DAY TWO OF WASHINGTON STATE SIDE TRIP

On Saturday we began north again leaving the dessert's dry brown looking mountains behind, and began to notice the the beginning of trees leading into the forest covered mountain area with higher elevations. Our goal today is Leavenworth, WA a lovely little Bavarian town nestled in the mountains. This area also is a resort area for skiers and mountain climbers.

We lucked out with parking right in front of the little shops. Others arriving later were not so lucky!! In fact, a lady got out and saved the space as we backed out for her husband who stopped in the middle of the street!

They had a small art show along the street, which we both enjoyed. And then we went into some of the small gift and novelty shops. It was a good thing that I did not have much money!! I am sure that Gary was glad also!!

We found a large two floor Christmas shop and I was in my glory. Miss piggy here greeted us as we entered the door!

Many Santas, Nativities, and little villages, to name just a few!

After all of that fun, it was time to go back out into the street and find lunch. We found the best hamburgers and fries in a second floor Cafe'.

Deciding that we had enough shopping, we headed back to Yakima for the night and back to Shari's. Only this time we bypassed dinner and just had desert. When we get back home we sure will have to do a reality check!!

There must be a military base around somewhere as we passed a convoy on the way.

Tomorrow we will head on to Mt. Rainier west of here. Stay with us.

DAY ONE OF WASHINGTON STATE SIDE TRIP

AWESOME VIEW OF MT HOOD (11,239 ft) On Friday a week ago we left Mt. Hood Village to go into Washington for a few days of sight seeing. We were especially anxious to get away from the Mt. Hood rains, which sure seemed perpetual! We started at the WAAAM Museum (that is Antiques, Aero planes & Automobiles) you know, you see one you've seen them all?? Gary will do a Blog to show you guys all of our finds there! The Museum was located on the Oregon side of the Columbia in the quaint little town of Hood River. The view from there of the Columbia River and the Washington scenery was awesome!

especially of Mt. Adams (12,276 ft)

We traveled west through the Dalles and high dessert area headed for the Maryhill Museum of Art which is housed in the mansion built by Samuel Hill.

Queen Marie of Romania, the grand daughter of Queen Victoria of England on her mother's side and grand daughter of Tsar Alexander II on her father's side, though raised in England, wholeheartedly adopted the culture of Romania after her marriage to Crown Prince Ferdinand in 1893. Known as a skillful diplomat she was also an accomplished author and artist.

Marie's friendship with the two American's Samuel Hill and Loie Tuller during the aftermath of World War I led to an invitation to dedicate the Hill Mansion on the Columbia River for this museum of art. Gary said that much of her wealth (some that we saw in the museum) was probably brought to the North American continent after World War I.

The Museum is now having a new addition built on to it, but it did not deter our tour of the museum at all.

The museum houses exhibits of Queen Marie's art and furniture, French fashions of theatre, other American and European art and Sam Hill's life history artifacts. Much of the queen's furniture was designed by her with her favorite lily design.

The Loie Fuller Gallery

International Chess Sets (which we took pictures of especially for the benefit of our son, Victor).

Exhibits of the Native People of the northwest North America continent:

From Maryhill we drove on west a little to the Stonehenge Memorial, the Klickitat County War Memorial to their veterans of World Ward I.

The view from Stonehenge looking down on the Columbia:

From there we decided to call it a day and stopped in Yakima for the night.

From the view of dessert mountains in all directions, was the determining factor that we would not want to live in this area. Thought wonderful to see, we decided that it would become boring after a while.

We stopped in Shari's for dinner that evening and Gary had their very delicious blackberry cobbler and I their pecan pie. We were so impressed that we went back the next night just for their desert!! We bypassed dinner that night and went straight for the desert!! Less calories that way.

Stay tuned for Day Two.

OHIO FRIENDS BRING SUNSHINE, TWO DAYS - NO RAIN in OREGON !!

HELLO out there! I told you that I would show you pics from when Bob and Donna (friends from OH) visited us at Mt., Hood Village RV. I am keeping my word thanks to Donna who I stole them from. We started visiting by our RV, but because of so much shade we moved over onto the lot next door and sat in the sun until lunch time. Of course, it was great because of the sun and so good to visit with friends and learn where they had been and what they have seen! They were then in Portland and would be going on north into Washington. Before they left, we drove down the road to Barlow Trail restaurant for lunch. Very good and we are thankful to Jean from Mt Hood RV for suggesting it. Great hamburgers and salads!! I am sure that we will go back before leaving Oregon though not sure when. The next weekend we want to the fairgrounds in Redmond OR for the Good Sam RV Rally. Before we have always gone for the whole weekend for this rally, but decided to just take one day this time. We did not realize that you are not permitted to go in to the Seminars on a one day pass, so were very disappointed when we found this out!! We should have sneaked in to a couple after the full pass people had their seats, but we did not think of this until after we left. We spent a few hours looking at the vendors displays and went through a few new motor homes, then called it a day.

The view from the main gate of one of the Sisters mountains as beautiful and also the view from the parking lot of all three Sisters and Broken Top.

The clouds that day were beautiful!!

The Indian Reservation that we drove through to get to Redmond is nice as well.

On the way back home we stopped in at the Casino on the way. Loved the pass cut through the mountain to get to it.

I would have loved to have stayed there for the night in the hotel, using the pool while looking out at the dessert and mountains!! I never tire of the many different mountain views that we have seen in our travels.

The next day we drove into Gresham to an Art Supply store that Gary found on line. While there he found out that there was an Art Show on farther south of Portland at Salem OR. So we drove on down there even though rain clouds were gathering over head.

While strolling around, we ran into an artist by the name of Mark Stephenson. His work was awesome!! He was talking about visiting recently with a friend he had made who is from Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati. He is a collector of Mark's work. Gary should be so lucky to have a collector of his work! Anyway, Mark was interesting to talk with.

In the park where their annual show is held, there is this beautiful evergreen tree. I was fascinated and wonder what kind it is?? It is pretty!!

We did not have more than a few sprinkles of rain while at the show.

But on the way back home, we could see it ahead of us all the way. We have had so much rain that we wonder if we will ever really have summer this year. We will get our share of sunshine when we get back to AZ in November though. So we look forward to that. In the mean time we will keep on sight seeing here in the northwest.

We'll be with you again soon with pictures of our trip into Washington. Stay with us!