Whitman Mission and Plymouth, Washington

Heading west, toward the great Columbia River, we stopped at the historic Whitman Mission, which also figures into the Nez Perce history we've been following.

The Whitmans were among the very first white settlers in the Oregon Territory, settling between Mill Creek and the Walla Walla river, in Washington. Their mission was established in 1836-7, and soon was seen by the local Cayuse, Nez Perce and other tribes as a positive and helpful resource.

Historic painting of the mission

The local Native Americans were so impressed by the tools, conveniences, and skills the pioneers possessed they wanted these same things for themselves. Thinking the "power" they were witnessing came as a result of the settlers' religious beliefs, they asked to learn about Christianity. This new power would be something they could add to what they already knew and believed spiritually.

Things went well for a time, but the missionaries could not understand or adapt their teachings to the seasonal life-style the Cayuse had followed for generations - hunting here, gathering there, then moving somewhere else to fish. It was the only way people could survive in this climate, but the missionaries wanted them in church on Sunday. They wanted the people to quickly adopt white habits, clothing, and mannerisms.

The missionaries began insisting they change their ways and become farmers. When the people realized this new "religion" was going to require not only changing how they lived, but giving up their prior beliefs they became somewhat disenchanted - to say the least - and they began drifting away from the mission.

In 1847 a measles epidemic hit the area. Though many white settlers, especially children, were effected, Whitman (a doctor) was able to save most of them. Lacking the natural resistance the people of European ancestry had, almost all of the Cayuse who were infected died. The tribe blamed the missionaries for the disease, and soon rose up and killed the Whitmans and several other settlers at the mission.

Now all that remains of the mission are a few artifacts and stone outlines of the original building foundations. The walking trail through the original mission site has signboards to assist the visitor in visualizing how the mission was built, where the gardens were, etc. So much history here! And, what a lesson in how two cultures can think they understand each other, but are actually working at cross-purposes, and each looking for different outcomes.

Home for the next few days (July 31-Aug 4) is Plymouth Park, in the tiny town of Plymouth, Oregon. The town was named for a huge boulder that reminded the original residents of the original "Plymouth Rock", so they say anyway. It's not visible now - 'probably was covered with water when they created the dam.

This is the most park-like campground we've ever stayed in! Plymouth Park is a Corp of Engineers park on the Columbia River, and there's apparently no shortage of water for irrigation. Truly an emerald oasis, the park is surrounded by giant sagebrush and tawny grasses, all leading down to the steep banks of the Columbia.

The 32 campsites are all distributed along one road, spaced fairly generously, and each has a deep "lawn", leading to the river edge, as well as a large graveled area. Though there are no shrubs between sites, and therefore less privacy than some, we still don't feel crowded. There are a lot of mature trees scattered through out the park, so it's cool and shady most of the day. Many sites are full service, others have only water and electric. Most sites can be reserved, but two are held for first-come-first-served occupancy.

There's also a boat ramp just a short distance away from the campground. Shiner enjoyed swimming there during the week, when there weren't any boaters putting in and out. She also made a lot of new friends here. One of the hosts practically adopted her, and we met a couple who live locally who made here very welcome in their camp (he's a fellow Texan!) In spite of being right on the water the "bugs" weren't a problem at all. It helps that the sites are set back from the edge of the river. The best part, with a senior pass the price is only $11 a night!

We took an afternoon to go into Umatilla for groceries and were met by a giant John Wayne greeting us at the entrance to the parking lot. I'm not sure what his connection to the area is, but he is eye-catching! Hermiston, famous for it's melons and other produce, is nearby, and the market stocks a lot of local produce so we stocked up. Yummm, best melons and peaches we've had in a long time!

Just across the river from the campground is McNary Dam, in Umatilla, Oregon. The dam visitor center was another afternoon's entertainment. The center has some very nicely done educational displays, and there are a lot of opportunities to see the various stages of managing the salmon runs.

The fish ladder, the sorting tanks, are all included in a self-guided tour, and we finally got an explanation for the occasional "fireworks" sounding booms we'd been hearing from the campground. It's a method used to keep birds away from the young fish!

Another shopping day, which of course included a couple of quilt shops,and after the fabric shopping we stopped for lunch at Nookies Bistro & Spirits which is now the home of the Hermiston Brewing Company. 
It's a comfortable place to relax, plenty of tables and bar seats, and enough neon signs and artfully arranged collectables to provide the visual entertainment. The restaurant has been there for eight years, but the brewing component just started up in early July. 13 beers on tap - hard to beat, and they make a darn good burger too!

Toppenish, Washington

Wednesday we turn the horses south to visit Toppenish - "Where the West still lives." Entirely within the boundaries of the Yakama Indian Nation, this is one of the tidiest towns we have ever visited. And they have great signage! You can find everything you need, and drivers are especially courteous if you happen to be (ala yours truly) bumbling around trying to take photos of their fabulous murals.

Visitors' Center

The folks in the visitors center told us the town was struggling financially when they hit upon the mural concept as a way of bringing business to town. It has, many years and over 70 murals later, turned the town into a bustling art center. The painting of a mural, in one day by a team of a dozen or more artists, is an annual event. Financed by an art show and auction, the one day mural painting event and auction is a showcase for dozens of western artists. We thoroughly enjoyed touring the visitors center display of paintings from which the murals were made, as well as a collection of work by other western artists.

If you'd like to see the whole collection the Toppenish Chamber of Commerce web site has a gallery of all the murals. The photos are each annotated with information about the history represented and the artists who completed the work. I've only included a few of our photos in the album (see below) as their website does such a nice job. Individual artists submit these small paintings to a committee, and a choice is made based on several criteria, especially how well the design reflects the city's history. One is selected for the year's project, and that artist becomes lead on the projects. Multiple other artists then join in to complete the large mural on a building. It's an amazing project, and really brings not only the town, but the entire western art community, together. Because the artists participating are professionals, the quality of the murals surpasses that of most we've seen in other towns.

After touring the downtown mural displays we went over to the Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center. The restaurant was closing soon, so lunch came before the museum. Both were highly enjoyable. I had a traditional salmon and dumpling dish, called Luk-a-meen. With fry bread on the side and fresh fruit too, it was a very satisfying meal. The lunch service includes a full dinner style salad bar, and the prices are very reasonable so we'd definitely recommend a stop there. The restaurant serves all three meals but closes briefly between each. There's also an RV park as part of the complex which could be a convenient stop if just passing through. 

The museum is nicely done - beautiful examples of bead work and basketry as well as other handcrafts, legends and history of the Yakima Nation, which encompasses many smaller tribes, and the impact historic events has had on their culture, as well as brief mention of other Native Americans who have been important in national history.

This beautiful little town has to be seen to be believed. There are artworks at every turn, tucked in to small corners and around park areas. It's truly a treat to visit Toppenish! Here are just a few more photos.

Yakima Sportsman State Park, Part II

Children's fishing pond

We've visited a number of Washington State Parks on this trip, and Yakima Sportsman ranks high right along with Dosewallips. We haven't seen anything as dramatic as that elk herd yet, but the park has plenty of other offerings.

This 246 acre park has something for everyone: 19,000 feel of river frontage for fishing, a small fishing lake in the park for children 14 and under, birdwatching, hiking trails (well marked and maps at every intersection!) and more.

There are also number of informational kiosks describing the natural and geologic history, each with a mural on the back side - a nice touch!

There are over 60 campsites here, and this time of year the park is only about 1/3 occupied, so we have a lovely view of the old trees and beautifully maintained grassy spaces.

Especially nice with the autumn tones, the park has a variety of deciduous trees, as opposed to the other parks we have stayed in that were primarily evergreen. Here there are blazing yellows and reds, and the beautiful blue-green of huge weeping willows planted around the fishing and lily ponds.

As usual with northwest parks this time of year some of the services are being reduced - no evening programs, gift shop closed, and the water in many areas is being shut down and "winterized". It's gotten down to 34 every night so far, so it's a necessity if they want to avoid frozen pipes. We don't really missed any of the "reduced" services as we've been busy exploring the neighboring towns.

We haven't had time on this strip to explore Yakima itself, and there's plenty here to see and do so we will no doubt visit this area again. The history of the town of Yakima is fascinating, and the local paper puts out a special edition every year to highlight historic events.

For more photos of the park check out the album.

Ellensburg, Washington

From our campsite in Yakima, the drive north to Ellensburg provides an opportunity to overlook the fertile Kittitas Valley. Layer upon layer of volcanic lava flows eons ago, now eroded into fertile soil, support the grasses - turning amber in autumn, and everywhere there's irrigation, rich orchards are growing.

Guided by the  Yakima Valley "Official Visitor's Guide" we stopped first at the very helpful Chamber of Commerce office. We picked up several informative brochures including a walking tour guide and browsed the Ellensburg Rodeo gift shop, which shares the same space. Too late for the rodeo this year, that was the closest we'll get. This is a very "western" town, and the impact of the ranching and mining industries show in the buildings and names of businesses.

One of the main reasons we wanted to visit Ellensburg is the John Clymer museum. We own several of his prints, and were anxious to see what they had of this native son's work. The museum was nice, and informative, but we were a little disappointed as to the amount of Clymer's work it holds. There was a visiting display "State of the Art; Western Design Today" which included leather goods, clothing and furniture. Some very nice work was included, so it was definitely worth the visit.

Ellensburg has taken good care of their lovely old architecture, though narrow streets make it difficult to capture in photos. The town burned down in 1889, but within 10 days the stalwart citizens began work on rebuilding - using primarily fireproof brick. The result is a beautiful downtown with a lovely turn of the century feel.

By the time we were finished with the museum it was time for lunch. Close at hand, and turning out to be an excellent choice, was The Palace Cafe and Saloon.  Well prepared food with good service and a delightful atmosphere - can't beat that combination. Lunch included a nice local lager, Roslyn Brookside, brewed by the Roslyn Brewing Company in nearby Roslyn. The building itself is old, built in 1908, and The Palace (in business since 1892) has been in the location for quite some time.  The antique pressed tin ceiling and dark wood set the tone, supported by antique train and auto memorabilia, artwork, and old time photos. A humorous drawing depicting the aspects of a hunting camp hangs in the hallway on the way to the lounge, in the back of the building. Check out the album link for a photo of that art work.

We drove back to camp via the canyon route. Here it's more obvious that this is a high desert climate. The river is beautiful, and we discovered a fairly new BLM camp, Big Pine, along the way. It's so new it's not on the maps yet or we would probably be staying there!

For other photos see the album.

Yakima Sportsman State Park, Part I

We had a beautiful drive down Hwy 90 this morning. The variety of scenery was wonderful!  As we left Lake Sammamish, heading south, we passed several sparkling lakes, multiple little waterfalls trickling down steep rocky hillsides, vine maple and poplar stands adding the appropriate autumn blush of color here and there.

After a few miles the road opens up in the Kittitas valley. A broad, flat, fertile valley with rivers and streams crisscrossing and forming the boundaries of  pastures and hay fields. The valley supports several large cattle ranches and farms. Washington is known for it's production of apples and other tree fruits, and this one of the prime production areas. At the southern end of the valley the lush green fields change to rolling golden hills. Suddenly we are in semi-desert, judging by the plant life. Turning south on Hwy 82 and driving for several miles through the dry plains that are part of the Yakima military Reservation we finally arrive in Yakima, our destination. We again see the tidy rows of commercial orchards and a really nice view of snow capped Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainer.

The Yakima valley is truly the fruit basket of the northwest and looking at the tourism brochure we picked up on the way in to the campground they've added wineries to their fruit growing industry. There are too many places of interest to visit here, so we'll have to pick and choose. So far we're very impressed with the campground, and we'll post photos and a detailed report in a day or so - stay tuned!

Vasa Park, Washington

What a quaint little park this is!

We're up in the Seattle area to visit family, and unbeknownst to us (when we originally planned the schedule) state and federal parks in the area close at the end of September. . . so, where to stay? There are a few private RV parks in the area, but they all looked fairly expensive and rather boring. The travel planning division (that would be Steve) searched around and found Vasa Park, on the southwest shore of Lake Sammamish.

I feel like we've gone back in time. This place has the feel of a nice family park from the 1950's, and for good reason. This park was established in 1926 by members of the Vasa Order, a Swedish fraternal organization with a focus on maintaining Scandinavian cultural traditions. There are several lodges in the Pacific Northwest, and the sign at the entrance credits the lodges that support the park.

This park has the comfortable feel of parks we frequented as children - large  rolling grassy areas, a swimming area, and multiple covered picnic table groupings. The RV area has only about 20 sites, some of which have full hookups and some only water and electric. Tents are welcome too. There's also a boat launch. When we arrived the entrance area was ablaze with large Halloween balloon decorations, obviously to appeal to their younger customers.

The parks isn't fancy, but it's very clean and comfortable, and we are right on the lake. If the weather was warmer we'd probably put out the canoe, but as it is we're in the middle of another drizzling rain.. . must be autumn in the northwest.

The RV spaces are all grass on our side, so there is a danger of mud if it rains too much, but we are in the last space so no matter the weather we have a full view of the lake, and we can push the slide-out over the edge of our space and have a wider area than we would in any of the other space. The full-service spaces across from us have gravel, but not such a nice view.

Though we didn't realize the emphasis on a cultural connection when we made the reservation, it's obvious once you are here. Clues are not only the Swedish flag flying at the entrance, but this little cabin in the middle of the park - restored to resemble cabins used in the woods in Sweden.
We've also noticed the Nordic lilt when talking with the folks who run the campground. Looking in to the history of the area in general it seems there were a lot of Swedish immigrants who settled here years ago. The impact of the culture still shows, and they've done well to hold on to this piece of property. It's tucked in along the shore of Lake Sammamish between homes worth in the neighborhood of a million each - I'm sure developers would have loved to get their hands on it, but we are glad they didn't!

More photos of the park and details of the cabin in the album. 

Millersylvania State Park, again!

Autumn has arrived here in the northwest. The trees are taking on a more golden shade of green, the poison oak and vine maple are turning red, salal berries ripening, and only us retired and full-timers are out and about in the campgrounds.

Last night we stopped for the third time at Millersylvannia State Park. It's not that it's the most fascinating place we've ever stayed, though it is nice. The draw is that it's about a 4 hour drive from Eugene, about the max we like to do in one day. We wrote about this park the first time we stayed here (see September 9 entry). This time, due to the close of their registration season, most of the loops in the campground are closed. The one loop that's open has over 40 sites, some wooded, many open, so there's something for everyone. Most of these are the sites with utilities. There's also a host in residence, which there wasn't before, and they're back to using a self-registration system which to us is an improvement to the convoluted registration system they were using during the summer.
We actually had sun the day we arrived. Out of three visits it's the first time we've seen the park without rain! Molly and I took a walk in the portion of the campground that's closed to camping and it was beautiful. The air had that lovely balmy fall feel, and the ferns and other understory shrubs were all fresh from recent rains. The trees in that part of the park are so tall you can hardly see the tops, and the campground has been established for years so it has that comfortable "old cabin in the woods" atmosphere. Two of our neighbors in the campground were here during our last visit, in mid-September, so we caught up with where they'd been visiting since then, how their rig repairs are going and all the other typical RV concerns. (Seems those coaches are always in need of some kind of repair!) Tonight we'll be at Vasa Park, near Bellevue, WA.

Mt. Saint Helens, Washington

We're back online! We haven't added an update for awhile - we were visiting friends near Port Angeles, Washington, for a few days, and then relocated to Seaquest State Park, so we could spend a little time touring around Mt. Saint Helens. Seaquest State Park has a variety of campsites. Some of the sites very open, others nestled among towering trees. It's very well maintained and we had a wonderful host on our loop.  Unfortunately, we had no Internet access there, so there's a lot to catch up.

Mt. Saint Helens erupted in 1980, only a short time after we moved to Oregon, so we remember vividly the impact it had on everyone in the northwest. We visited the Windy Ridge side of the volcano a few years after the eruption and marveled then at how quickly the wildflowers and other plant life was reestablishing itself in the ash from that eruption. Now, on the 30th anniversary of the event, it's even more amazing to see the video and still photographs of the eruption and compare the impact then to the area as it appears today.

The parks service has done a marvelous job of creating educational displays and presentations for all age groups. The visitors center near Castle Rock is older and getting a bit faded, but still has a lot of wonderful hands-on displays especially good for teaching young children, or anyone with no geology background. It's definitely worth a stop.

The drive up to Johnston Ridge, even in the gray drizzly weather we had, is picturesque. There are lots of opportunities to view the areas of forest that have been replanted, and the cliffs where downed trees are still visible. We stopped for a light lunch at the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center, which is actually more of a lodge. There's not a lot there in the way of displays, but they do have a nice gift shop and restaurant, and a collection of original newspapers reporting the eruption, which is fun to browse. There's also a sense of deja vu, as the topics of the day then were Iran, finance reform, and the unemployment rate. We had a  window seat in the restaurant with a clear view of the whole Toutle River valley. The original river bed was buried by up to 600 feet of ash mud flow during the eruption, and now the river wanders through that ash in a little silver stream, cutting a new path as it wanders between the hummocks and logs that were left behind embedded in the mud.

 After lunch we continued on to visit the newer center, at Johnston Ridge. The ridge is named for David Johnston, the geologist who was killed during the eruption. One of the features of this center is a video that has actual footage of the eruption. The quality of their video is a testament to new technology and video restoration techniques. Nothing from very close to the eruption survived the blast, so they must have worked with footage taken from quite a distance. However they did it, it's very impressive

The center also has presentations by rangers scheduled throughout the day, and a really nice glass enclosed viewing area - much appreciated as it was very cold and windy that day! The center is situated such that you have a clear view of the portion of the peak that was blown away during the eruption. The stark stumps of trees that were torn apart by the blast adorn the ashy slopes around the center. It's a sharp reminder of nature's power.
There is another visitors center at Coldwater Ridge, but it was closed, apparently for some remodeling, so we weren't able to visit it. Additional photos of the area are in this album.

On the road again, we are headed for Eugene, to get settled in and ready for the next Duck game.

Dosewallips State Park, Washington

As I write this update I am completely surrounded by a herd of elk....I'm not kidding!  In fact, one just passed the trailer and she was so close all I could see was her ears!

We went for a walk down by the river this morning after breakfast and when we arrived back at the campsite there was a herd of elk across the road. Since then they've moved into the campground and seem to have decided they like our little meadow in particular.  They've been grazing around us for about four hours, and have now decided it's time to lie down for their evening siesta.

The herd consists of about 60 elk - two full grown bulls, several young bucks and cows, and at least ten of this year's calves. Though they occasionally respond slightly to automobiles or other loud noises they are really quite tame and very much used to people....though I wouldn't want to be standing in front of one if it decides to move too quickly. We've puttered around our campsite, taking photos in between doing other things and they seem to feel safe in this area. They've moved back and forth around the campground but when they get startled they seem always to come back to our meadow. It's been a real treat to be able to observe them from such a close range, and we're lucky we're taking digital photos and not film - it would break the bank! Take a look at the album for a few more photos of the elk. Click "slide show" at top left for the best viewing.

We selected Dosewallips State Park as a stop primarily because it's "on the way" and only a short distance from the friends we will be visiting over the weekend. It has turned out to be a good choice! The biggest challenge in staying here is learning how to pronounce the name: "Dos-wail-opsh" or "doh'-si-wall-ips" are the two versions we've found. It's the name of a Twana Indian who, legend says, was turned into a mountain, forming the source of the Dosewallips River.

The park is well known for its shellfish beds (someone knocked on the door last night and offered us some of the clams they had harvested) and large campground, but it offers some nice hiking too.
The 3.5 mile Steam Donkey Loop Trail is an especially good choice in spring, with lots of small creeks and views of the Dosewallips River. There's no fishing to protect the salmon that run here, and there are lots of signs around with information about the salmon and their spawning behaviors. The park has a nice open feel, with most of the campsites arranged around a series of small circular meadows. It's an unusual layout but one that seems to work nicely here.

The property for the park was purchased by the state in 1950, so there are none of the lovely old CCC buildings here that we have found in other, older parks. There is a rather nice art feature however. One wall of the pedestrian walk under the freeway on the way to the river trail has The property for the park was purchased by the state in 1950, so there are none of the lovely old CCC buildings here that we have found in other, older parks. There is an "art" feature however. The pedestrian walk under the freeway on the way to the river trail ha a nice brass mural/sculpture depicting the life cycle of the salmon.

Fall has definitely come to the northwest. Ripening berries, rose apples and grasses all signify the end of summer, but make for very nice scenery. Fall can be a very colorful time of year, even in the northwest. Tomorrow morning we pack up and travel a short distance to Port Angeles where we'll be visiting friends for a few days.

Millersylvania State Park, Washington

It's a mouth-full..... Originally called "Miller's Glade", the "Millersylvania" was named for the Miller family who were early settlers here. The name was later changed, replacing glade with "sylvania" which means "wooded land," or forest glade".

Millersylvania State Park is about 10 miles south of Olympia, and wooded it is. Fortunately you have a choice of camp sites. Many of the sites are in the deepest part of the woods which have some old growth and rather old second growth, or a loop with very open sites. We chose the open area, as the skies were gray and rain threatened, and we like all the light we can get. There are ferns everywhere, giving the park a fairy dell feeling.

It did rain during the night, so everything had a freshly washed look in the morning. Fortunately the rain had stopped by the time we finished breakfast. We only scheduled one night here, but the next scheduled stop is close, so we took time in the morning to walk over to Deep Lake, a centerpiece of the park.
It's 17 feet deep according to the park website. Small enough to look inviting for canoeing, it does have a boat ramp and a wooden dock. During the season there is a concession that rents small boats, but it's closed now (seems up here everything closes after Labor Day.) There are swimming areas marked off too, so in warmer weather families must really enjoy all the options.


The Miller family gave the property to the state in 1920, and in 1935 the CCC built many of the buildings still in use - restrooms and shower house, and several large outdoor kitchen/group picnic shelters.
These buildings have the beautiful large log and stone work and wrought iron hardware that are trademarks of the CCC's work. It's nice to see they've been so well cared for.

On the road again! - heading for Dosewallips State Park.