It was still overcast with rain forecasted for the day when we awoke in Portland. Before breakfast Sheila received a call from a long-lost Methuen High School friend who just happens to be living in Sandy, Oregon. After an hour of "catching-up" on the call, we made it down to the DoubleTree breakfast just before closing at 10 AM.
Our departure was uneventful and soon we had crossed the Columbia River into Vancouver, Washington. With a brief detour out 78th Street we rode by a Linde Gas plant that I had visited many times during my Airco/BOC/Linde years.
Once again heading north, we turned west from I-5 at Kelso, WA onto highway WA-4 where we paralleled the Columbia River on its journey to the sea. Soon we rejoined US-101 and resumed the coastal route toward Olympic National Park.
Other that a brief stop in Gray's Harbor at a local farmer's market and bakery, we continued the forced drive to Kalaloch and our lodging for the night in Olympic NP. Arriving in the park we began to see signs of closure, unfortunate for any and all traveling to national parks at least for the next several weeks.
Around 4:30 PM we came upon the Kalaloch Lodge, our humble home for the night. We had intended to have two nights at the lodge but that was not to be. Government orders were for everyone to be out by noon on Thursday, October 3rd, our political ties, our age, our fame, earned us no extension but Sheila's way with words did "win" us an upgrade again, this time from a tent site to a lean-to, not that we needed the extra room, but hey it makes for a good story down the road.
Before dinner I took a walk out upon the beach, a gray sandy expanse at low tide stacked with tons of washed up timber, sized from toothpicks to hundred foot fallen trees.
Returning to the lodge Sheila and I had an early dinner after initially tuning in the Rays/Indians game on the "library" TV.
For dinner I again had Salmon and Sheila had a mushroom tart. We observed sunset over the Pacific which was relatively spectacular.
We somewhat hurried through dinner to return to the game and were pleased with the 4-0 outcome, Rays over the Indians, GO RAYS! As might be noted, D.J. Kitty was on hand for the win, keeping a close cat-eye on the game and celebration.
With the game over we returned to our waterfront cabin, oh I meant lean-to, started a fire (in the fireplace) and sat back doing puzzles and the like in front of the blazing inferno. Seemed the cabins' smoke/CO detectors were a bit too sensitive for a place with a fireplace, but fortunately after the alarms sounding we were able to settle them down by opening the door for a source of replacement air. As you might imagine, well fed, sitting in front of a warm fire, meant eyes closing soon thereafter.
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| Linde Vancouver, WA Plant |
Once again heading north, we turned west from I-5 at Kelso, WA onto highway WA-4 where we paralleled the Columbia River on its journey to the sea. Soon we rejoined US-101 and resumed the coastal route toward Olympic National Park.
 |
| Need We Say More? |
Other that a brief stop in Gray's Harbor at a local farmer's market and bakery, we continued the forced drive to Kalaloch and our lodging for the night in Olympic NP. Arriving in the park we began to see signs of closure, unfortunate for any and all traveling to national parks at least for the next several weeks.
Around 4:30 PM we came upon the Kalaloch Lodge, our humble home for the night. We had intended to have two nights at the lodge but that was not to be. Government orders were for everyone to be out by noon on Thursday, October 3rd, our political ties, our age, our fame, earned us no extension but Sheila's way with words did "win" us an upgrade again, this time from a tent site to a lean-to, not that we needed the extra room, but hey it makes for a good story down the road.
 |
| For Those Saying, I'm Never In The Pictures.  |
Before dinner I took a walk out upon the beach, a gray sandy expanse at low tide stacked with tons of washed up timber, sized from toothpicks to hundred foot fallen trees.
Returning to the lodge Sheila and I had an early dinner after initially tuning in the Rays/Indians game on the "library" TV.
For dinner I again had Salmon and Sheila had a mushroom tart. We observed sunset over the Pacific which was relatively spectacular.
We somewhat hurried through dinner to return to the game and were pleased with the 4-0 outcome, Rays over the Indians, GO RAYS! As might be noted, D.J. Kitty was on hand for the win, keeping a close cat-eye on the game and celebration.
With the game over we returned to our waterfront cabin, oh I meant lean-to, started a fire (in the fireplace) and sat back doing puzzles and the like in front of the blazing inferno. Seemed the cabins' smoke/CO detectors were a bit too sensitive for a place with a fireplace, but fortunately after the alarms sounding we were able to settle them down by opening the door for a source of replacement air. As you might imagine, well fed, sitting in front of a warm fire, meant eyes closing soon thereafter.
Good night!
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