Fall 2015 - Day 25: Super 8 Vancouver - Hell’s Gate Airtram, Fraser Canyon - Super 8 Kamloops East

Wednesday, Sept 30, 2015 - Starting from the Super 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia, east-then-north to Hell’s Gate Airtram in Fraser Canyon, then north-then-east to the Super 8 in East Kamloops, British Columbia:

285 actual miles; 4 hours 44 minutes driving

East of Vancouver, we stopped for coffee, on our way to Hope:

I trust and pray that we don't "leave Hope behind us".

Shifting into Terrain View, Hwy 1 goes north through Fraser Canyon, which is a GREAT CANYON:


Hell's Gate is a wonderful area down at the bottom of Fraser Canyon, at the bottom of a very long tram ride:




We had a fun lunch at their restaurant:


The river was really cool:



and then we WALKED ALL THE WAY BACK UP!



The country really is beautiful:


And I saw a waterfall across the river:


I LOVE driving in Canada::

WOW - 100 MPH - I'm going to FLY through this country!!!

And it was SOOO COOL, we saw a pair of Big-Horn Sheep:


Checked in at the Super 8 in East Kamloops, had a great dinner at The Noble Pig (Wendy's new favorite restaurant in Canada!), and an end to the day. Thank You GOD for a Great Day!

Music today:

Vineyard Music Canada - All I Need (2007)


other misc music from Wendy's nano

Fall 2015 - Day 24: Days Inn Seatac, WA - Pike Place Market - Frye Art Museum - Horseshoe Bay Ferry - Super 8 Vancouver

Tuesday, Sept 29, 2015 - Starting from the Days Inn in Seatac, north into Seattle to hang out in the Pike Place Market Area, a few blocks east to the Frye Art Museum, then north into CANADA, to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal (and a boat ride), then back to the Super 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia:

216 actual miles; 3 hours 55 minutes driving

On my way into Seattle - you know, if I just took Exit 164A, I could be in Boston soon:

Well, not today.

Another beautiful day stretches out before us:


I was originally planning to go to the Seattle Art Museum, which opens at 10. I knew it was closed on Mondays, but it turns out that it is also closed on Tuesdays; so we went around the block to find THE FIRST STARBOUCKS!:

there is a glass sign (First Starbucks - 1971), but it is impossible to take a picture of it.

Wendy bought a pear - I LOVE the colors:


At the Frye Art Museum, none of my Hudson River School art was on display, but I like two pieces:
Hermann-David Salomon Corrodi - View of Corsica, ca. 1890

Daniel Somogyi - View of Konigssee, 1878


Then up into CANADA!! - Horseshoe Bay is where the ferries leave for their islands and other "can't-get-there-from-here" places:


Their boats are huge:


and the scenery is AWESOME:





On our 40-minute ride from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale:

we saw a tugboat:

towing a huge logjam:


And the views returning to Horseshoe Bay were great!:



We made our way back to the Super 8 in Vancouver, dinner at an A&W, and an end to the day. Thank You GOD for a Great Day!

Music today:

NWPR - Northwest Public Radio 90.9 FM


Jimi Hendrix - In The West (1972) live album

(because Jimi Hendrix is from Seattle!)

Jackson Browne - I'm Alive (1993)


Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon (1970)

(because Joni is from Canada!)

Neil Young - Neil Young (1st album) (1968)

(because Neil is from Canada!)

Neil Young - Unplugged (1993)

Fall 2015 - Day 23: Super 8 (Wilsonville, OR) - Pittlock Mansion (Portland, OR) - Eagle Creek Trailhead (Columbia Gorge) - Multnomah Falls (Columbia Gorge) - Days Inn (Seatac, WA)

Monday, Sept 28, 2015 - Starting from the Super 8 in Wilsonville, north for a quick coffee/visit with cousin Shelley, east to the Pittlock Mansion (Portland, OR), then east to the Eagle Creek Trailhead (Columbia Gorge), then back west to Multnomah Falls (Columbia Gorge), then west and north to the Days Inn in Seatac, WA:

301 actual miles; 4 hours 41 minutes driving (plus 2 hours 22 minutes hiking!)

We had a fun coffee/visit with cousin Shelley:

and her wonderful corgi Pixel


The Pittock Mansion is a lovely place:

with a GREAT VIEW of the city of Portland:


They have 14 paintings by Thomas Hill (there must be some sort of "Patron" connection!). Two untitled (signatures but no plaques) paintings are



and there was a wonderful sculpture, which I call "Checking For Blisters":


We then headed east on I-84, up the Columbia River to The Gorge:

on our way up we saw a bunch of windsurfers - Hi Platt and Nancy!

We got to the Eagle Creek Trailhead, and had a good hike up to Punchbowl Falls (also known as Punch Bowl Falls):


We saw salmon in the migrating in the creek:

(can you find the 3 in this picture?)

alltrails.com says "Spectacular path passing many waterfalls, winding through old-growth forests, and along the edges of cliffs."



and it is pretty cool once you get up to the Falls area:


There are actually 2 Falls - Lower Punchbowl:

and Upper Punchbowl


The views are resplendent:

hah - NEW WORD - "attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous"

From the Parking Lot, up and back, we covered 6.12 miles:


On our way back west we saw the beautiful Horsetail Falls


and the very-impressive Multnomah Falls


Say goodbye to the Columbia River Gorge - west into Portland's rush-hour traffic, then north to Seatac (just south of Seattle). Thank You GOD for a Great Travel/Adventure Day!

Music today:

20 Years of Narada Piano (2001) cd 2

(because acoustic piano music seems very appropriate for this lush Northwest Rainforest region)

Dave Matthews Band - The Gorge (2004) live double album

(because we are in "The Gorge")

Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

(because we are going up to Seattle)