Vacation Chronicle: Part 7

(Vacation Chronicle: Part 7)

Dear Diary,                                                        18 July 2011

The three cities of Tri-Cities, Washington are Richland, Pasca, and Kennewick. The Tri-City Cable Bridge was one of the first cable bridges was one of the first cable bridges in the country. Washington wasn’t exactly as we imagined. Probably it was just the portion of it that we drove through, but all the scenery along the way to Portland was brown fields, with an occasional grape vineyard, orchard, or lumber farm. Enroute to Oregon yesterday, we pulled over (to get this live beetle untangled from the windshield wipers) right beside a cliff that hung over a railroad track...all beside the Columbia River! Jacob and I stepped over the already cut barbed wire to stand on the edge. My dad thought we were nutso and climbed back into the car while my mom said "Get back over here, you two," whilst she snapped pictures.

Today, as we toured Portland, Oregon and saw some very interesting (or downright wacky) things, we had a lot of fun with Aunt Sherrie and Uncle Jimmy. Some highlights of the day were the repelling window washer guy, the many hoboes, seeing Mt. Helen from a distance, and riding this car thing (like a monorail) up a mountain. But the absolute COOLEST part of the day, and possible the entire trip, was as Aunt Sherrie drove along and I spotted these yellow signs that said “Leverage” with black arrows pointing. That was then Aunt Sherrie decided to tell us that THEY FILMED LEVERAGE IN PORTLAND!! Ecstatic and bewildered, we urged her to follow the signs. We found the base parking lot, the cameras, lights, fans, wardrobe, and down at this marina we actually saw CHRISTIAN KANE (!!!!) filming a fight scene. It was the coolest thing ever. We took a bajillion pictures and I called Cindy and Jana, who were both thrilled about it and were really excited for me. Becca texted that she wanted my autograph just for being there.

Dear Diary,                                      20 July 2011

Yesterday we went up to Mt. Hood and saw SNOW! Oodles and oodles of snow!!! Jacob and I had a blast playing in it until I got too cold. Risking appearing a fuddy-duddy for not wanting to get sick, I opted for sitting by the window and drinking hot chocolate rather than get my already wet tennis shoes out in the snow. I made a little snow man before my fingers became all-too frozen. Jacob stuck with it, however, and proceeded to make his own pathetic portrayal of the three round layers, complete with pine cone eyes and tree branch hair. It was so lovely up there at the ski lodge. I got some wonderful pictures of Mount Hood when there was a brief clearing of the low-hanging clouds. We even found a fallen post which acted as a sort of stand for my little camera so Jacob and I could take some self portraits. The lodge was old and riddled with history. Built in during the Great Depression, the workers who were involved in its completion were all eager to exercise their skills and learn to do the things that needed to be done as well. The result was many beautiful carvings and some wonderful displays of blacksmithing and weaving. Much of the décor is original from when the lodge first opened in back in 1937. That old hotel feeling tends to lend itself to a sort of haunted atmosphere, almost like the Crescent Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas…only without the creepy history.

At the Bonneville Dam we also saw the fish ladder, a waterway created for fish to migrate up and down stream as needed without getting crushed in the turbines of the dam. Beneath the water, they installed windows so you can see the salmon and trout swimming by. We even saw part of a lamprey, which are apparently common in the Columbia River.

For lunch we dined at a fine drive-in burger joint. During our luxurious meal, it began to rain, as it often down in Oregon. We had pretty much gotten used to it, but just for fun we held our umbrellas up as we ate. Daddy and Jacob got medium sized ice cream cones that turned out to be like a foot tall! They were ridiculously huge. So much, in fact, that we couldn’t fathom what a large could have been!

Today we went to the Pacific Coast. The water was indeed cold, but not as cold as the lake water in Coeur D’Alene. How those girls convinced me to get into that water, I still don’t know. Our group had fun checking out the shops. Mommy kept an ever searching eye out for postcards. Near the beginning of our afternoon excursion, Daddy and I ran back to the car. On the way back we passed by the surrey rental lace. He kept eyeing the place. “Should we get one?” he asked in that unsure tone like a little boy debating a large purchase at a toy store. “Do you want one?” I asked. “Yes…it would be something they’ll never forget.” “Then let’s do it.” So the two of us ambled inside, collected our 8 seater, then pedaled out onto the road. I was laughing nearly the whole way, which probably didn’t help with my biking skills. We just looked so funny, the two of us chugging along on this huge contraption! I knew Daddy was waiting for the looks on their faces when we pulled up on that thing…I was too! It was funny seeing them go “What?!” It wasn’t too hard pedaling with us all on there. We all biked to this place where Lewis and Clark boiled seawater to make salt decades and decades ago. That was kind of neat. The night was concluded by a crab legs dinner (primarily for Aunt Sherrie and Daddy) and a pleasant evening ride home. It was so fun spending time together. J