Iron Goat Interpretive Site

Old Cascade Tunnel (unsafe to enter)built in the early 1900's ~ no longer used.

Fish measuring station along one of the rivers. Some of the salmon are weighed, measured, tagged and given some kind of shot and then sent along their way. They are caught in a large tank, which is then brought to the surface. There were some quite large.

Took a drive along the Columbia River from Winatachee to Chelan, Washington. Numerous orchards of apples and pears and fruit stands everywhere.

A variety of packing crates along the orchards. The newer ones are plastic.

Our camp squirrel teased the dogs unmercifully this morning. Don't know what the sound is called that squirrel's make but this little critter made the sound constantly at the dogs. It would come down almost to the ground then scamper back up the tree.

The dogs were so dirty from rolling in the dirt; so we took them to one of the river's and Chris gave them a soap bath.

Two very tired Labrador's after chasing squirrels and playing in the river.

A few pictures of the Thousand Trails camp near Leavenworth, Washington. A very nice facility. Our camp is near the pond.

Creek and meadow

Adult lodge and meadow in front

Family lodge and swimming pool

Went on a nature hike that ended up being 2 1/2 miles long. There were 2 flumes on the trail to divert the water along an irrigation canal. Of course, the dogs had to test the water.

Colorful beer wagon and music in the park in Leavenworth

This is apple and pear country with orchards dotting the countryside. Numerous fruit stands/buildings not only selling fresh fruit but jams, jellies, wine plus all kinds of cooking items.

More pictures of Leavenworth:

Leavenworth, Washington

The story of Leavenworth is a testament to the determination of the human spirit. The odds of a dying timber and rail town successfully converting itself into an alpine Bavarian village are pretty slim. Nonetheless, the townspeople of Leavenworth found a way to do it. This is their story...

The History of Leavenworth
Leavenworth was settled by pioneers in search of gold, furs and fertile farmland. The Leavenworth area was soon bustling with settlers. By 1890, the original town was built. But it wasn’t until the end of the century when the town began to blossom with the arrival of the rail line. The Great Northern Railway Company’s tracks through Leavenworth brought with them opportunities for work, commerce and a new economy.

A sawmill and a healthy logging industry eventually fell apart, however, when the Great Northern Railway Company pulled out of Leavenworth. The re-routing of the railroad and the subsequent closure of the sawmill sadly converted the town from a bustling, thriving hub of commerce into a hollow, empty community. For more than thirty years, Leavenworth lived on the brink of extinction.

But in the early 1960’s, everything changed. In a last-chance effort to turn their town around, the leaders of the community decided to change Leavenworth’s appearance, hoping to bring tourism into the area. Using the beautiful backdrop of the surrounding Alpine hills to their advantage, the town agreed to remodel their hamlet in the form of a Bavarian village.

Hoping to create more than a mere facelift, the entire community rallied to create the illusion of Bavaria in the middle of Washington state. Besides the complete renovation of the downtown area, community members worked to begin a series of festivals to attract people. And it worked!! Since the change to a Bavarian motif, Leavenworth has become a pillar of the tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Today, more than a million tourists come to Leavenworth each year, each visitor finding their own individual love affair with the community. The story is a landmark case of the human spirit: Not only did the people of Leavenworth survive their most critical hour, but they endured.






Why does he look so happy? Maybe it's the German beer!

What is wrong with this picture? Chris can explain!

Multomah Falls, Oregon

The most famous waterfall in the gorge. This is a two-level waterfall. The upper falls cascade one level creating a pool of water which then continues down under the bridge creating another waterfall. The lower pool of water flows into a creek and on to the Columbia River.

This bridge is at the top of the second falls. There is a brick walled path leading up to the bridge. This bridge was built in 1914 and is very sturdy.



I took a picture of a picture in the visitor center which shows the original bridge............I'll take the 1914 bridge any day.

Bridge between upper and lower falls

Mount St. Helens, Washington

On Monday we visited Mount St. Helens. There are two very nice visitor centers and the observatory, which is at the end of the road and the closest view (5 miles) to the mountain.

At 8:32 a.m. on May 18,1980, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook Mount St. Helens, triggering a massive explosion. The release of gases trapped inside the volcano sent 1,300 vertical feet of mountaintop rocketing outward to the north. Super-heated ash roared 60,000 feet into the sky. The cataclysmic blast - carrying winds that reached 670 miles per hour and temperatures of 800 degrees flattened 230 square miles of forest. Fifty-seven people were killed including USGS scientist David Johnston who they named the observatory after - Johnston Ridge Observatory. The largest landslide in recorded history swept through the Toutle River Valley, choking rivers and lakes with mud, ash and shattered timber.

The clouds hung in front of the crater all day blocking our view somewhat.




View of the ash covered valley below the mountain.


This was Toutle creek which turned into the wide flow area of the ash, mud and trees. Ash still flows down the creek 28 years later.


What is left of a tree blown over - notice how greenery is growing around the stump.

Trees blown down from what they call "the blast"

After the eruption, trees were blasted down to nothing on most of the hills, mountains and valleys within 10 miles of Mount St. Helens. This shows one of the areas replanted.

Visited a place that breeds Alpacas and also uses their hair to spin clothing and yarn to sell. These critters were quite friendly.

The little one in the front is only 11 1/2 weeks old.


Visited another lavendar farm and the smell was refreshing.

The Columbia River adjacent to Hood River, Oregon is famous for board sailing.