The PENguin Blog

  From Spokane we crossed the state of Washington in a generally southwestern direction. During the course of Thursday’s drive I wondered aloud if we had not somehow ended up in Oklahoma’s panhandle. I almost stopped to take a picture just to show why I wasn’t taking pictures. You get the idea. But at the end of it we spent pleasant late afternoon and early evening wandering along the Columbia River for a short walk and then a walk through town and early dinner. Friday saw us driving Oregon 97 from The Dalles through Bend, where we did not stop, to Klamath Falls where we did. It was a much nicer drive than the previous day, lots of scenery most of which I did not stop to photograph, but an old farmstead and then a piece of the DesChutes River did stop me. As fans of the Columbia River Gorge we were saddened to see the damage wrought by the Eagle Creek fire when we visited Mt. Hood this past summer. Today we were heartbroken to see the extent of the fire so far south...

Where to start? When Sharon began planning this trip, she informed me that we would be coming out of Glacier NP to Spokane. I was curious and suggested a second night here. Sharon reluctantly agreed. Midway through the afternoon she proclaimed herself glad that we had the day, and that was before dinner. Tuesday afternoon we checked into our hotel, The Montvale, in downtown Spokane, just behind a troupe of musicians, whose manager gave us a handout for their concert the next evening.  The Montvale began life in 1899 as a residential hotel for workers drawn to this northwestern boom town. Dinner, celebrating our 47 th wedding anniversary, was at The Steam Plant. This dining and shopping venue bwegan life providing steam heating for the entire downtown. It was a very nice meal in an amusing setting. We began Wednesday as Trip Advisor suggests with a top attraction, Manito Park. We drove through much of it until we hit the Nishinomiya Tsutakawa ...

  Monday, October 1 brought warmer weather, clearer roads and some friendly advice from Alicia, who was our server at breakfast. And so we drove up Route 2 along the east side of the park, across Route 49 which was technically closed, up 89 to Many Glacier. It was a long drive over some still-hairy roads, but we thought it was worth it. We drove some, and then walked a bit along the nature trail at Swiftcurrent Lake.   Could not resist an iPhone panorama Some shots from below Rosa poses before the glaciers Swiftcurrent Lodge Right here you can see why the name Swiftcurrent The forecast for Tuesday is for some fairly rough weather as we depart the park for the first stop on our journey back home, Spokane where we will spend two nights. From there we hit The Dalles on the Columbia River on Thursday, Klamath Falls Friday, and then home. I'll post images if and as warranted. Our lodging for this part of the trip has been ...

Since we began the trip, we have been worried about the weather on this leg of the trip, as late in summer as it is and as northerly as it is. Well . . . we came up against it on Sunday, September 30. Temperatures have been predicted in the teens and twenties with chances of rain, show showers and snow. But where we are, in Essex, and in West Glacier it has been in the thirties and forties with little rain. This morning we came out onto Highway 2, turned north and east, began to climb, and almost instantly the temperature began to drop and there were snow and ice everywhere. Now, last time I checked Rocinante did not have a four wheel drive option but did have four great wide shallow tread-depth tires. So the first time I touched the brakes in the wrong place we began to yaw, side to side. For what seemed like two minutes but was probably thirty seconds, I spun the wheel first left than right and then left again until we slowed and I got control again. What fun! When we l...