OCTOBER 7 - 8

JOSEPH TO BEND, OREGON

WELCOMING COMMITTEE

BUNGEE LOOKS FORWARD TO THE MANY DOG PARKS WE FIND EN ROUTE. HOWEVER THIS ONE NEAR BOISE, ID WAS A BIT CLUBBY AND THE BUNGE WAS DEFINITELY THE NEW DOG ON THE BLOCK.

MY BATTERY WAS JUST ABOUT DEAD WHEN I TRIED TO LEAVE THE ISOLATED LITTLE CABIN ON LAKE WALLOWA THIS MORNING. I THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT BE STUCK THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE, BUT A GUY ON AN ATV POPPED UP FROM NOWHERE, WENT AND GOT HIS TRUCK, JUMP-STARTED ME AND CALLED HIS BUDDY AT A GAS STATION 8 MILES AWAY IN JOSEPH TO ASK HIM TO HELP ME OUT.  NEW BATTERY IN A FLASH AND I WAS BACK ON THE ROAD TO BEND.

WITH A SIGN LIKE THIS I COULDN'T RESIST CHECKING OUT THE SMALL, SOMEWHAT DETERIORATING PLACE IN A LESS DESIRABLE SECTION OF BAKER CITY, OREGON.





IT WAS A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE.........

INSIDE THREE SMILING WOMEN RUN A CLEAN, FUN PLACE WITH HOMEMADE SOUPS, SANDWICHES, CHILI AND DESSERTS PLUS A BUSY DRIVE-IN WINDOW AT THE BACK OF THE KITCHEN AND I HAD A GREAT LUNCH AND A LOT OF HEARTY LAUGHS.

THE REGULAR CUSTOMERS HAVE A GOOD TIME PLAYING WITH THE LITTLE PIGS, USUALLY REARRANGING THEM INTO COMPROMISING POSITIONS.

 THIS HANDSOME LITTLE BUNGALOW IN BAKER CITY, OREGON IS A TYPICAL NORTH 
 WEST HOME COMMON IN ALL THE TOWNS IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON.

YOU HAVE TO BE VERY ALERT DRIVING THE BACK ROADS IN OREGON..... IF IT ISN'T ELK OR DEER SUDDENLY IN FRONT OF YOU, IT OFTEN IS A COWBOY TAKING HIS COWS HOME FOR THE NIGHT.

I CROSSED THE 45th PARALELL SEVERAL TIMES TODAY AND I REALLY DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE NOTICED WITHOUT THE ROAD SIGNS TELLING ME THAT I WAS HALF WAY BETWEEN THE EQUATOR AND THE NORTH POLE. 

I FIND IT HARD TO IMAGINE THE DIFFICULTY THAT THE PIONEERS RAN INTO CROSSING TWO THIRDS OF THE COUNTRY IN FIVE OR SIX MONTHS WITH NO ROADS, VIOLENT WEATHER AND SKIRMISHES WITH THE NATIVES.







THIS VIEW OF DIFFERENT MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION 150 YEARS APART
DRAMATIZES THE CHANGE.



 

THERE ARE SO MANY RV's ON THE ROAD WITH SMALLER VEHICLE HITCHED ON THEIR REARS TO SAVE GAS GETTING AROUND ONCE THEY HAVE REACHED A DESTINATION, BUT THIS GUY FOUND A REAL GAS MISER...... FOOT PEDALS ONLY.

 
THE OREGON LANDSCAPE SEEMS TO CHANGE EVERY 20 MILES, BUT MUCH OF THE CENTER OF THE STATE LOOKS LIKE THIS, KIND OF LIKE GARGANTUAN ELEPHANTS HIDING UNDER ARMY BLANKETS.

BUNGEE SURE WANTED TO STAY IN THIS TEEPEE IN JOHN DAY, OREGON.
MAYBE ON THE NEXT TRIP AS WE ARE DUE IN POWELL'S BUTTE TONIGHT.




I GOT TO AMBER AND CHUCK'S IN POWELL BUTTE IN TIME FOR A TASTY LAMB STEW.  IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THEM AND CATCH UP WITH THEIR ACTIVITIES.               I MET AMBER, AN EX UNITED AIRLINES STEWARDESS, 20 YEARS AGO IN SEATTLE THROUGH JIM CONROY, OUR CLOSE MUTUAL FRIEND IN THE BERKSHIRES. 

CHUCK and AMBER

BUNGEE MET THEIR DOGS, BUBBA AND NADINE, WHO WERE NOT THAT IMPRESSED WITH HIM, BUT ACCEPTED HIM IN THEIR TURF.  CHUCK AND AMBER LIVE IN A VERY COMFORTABLE SPREAD OUT IN THE COUNTRY WITH A SWEEPING VIEW NORTH TO SMITH ROCK AND THE DORMANT VOLCANIC "SISTERS".  WALKING THE DOGS BEFORE BEDTIME WAS FUN AS THE STARS AND MILKY WAY WERE TEN TIMES BRIGHTER THAN BACK EAST WITH NO AMBIENT LIGHT TO COMPETE. IT WAS EASY TO SLEEP WELL IN SUCH A SERENE SETTING.

SMITH ROCK,,,,THOSE LITTLE SPECKS ON THE PATH AT THE BOTTOM ARE PEOPLE!                                                  

WHEN I SAW SMITH ROCK I THOUGHT OF NORM BACK IN NORTH ADAMS WHO ENJOYS ROCK CLIMBING... THIS ONE'S A REAL CHALLENGE HE'D ENJOY, IF HE HASN'T ALREADY.      

          BEND IS AN INTERESTING TOWN WHICH HAS SOME 

                                                         GREAT AMENITIES... NICE BUILDINGS, A BEAUTIFUL
                                                         PARK ALONG THE RIVER,  IT IS PEOPLE  AND BIKE
                                                         FRIENDLY.... AND JAMMED PACKED WITH RESTLESS
                                                        YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER JUST CHILLIN' OUT

MT. JEFFERSON SOARS ABOVE THE HIGH DESERT ON THE ROAD TO PORTLAND.











FRIDAY WAS COOL AND OVERCAST AS I DROVE UP TO PORTLAND TO HAVE LUNCH WITH KIM LUSK, A FAVORITE NEPHEW WHO I ENJOY VERY MUCH ALONG WITH HIS WIFE LAURIE AND THEIR TWO GIRLS, NOW IN COLLEGE IN EUGENE.

I BY-PASSED AROUND SEATTLE ON I-405 IN A HEAVY RAIN AS I'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEKEND TO VISIT ALEX, EVA AND ZOE AND HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE SOME SUN TO EXPLORE THE CITY... BUT THIS IS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST!


   THE TACOMA GLASS MUSEUM IN A RENEWED AREA AROUND THE OLD TRAIN    
   STATION AND INNER HARBOR IS FUN TO VISIT. 

THE BUILDING HAS A LARGE GALLERY WITH CHANGING EXHIBITS OF MODERN GLASS ART FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.



THERE IS A BIG WORKING GLASS BLOWING FACTORY BUILT RIGHT INTO THE BUILDING UNDER THE GIANT METAL CONE AND AN EXTENSIVE GIFT SHOP.  

OUT ON THE TERRACE OVERLOOKING THE HARBOR THEY HAVE LARGE TEMPORARY DISPLAYS OF GLASS ART LIKE THE WORK SHOWN ABOVE.

THE GLASS MUSEUM GIFT   SHOP

THE GLASS BLOWING STUDIO WITH THEATER STYLE VIEWING













WHEN I GOT TO BELLINGHAM I EXPLORED THE TOWN A BIT AS THE RAIN STOPPED AND A SETTING SUN PEEKED OUT. BELLINGHAM IS ANOTHER CITY THAT I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HELP WITH AN AMBITIOUS DOWNTOWN RENEWAL PLAN BACK IN THE 90's. THEY HAVE DONE WELL AND IT HAS A VERY ACTIVE DOWNTOWN NOW
CENTERED AROUND THE LOVINGLY RESTORED BAKER THEATER. I RAN INTO BRAD BURDICK, WHO USED TO DISK JOCKEY FUNCTIONS IN THE BERKSHIRES AND IS NOW THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RESTORED BAKER THEATER COMPLEX AND HE ENTHUSIASTICALLY GAVE ME A COMPLETE TOUR OF THE PROJECT.

THE BAKER THEATER AT IT'S 1927 OPENING AND A VIEW AT DUSK OF THE RESTORED BUILDING TODAY.

THE 1500 SEAT LOVINGLY RENOVATED THEATER IS USED FOR TOURING SHOWS, MUSIC, LOCAL PRODUCTIONS AND RENTED OUT FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. 
AN INTIMATE BLACK BOX THEATER IN THE COMPLEX IS USED BY A REGIONAL LEGITIMATE THEATER GROUP.

BRAD BURDICK, EXEC DIRECTOR BACK STAGE

BAKER THEATER LOBBY

ON TO VANCOUVER IN THE MORNING.....................