Puyallup/Tacoma

Puyallup (poo-yah-lip according to Saul) has a huge and wonderful artist/farmers market every Saturday morning  during the summer.  It is set in a park where children splash in a waterpark, climb a jungle gym or hop about a bounce house.  Local artists display jewelry, soaps, clothing and home decorations.  The farmers stalls abound with local fruit and vegetables.  This was one of the largest markets we have visited.  We took a bulging bag back to the RV.

We did talk to a man from Madras and asked how the town fared with the eclipse.  He rued that the event was “over-hyped” and that many less people came than were expected.  He explained that restaurants really suffered because they overbought on food for people who did not appear. The owner of his stall was one of those who will sustain a big hit.  He said the town will take quite a while to recover from the financial loss they suffered.  

We next drove into Tacoma for some woods walks.  We started in Point Defiance which was crowded with Saturday visitors, a wedding and other events.  Parking was at a premium so we went out to the end of the peninsula for a drive through the lush woods.

Then we went to The Tacoma Nature Center to walk through a lovely woods, labels gave the natural and human history of the area.  It is hard to believe such dense foliage can exist in the middle of an urban area.

These turtles live in Snake Lake where we saw no snakes.

We celebrated another belated birthday dinner for Jerry.  He chose Toscana, probably one of the best Italian restaurants we have dined in.  From the focaccia bread through the tiramasu, each course was delectable.  We are still debating whether his shrimp and gnocchi or Anna Lee’s chicken and artichokes was the better meal.  We wish the restaurant were closer to home so we could repeat the experience.

Sunday after a buffet breakfast at the Elks Lodge, where we are parked, we knew we needed to work off all the food we had been enjoying.  The day was perfect for an 11K volkswalk along the Tacoma waterfront.  We shared the trail with cyclists, skateboarders and people in four-wheel bike-like vehicles.

The first stop along the walk was at the Chinese Reconciliation Park where the story of the Chinese coming to America to work the gold fields, then being forced out because the resident population no longer needed their services, nor wanted them around; a tale told too often here and throughout the world.

The rest of the walk was more uplifting with statues. artworks and murals adding to the beauty of all the boats along Puget Sound.

This bicyclist must have gotten hung up.

Another somber monument is a piece of the World Trade Center from the 9-11 attack.

This bronze is a tribute to firefighters.

Fireboat No. 1 was built in Tacoma and served the city for over 50 years.  Its replacements were built in England in the '80s.

We wandered through a new condo development replete with restaurants.  None tempted us so Jerry got on TripAdvisor and found that Duke’s Chowder House was the top-rated seafood restaurant and was on our return from the walk.  The rating was no exaggeration.  We shared a dungeness crab sandwich that rates at the top of our list.  The restaurant has photos of a wide range of people named or identified as “Duke.”  You probably can guess many of them (females included.)

Washington (State not District)

We pulled into the Elks Lodge in Puyallup (pronunciation???) south of Tacoma to spend some museum and outdoor time.  We took our first 10k volksmarch of the trip, walking along the Puyallup River on a trail through a pine forest.  This must be salmon run season because about every twenty feet along the river were people casting for chinook, steelhead and bull trout.

We shared the trail with cyclists and skateboarders, several of whom were also carrying fishing poles.

Mt. Rainier stands off in the distance.

 Halfway along the walk, we went under a freeway.  The uprights were decorated with murals of local fauna.

At the turnaround point, Nature’s Medley, a carved tree, stands in a park.  This tree has wonderful carvings of fish, raccoons, birds and trees around its trunk.

By chance we passed Mrs. Turner’s Friday Night Cruise-In.  Overflowing a vacant lot is a wonderful collection of antique and classic cars, their owners proud to share information about their treasures.  Mrs. Turner’s is the adjacent diner.

This old gas station on the lot is now an insurance office.

It felt good to take a long walk and rewarding to find such fun things along the way.

Post Eclipse

Heading out to Portland we did have some traffic through Madras but the rest of the drive was smooth until we got to Portland, their traffic is just plain awful.  After parking and  setting up the RV we went on our mandatory visit to Powell’s City of Books, a well-named huge independent book store.  We each headed off to find our own treasures and left with three new books to enjoy (Anna Lee has two of them, Jeff the other).

The weather was lovely and we sat outside enjoying dinner at Jake’s Crawdad House.

 Then it was back to the coach for Jeff to pack.  We have had a great time together but he has to return to work and we must continue our adventures.

After dropping him off at the airport, we drove east along the beautiful Columbia River to the town of Hood River.  We got a bit confused trying to get on the river road and had to make a U-turn.  Well, darn, if it wasn't serendipitous.  We found ourselves in the parking lot of the Candy Basket and just had to go in.  YUM!!!! Samples, photo ops, oh my.

We were hoping to go to Gorge White House for lunch but the dining room was closed.  We did sample more local fare and Jerry wandered in their garden where you can pick your own flowers and produce.

While searching for a place to eat (we wound up at a Thai food truck) we saw these wind surfers enjoying a windy day on the river.

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In Hood River we enjoyed WAAAM (Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum) and their massive collection of antique airplanes and cars.

The collection includes some offbeat items as well as the antiques.  This 1928 Maytag Model 92 “Hit-Miss” motor powered the bike Ruth Blackburn rode in 4th of July Parades in Hood River.

Other features include areas that presented documentaries on such topics as women in aviation, the Wright Bros, air races and other pertinent topics.
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Then we got together with Anne and Jerry and their grandchildren for a delicious dinner at Stonehedge. 

 We spent the night at their home in Washington.  They have made massive changes on the house they bought a few years ago and we enjoyed seeing the “new” look.  The children were a treat to be with.  Anne made her traditional aebleskiver (Danish pancake balls) for breakfast, always a luscious treat.

The Eclipse

Now we have reached our key destination, just outside Madras, OR, a prime eclipse viewing location.  For months there have been warnings of high traffic.  Locals have been advised to stock up on water and food.  Emergency agencies have warned of traffic jams, fires and other risks.  Local ranchers have rented port-a-pottys and set out signs welcoming recreational vehicles.  Well the horror stories and hype have had an effect.  We heard that one day the roads were heavily crowded due to a special four-day event.  Our experience has been “smooth sailing.”  No jams at all.  The fields we passed were mostly empty, only a couple had a few vehicles parked to stay.  We fear the people who looked to reap some financial benefit were disappointed.  But those of us who did come up here have been well rewarded by an easy drive and an event of a lifetime..

We joined decades-long friends Anne and Jerry at the campground.  They brought their two grandchildren.   Here they pose with their protective glasses.

 This is a very well provisioned campground with a pool, golf course, playground and hiking down to the Deschutes River. 

On Tuesday, August 21, we gathered outside about 9:30, put on our protective glasses and positioned ourselves to enjoy “the show.” 

Jerry had two cameras set up to capture the progression of the lunar shadow across the face of the sun.  The moon began its trip between 12 and 2 (if the sun’s face were a clock).  Jeff commented, “Leave it there, it’s cooler now” and the granddaughter said “It looks like a cookie with a big bite taken out.”   It took over an hour from the first “bite” to totality.

We watched as that “bite” got bigger and bigger until it consumed the sun.  Anne said it was “a bright glare at the break of totality.”    

A glow appeared on the horizon as the eclipse reached totality.  A cheer went up from the crowd as the corona gleamed with its unique beauty.  Though brief, this was truly a special moment and we are all glad we could experience it.

After our friends left for home (a trip that took three times longer than usual), we decided to drive into Madras.  That's where we found the long, long, long lines of vehicles creeping along as they tried to get home.  We also found the fields that were filled with tents and other vehicles.  So the crowd did show up, we had been lucky to duck them for a while but now we head toward Portland.  We shall see what the road holds for us.
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Rockhounding

Sometimes staying at a campground yields unusual results.  At our spot in Prineville, a couple parked near us were avid rockhounds.  Jeff started a conversation with them and learned that the area around Prineville was one of the prime rock collecting locations in the world.  They told him where to go to collect excellent pieces of obsidian and, as the property is on BLM land, the rocks are free for the taking.

Anna Lee thought that a few hours alone was a wonderful idea so off Jerry and Jeff went to collect what they could find.  After about a 90 minute drive and up three miles on a dirt road, their efforts were rewarded.  Quite literally, the area is covered with obsidian free for the taking.  They wandered around the hillside for over an hour and found several samples including less common mahogany obsidian.  Jeff has a rock tumbler at home and plans to give it a try as soon as he gets back.  Jerry is still thinking.

Back on the highway, Jeff & Jerry stopped for lunch at a local café that was recommended.  Jerry had a Reuben sandwich that was excellent, a real surprise considering that the café was quite literally in the middle of nowhere.  The owner who served us is an avid Raider fan who can’t wait for the team to relocate to Las Vegas.  We think he figures going to Las Vegas for games has side benefits.   Back at home, Anna Lee spent the day enjoying the quiet and lack of demands (the men think cleaning the RV is “enjoyable”)

Prineville/Bend

First a correction to the previous post.  The wise son has corrected the erroneous mother:

This area in central Oregon is its own unique volcanic site.  Wonderful and unique formations abound.  We started with a drive to Fort Rock which is known as tuff, volcanically created. The basalt magma was pushed up above the surroundings and the mouth eventually collapsed forming the familiar volcanic crater. The volcano’s vent was in the middle of basin, which in the past was large freshwater lake. Over time, the lakes waves etched the side of the tuff, creating the shear exterior walls and eventually eroding part of the tuff. As the lake dried up under the arid conditions of central Oregon, the circular tuff with a missing arc took on the appearance of a military fort, thus the aptly name, Fort Rock.  Climbing into it provides a closeup view of the steep walls.  Sand and dirt trapped by the walls now provide soil for plants to grow and the windblown holes in the rocks offer nest sites for birds and animals.


Moving closer to the full eclipse area, we relocated to Prineville.  There is a lot to see and do in this area but first we had to have lunch.  At Diego’s in Redmond we enjoyed delicious Mexican food served by an excellent server.  Then we drove to the High Desert Museum in Bend.  This is a very well presented nature and history museum telling the story of the local area.  We joined a tour of Journey through Time.  As the docent explained the development and history of central Oregon we looked at exhibits of artifacts from ancient to rather recent times, from pre-human, through the native peoples, to the attention brought by the Lewis and Clark expedition.

 With the discovery of gold, the area was radically changed.  Boom towns filled with Easterners and foreigners seeking their fortunes through mining or merchandizing.

An outdoor exhibit and raptor discussion featured a great horned owl.  It was explained that he was an efficient hunter who enjoyed bits of small rodents for his meals.  His eyes are part of enormous orbits in his skull and he has asymmetrical ears used for locating food.

One of the exhibits in the Journey through Time was of a Chinese store and healing establishment.  We learned that the real building is further east in John Day so we headed that way next.  The lovely drive is through vast farmland and rocky peaks.

John Day was a gold rush town that attracted Chinese men who had worked on the railroads and now joined the rush for gold. There was a nearby town where the Chinese first settled but, when Chinatown burned, the locals did not allow the Chinese to rebuild so they moved a few miles to John Day.  At  its height, the population consisted of about 1500 Chinese and 500 Caucasians.  Long Ho, a merchant, and Doc Hay, a healer were the last of the Chinese in the town.  Their home/work establishment, Kam Wah Chung (Golden Flower of Prosperity) is now part of the Oregon State Park system and is a National Historical Landmark .  Today it is open for free, small group tours.

Long and Hay earned esteemed positions within the community.  Ho died and later Hay became ill.  He moved to Portland for treatment with the intent of returning but he never did.  He died in 1948 but the building the men shared for work and home was securely locked and remained with its contents intact. It was deeded to the Oregon State Parks in 2000.  The building was reopened and was discovered to be a time capsule since the contents were totally undisturbed from when it was locked up by Hay.

The building is divided into work and living rooms.  The entrance is through Long’s general store where cans and bottle still fill the shelves.

One corner of the store contains the Chinese medicines Hay used on his patients.  The herbs and animal parts were noted for their bad smell and taste.  He was a pulseologist who would diagnose
the ailments based on the patient’s pulse then prepare the remedy from herbs, etc.

These bear paws would be finely ground into a healing powder.

This was Doc Hay's bedroom.  Note the meat cleaver on the nightstand.  Chinese were not allowed to own firearms so Hoe kept this for protection.

 Another room contains bunk beds (four persons to a bed) for those needing shelter.  The cost was five cents per night.

The kitchen is in the same room as the beds.  There was always food for guests cooking in the wok.

 

 The shrine was next to the stove.

 In addition to the general store, Long owned a car dealership, gas station, land, mines and race horses.  Long’s bedroom was built as an addition to the original building.  He frequently came in late at night after gambling, drinking and using opium.

During the process of getting the building ready for public view, workers found $23,000 worth of uncashed checks stuffed into Long's bed.    Long did not cash them because he felt the signers needed the money more than he did.

When the building was being prepared as a museum, 90 bottles of liquor were found buried under the floor.  Speculation is that it was hidden during Prohibition.
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We next went to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument where we joined another tour through time.  Murals and fossils from 60 million years ago to now show the evolution of the land and the animals.  This skull is from an animal known as the "Hell Pig".  It was about six feet tall and weighed over 3,000 pounds.

We stopped at Kimberly for local farm goods and ended our day with delicious yogurt from Yo Central.