On the road for history, for art, and for adventure.
Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler Riding up river on a sternwheel paddle boat is as cool as it sounds. So is getting a full view of Portland and its bridges. One of the Willamette River winter boat cruises for nearly 40 years has been aboard the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler. Boats were once the only way to cross... Continue Reading →
Picture perfect, like a scene on the front of a jigsaw puzzle box. A trip to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill in Woodland, Washington lets people walk into that picture. I had no idea what the mill looked like until I drove right up to it. The narrow, woodsy road leading down to the creek... Continue Reading →
Port Orford Jail, Port Orford Oregon
Given to the state of Washington as a gift from Otto and William Studhalter, the Tilton River State Park plaque is like a gift tag, a “To” and “From." The plaque and trail head are on the north side of highway 508 in Lewis County. But, what is the gift of land? What does... Continue Reading →
Living on the west coast means not having too long of a drive to see ocean waves. Even then, modern day travelers stretch their legs from a seemingly long road trip, climb the dunes through slogging sand, and sigh a big relief when they see the crashing waves. Small feat when compared to the journey... Continue Reading →
The Monticello Convention Tree: Territorial Convention Witness It’s often the trees that withstand time and adversity. We stand under them and marvel at what calamities have befallen them, sigh in sympathy at their heavily burdened branches and the scarred-over gashes in their trunks. We understand the trials, and we admire them for their fortitude and... Continue Reading →
Kayaks, paddles and dog in tow, the map said “that way” to the water! Though not seeking a northwest passage, I was seeking access to the waters near the Columbia River. Sauvie Island, which sits in the Columbia, has a lake nested inside itself, Sturgeon Lake. They say that half the adventure is getting there,... Continue Reading →
The state’s smallest lighthouse sits on the Columbia River’s largest island, Sauvie Island, and is only one of two on the river. A seven-mile, round trip hike along the river leads hikers out to Warrior’s Head lighthouse. So named by a small party from the 1792 George Vancouver expedition who found themselves surrounded by 23... Continue Reading →
“Please insert twenty-five cents to complete your call.” “Operator. How may I help you?” Dial tones. Silvery, square buttons with numbers that click smoothly when you press them. Don’t dial wrong, or you can’t get your quarter back. These are bits of nostalgia that we come across less and less now that pay phones are... Continue Reading →
A rolling stone gathers no moss. William Sydney Porter gathered no moss from idleness. He seems to have rolled from one mode in life, one trade, one phase of life to the next. I stood at one of those moments in his Austin Texas home in which he lived while publishing his weekly paper, The... Continue Reading →
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