DRIVE TO PORTLAND July 11

We left beautiful Coeur d’Alene, ID, and headed west through boring Spokane, just passing by, and continuing through SW Washington down to the Oregon border. Just rolling plains, pretty non-descript! We drove on the north (WA) side of the Columbia for awhile as it was dot-dot-dotted on the map as more scenic with a few views of the river, which comes down from Canada through Washington and then turns right to form the WA/OR border. We had gorgeous views of Mt. Hood with its snowy peak in the distance. I had been up there last trip with Michelle and Judy to visit the historic and interesting Timberline lodge. We had a great lunch there before on the porch overlooking the valley and had even ridden the ski chairlift up and back over the snow where people were still skiing in July! Rod had been up there before as well so we didn’t do that this time.

We crossed over to the OR side and made a couple of stops at Bonneville Dam where we toured the fish hatchery and saw the fish ladder. Lots of sturgeon and trout in the hatchery. We also stopped at Multononah Falls where I’d been before with Judy et. al. and Betty climbed to the second level. The Gorge was beautiful with a few kite-boarders (it was a Thursday). We arrived at Judy’s in Vancouver, WA, and they were there to greet us with cold beer! We sat relaxing on their lovely patio overlooking “Rod’s” vineyard in the back and Mt. St. Helen’s in the distance. We had a great dinner with delicious burgers on the grill by Robert and then followed Judy over to OR to Michelle’s house. Michelle and Christopher had a late meeting with Kevin, his boss, so we would be staying at Michelle’s and Rod was over at Judy’s for the night. We sat out in her garden with Tully, her little black Shi Tzu until she came home.   Her house is so beautiful and everything in its place! She has done such a great job renovating it and it’s perfect, with lovely colors, ceiling moldings, tile around the fireplace, paintings of both Kendra’s and Christopher’s and Judy’s! We stayed downstairs in her two basement bedrooms!