is usually better weather and this is very dramatic! Leaving clouds as a line behind us and heading into the sun like there was never anything else.

We stop at Hood River for some amazing scenery and watching at one of the best wind and kite surfing locations there is. We take some of the old 30 Hwy. for spectacular views before the 84 Freeway was built. We head down to The Dalles and cross over back into calmer Washington side and a spot by the river for sleeping. A cooked dinner in the van and we are happy sleeping on the River.

Thursday, August 13, 2009 Leaving Tacoma in a downpour!

After getting the van’s tires rotated and we make chicken soup while hoping for better weather. With harder rain coming down we head toward Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens. Arriving to Mt. Rainer we find a lovely spot to stay the night in the forest in the rain.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 Visit with “Dutch” Friends

Taking advantage of the time we have we work on the blog. We get in touch with friends Allie and David from Amsterdam who have a house in Olympia and are here for the summer. We meet them in a waterfront restaurant with Tara for drinks and talk of Dutch and Amsterdam and the world.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 Another rainy day in Tacoma

Another rainy day so we take the car for an oil change and do some shopping. No photos today.

Monday, August 10, 2009 Arriving Tacoma and Tara

Leaving Seattle after breakfast with Bill and Lela. We get to Tacoma and Myia’s good friend from Social Work School days, Tara. Go to lunch on the waterfront and then She shows us around the new renovated Downtown Tacoma and we go to the amazing Glass Museum. And the old Buildings they have now restored for the University of Washington now housed here.

Sunday, August 9, 2009 Another day in Seattle

Today there is SUN!! We head down to Myia’s first Unity Church In Seattle and enjoy their service and connecting with members.

We meet Xana and head over the Mercer Island Floating Bridge for a walk in a Garden in Bellevue. Then Xana takes us driving tour thru the University of Washington where Myia went to school. To her old house, to the Old Gas Works Park,

and to see the troll who lives under the bridge! Interesting to see how things have change and how much Myia remembers!!

Since the weather is holding we decide to have a picnic at one of the several view parks in walking distance of Xana’s house. Later in the evening Bill and Lela return from college touring so we get to visit awhile before bed.

Saturday, August 8, 2009 A day in Seattle

We get up early to head to the famous Pike Place Market. We buy a bag of natural produce from a local vendor and then head down to Pioneer Square where we visit the National Historical Park.

We make a quick walk thru the International (China) District.

We visit the new spectacular architecture of the Library and then up to the Seattle Asian Art Museum on the hill overlooking the town.

We see gold panning demonstration and go on a Ranger led walk around Old town Seattle.

We also go down to New Gerhy Building which houses the Music Experience and the Museum of Science Fiction. And then to the Sculpture Garden they built over the old roads clse to the waterfront.

Then back to Xana’s where she has prepared an amazing fresh crab dinner for us all. Great times and catching up.

Friday, August 7, 2009 To Seattle

After a lovely breakfast, we then head into Seattle to stay with our friend family in the 1898 Queen Anne Victorian 3 level home.

We get some time with Xana and Lucien before Bill and Lela come back from a college-visiting trip in the West. We have a nice dinner and head to a soft sheeted warm bed.

Thursday, August 6, 2009 To North Bend

We awake to misty rain and head down and into Washington State with its amazing rainforests. Washington State is living up to Myia’s remembrances of gray and rainy. And she is reminded of why she left so many years ago and why she was glad to leave Holland!

We stop by Snoqualmie Falls.
We take a tour thru Bellingham and Whidbey Island in the cloudy weather before heading to North Bend to stay with another friend from Maui. Susan and husband Rod.

They now live on the River in the Rainforest. Great to reconnect again.