I Rather Like Rain Forests

 I've made it to the most northwestern part of the continental United States – the Olympic Peninsula – which contains several different ecosystems – glacier-capped mountains, temperate rain forests and over 70 miles of coastline. But the best part of the Olympic Peninsula is that I got to meet up again with my caravan buddies Lou and Dave. Every year, when I'm on a road trip, we seem to run into each other and travel together for a few weeks. I love traveling by myself – the freedom, the adventure – but it is sometimes nice to be able to share these adventures with close friends. 

I Came To The Mountain...I Think

 Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington state at 14,411 feet. It is a volcano and there is a high probability that it will erupt in the near future. Because it is so close to Seattle, Mount Rainier is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Let me repeat that – one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. So... guess where I'm going. 

Keeping It Weird!

 “Keep Portland Weird” is the unofficial motto of Portland Oregon. Portland definitely tries to live up to it's motto. A few examples: The World Naked Bike Race, Voodoo Doughnuts and the 24 Hour Church of Elvis - need I say more? I actually attended a service at the Church of Elvis the first time I was in Portland back in the nineties. The motto originated from the “Keep Austin Weird” motto. In 2014, there was a comparison between the two cities to find out which was weirder. Portland came out ahead winning nine of the twelve categories. 

Cheese Glorious Cheese

 Moving up the coast, I headed for Tillamook. Why, you ask? Does Tillamook Ice Cream ring a bell? Or Tillamook Cheese? When visiting the Creamery, they had a factory tour - How could I not go? It was a fairly short drive up 101, maybe a couple of hours but it seemed like forever. Speed limit was mostly 55 mph, but with curves marked as 15 mph, there was no way I was going to go 55. I sort of felt bad for the cars that lined up behind me, but with a big honkin' trailer behind me, it seemed like 40 mpg was a sensible speed. The nice thing about Oregon is that they have a lot of turnoff areas where I can pull over and let people pass. Better for me...better for them. 

I Bought A Cat!

 I figure that if one is going to be going to the Northwest, one should maybe start on the West Coast with the Pacific Ocean. I don't know that much about the coast so I picked a spot in what they call the Central Coast of Oregon. That way, depending on how the wind blows, I could go either north or south and get a feel for all things coastal. 

Water, Water And More Water

 

I just have to say – driving through eastern Oregon is a long, long stretch and I had to stop halfway thru Oregon to rest up. I ended up at the Harney County Fairgrounds which was basically a big parking lot. As Miko and I are walking around the parking lot, I hear a lot of whooping and hollering coming from over at the grandstand area. We wander over there and found that they had a two day bronc riding clinic going on. Today was saddle bronc riding, tomorrow would be bareback. These guys, who looked like they were high school age would come shooting out of the shoot and everybody would yell “Lean Back, lean back” which none of them seemed to be able to do. As a consequence, most of them only lasted about half a second before they hit the dirt. I was entertained. 

Mr. Potato Head?

 After Salt Lake City, I scurried across Wyoming and landed up in eastern Idaho. While in Idaho, I had an epiphany of a sorts. I know this will come as a surprise to many, but I think I am going to give up on my Junior Ranger quest. It is sad and unfortunate, I know, but the thrill is no longer there. I used to swell with pride every time I repeated the Junior Ranger oath and I felt a great sense of accomplishment. Now, after becoming a Junior Ranger over 100 times, there is no glow, no buzz. I guess all good things eventually come to an end.