Fort Collins and reunion again

Yes, we returned to Colorado and Fort Collins where we will be through July as Laura and Matt are teaching and the kids participating a good part of the day in a day camp. We are here on vacation as helper outers / playmates / and adventurers.  

Our apartment complex exceeds expectations, note yard outside our ground floor apartments which are across the breezeway from each other.

And the kids have already made friends. Patt, Laura and Matt found and purchased second hand bikes for the kids and a very competitive tic tac toe was waged yesterday just outside our door.  

Luke and John Paul are a hoot to watch play and both resist coaching but take great joy when they win (in spite of themselves). Issac does well holding in his urge to help — as does Patt — well almost hold in their urge to help. Sometimes there were four hands on the board.

Matt and Laura left us with the kids for dinner and bedtime as they went shopping for supplies and an evening out. Patt had help in the kitchen — I stood on the periphery and went to check on the older kids who were engaged in outside play with friends.

After clean up, John Paul observed "there is some water on the floor" (as Gomer would have said "surprise, surprise, surprise).

We three enjoyed a dramatic reading of A Fish Out of Water. In fact I have discovered I like doing dramatic readings and have enjoyed doing them for quite sometime. I recently found some old photos that Patt took of a dramatic reading I did years ago I will have to blog about sometime.

and "First Day of Summer School Activity Special Program Whatever" for the girls got started this morning.

Washington — Samish Island — and Chuck and Charlene

But first you gotta leave Oregon and see where Lewis and Clark wintered in 1805-06 just south of the Columbia River a couple of miles inland from the Pacific. It did not look like they had a good time.  Here is a view from Astoria OR, looking at the bridge across the river toward Oregon.

And on to Chuck and Charlene's home on Samish Island, looking onto the Puget Sound that is part of what is now called the Salish Sea. The first evening's sunset was, well, pretty nice, huh, Julie?
Chuck and Charlene are friends from Peace Corps days in Thailand and with whom we had visited in Washington DC years ago prior to their career in various parts of eastern Europe and Asia.

Ferries are like taxies here and we took one to Whidbey Island and again the cloudy, rainy northwest proved to be just myth for us.

In Port Townsend on Whidbey there was a Steam Punk festival. And, yes, I am seriously considering becoming a Steam Punk aficionado (check next photo).

Steam Punk is a genre of science fiction that features alternative history of 19th century England and to a lessor extent western US history that incorporates steam power and industrial capacity of the 19th century. 

Port Townsend also has nice beaches, replete with the washed up logs that populate northwest beaches.

Including a nice log on which to perch and take in some sun.

The old bridge, and only bridge, over Deception Pass off Whidbey Island is striking as are the exceptionally strong currents under the the bridge. Also a good place to view eagles. Seeing bald eagles is something we did several times with Chuck and Charlene, including seeing a fledgling in a nest. We also just plain had a great visit picking up right from old times.

In the far distance are the San Juan Islands and beyond them is Vancover Island. We were close to Canada and one day the four of us went to Bellingham, WA just a few miles south of Canada. Brisk would describe the weather.

As much fun as this trip up the west coast has been it is time to return to Colorado 

And some grandkids.

Oregon — to Bob and Mary's — and the Mountains!

But first we had to stop near Coos Bay Oregon to visit several small Oregon State Parks to see if I could find what I remember as the "prettiest camp site ever" from our family camping trip in 1964 or 65.  Could not find it but but sure saw a lot of seals and rocky coast.

Bob and cousin Mary live in Lake Oswego, a suburb of Portland, OR, and they are great hosts. We enjoyed our visit and time with them very much.   

Across the state line in Washington is Mount Saint Helens. What a mess that volcano made of the forest and landscape in 1980. The top of the mountain is still gone and the blast zone — looking across for seven miles of it below is just beginning to be reclaimed by nature. There are some small trees and brush returning but an awful lot of dirt and rocks appear to be the main feature of the landscape.

Talk about "wow" sites. This is certainly one of those.  

Bob and Mary took us on a hike for a mile or so along a trail leading out to a point overlooking the valley into the Toutle River which flows from the ice fields on the mountain. 

Patt was glad when we turned back.

Some of the blown down trees from the blast of the volcano are still visible. Closer to the volcano the trees were just obliterated by the force of the blast.

Often in the Great Northwest where Oregon and Washington reside, the sky is not known for being blue as it was when we visited Mt St Helens. With the promise of a partially cloudy sky the four of us went the following day a little south and west of Portland to Mt Hood, another volcano mountain.  Arrival at the mountain did not disappoint with regard to to the partial cloudy part.  

Fortunately we got a break in the weather as did the skiers of whom the US Olympic snowboard team benefits as they train here. There is year round skiing and Bob and Mary skied just the day before we arrived. June skiing ,Mark!  

From 30+ miles away, the top of the mountain continues to generate cloud cover but the day cleared off nicely. And got warmer. In Sacramento we had 100 plus degree weather, in Lake Oswego, we had 50 plus degree weather.

Along the Columbia River Gorge, we stopped by Multnomah Falls and climbed to the top.

It is a climb of some 2000 feet elevation gain as that is the drop of the falls. And quite steep in places.  The trail is one of continuous switchbacks. And I should mention that it makes you breathe hard - or at least did me.

Redwoods and California & Oregon Coasts

Santa Rosa, CA, where we spent the night is also the home of Charles Schultz, that one, and before he died he helped design a Charlie Brown museum. There are some pretty large cartoons there too.  We enjoy Peanuts and the characters and have for a long time.

And then on to Humboldt State Park and Awe Inspiring Redwood Forest. Just plain awesome. The Avenue of the Giants is just that.

A person does not feel "big" at all among these trees. And quiet, like very quiet, except for birds or a stream when close to one.

The coast was covered with fog all morning, but still quite a sight.

Further up the coast the cliffs and forest reaching the shore is stunning and so different from the North Carolina coast.

At the Klamath River we were disappointed that while down close to the river it was clear, near the mouth where the river meets the Pacific and up at the view point, it was completed fogged in with zero visibility.

Then is was on to the Prairie Creek State Park and another redwood forest. We alternately were on California 1 and US 101 on our trip and sometimes they were the same. We also left the highway to take routes through the parks.

This park has some of the largest trees in California and has a different flora on the floor of the forest as it has very large mature ferns.

One tree, imaginatively named "THE BIG ONE", is big. Patt and I are somewhat visible below in the splash of sunlight at the bottom of the tree. According to the information on the nameplate the tree is approximately 1,500 years old, 304 feet tall, 22 feet in diameter and 68 feet in circumference.

Parts of the Jurassic Park movies were filmed here. It is easy to see why.

The trees were an amazing experience to walk through and so awe inspiring that such grand things exist on this earth.

Then into Oregon, Patt's 49th state to visit, and more coastal highway. We had another hike along the coast with high winds and much cooler temperatures. The views of the shore were again beautiful.

California - and another reunion

Photo below at a Thai restaurant in Sacramento is important to us as left to right is Ron, Judy, me, Patt and Rich. Rich and Judy were our best friends while in Peace Corps and working with refugees in Thailand 40 years ago. We shared a lot of experiences together. They both live near Sacramento (where their daughter Lauren and her husband Cal live).  It has been a long time since we last saw them (1998) and we had such a good visit. Ron and Judy are now married and Rich is recently a widower. Rich and Lauren were great hosts!

Rich, Patt and I visited the State capitol in Sacramento and saw both the Senate and Assembly in session discussing and voting on bills. Doing stuff! US Congress how about you?

Also visited old Sacramento (affectionately called Old Sac by locals) to see the other end of the Pony Express from St. Joseph, Missouri, 1,900 miles away.

Drove up to Sutter's Mill where gold was discovered in Placer County - a dry hot place, but pretty.

Upon leaving Sacramento we drove west into Napa Valley and the wine country. Yes, they have grape vines.  Lots and lots of them.

and they offer wine tasting.  We like tasting wine. 

Then after reluctantly tasting limited quantities of wine it was on to Highway 1 on the Pacific coast.  Looks like it does on the calendar photos.

Went for a hike at Bodega Head Park at Bodega Bay.  

and stopped at a scenic overlook near the Russian River further up the coast.

Tomorrow on to Humboldt National Forest and the redwoods and to Eureka on the coast.