about what we did and saw when we were traveling, right? After two days in the Seattle area, we left and drove west towards the coast, and south until we got to Oregon. There is a huge river separating the two, I think the one that finally got Lewis and Clark to the Pacific, after lots of mis-adventures and detours. It is the Columbia and as wide as a lake, or looking like one from the viewpoint of a south Georgia flat-lander. The trip along the sort-of coast was scenic, lots of little towns and water.
My traveling companions were anxious to put their toes in the ocean, so we stopped at a little resort-y town and they walked out on the beach, which was remarkably cold and windy. Inspected Haystack Rock, where puffins and seabirds nest and perch.
Then we drove across the bridge that spans the Columbia, and had eats at a neat little brew pub, tasting an assortment of beers, and enjoying the view of the river, after a short trolley to nowhere and back again. On to Portland area, where we spent three nights. We did several tourist-y things in Portland on Monday: Powell's Bookstore, the Voodoo Donut shop,(that was an experience -especially for someone who does not eat/like donuts) and an amazing Rose Garden. The part of the story I remember about the huge rose garden: it started with plants that were brought over to save from destruction in England before the Big War. And it has become a sort of national treasure, where lots of test/experimental roses are grown and lovingly cared for by a large contingent of volunteers with a few paid staff to supervise. It smelled heavenly. Thousands of fragrant roses of every color imaginable in full bloom, scenting the air with aromatic nose delight.
On Tuesday we drove the river gorge, inland along the Washington side, and across the bridge that transports walkers along the Pacific Coast Trail from Mexico to Canada. And back to Portland area along the Oregon side, where there a lots of protected areas, state parks, scenic stops, waterfalls, hiking trails, with the interstate highway hugging the river's edge in places. A really neat place to stop and enjoy the view is one of the highest points along the gorge, at Crown Point. Beautiful scenery. Mostly evergreen trees, things like spruce and fir, with not many of the deciduous trees we see in GA.
Got back on the plane in Portland to return to GA. I do understand it is about a four hour flight, but when you are time-traveling, returning east from the west coast, you gallop through three zones, and loose your bearings. So, we got on about 12:30 and got off about 8:30, though it only took four hours to actually get from point A to point B. My brain is still fuzzy.
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