(items are in order, making the list first from the road logs...and later will expand)
Up at 845 am, packed, took carol for eats at Leena's Cafe, took her home after and I left about 1215pm, got tank filled.
Tacoma Storage Court in Tacoma off I-5.
Elmer's Restaurant.....well that was better than Glue and Cow....
New York Ave by McChord base.
155pm past Olympia now.
Centralia Hwy ...work there, new bridge, likely because of the recent past flooding. And new frontage roads. Just kills off freeway swimming.
Mattress Ranch with cow statue and art painted on it. Yea...I'm not even gonna say what goes on there.
97 mi point.
Uncle Sam sign on Bush Road...good to see. Eat your heart out Texas!
Big Foot Burritos. Roadside comedy at its best.
Hot cooked food says the sign at a sushi place in Kelso.
In Kelso 3pm.
Homes by Lake Sacajawea are nice, older 40s 50s midwest style, tree lined street (Kessler) peaceful, serene. I like it. Streets are made out of 6-sided like laid down blocks lined up to each other that no doubt will prompt later scuba divers to think aliens lived here.
A lot of the houses here are very much what I remember in Livornia, Michigan back in the mid-60s....also similar to Riverside ...a suburb of Chicago. The energy here is very good throughout this particular neighborhood. There are a lot of churches. I should open Confession Realty here.
Wiggled through town to cross the Columbia River over the Lewis B. Clark Bridge to get to Highway 30 on the Oregon side. This bridge is very tall, old style with all that silvery metal. Very cool.
Lots of log mills looking west from the bridge along the river.
Headed up the hill with the intent of going to Clastkani. Stopped first at a viewpoint...what an incredible view looking at the bridge and all north, northwest and northeast.
I skipped going to Scapposse....the east direction on Hwy 30.
You can see Mt. St. Helens from this viewpoint....like most of it is missing...and it looks way bigger from here then when you are up at the Johnston viewpoint up there.
Skipped Clastkanie...took another road to the left near the top of the hill to go to Vernonia...lots of farmland up here.
Boat in a yard about 45-feet long north of Karr Road.....small town ark project.
Saw a number of hot rods, RVs and campers.....all out in the middle of nowhere....perhaps waiting for a flood or these are the testing grounds for survival software games because I hardly saw anyone around.
Saw big bell in top floor open area of a house at Simmons Road. Maybe that's the time clock.
Dirt bike and RTV kids and dad doing it in a pen of manure and dad in camouflage. I have arrived in the country....those places you see from an airliner wondering what folks do down there. All this wilderness around them and it's the fenced in manure yard that's a hit. Now you know what prompted fenders on your ATV and dirt bike.
Teentrees...log truck garage.
Did not stop at Camp Wikerson. Did drive thru part of the Big Eddy County Park RV Campground....imagine the current there.
On 47 now. Got to Pittsburg. Go ahead you try it...go to 47 and you'll be in Pittsburg. Pioneers moved their beginnings to other places that are now 'small towns'.
Little building says Dept of Forestry of Oregon....the Pittsburg Guard Station is 5 miles north. Talk about a rivalry!
Sleepy Lane of Vernonia as if they needed one.
Crossed the Nehalm River.
429pm
Houses in Vernonia are elevated about 6 feet, flat valley area must flood easily here...see marks about 2-3 feet up the walls of houses. I wonder if that's because of the high costs of ground level property insurance.
Birch Street area - north about 1000 feet of Vernonia Lake - a small elevated kind of lake. I spent a little time there.
Saw this white picket fence with birdhouses on it and this guy on bicycle with rainbow wheels looking like he was in mid-air above another bicycle. So many places so far and yet Halloween was in full swing. Really nice to see that.
There is a town north of Pittsburg toward Clakstanie called Mist.
Must have been a logging town for workers and their families. No mills here.
Pioneer Museum area...small....housing by the lake...not on the lake, further is the main town, schools, yard. It's a real cool town....Pioneer 1891 on a sign of an enclosed area that has a black old style (perhaps steam) train engine in it... local bar is the Black Iron Grill - likely the best place in town with all the motorcycles parked in front of it.
Lots of silver SUVs on 47, pickup trucks in Veronia. SUV for passing by or visiting.....pickups for those who live here. Makes it easy to figure out who's from out of town.
28 miles to Forest Grove where there are less trees than here.
Happy smile Easter Island statue at addy 54658 on 47. Must be the island's earlier design concept.
Entering Banks Fire District...smells like a fire is in gear, but get down the road 500 more feet and the smell is gone. High up RR trestle bridge ....it's a 'life after people' at the top hill trail.
Drove by a hillbilly Hollar Ranch, Buxton is 5 miles west.
At 16 miles to Forest Grove sign I could see a very long trestle fully intact winding through the trees.
47/26 - on that now...got on at Fisher Rd.
Manning has a Diary Creek Tavern. I guess folks these parts of the country prefer to get milked. I should put up milk tolerance signs around town.
Stopped at place that sells Jerky...many types: salmon, buffalo, elk, venison, kangeroo, antelope, wild boar, ostrich, reindeer, wine...more than 60 varieties and varietals.
47/70 NW Sunset on 47/26. It's called Sunset Produce Market in Banks, Oregon....with all the Jerky. Got Mountain American venison from Colorado and Josephsons wild caught salmon from Astoria, OR... $14.80.
Drove past Jim Dandy Farm.
Got off 47 for Forest Grove.
Best damn salmon jerky ever.
535pm Banks, mill town.
Kansas City is 2 miles from Banks. I guy can really get around these parts and feel like they've been all over the country.
Can see lots of Hood from Banks going SE.
Turned on Sunset Dr, Forest Grove, saw Pacific University, and the highway to McMinnville.
Quaint nice little town for a college area. Home to Theatre in the Grove playhouse. Hardly anyone around in town or near the college. It's a whole lot smaller than I thought.
Farming here, christmas trees, vineyards. Near Hines Grocers and off Pacific Ave. is the very cool haunted house home (corner of B St and 18th Ave) with a 'Mary Quite Contrary' tombstone. My friend Mary, who had passed, 'Mary Quite Contrary' was her nickname online. So she was there with me because this just doesn't happen out of chance.
Nice old fashion detailed houses in Forest Grove. Dilly School on Dudney Drive.
Oregon Wine tour route now and then signs.
621pm....Gaston, Tualatin River.
Small towns here have that 'take care of your man' king of ladies....Gaston yes. Couples hold hands here.
Not much in Gaston...but they have a Kramer Winery....imagine their delivery. And there is the Gaston Auto Repair WAREHOUSE style....yo Bobby...ya think you can fix my car this year sometime....
Barrel of Monkeys Child Care sign.
Streets in Yamhill are girl names. Very small town. And as usual in Oregon....home to lots of dead possums.....'how come that possum isn't dead yet?'.
Kookoolan Farms....
Skipped Newburg to go to Carlton and Mac. Winemaker's studio here. Sign: Carlton: A great little town......and it is. Left at Jct....by Seven of Hearts. Who writes this stuff?!
Lefty & Co...jewelry.
They also do Carlton Haunted Halloween - big banner across the street.
There is a house here almost identical to the one Mr. Miller lived in. The energy here is incredible...as if his spirit is here...I was very emotionally moved by it....at N. Kutch and Monroe. The roses are perfect just as if Mr. Miller (a really great lifelong gardner) took care of them. There is magic here....I could feel a number of spirits living here. I sense images here of happiness....see outlines of spirits walking here. It's early eve, after sunset some.
A lot of new houses here, wine, eats...it's very nice here.
Rustic town and bit secluded here. Scott Paul Wines. Streets named after Presidents...Polk, Cleveland, and....709 Dork.
Got to Mac...ate 2 jumbo jacks at Jack in the Box.
Saw a most cute (so attracting) transwoman at the Safeway here...staff...told her so when she was outside on a break. Her name is Jennifer. She appreciated my comments very much.
Got a caramalized mocha at McD 840pm. Will likely sleep somewhere around here...will see.
There is a historic town here south of the main drags. Will check out later on Monday. Like it lots.
Crashed in a Walmart parking lot at about 4am.
