Oregon - July 2018

July 21, 2018.

We left Eureka at 9:20 AM and arrived at Schroeder County Park in Grants Pass, Oregon at about       1:00 PM.

Highway 199 is at some spots narrow and winding. There was a lot of smog in the air from the wild fires.

Nicolette and Jacob went swimming in the Roque River and I took it easy.

Shortly before 5:00 PM we visited Emmi and Bert in Wilderville. They are friends from the Chicago area and San Diego.

July 22, 2018.

We visited Crater Lake National Park today. Because of the fires the water was not perfectly Crater Lake Blue.

It was still an experience. At the lodge Nicolette and Jacob tried out the chairs on the veranda..

Nicolette had checked the face book page of family friends and they had gone swimming on the lake. I told her that there is no beach. She checked further and told me that the beach was on the Cleetwood Cove Trail. This is also the place where the tour boats take off.

We went on the Rim Trail and drove to several outlooks. I should have given Nicolette the park map and have her help me look for the exit to  Cleetwood Cove. The children were busy with their electronic devices and I missed the exit and I drove all around the lake. It would have taken another hour to the cove. Nicolette was not happy. She told me then that she could have done the 2.2 mile, strenuous hike. The steep trail goes straight down. When we came back to Grants Pass the kids bought $ 5.00 fancy coffees and felt better. I do not pay for coffee, weed, and cigarettes.  
In the evening Nicolette sat outside, at the picnic bench, singing along with some recordings and painting Crater Lake.

I walked down to the river and watched people getting ready to go home.

  

July 23, 2018.

The sun was only a red spot in the sky this morning. The smog is terrible.

I changed my mind and did not go to Bend. Instead we drove to Oregon City, near Portland. It was unusually hot today and will not change the rest of the week.

I chose the Milwaukie Elks Lodge because they have a swimming Pool. The kids did not feel like swimming so we went to the End of the Trail Interpretive Center. The Oregon Trail ended in Oregon City.

Nicolette and Jacob had fun making candles.

Nicolette’s candle was perfect. Jacob’s did not look like a candle. There was Pioneer clothing available and Nicolette was clowning around.

There were also games the Pioneers played.

There is a large End of the Trail map on the outside wall of the building.

July 24, 2018.

Today we drove part of the Columbia River Gorge Highway. We stopped at the Portland Women’s Forum Overlook and stopped at the Vista House.

There is still a lot of smog in the gorge.

Then we stopped at Multnomah Falls.

We walked to the bridge.

As reward we had an ice cream.

Our next stop was the Bonneville dam and power plant. We watched some salmon go up the river.

At the Cascade Locks picnic area we ate our lunch.

There is a statue of Sacagawea, the Indian girl, who was a translator and guide for Lewis and Clark.

Nicolette is riding, Seaman, the dog which accompanied the expedition.