Category Archives: Exploring

Exploring

July 29, 2014 Glacier National Park, Part 3

The heat continued, not a stifling humid heat, but a dry heat that still made for some discomfort. We decided to drive back up to Logan’s Pass, and we knew we needed to get a really early start to get a parking spot in the Visitor’s Center lot. We drove once again on the Going-To-The-Sun Road and continued to marvel at the views and wonders of nature. Even though we had driven this route just a couple days ago, we never tired of the views and it was like seeing the jaw dropping beauty for the first time. The drive was faster since we didn’t feel the need to stop at every overlook to take pictures. We arrived at Logan’s Pass by

Heavens Peak

Clements Mountain

Reynolds Mountain

Columbian Ground Squirrel

10:00 AM and even though the sign said the parking lot was full, there was no Ranger to stop us from entering. It took quite a few times circling the lot before we finally spotted someone leaving. We spent time taking pictures and enjoying the scenery and by the time we left the Rangers had once again closed the lot and were directing traffic further east for the elusive parking spots. We returned home by heading west so we could see the views from the opposite direction, stopping for a picnic lunch at one of the scenic overlooks. We arrived home early enough in the afternoon to escape being out in the worst heat of the day. Unfortunately as I was fixing dinner the power went out throughout the campground. At 91+ degrees outside, the inside of the RV quickly became uncomfortable, driving us and our neighbors outside. After an hour and a half the power was restored.

Friday we spent the day exploring the east side of the park, even though we knew it would mean a lot of time in the car driving. We decided to drive west on the Going-To-The-Sun Road and then come home on the southern route outside the park. The heat was not quite as bad today, but the number of cars and people seemed to be growing and the traffic

Jackson Glacier

through the park was heavy even though it was early in the day. Our main destination today was “Many Glacier”in the northeastern corner of the park, considered to be the heart of the park and one of the less visited areas. The views here were gorgeous and we hoped to see a bear or two since we were told it was more likely to see one here. There were trails throughout the park which had been closed to hikers because of bear activity on the trails. Even though we kept a sharp eye out, we failed to see bears or big horn sheep or even mountain goats on this day.

Lower Two Medicine Lake

Lake Sherburne

Lake Sherburne and Grinnell Glacier

We wanted to find a geocache located seven miles from the Canadian border on the Chief Mountain Highway which connects the U.S Glacier Park with the Canadian Glacier park. The geocache was located at a scenic spot with a view of Chief Mountain. Legend has it that an Indian Chief was killed in battle and his wife, crazy with grief, leaped from the mountain

Chief Mountain

with her baby. Supposedly you can see the shape of a woman and child in the face of the mountain but we couldn’t pick it out. Bill had to roll under a barbed wire fence to retrieve the cache, somehow managing to dodge cow patties in his path. We encountered quite a few cattle on the road, including one standing in the middle of the road. We also saw many horses along the side of the road with no fence between them and the road.

We headed home on the long drive around the southern tip through the Blackfeet Indian reservation, a little disappointed with our lack of bear sightings. We were traveling down the highway when we saw two cars stopped in the middle of the road. In this area, that could only mean one thing, someone had spotted something. Sure enough we stopped and on the side of the road and up a small incline was a large brown bear. I have since learned they

Second Bear

are all called black bears even though they can be black, brown or blonde in color. Bill was able to snap some quick pictures before he lumbered farther into the brush and out of sight.

We really enjoyed our time in Glacier National Park. We had hoped to do more hiking but the heat made it somewhat difficult to do any long hikes. Truthfully, while the park is beautiful, we both felt that the Northern Cascades were prettier with many more glaciers and much more snow. A Ranger told us in the North Cascades that there is more water in one glacier in the Cascades than all the glaciers in Glacier National Park and we could see that is true. In 1850 there were an estimated 150 glaciers in Glacier National Park and by 1968 there were around 50. Today there are 25 glaciers and it is estimated that they will be gone by 2030 due to climate changes.

July 28, 2014 Glacier National Park, Part 2

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Today we decided to hike one of the most popular trails in the park, the Avalanche Trail. We were up early in an attempt to beat the heat and find a parking spot at the trailhead. At 9:30 we got the last parking spot at the trailhead. Since there were numerous warnings about this being “Bear Country”, we were armed with a whistle in case we encountered Smokey the Bear. We noticed hikers on the trail with bells attached to their backpacks and one even had two metal Sierra cups that clanged together as he walked. These all did a great job of warning us that someone was coming up behind us, but truthfully the trail was so crowded that I expect any bears within miles had quickly retreated to someplace more quiet and peaceful. Early on the trail we saw a beautiful waterfall and could see where over time the rushing water had carved a canyon through the rock. Stunning! The views of the valley and mountains provided us with untouched beauty.

The five mile trail was a fairly steady climb of 500 feet and combined with the heat, we were glad to reach the end of the trail at Avalanche Lake with a gorgeous view of three waterfalls cascading down the mountain.

Avalanche Lake with high waterfalls in the distance

The steep climb downhill had our toes screaming as they pushed against our hiking boots, and we were glad to reach the car and some AC! The rest of the day was spent resting and enjoying the coolness of the RV.

The next day Bill went on a half day white water rafting trip on the Middle Fork Flathead River. I was not feeling well from the effects of the heat and some dehydration from the previous day’s hike. Bill went out on the water with an expert guide so I didn’t worry about him too much. He had a great time and brought home some great pictures. I am looking forward to going with him in the future!

Middle Fork of Flathead river

July 27, 2014 Glacier National Park Part 1

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We left Coeur d’ Alene knowing we had a long drive ahead of us. We typically drive around 100 miles every 3 to 7 days. But the wildfires in Washington changed our timetable and itinerary and we had to move faster than we like to get to our reservation in Coram, Montana. Bill knows the importance of taking a break every hour or so when driving a large vehicle, so with a couple breaks and a nice lunch break, it took us 6 hours to reach Coram. As we drove through the northern tip of Idaho and western Montana we were amazed at all the large, beautiful lakes and magnificent views. We saw mile after mile of farmland with crops and freshly cut hay in the fields. As we traveled farther and farther east, the temperature also continued to climb.

We reached the private campground in Coram, Montana about 5 miles from the entrance to Glacier National Park. Since the temperature was in the nineties, we were really hoping for a site with some shade. While the park has very few trees, they did assign us a spot with a small tree that afforded us a little shade. Since many campsites were in the blazing sun, we were grateful for even a little shade. During much of our week in Coram the daytime highs were in the low 90’s but in the 50’s at night. We would start the day with the heat on and then by lunchtime we were turning on the AC.

Our first day we awoke eager to begin exploring the park. Glacier National Park was established in 1910 and encompasses over a million acres, includes parts of two mountain ranges, has over 130 named lakes, over 700 miles of hiking trails, more than 1,000 species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. Glacier National Park borders Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and together the two parks are known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, established in 1932 as the world’s first International Peace Park. Both parks are designated by the United Nations as World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves.

The best way to view the park is by driving along the Going-To-The-Sun Road. This 50 mile road, which bisects the park from the east to west, is one of the world’s most spectacular roads and an engineering marvel. The road follows the shores of the park’s two largest lakes, hugging cliffs below the Continental Divide until it reaches Logan’s Pass at an elevation of over 6,600 feet. The views as you climb up into the sky are truly stunning with views of mountains, lakes and waterfalls. It is hard to imagine how they put in this road alongside the cliffs. As you look at the pictures try to pick out the Going-To-The-Sun Road in the middle of the pictures. It is a small line in the middle of the picture. That is the road we drove! Two of our favorite waterfalls was Haystack Falls and Bird Woman Falls. Bird Woman Falls is just west of the Continental Divide which means the water here will eventually make its way to the Pacific Ocean. Amazing! This falls was named for Sacajawea, the Native American guide who led Lewis and Clark through the wilderness. The word Sacajawea means “Bird Woman”.

Haystack waterfall

Bird Woman Falls, nearly 500 feet tall fed by snowmelt

On our first day we intended to drive as far as Logan’s Pass and turn around and drive back to our campground on the western side of the park, saving the eastern side of the Going-To-The-Sun Road for another day. It took us quite awhile to get to Logan’s Pass because at every turn we wanted to stop at an overlook and take pictures and marvel at the views before us. Near Logan’s Pass we saw mountain goats grazing alongside the mountains. When we reached Logan’s Pass the parking lot was full and the Ranger was waving everyone on to the next parking area a quarter of a mile away. When we reached that area it too was full. We decided to skip the Visitor’s Center and return another day. We turned around but at that moment a helicopter landed in the middle of the road, blocking traffic in both directions. We heard that someone had suffered an asthma attack and it appeared that it would be awhile before the road was open again. We decided to turn around again and head east which meant we would have a much longer way home but at least we would end up seeing the eastern side of the park which was better than waiting in the hot sun for the road to eventually re-open. The eastern area of the Going-To-The-Sun Road is undergoing some extensive road repair as they replace the stone retaining walls, drainage pipes, asphalt and everything else that deteriorates with age, traffic and winter weather since the road first opened in 1933. This meant we drove through three areas of one lane roads with some minor delays. It was while waiting at one of these delays that we saw a baby cub lumbering across the road right in front of our car. We looked for the mama bear but didn’t see her.

Can you find the bear cub?

Saint Mary Lake

Once we left the park boundary on the east we drove through the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. It was quite a long way home and while the Road-To-The-Sun is amazing, it is

Tepees come in many sizes

the only road through the park, which can be pretty inconvenient. If you are on the west and want to do something on the east side of the park, you either have to drive the 50 miles on the Road-To-The Sun which is very crowded and slow going with cars and tour buses pulling in and out of overlooks or drive south outside the park around to the east and go in that entrance. Either way it is over a two hour drive each way to get from one side to the other. We also found if you want to get a parking place at Logan’s Pass or at one of the popular trailheads, you better get an early start in the morning. The park has a marvelous free shuttle bus system that you can catch at various places throughout the park which takes you to different locations if you don’t want to drive or worry about parking. We didn’t ride the bus but one of our neighbors at our campground and his wife are spending their summer working for Glacier National Park driving the shuttle buses.

Our first day at Glacier National Park was pretty amazing!

Mountain reflection on Lake McDonald

McDonald Lake

July 24, 2014 Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

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We awoke to the morning sound of rain and thunder. We prepared to leave our campsite in Fall City and head toward Moses Lake where we would stay for one night. We had to cross Snoqualamie Pass, elevation 3,200 in the rain and fog. Once we reached the other side of the mountain it was like a different world. The first thing we saw was a huge lake called Lake Kachess at the summit of the pass. The lake is both a lake and a reservoir and is part of the Columbia River basin. Due to the bad weather we did not get good pictures of the beautiful lake. The water from the reservoir is used for irrigation.

At the base of the summit we began to see open farmland for as far as the eye could see with huge stacks of hay waiting to be loaded onto trucks. The grass along the side of the road and in some of the fields appeared to be brown and burnt, so unlike the lush green of western Washington. So much of the moisture is trapped to the west by the mountains, leaving the east hot and dry. We saw many windmills and some signs of irrigation, and the irrigated fields were green with crops. The sky continued to be ominous with heavy threatening clouds for most of our trip. We passed through Grant County, Washington which had a sign along the roadway stating it was the largest potato growing county in the nation. We thought those honors would have gone to a county in Idaho! Also along the roadway we saw signs on fenceposts telling us what crops were growing in the fields. What a great idea as this kept us fascinated as we passed sweet corn, potatoes, peas, alfalfa, onions, wheat and Timothy which we learned is a major source of hay. We also watched as a couple crop dusting planes were flying over the fields.

We pulled into Cascade Campground, a beautiful campground owned by the city of Moses Lake and located right on their large lake. We barely had time to pull into our campsite before a huge wind storm hit the area blowing over tents and trash cans and scattering items everywhere. After about twenty scary minutes it quieted down but stayed windy for the rest of of the evening. We would have liked to stay longer here since it is a beautiful location, but we needed to continue to move east.

The next day we headed further west, passing through Spokane. After six weeks in Washington state we were excited to be moving on to Idaho and Montana.

We arrived in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, population 45,000. We stayed here three nights to visit with Bill’s cousin Sue and her husband Steve. Coeur d’ Alene is the second largest metropolitan city in the state of Idaho and the largest city in the northern Idaho Panhandle. Coeur d’ Alene is named for a tribe of Native Americans who lived along the lakes and rivers when the area was discovered by French fur traders in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Today it is a resort town which relies heavily on tourism. Barbara Walters called it a “little slice of heaven” and listed in as one of her most fascinating places to visit. Good Morning America broadcast the Christmas tree lighting ceremony there several years ago because it is one of the largest in the United States.

We had a wonderful visit with Sue and her husband Steve in their lovely home. Sue showed us her yard with gorgeous flowers, herb gardens, and we were able to pick raspberries, strawberries and blueberries fresh from her garden. In the fall they will have a harvest from their apple trees. Sue also makes wine and has won several ribbons at the Idaho State Fair. She gave us several bottles to take with us to enjoy in our travels. Steve is a fantastic cook and we enjoyed the meals he prepared for us during our visit.

Sue took us on a tour of Coeur d’ Alene and we toured the area around beautiful Lake Coeur d’ Alene. We also introduced Sue to geocaching by finding a cache downtown by the lake.

July 21, 2014 Fall City, Washington

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The night before we were to leave the North Cascades National Park we found out the road east through the mountain was now open. However we would need to stay one night in the disaster area, and since there was no electricity, telephone service or fuel in the area, we decided to stay with the new plan and take the longer route east.

The camp host came by to chat as we were preparing to leave. He had been raised by his grandparents, his grandfather being a full blood Comanche and his grandmother a Quaker. As he said, they made quite a pair! His grandfather taught him to hunt, ride, fish and act like a man. His grandmother disciplined him with a ruler in one hand and a Bible in the other. He had some amazing firsthand stories told to him from his grandfather, especially about how the Native Americans were treated by the U.S. Army as recently as the 1930’s. It was also interesting to hear about the large amounts of money the Native Americans are now making with all the casinos cropping up throughout the country. They are using the money to buy back large amounts of land which then become reservations and the land returned to wilderness. They are also using the money to buy gold, oil rights and other mineral rights around the country. If you look at state maps, especially in the west, you can see more and more reservation land. We have noticed a lot of casinos west of the Mississippi and have heard from fellow RVers that casinos are a great place to stay overnight. They allow RVs to park in their parking lots free of charge and they are a safer alternative to a Walmart parking lot. Also we have found that more and more city ordinances are disallowing parking in Walmart lots overnight. It was fascinating listening to him and we wished we could have spent more time talking with him.

Along the way, on Washington Route 530, we came to the scene of a tragic mudslide that occurred in March. The massive mudslide, covering one square mile, swallowed homes, killing 37 people. Since the mudslide occurred on a Saturday morning, many people were at home. The road was closed for two months and today they were still working on clearing the area and the devastation was unbelievable.

We arrived at a private campground for a two night stay and even though there was heavy tree cover, Bill was able to find a campsite where we could get TV satellite reception. The next day we drove a short distance to Snoqualmie Falls, a waterfall that cascades 268 feet over granite cliffs. To the Snoqualmie People (People of the Moon), who have lived for

centuries in the Snoqualmie Valley, the Falls is a traditional burial site where prayers are carried up to their Creator by great mists that rise from the powerful Falls. They believe the mists rising from the base of the waterfall connects Heaven and Earth. To them, supernatural powers permeates all life and most things possess spiritual power. They believe the whole universe should be revered and is worthy of respect. Today it is still a site of significant importance to the Snoqualmie people. The Falls served as an important natural fort for the Snoqualmies from raiding canoes and enemies since the Falls are surrounded by three very high vertical cliffs.

Most of the water in the Falls comes from mountain snow and feeds into the Falls from the Snoqualmie River. The valley area gets an average of 61 inches of rain a year and the mountains 105 inches, mostly between October and March.

Geologists also recently discovered that the Falls flow over a 20 million year old extinct volcano. The geologists based their conclusion on the presence of “volcano bombs” which is heavy material that cannot travel far from the volcano site as well as the fact that the entire Falls area is dominated by lava flows which don’t move far from the volcano.

Snoqualmie Falls was shown in the TV show “Twin Peaks”. The property, owned by Puget Sound Energy, is on the National Register of Historic Places because of its association with the Snoqualmie people.

Snoqualmie Falls was first used as a power plant and a source for hydro electrical power in 1899. Today the water is diverted from the river for two nearby generator plants. Generator Plant Two alone has a capacity of 40,700 kilowatts.

We grabbed a geocache at the Falls and a couple more on the way back. We also saw a really neat totem pole at the entrance to the city limits. The totem pole is 43 feet tall and depicts the Native American story of the Raven creator Quq who according to legend placed the moon-child in the sky so fishermen would have light to spear salmon at night. The totem pole was carved from an old growth cedar by H.H. Hinds for his sweetheart and was erected in 1934. The totem pole is unique because it is carved all the way around instead of only on one side, and because it was carved by a white man. When the pole blew down in 1964 during a violent windstorm, serious rot was discovered and it wasn’t put back up until 1967. In 1981 it was taken down and determined to be unrepairable. From 1997 to 1999, the pole was restored by a team of people, including a local Boy Scout Troop, and was once again installed in 2001 where it has now stood off and on for 80 years.

We really enjoyed our time in Fall City but it was only a two night stop and it’s time to move on towards Glacier National Park!

July 16, 2014 Marblemount, Washington – North Cascades National Park

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We arrived in Marblemount, population 203, and settled in at a small private campground. Marblemount is the last place to get gas and supplies for the next 75 miles before entering the park. The campground was conveniently less than a mile from the entrance to North Cascades National Park. After setting up camp we went to the closest ranger station to get maps and details on the park.

North Cascades National Park, nicknamed “North American Alps”, is made up of 505,000 acres with jagged peaks, sheer canyons, countless waterfalls, and over 300 glaciers. The area receives incredible amounts of snowfall each year and many parts of the park are closed from late November to late April. Some of the roads we traveled had only been open since July 1st. Surprisingly, we found out that this park has more glaciers than any other US park other than Alaska. We thought that honor would have gone to Glacier National Park. A ranger told us that there is more water in one North Cascades glacier than all the glaciers in Glacier National Park.

We spent time driving on the North Cascades Scenic Highway, stopping at many overlooks including Ross Lake, Ross Dam, Diablo Lake, Diablo Dam, Gorge Lake and Gorge Dam, which gave us incredible views of Canada to the north and valleys below.

At Diablo Lake Overlook we attended a Ranger talk about the power of ice. One startling statistic she told us is that the number of glaciers has diminished by half, in less than 100 years, due to climate change. We hesitate to use the words “global warming” but the Ranger had photographs of the glaciers in twenty year increments and it was amazing to see the shrinkage of the glaciers in recent times. While the area gets a lot of snow, the amount of rain instead of snow is increasing. She said the number of glaciers is increasing because some of the large glaciers are breaking up and becoming two or more instead of just one large glacier. Her talk certainly gave us something to ponder.

Ross, Diablo and Gorge dams were built between 1919 and 1967 as part of the Skagit River hydro-electric project and form three reservoirs which supply electricity to the city of Seattle.

Ross Dam

25 mile long Ross Lake

Ross Lake, which begins in Canada, is the largest of the three reservoirs.

Diablo Lake

Find Diane on the Diablo dam?

Diablo Lake is a brilliant turquoise blue caused by refracted light on fine rock sediment called glacial flour.

We found a nice boardwalk trail through the forest with a lovely little waterfall. Also during our visit to the park and surrounding area we were able to find several geocaches. While getting one of the caches we met a husband and wife who were teachers on their summer vacation. It is always nice to meet fellow cachers in our travels and find a geocache together.

Mount Baker as viewed from the south

Zoomed in view of a Mount Baker glacier

Another day we drove up to Baker Lake with a beautiful view of Mt Baker. You will notice the water rushing downstream here is not blue but a gray color because of silt from the glaciers. Baker Lake is 9 miles long and a popular camping, fishing and boating area.

Baker Lake

As mentioned in an earlier posting, our plans changed due to the horrible Washington wildfires. It was shocking to see on the news the reports of the devastation in towns not far from us. Our hearts and prayers go out to the people affected by the fires and we pray for the safety of the firefighters. Originally we planned to drive through the North Cascades National Park into eastern Washington to the northern tip of Idaho and then into northwestern Montana to Glacier National Park. We have decided to continue on to Glacier National Park which means we backtrack down to Seattle and take I-90 across the state. It makes for a longer drive and the interstate will not be nearly as beautiful and interesting as the drive through the Cascades, but we are determined to get to Glacier National Park this year. Many thanks to all of you for your concern for our safety. We will be on the move for the next week and will probably not have much time to post to the blog. We will check in when we can.

July 7, 2014 Federal Way, Washington, part 3

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Bill also visited the Living Computer Museum in downtown Seattle, a small museum with a computer collection assembled by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen. The collection reflected milestones in the evolution of computers and how people use them. Paul Allen wanted to preserve the history that put he and Bill Gates on the path to founding Microsoft.

All of the computers are operational and are hands-on for the museum goers.

Letter from Paul G. Allen

It is possible that no other technology on earth has so continually renewed itself as computer technology. Advances in this field arrive in such swift succession that even the software and hardware of a few seasons ago are considered obsolete. The decades-old computers and software in this collection, therefore, are truly worthy of our preservation and study – both for the cutting-edge innovations of their day as well as for their historical significance.The Living Computer Museum also fulfills my hope that the achievements of early computer engineers aren’t lost to time. I wanted to provide a website and repository that recognized the efforts of those creative engineers who made some of the early breakthroughs in interactive computing that changed the world.

This is a paper card punch that Bill used during college to create computer programs

Bill used this Data General Nova computer and a Teletype to develop F-4 fighter jet simulation programs

Bill used paper tape for a short time to program computers from 1975 to 1984

Paul Allen and Bill gates in 1968 at a Seattle school

This is a typical 1977 memory module that would hold 8,000 characters

It use to take a crane to move one computer

This is the inside wiring of a Control Data computer from twenty years ago

The very popular Radio Shack TRS-80

This oversized box is a 3D printer making plastic parts

We stopped at an REI in Seattle, their flagship store, for a little shopping.

This REI store has everything for the outdoors!!!

Bill was excited to visit the Microsoft Campus and tour their Visitors Center where they have hands-on exhibits starting with their first personal computer to their latest innovations. It was interesting to read about the history of Microsoft.

Bill Gates in the lower left and Paul Allen in the lower right

Microsoft has many products on display in their visitor center

Lastly we visited the Boeing Future of Flight and Aviation Center in Everett, Washington north of Seattle. We explored the museum and then took a tour of the Boeing factory. They bused us from the museum over to the factory which is the largest building in the world by volume. It comprises 472,000,000 cubic feet, which equates to 75 football fields. We were taken to two separate areas of the building. In both areas we entered a underground tunnel and walked a third of a mile before being taken up on a freight elevator to a catwalk where we could look down and see the airplanes being built. We had an excellent, enthusiastic guide who did a great job explaining what we were seeing. We saw their new Boeing Dreamliner 787 which is being unveiled in England at the end of this month. We also saw how they are now building aircraft with the latest technology, including the use of composite materials which make the aircraft lighter and faster. It was an amazing experience! One note of explanation: we were not allowed to take cell phones, cameras, purses, etc on the tour, therefore, no pictures inside the factory! All the pictures you see here were taken in the Boeing Future of Flight Museum in a separate building from the factory.

Boeing’s technology

HK36 Fuel Cell Electric Airplane Demonstrator

July 7, 2014 Federal Way, Washington, part 2

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We took a tour of a small museum called the Herbert H. Warrick Jr. Museum of Communications. The museum basically shows the history of the telephone and all the equipment that makes it work. Bill wanted to see this museum because 25 years ago he worked for a company where he validated telephone switches and he was curious about whether they had any of that equipment on display. Exhibits from 1876, starting with a model of Alexander Graham Bell’s first successful telephone to the modern phones of today were on exhibit. A volunteer gave us a tour and he was an excellent guide whose knowledge and enjoyment of the subject was evident. The amazing thing was that virtually all the exhibits are operational. It was truly a one of a kind museum!

A Step by Step switching system designed in 1889 and is being used today

Panel switching system designed in 1914 to route calls and provide dial tone

This is an AT&T washing machine – they tried to build everything

This is how phone lines were strung on individual insulators

This is the pay-scale from 1899 at the phone company

Radio amateur equipment

July 7, 2014 Federal Way, Washington, part 1

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We prepared to leave Mount Rainier and head north towards Seattle. While we enjoyed our time “off the grid”, we were looking forward to once again having cell phone service, internet, and yes, satellite TV. This is not a vacation but a lifestyle, so we need internet access to check credit card activity, pay bills online, and stay in touch with family and friends. We also missed having access to news and weather via TV.

Our last day at the campground we met a couple from Holland. They flew into San Francisco, rented an RV from Camping World, and are now exploring the western U.S. They plan to be in Vermont in time to see the leaves change in the fall and then travel down the East Coast to Key West before returning the RV in Miami and flying home. He flew fighter jets at one time and was a pilot for British Airways. It was interesting talking with him but also alarming to hear him say it is so cheap for them to do this in the U.S. but would be much more expensive for us to do the same thing in Europe because their pound is worth so much more than our dollar. At one time they were almost even in value. So far we have met couples from Australia, Germany and Holland RVing around the United States.

On our way out of the park we noticed a “Volcano Evacuation Route” sign. Now we have seen “Hurricane Evacuation”, Tsumani Evacuation” and “Volcano Evacuation” route signs! After a short trip north we arrived at Dash Point State Park. The sites were pretty close together but we had good cell phone service, satellite TV, and it was a short drive to Seattle where we planned to do some sightseeing.

Instead of the Space Needle we decided to go to the Sky View Observatory at Columbia Center. Located on the 76th floor, it is twice as tall as the Space Needle and the tallest observatory on the west coast and the second tallest building west of Chicago. It is 932 feet tall and stands 1,043 feet above sea level. It provided us with a 360 degree view of Seattle and the surrounding area including Mt Baker, Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, the Olympic Mountains, as well as the Seahawk stadium. The day we went was relatively clear so we had a great view.

Seattle skyline as we drove into the city

The Seattle ball fields/stadiums

Bill was in his glory as we visited several technology and aviation museums. One was the Museum of Flight where he was able to go aboard a Concorde as well as the Air Force One used by Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, including the place where Johnson stowed his Stetson. He saw a M-21 Blackbird spy plane and a F/A-18 Hornet. He also saw the world’s first fighter plane, the only one of its kind in the world, as well as artifacts from the original Boeing factory including the first Boeing 747, aircraft from World War I and II. The museum included exhibits from the space age including a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

The presidential air force one

Air force one where Johnson hung his stetson hat

One of twenty concorde aircraft

Interior of the concorde airplane

The cockpit of the concorde airplane, notice the MACH Meter under the right side steering wheel

The F-4 fighter jets established many records

I helped train crews for the F-4 fighter jet

Wernher von Braun, known as the “rocket boy”, was the genius behind the USA Saturn rockets and spoke at my graduation in Jacksonville in 1973

John C Houbolt is the american engineer credited for the “Lunar Orbit Rendezvous” mission technique

With the help of automobile assembly techniques Boeing was able to make 35 B-17s in three days!!!

July 3, 2014 Mount Rainier, Washington

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We left Seaquest State Park the day before the 4^th of July. We noticed that early in the morning the rangers had put new reservation cards on all the campsites. The park was going to be full for the holiday and we had been able to enjoy the quiet before the storm of campers.

After a brief time on the freeway, we turned east and were on small state roads as we headed towards Mount Rainier National Park. We arrived at a very small private campground for our four night stay. We were unable to get cell phone, internet or satellite tv as we were under a thick canopy of trees. This campground was very convenient as it was less than a mile from the entrance to the park.

After setting up we headed to one of the Visitors Centers called Paradise in the park. The drive there was beautiful as we rose to an elevation of 5400 feet, passing small waterfalls fed by melting snow along the way.

Mount Rainier National Park became a park in 1899 and was the nation’s fifth national park.

More than 97% of the park is wilderness which includes glaciers, forests, meadows, lakes and wetlands. One of the Rangers at Paradise told us that this area is the second snowiest place on earth, with Mount Baker, also in north Washington State being the first. This is due to the amount of moisture it receives from the Pacific Northwest. We were somewhat taken aback when we asked the Ranger about hiking trails and he told us the trails at Paradise were currently snow covered with three to six feet of packed snow. If we wanted to do any hiking in the park without snow we would have to go to a lower elevation.

We looked out of the massive windows at the Visitors Center and could see people walking up and down one of the snow packed trails. We could see those coming down often slipping and falling as the snow packed trail had turned to ice.

No thanks! We were unable to catch a glimpse of Mount Rainier as he was hiding behind a thick cloud cover. Once we reached a lower elevation on our drive down, Bill was able to capture a picture, though he had to be patient and wait for some clouds to pass.

The next day which was the 4^th of July, we arose early to get a head start on the holiday crowd. We drove to another location in the park called Sunrise Visitors Center. With an elevation of 6,400 feet, this is the highest point you can drive to in the park, and the views were amazing.

It was a bright sunny day and we were able to get great views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Along the way we came upon a brown bear eating some grass along the side of the road.

We were pretty amazed to see him! We stopped and rolled down the window to take some pictures. He ignored us and kept eating, at one point crossing the road in front of the car to continue his lunch on the other side. By this time cars on both sides of the road had stopped to take pictures.

Mt Rainier is a 14,410 foot tall ice covered volcano. It is in the same class of volcanoes as Mt St Helens. Though the glaciers are not as massive as they once were, the 35 square miles of glaciers constitute the largest single peak glacier system in the lower 48 states. There are at least 25 glaciers with six of them originating at the summit ice cap. Each year approximately 10,000 people attempt to climb Mount Rainier. Almost half of those reach the summit. When we were at the Visitors Center they had a telescope outside and Bill spotted three climbers who looked like tiny dots high on the mountain.

We ate our picnic lunch while savoring this gorgeous view

and then drove back down to a lower elevation where we hiked to a beautiful waterfall. I loved the bridge made from a log.

Through the Eyes of the Selphs

Bill and Diane's travel notes and pictures

Category Archives: Exploring

July 29, 2014 Glacier National Park, Part 3

July 28, 2014 Glacier National Park, Part 2

July 27, 2014 Glacier National Park Part 1

July 24, 2014 Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

July 21, 2014 Fall City, Washington

July 16, 2014 Marblemount, Washington – North Cascades National Park

July 7, 2014 Federal Way, Washington, part 3

July 7, 2014 Federal Way, Washington, part 2

July 7, 2014 Federal Way, Washington, part 1

July 3, 2014 Mount Rainier, Washington