We sadly said good-bye to my daughter and my three precious grand children. It’s so difficult to leave when they are small because I worry that they forget so easily. I am going to make sure to Skype a lot.The drive from Silverdale WA to Vancouver OR was uneventful but still found too many aggressive drivers on the road.
We ate lunch in Vancouver then got back on the road. Once we hopped on I-84 the magic began. So far this has to be my favorite drive for scenery, decent considerate drivers, lush landscape and adorable little towns. Driving the gorge is something to behold and quite literally my photos or description could never do it justice.
The rivers, dams, towns, people, flowers, trees and everything in between already has me making plans for a return trip.
I really want us to take about a month just to meander and explore the entire gorge drive.
We pulled over in Hood River to look for a room, but everyone was sold out, so we headed on down the road and came upon The Dalles and so very happy that we ended up there. Every square inch has something new to see and gaze at.
Basically I-84 and Hwy 30 (famous as the Oregon Trail in the pioneering days) run parallel to each other and the river separates the states of Washington and Oregon.
We stayed at a small Comfort Inn, the beds were fantastic and the staff some of the nicest ever.
Today’s Route:
Day 2 of the return trip
In the morning after some extensive picture taking that included the snow capped top of Mt. St. Helens which commands the horizon for hundreds of miles, we continued on our way enjoying the views as they rushed by all too quickly.We saw a cute little town and decided to drive around some. Yep, we found another town that begs to be explored and extra time spent there. So much pioneer history surrounds it and people are still very nice.
We drove around quite a bit and decided we would like to spend at least four days here in Pendleton, perhaps in September when they have their big annual rodeo festivities. http://www.el.com/to/pendleton/
By sunset we arrived in Ontario OR to check in for the night and get some rest. The town is quite grimy and stinky. It is right on the edge of Oregon and Idaho. Han explained that border towns are often a bit more rough and unruly than most ‘natural’ ones, as we had already witnessed when entering California. I would suggest staying in a different town. Even the Holiday Inn there was one of the worst we have ever stayed in. Just say NO.
In hindsight however I am overjoyed and in love with Oregon. There is just something that calls to me, it instantly felt like home and I cannot wait to go back. Would not even mind living there for a bit, considering that another favorite on this trip was Cottage Grove, also in Oregon.
Today’s Route:
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