Angel’s Rest hike, Columbia Gorge, OR
The Angel’s Rest hike in Oregon (not to be confused with the one in Zion NP) is a beautiful hike to a fabulous viewpoint. It isn’t that long at 2.5 miles, but it is all uphill…. 1,500 ft. altitude gain. And, it is rated moderate because much of the trail is quite rocky. But, if you wear good hiking shoes, its not a bad walk at all.
Of course, there was a waterfall- in this case, Coopey Creek
There were some rugged spots on this hike
Some interesting plant growth
A view west to the Columbia River
Looking south
Romola at the top. We started out at the river level, a good climb….
Panther Falls, WA
OK, one more waterfall from the Washington side of the Gorge. This time, Panther Falls was a longish drive (10 miles on simple one track but paved road) followed by a very short walk took us to the amazing Panther Falls.
Actually, there are three falls, all feeding into one pool at the bottom. Rather unique, usually one creek gives you one falls. And, in this case, each creek has a different “look” before it joins together. We had a nice picnic lunch, bought at the A&J Deli in Stevenson, WA and thoroughly enjoyed a quiet hour or so (except for the sound of rushing water….).
Top of the falls, creek number one…
A much more genteel creek, number two…
And the third creek all feed into:
Panther Creek Falls. Amazing!
Falls Creek Falls, Washington
The Columbia Gorge is well known for its many waterfalls. The best known ones are on the Oregon side, but there are some spectacular falls on the Washington side as well. This week we hiked to the eponymous “Falls Creek Falls”, about 60 miles from our home base in Vancouver, WA. It was a terrific hike.
The hike itself starts next to Falls Creek, and there are small water falls and larger pools that look most idyllic. Certainly photogenic! As you head towards the Falls, you walk alongside (and across) the Creek, so you hear and see the creek all the way up. It is just under 2 miles, all uphill but moderate. And when you get to the Falls you are greeted by a magnificent sight… the Falls themselves.
It is a two stage Falls, Upper and Lower. Both are quite scenic and very camera friendly!
Falls Creek, at the start of the trail
Part way up you can see the rocky Falls Creek bed
In fact, you have to cross it several times
Just as you get close, you can see the Upper Falls
And here is a full shot of the Falls. Both Upper and Lower are visible.
A slightly different angle of the Falls
Elowah Falls, Oregon
The Columbia Gorge is well know for its many waterfalls. Certainly, they are one of the man attractions. This week, we hiked to Elowah Falls, one of the few we have never been to before. Sure glad we didn’t miss this one!
Elowah Falls is actually two falls in one. It is about one mile hike in to get to the Lower Falls, an additional mile to get to Upper Falls. Both Falls are worth the hike in, the view from the top is totally different than from the bottom.
As we stared our hike, we noticed an old water tower. And later, the remains of an old iron pipeline. Presumably, these provide water for the steam locomotives that used to carry goods to and from the coast.
The old water tower, close to the bottom
The trail is good, mostly uphill
A spider web, just visible in the sunlight
The old steel pipeline
Our first view of the Lower Falls
And here is the Lower Falls
Romola, at the bottom of the Falls
A little froggy didn’t like our intruding his living space
A little flower
A view back to the Columbia River
The way up gets steeper, and narrower
We can see the top of Lower Falls on our way up
And here, at the top, Upper Elowah Falls
Old cars at our museum
There are two old cars at our museum, a 1932 Graham-Paige and a 1918 Stanley Steamer. Both were taken out and driven for display at a local Concourse d’Elegance (old car show). And, we got a ride in the Stanley Steamer!
It took well over an hour to get the Stanley up to steam. Partly because of poor fuel; there is little kerosene available. Also, the boiler is almost 100 years old, so it makes sense to bring up steam slowly. Once going however, we felt that the Stanley was quiet, smooth and powerful.
Both cars in front of the Pearson hanger. The Stanley is steaming
A good view of the Stanley Steamer
Detail of the boiler room
Now that is a real tilting steering wheel!
Lots of smoke!
Pumping the starting fuel pump
Checking to see if it ready yet
Almost ready….
The condenser (radiator) is actually blowing steam rings
Finally, enough steam is showing to go for a ride
John in the Stanley
Looks like Romola is getting ready to drive off
An overall view of the Graham-Paige touring car
Port side view of the Graham Paige engine
Driver side view of the Graham Paige engine
Closeup of the Graham-Paige emblem
A visit to WAAAM
This week, Romola and I visited WAAAAM (Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum) in Hood River, OR. This private museum is one of the greater finds in the area! Not only do they have a terrific collection, most all vehicles are driveable or flyable. In September they will have a fly-in, with possibly hundreds of moving exhibits. We’ll have to see this!
Below is a just a sampling of the many exhibits on display.
Portland: roses and food trucks
Portland is known as “City of Roses”, but it is also a leader in food trucks. So we took a little drive and visited both.
The roses are grown in a huge garden, known as “Test Garden”. A large variety of roses are grown, in all colors and sizes. Every year, a Rose Champion is crowned, and are planted in the Garden of Champions. Y0u can find roses growing with roots back to the 1940’s and before. A nice place to visit, even if you aren’t a rose enthusiast.
Portland has food trucks scattered throughout the city. But right downtown are several enclaves of food trucks, giving you a huge choice of ethnic foods. You can find most nationalities represented. It’s fun just to walk around and make the (difficult) selection of the food you want to eat. And, it’s very tasty and cheap.
Part of the rose garden
Red roses.. every woman’s dream
Yellow is another prevalent color
Variegated colors make an interesting contrast
Pink roses
Red roses dominate
Ready to cook
Want variety?
Asian, Mexican, Ethiopian and many more
Your choice
The chef is in
Vancouver markets
Some of the pleasure of the NorthWest are the many farmer markets and street fairs. Just down the road from us, in Downtown Vancouver, is a great Farmers Market, held Saturday and Sunday. This week, they also hosted the “Recycle Art Festival”. A real nice way to spend a sunny morning!
So at the Farmers Market we enjoyed a fresh cup of Northwest Roasted coffee, and did some shopping for groceries. The cherries are just ripening up, bought lots of Bing and Rainier… mmmmm! A loaf of German Farmer bread from a local bakery, and some veggies and we’re good to go for a while.
It really is interesting to see the many ways people turn junk into art. Forks into wind chimes, scrap metal into sculptures, old dishes into mobiles, and many more. And, in the background, some interesting music played on marimbas made from old PVC pipe.
On the street
Lots and lots of fresh veggies
Lots of fresh flowers
Street food, what can be more fun?
Scrap metal turned into art
True, the locals do dress a little strange here
Combining wine and painting… what a novel idea!
Homemade marimbas using PVC pipe. They sounded great, too!
More scrap metal turned to art
Now that is a true local artist!
A new use of old bottles
Old dishes and glassware used in new ways – and admired from all angles.
Wind chimes from old cutlery
Ferndale, California
Ferndale, CA, sometimes referred to as “cream city,” is known for well-preserved Victorian store-fronts on main street and homes throughout the community. The name is due to their construction during a time when considerable wealth was generated in the dairy industry, especially during the 1880s. The entire town is registered as a California Historical Landmark.
The city contains dozens of well-preserved Victorian store fronts and homes. It is the northern gateway to California’s Lost Coast and the city, which is sited on the edge of a wide plain near the mouth of the Eel River, is also located near the extensive preserves of Coast Redwood forests.
It is quite a photographers place to wander and take pictures, if I were to visit again I would come at a time of day when the sun was a bit more favorable. The buildings are quite spectacular, but really need better light to show up best in photographs.
One of the first buildings you see as you enter the city
On Main street
Gingerbread decorating style. And yes, it is an operating drug store!
Is this a false front or what?
Unusual windows
Very elaborate storefront
Rather bright red
One of the more spectacular homes, now a B&B.
Wonder what it takes to keep it white?
Well-tended gardens to go with beautiful homes
The cemetery is odd, placed on a hillside with many crypts that are now sealed in concrete.
Avenue of the Giants
In the 1800’s, a wagon trail was constructed through the redwood forest. Eventually, it was expanded to become a two lane highway, later to be replaced by a modern 4 lane highway. The old road, winding through the giant redwoods, was kept and became the Avenue of the Giants.
The road itself is 32 miles long, although it seems longer because of the twists and turns. It gets quite narrow, and there are many signs of vehicles running into the giant trees. But it is quite an impressive sight, and the many giants… some over 2,000 years old and over 300 feet tall… never fail to impress.
The road is well shaded by giant trees
A little grocery store along the Avenue
A fallen giant is rotting away
The size of the trees are impressive when compared to a person
Inside the fallen giant
This tree has rings dating it back to 953 AD… so some 2,200 years old
This truck was built from one log by Charles Kellog, who used it to promote this area
Inside the log cabin motor home
A view down Eel River
Laninga's Travel Blog 