September - October 2007

Central California

We just loved being in California.  It gave us a chance to reconnect with many of Ralph's family members.  In addition to the wonderful time we had with Ralph's mother and Ron we were able to enjoy many others.                                          

While staying in Modesto with Ralph's cousins, Ron and Debbie Teague, we very much enjoyed their children, grandchildren (Maxwell and Madison) and and Ron's mother, Aunt Oleta.  The photo on the right is of two of their grandchildren and what appears to be a family pet.  It is the family pet and much much more.  He is a highly trained police dog, born and trained in Germany and the K-nine partner to son Bobby who serves as an office in  Stockton.                                                                                                                                   

This is Aunt Oleta with Ralph, on the left, taken on Ron and Debbie's boat moored in Stockton.  We had a great time on the boat and enjoying the marina restaurant together.   No, we just can't stay away from the water!

Ralph's Cousin Chic and his wife Beverly hosted a Labor Day gathering allowing us to spend time with them and with Chic's dad, Uncle Albert and his wife Bea.  We just loved spending time with all of them.  Chic is newly retired and loving it!

This cute little guy is Logan, our youngest grandson. 

You can see by the photo how happy we were to see each.  Logan just turned seven, is a soccer player, a good student and a wonderful little boy!  He is a much loved child.

While staying with our good friend, Kevin Lorenzini,  we toured Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas, visited the "Gold Country", walked through the "Calaveras Big Trees" and were introduced to "Mel's Diner".  We always enjoy our time with Kevin.  In 1998 when Glenda got her dive certification in Hawaii Kevin was her dive buddy and got his certification at the same time. 

Laguna Beach

From Kevin's home, near Sacramento, we flew to Orange County where we were met by our good friends Stan and Toni Flores.  Of course we wanted to see them and spend time but our other reason to be there was to take care of their lovely Laguna Beach home, and more importantly, their little dog Chamois while they enjoyed a driving tour of California and the "Gold Country" with friends from Hawaii.

Chamois was a was very appreciative of our care and quite use to us by time Stan and Toni Left.  We are very happy to report she survived our watch!  In fact, Toni reports she keeps going to our bedroom to look for us, even now.

While Stan and Toni were away we made ourselves to home, even entertained friends.  Mike and Sandy Forkert invited us out to their mini ranch in Orange where we watch Sandy ride, saw Mikes marvelous shop and were treated to one of Mikes delicious gourmet meals.

To the right is Ralph and his sister, Dianna.  She and her husband Larry drove down from Long Beach to meet us for lunch in Hunnington Beach.  Dianne and Larry have been boaters too and have just sold their boat, s/v Norske Dame, after  having completed their dream of sailing her to Mexico for an extended stay and sailing her back to Long Beach.  They are going to give RVing a try now.

We had a pleasant surprise, a visit from Glenda's daughter, Karen Alsip, while at Stan and Toni's.  This photo is of Ralph and Karen at Toni's computer desk.

Once Stan and Toni were home and Stan and Ralph took care of a few boat projects on s/v Trollop we were off and sailing their 27' Catalina together.  The picture on the right is Stan enjoying Trollop as Toni, Ralph and Glenda do the sailing. 

Toni's friends are still amazed that the four of us "and Chamois" sailed Trollop to Newport Beach, stayed over night and sailed her back.  They insist no one can be that good of friends.

Next Stop....Las Vegas

Next we flew to Las Vegas, Nevada.  Glenda had been there in 1969 and Ralph in the late 80's.  Even though we have seen photos and TV of Las Vegas we were both amazed at the growth and the change.  For three days straight we walked around and stared at the "manmade" marvels and at the other people.

Now the national Parks.....

This North Rim view was Ralph's first glimpse of the Grand Canyon.  The road to the North Rim was long but WELL worth the drive.

Zion National Park.....

We stayed in Springdale, Utah and this was the view from our hotel.  Zion Park is set up to handle lots of travelers and provide a shuttle through the park with stops at all the most popular view points.   We were able to get off, hike, have lunch and generally enjoy being inside the park.

The visitors center offers general and geological information as well as the history of the park.  We found the information provided most helpful in our enjoyment of the park.

We were amazed to find lots of wildlife in the park including this wild turkey who was hanging around one of the viewpoint stops.

Bryce National Park......

It was snowing and very cold when we arrived at the upper end of the road in Bryce National Park.  It made viewing of the higher areas impossible.  However, once we were down to about 8600 feet we were able to enjoy these tremendous view of the canyon.  The snow made it look like even more of a fairyland.

Grand Staircase National Monument.....

Proclaimed a National Monument by President Bill Clinton the Grand Staircase National Monument is one of the newest National Monuments and we believe one of the least visited.  The lack of visitors may be partly because it is not well known and partly because the roads within the monument are not paved and nor will they be.  There is to be no future development with in the monument.

The monument is immense in size and vastly varied in geological formation.

Just a few miles from this natural arch the first dinosaur skeleton was found within the monument.  Archeologists from all over the world flock to this area to unearth others.  The park range told us they are finding on the average "one new dinosaur a month"  Imagine that!

The formation on the left can be seen for miles in advance of reaching it.  It looks like the tail of a huge dragon draped across the valley.

There is a real contrast between it and the foliage that follows the lower river valley on the right.

Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell.....

Shortly after leaving the Grand Staircase National Monument we arrived at beautiful Lake Mead.  Being "Man Made" it is surprising to find such a beautiful lake in this high desert area.  The lake was very low while we were there but we were assured by the tour director that the engineering of the dam was done to allow for great fluctuation in water levels

We also learned that the construction of this dam was relatively safe with the loss of only a few lives during the construction phase.

Glenn Canyon Dam offers free visitor's tours that are very informative.  The visitors center (in the photo to the right) provides historical information through movies and displays.  Of course security is a concern so visitors are checked and asked not to bring packs or bags into the visitors center.

The sky and the water provided us with an amazing view as the sun began to lower in the Western sky.

We stayed in the small town of Page.  The town of Page was built to house workers and to support the construction of Glenn Canyon Dam.  The bridge across Glenn Canyon was also built in order to build the Dam.

Grand Canyon South Rim....

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is of course the most visited and perhaps the most spectacular.  More of the canyon and the Colorado river are visible from this side and from it's many view points.  There is no way photos can come close to capturing the beauty of this huge canyon.  We stayed at Grand Canyon Village, inside the park, which allowed plenty of time to view the canyon and in varied light conditions.  While there, in early October, sunset at a most popular viewpoint was the only time the crowds were noticeable.  

The beauty of the canyon continued to stun us at every new vista.

Crowds or no, we had a wonderful time at the South Rim.  We could just not get enough of it and the wonderful views.  The ever changing color and shapes of the shadows were captivating.  We can't help but notice from our photos that the Colorado River below was a tremendous draw.

This must truly be one of the most beautiful places on the planet!  We feel so lucky to have had the time to really enjoy God's incredible handy work!

Montezuma's Castle....

This was our first view of Montezuma's Castle.  We arrived just in time to listen to a park ranger's informative presentation.  We learned much about the Indians who lived here in this 20 room hi rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tell a 1000 year-old story of ingenuity and the survival in an unforgiving desert landscape.  He gave us information on carbon dating, pottery and how they are used to determine when this was inhabited.  They are even able to tell how they perished.

Major damage to the castle occurred over the centuries after it was vacated.  The front facade, once removed, have been rebuilt.  See the photo to the right shows the castle with the new facade. The photo to the immediate left is of a "model" showing what is actually behind the newly reconstructed facade.

Montezuma's Well....

The next two photos are taken at Montezuma's Well.  Montezuma's well is home to species of animals found no where else on the planet.  The photo to the right is the well itself with housing built into the wall above the water.  This natural well provided water for aquaculture via a 1000 year old man made aqueduct that is still functioning today.  The picture below is a close up of the dwelling in the cliff above the well.

We took our time wandering the trails exploring pre-historic Sinaguan Cliff dwellings,  Pueblo ruins, and a 1000 year old irrigation ditch.  The water of Montezuma's well enters from two underground springs.  Over one and a half a million gallons of water a day flow into the into the well.

It was an absolute thrill to be here and to see this ancient construction and ancient ingenuity!

The Grand Canyon's West Rim....

After a night in Flagstaff we were off to visit the West Rim.

The access to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon is through the Hualapai Indian reservation.  Getting there was a bit of a chore (very bumpy and very dusty) but well worth the effort!  We heard the road is going to be paved.  The public road ends at a central tourist reception point where you buy tickets for the Skywalk, a flight into the canyon and to visit the ranch.  From this central point guests are bussed or flown to the various points of interest.

The Skywalk is located at Eagle Point.  The photo to the left shows Eagle Rock in the foreground and the Colorado River in the upper left.  The new well advertised "Canyon Skywalk" is amazing.  The floor of the walk is made of heavy glass so as you walk out over the edge of the canyon you can look right down between your feet to the canyon floor.  The Skywalk gives you an amazing "Birds Eye View" of the canyon.

In addition to the Skywalk, Eagle Point offers a re-created Indian village, live entertainment and wonderful vistas. 

Unfortunately with the potted trees and equipment in the foreground of this photo it does not do the Skywalk justice.  There is work underway to build a restaurant out over the canyon between the two ends of the Skywalk loop.  That should be lots of fun too!

Our trip down into the Grand Canyon by helicopter was definitely a highlight of our West Rim experience.  The flight down and back were great but the most amazing part was actually floating on the Colorado river and feeling the Canyon's breeze.  The view of the canyon from the river was a new and beautiful experience for us as well.

We finished this amazing day with a chuck wagon style barbeque at the ranch followed by a sunset horse drawn buggy ride along the West Canyon Rim.  This photo shows our shadows in the foreground and the high plateau on the other side of the canyon above.

The trip back in the dark, out over the bumpy road to the highway, was another unforgettable experience!

Bolder City, Hoover Dam And Lake Mead....

Ralph choose the historic Bolder Dam Hotel for our stay in Bolder City.  This stylish, charming, friendly and accommodating hotel, originally built to house the executives of the dam project, has been recently renovated and is managed by a foundation.  In addition the quaint rooms, welcoming lobby and retro shops the hotel houses a very informative Hoover Dam museum. 

Fresh coffee, breakfast and a friendly chat with the hotel staff and other guests is served up daily.  When my computer power cord was to short to reach a comfortable chair the hotel clerk took it upon himself to re arrange the lobby furniture for my comfort.   

We toured the dam site, and were amazed by the size and number of turbines generating power.

The photo to the right shows the method used to construct this dam and others.  The frames were built and filled linking the entire dam together to create one solid unit. 

Even though Lake Mead was very low it was still very beautiful.  Once again we were assured the engineering done on this dam and power plant took into account periods like this when less water was available.

We left Bolder City October 12th but not before we were treated to a preschool Columbus day parade. 

From Bolder City we drove the short distance to Las Vegas in preparation for our flight back to Mexico.  This was our last full day in the US.  We arrived five months and five days before.  We have undergone lots of medical tests, been pronounced healthy, seen much of our family and many of our friends and we are starting to think about returning to our boat.....but not before we tour inland Mexico.  Check out "Land Travel-Mexico" on this website.

July and August 2007

Most of July was spent at Depoe Bay, Oregon in the fishing cabin Glenda's folks built in the early sixties.  Like s/v "Our Country Home" the cabin is very small and there is no TV or telephone.  Even though it is not on the water it's only a couple blocks from the bay and a short walk to the open ocean. 

The cabin has been a gathering place for family, fisherman and friends for more than fifty years.  It made a wonderful home base for our summer activities.  Over the summer we were able to share the cabin with Glenda's cousin, Mike Carlson, and many other family members and friends.

Depoe Bay boasts of being "The World's Smallest Natural Harbor" and we believe it has "The World's Smallest Opening".  

The photo on the right was taken early one morning, from the boat, looking out under the bridge as we departed Depoe Bay Harbor to fish.   This opening is known as "The Hole"

The photo below is cousin Mike's boat, f/v "Little Admiral" as he bought it back into "The Hole" after a day's ocean fishing and crabbing.  This photo was taken from the Highway 101 bridge over the entrance to Depoe Bay. 

The ocean crabbing was great this summer.  Mike had ocean crab pots out that they pulled each day after their day's fishing was done.  Below is Ralph (and Mike) in the back yard of the cabin with a few of the crab they caught.

Pictures like the one on the right were a daily event while we were at the cabin.  This one is, from left to right is Glenda's grandson, Kevin Alsip with Ralph and Glenda and our "Forth of July" Salmon catch.  According to Mike's calculations,  Ralph fished for salmon twelve times this summer and caught a total 23 salmon.

 The one below is Ralph's last salmon and his largest, 31 pounds.  It really was the "Catch of the season" !

On the right is a photo of Glenda and Kevin Lorenzini.  It was taken in Depoe Bay, Oregon over looking the seawall (on the right) that protects "The Hole" from sea activity from the North.  Kevin rode his motorcycle from Sacramento, California for a short visit over Forth of July weekend.

In addition to fishing and entertaining family and friends, at the Depoe Bay cabin we made several inland trips.  While in the Willamette valley we stayed with Glenda's son, David and his family.  We were able to see her grandson, Jamie play baseball.  We were there when her grandson Kevin bought his new, bright red motor cycle, to share the joy of his purchase. 

On one special trip we visited our friends Carol and Jerry Freeman at their Willamette Valley farm.  They invited Ralph to picked cherries.  They were the best cherries we have ever eaten!  And we picked and blueberries too.  What a thrill to be able to share this "choice fruit" with our family and friends! 

We made new friends in Depoe Bay.  Kay and Frank at the Bay Walk Cafe are pictured on the right.  They made the cafe internet available to us all summer at no charge.  If you happen to travel through Depoe Bay, Oregon we highly recommend you pay them a visit.  Have a bowl of delicious homemade clam chowder, a refreshing Tillamook ice cream cone or if you are cold a steaming hot Latte. 

On another inland trip we took time to explore Mt. Hood, Oregon's highest peak.  We were there at the perfect time of day.  The clouds lifted off the top of the peak right in front of our eyes.  The photo on the left is just the peak of the Mt. Hood taken from the lodge at the timberline.  The historic "'Timberline Lodge" was built in 1936 and 1937.  This massive rustic structure is a sight to behold.

Our travels took us along the path of the "Lewis and Clark Expidition" of the 1600s and the route of the "Oregon Trail" traveled by hopeful immigrants in the 1800s.  We visited the Hood River Valley, famous for it's apples and pears and at The Dalles the impressive Columbia River Gorge Interruptive center. 

One reason for being in Oregon this summer was to celebrate Glenda's mother's birthday.  On August 18th we (the immediate family) entertained a gathering of over a hundred family and friends in Celebration of Gertrude Fisher's 90th Birthday.  The photo to the left is Glenda with her mother and sister, Donna Christopher, enjoying the birthday party. 

On August 22 we traveled from Portland Oregon to Sacramento, California.  Our first stop in California was to visit our good friend Kevin Lorenzini.

Glenda had never been to Lake Tahoe so together we traveled over the Donner Pass to the site that the Donner party camped that ill fated winter they lost more than half their party,  and on to beautiful Lake Tahoe.  Glenda was amazed with the breath taking beauty of the Tahoe area.  The photo is of Ralph and Glenda at at one of Ralph's favorite spots, Emerald Bay.

The following day, after Breakfast with Kevin in Jackson's at the famed "Mel's Diner", we were off to Soulsbyville, California, near Sonora, to visit Ralph's mother and her husband Ron.

With Dorothy we indulged ourselves with a trip over Sonora Pass and on to the ghost town of Bodie.  It was along this path, near Bridgeport we stopped to watch marines train in mountain warfare on the very cliff Ralph trained on in the early sixties.  Seeing those young men repelling off the face of the cliff brought back lots of memories for Ralph. 

We happened over the pass at just the right time to see the wagon train reacting the migration of immigrants to the California's Gold Country and were lucky enough to get some photos as they entered Highway 108 to be escorted by the California Highway Patrol to their next camp site.

June 2007

After a weekend visit with Glenda's daughter Karen we were off to Whidbey Island.  Our good friends Dick and Pat Kimberley made their home available to us even though they were off traveling.  This is the  home we were married in 4 years ago.  

While on Whidbey Island, our friend Sunshine Wilde, came down from Vancouver, BC to spend a few days catching up.  Her boat, s/v Wild Heart is now on Salt Springs Island. 

No trip to Whidbey is complete without a visit with our friends, the Christensen's.  This photo is of Lynn and her daughters Alicia and Jennifer.  We're sad to say this photo is missing Brant (husband and father) killed just six months ago in a motorcycle accident on the Island.

We enjoyed time with Bob and Lorraine Becker, from whom we purchased our future home site on Whidbey Island.  When our cruising is finished we will be neighbors.

From Whidbey Island we traveled by Washington State Ferry to Port Townsend and by car on to Port Angeles.  The Photo to the Left is Ralph and Rod Johnson.  Some of you may remember us telling you how Rod came down on the dock at Port Angeles in 2001, just after OCH arrived, and with within an hour loaned us his pickup truck for our entire stay.  Elsa, his wife, is in Norway visiting family so we missed seeing her.

Rod met us at the ferry building where we had great fun reconnecting.  We also ate the largest piece of carrot cake we have ever seen as we watched the resident raccoon beg from passers by.

We crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC on the Blackball Line's "Coho" Ferry.  The water was fairly smooth but it did rain.

Victoria is a beautiful city.  It is always such a thrill to see the Empress Hotel and the Parliament Building and remember all the good times we have enjoyed in Victoria.

Our trip to Vancouver Island was planned so we could spend time with Tim Boehm and his brother Skip on board s/v Sundancer in Sooke.  For three days we enjoyed their company and helping to prepare Sundancer for a summer circumnavigation of Vancouver Island.  Sundancer is the Vagabond 47' ketch we flew to Florida in 1999 to prepared for her cross country truck trip to Coos Bay, Oregon.  The picture on the left is Tim preparing to go up the mizzen mast to repair the wind generator.

The international ferry leaving Sidney serves the San Juan Islands and Anacortes, Washington.  We used that ferry to visit San Juan Island.  There, at "American Camp", we were treated to a very special sight.  The large eagle's nest high atop a tall Fir tree housed a young eaglet waiting impatiently for it's mother to return with food.  Even though the baby was fairly large it's clumsy and unsteady movements gave it's age away.  Imagine being hatched in a stack of sticks on the top of a tall tree! 

Next stop, Orcas Island, via the Washington State Ferry.  We had a wonderful visit with our good friend Brian Cleary.

The mornings were spent doing small boat projects, the afternoons sailing Windsong, Brian's sailboat, and in the evenings we watched the sun go down behind Vancouver Island from Brian's home.

As a side adventure Brian and Ralph did a bit of "coon" hunting!

One more Washington State Ferry ride took us to Anacortes on the Mainland.  After another quick trip to Whidbey and one last ferry ride to Mukilteo it was a short drive back to Duvall, Washington to spend more time with Glenda's daughter, Karen.   

We already mentioned Karen is on a "mini farm".  She is down to just one horse now, but arranged for Ralph to borrow a horse so they could trail ride together.  The beautiful filly to the right is Karen's horse, "Dyna".

To the left is Ralph preparing his mount for the trail.  They had a great time! 

We really enjoyed visiting with Karen.  We were able to help her some with yard work.  Ralph helped update her computer and we met her for lunch while she was working.  Living in the country, brings much wild life to Karen's yard.  The crows were feasting on the cherries, deer of course, hung around and an Osprey has a nest nearby. 

While at Karen's we planned a day trip across the Cascade Mountains to see what we could see.  From Monroe we took Highway 2 east over Steven's Pass.  This was the original train route over the mountain.  We learned how crews built the route and maintained it even when it had to be dug out from avalanches covering it with 40' of snow.  No easy task with picks and shovels in the late 1800's.  This area offers winter recreation and summer camping and hiking.   

Just over the mountains, nestled in the foothills on the east side, is the little town of Leavenworth.  This delightful "Alpine Village" has maintained it's architecture and style.  The community prides it's self in showing tourists a great time year round.  It has ongoing festivals and events to entertain, no lack of charm and horse drawn carriage tours.  The shops and restaurants are delightful.  We feasted on a traditional Bavarian lunch at one of the many restaurants while enjoying music from the annual accordion competition piped throughout the village.

It was a short drive to Wenatchee, Washington and the lush fruit orchards lands that surround it.  We backtracked on Highway 2 to take Highway 97 South in the direction of I-90  so we could visit the small mining town, Roslyn, of "Northern Exposure" fame.  We wish we had more time so that we could have walked the seven miles of trails that wind through the old coal mines that surround this small hillside town.

From I-90 we took State Route 202 at North Bend.  From North Bend we had a great view of Mount Si.  This is the mountain we climbed in 2003.  From atop Mount Si  we could see all the way across to the Olympic Alps with Puget Sound, Seattle, Lake Washington and Belleview in between.  It was only after the trek was complete that Ralph pointed out the sign to Glenda that said this climb was equal to climbing the space needle seven times.  We still wonder how we did it! 

State Route 202 took us to State Route 203, past Snoqualmie Falls and back into Duvall in time to have supper with Karen.

After a wonderful time in Washington State we headed South on I-5 where we stayed with Glenda's cousins, Dan and Susan Carlson, in their beautiful "floating home" on the Columbia River at Portland, Oregon.  Our meals were all enjoyed out on the deck in the sunshine as we watched wildlife and watercraft going up and down the river.

Once our appointments in Portland were complete we headed back to Corvallis to celebrate Glenda's son's birthday, connect with his family and spend time with Glenda's mom and sister.  We feel so blessed to have had such quality time with family and friends while OCH is setting out the hurricane season in La Paz, Mexico. 

We ended June by traveling to Depoe Bay, Oregon for another stay at Glenda's moms "A" frame cabin.  July's adventures will begin in Depoe Bay, Oregon.

May 2007

As we flew over La Paz on our way back to the States we were able to take this aerial photo of La Paz and Bay.  We reluctantly said goodbye to OCH and left her in Carlos' care for hurricane season.       

May 15, 2007

We decided to leave the boat early for hurricane season this year for some appointments in Portland, Oregon.  This decision gave us the opportunity to travel in the good ole US of A.

Our first stop was Portland, Oregon.  Glenda's cousin, Mike Carlson, now retired and devoting his time to FISHING, took us in for the two weeks we spent in Portland for appointments at OHSU.  Mike is a great cook!  He spoiled us by preparing all kinds of fresh fish meals and taking great care of us. 

Our first free day was sunny so we took our first "road trip"!   Portland is right on Columbia River and the beautiful "Columbia River Gorge" is nearby.  This was Ralph's first trip over the "Scenic Highway".  Our rather ambitious PLAN was to drive east out the Gorge to Highway 35, south on Highway 35, to Mt Hood, and then west on Highway 26 back to Portland, for a total of just 123 miles.  Well...... This is how that short trip went.

Getting an early start we left Portland around 9:00.  The first stop was at Crown Point Vista house built in the 1930's by the Civil Conservation Corps.  From this point you can see all the way down the Columbia River to Portland and up river for miles.  Glenda told me she was around 4 years old on first trip to this historic landmark.  The photo to the right is looking East up the Gorge.

Next stop, a mere 2.5 miles was Latourell Falls.  Then we drove to Shepperds Dell, which was 1.5 miles from the last stop.  You are probably getting the picture by now.  We then traveled another mile to the parking lot at Bridal Veil Falls.  From there we hiked the .5 mile to the actual falls itself.  Not having our fill of falls so far we parked and viewed Wahkeena Falls, a full 4 miles from the last stop.  From there we hiked the .5 mile trail to Multnomah Falls.  The photo on the left shows only the center of the double falls.  Then another 2 miles to Horsetail Falls.  Each of these falls is so unique that is difficult to drive by without stopping for a look about.

The scenic highway ended in another six miles and we found ourselves on I-84 at Bonneville Dam.  We toured the fish hatchery first, where we watched as employees moved fingerlings from one pond to another.  They moved a portable wall from one end of the narrow pond to the other end.  This bunched the fingerlings together so that they could be scooped up with a net, weighed and then put into a hopper.  The fingerlings were carried with running water through a 4" pipe to the new pond.  The little fish came flying out licitly split from the other end of the pipe.  After a momentary shock they were on their way in their new surroundings. 

From there we drove over the Dam to the visitor's center.  We arrived just as the guided tour of the power plant began.  We were treated to a tour where we learned much about the generation of electricity.  After watching the fish making their way up the fish ladder we went inside and watched them through the under water windows used by the fish counters. 

We were then drawn into the theatre to watch the videos concerning the dam.  When we were finished watching the movies we learned that the Center had closed and the guards were looking for the people whose car was the only one in the parking lot!  We were very hungry by then, 5:15 pm, so proceeded another 4 miles to Cascade Locks for lunch.  Having enjoyed the view from the restaurant and the refueling of our bodies we decide on a new plan.   It was either drive the 30 miles back to Portland along I-84 or another 93 miles to take in Mt. Hood before returning to Portland.  It was back to Portland.  We will save Mt. Hood for another day.

Next we were off to the Oregon Coast.  Glenda's mother still owns the fishing cabin that Glenda's parents built in the sixties.  We are making the cabin our home base.  We were so lucky to be there during Halibut season and to have friends come and share their catch.

Depoe Bay is the smallest natural harbor in the world.  The city of Depoe Bay celebrates Memorial Day with the "Fleet of Flowers".  A waterfront ceremony is followed by the fishing fleet, decorated with flowers, sailing out into the open ocean with invited guests aboard.  The fleet circles while U S Coast Guard helicopter drops a wreath in the center of the circle.  Once the wreath is on the water the guests on all of the circled vessels throw their flowers into the Pacific Ocean.  Ralph put flowers on the water in memory of his son, Brent.  We were joined for the holiday weekend by our good friends Tim and Sandie Bohem from Coos Bay, Oregon.

We spent time in Corvallis where we connected with Glenda's son David and his family and with Glenda's mother.  Then off to Duvall, Washington to visit Glenda's daughter, Karen. 

The day was perfectly clear and warm and Mount Saint Helens was standing bright against the blue sky.  We called Karen to tell her we would be taking a side trip.  The photo to the right is taken from Sliver Lake Visitor Center.  The photo on the left was taken from the Johnstone Ridge Observatory where we viewed a movie presentation of actual eruption footage.  As sailors we took note of the winds that accompanied the 1980 blast.  They were recorded at "700" miles per hour and blew fully grown trees over like match sticks as far as 20 miles away.  Note the deep gullies carved in the ash avalanche that followed the blast.                                                                   

We drove north from Mount Saint Helens to Duvall where we visited Glenda's daughter, Karen, outside Duvall, Washington.   Karen has a small "mini ranch", (five acres, an eight stall barn and a riding arena).  She also has a green thumb and a very beautiful yard. 

For Father's Day we drove to Lake Stevens to celebrate with Karen's friend, Chris Vallo, and his family.   

We all enjoyed a wonderful dinner and the lovely view of Lake Stevens from Chris' home.                   

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