Washington and Beyond – America Through the Windshield

Week of June 28

Before we left Oregon and headed North to Washington, we ate at a small town restaurant called Mohawk. It was good food and an eclectic atmosphere, as we were surrounded by taxidermy of all types and sizes. Also there were two tables with Texas flag covers. Gotta love my home state! You don’t go to a Texas diner and find an Oregon flag tablecloth, or any other state for that matter …. Just Sayin’. In northern Oregon we took a journey on a new and unfamiliar route because the highway we would have traveled on, had a bad accident that would have it closed down for a few hours. This road, after leaving the small towns behind, was very hilly and curvy. However it was scenic and even stunning, in places. This next story is funny now, but dangerous and scary when it happened. Mind you, there was very little traffic on this two lane road at the time. A guy in the opposite lane is frantically waving us down from his moving car. Both arms hanging out of the driver’s window, so we carefully slowed to a stop. He was “freaking out” (his words) because he was almost out of gas and didn’t know how far it was to the next town. I said the last town we passed was about 25 miles back, he thanked me and we both proceeded on our way. Little did we know, there was a community, with a gas station, just ahead within a five mile drive. I’m guessing he might have been a little impaired. LOL No pics of this encounter because my wife was overly cautious. Too many campfire stories of road pirates.

After more driving, we found our way to the hwy that follows the Columbia River. The Multnomah Falls exit was closed so we couldn’t stop and take photos. We have been there before so it wasn’t a big deal. However, it would have been fun to experience again. Photos can’t replicate what our eyes see anyway.

After an overnight in a KOA near Cascade Locks, OR we are on our way again. This time crossing the Columbia and into Washington. We are headed to the Tacoma area to take our daughter home, however, we will spend a couple days in a great little park between Elbe and Mineral WA. The plan is to go to Mt Rainier NP but the weather seems iffy. The park name is Elkamp Eastcreek Campground. Conveniently located for a short drive to the NP, I recommend this as a place to stay. Nestled deep in the woods near a creek, it has the feel of a rain forest.

Elkamp Eastcreek Campground, Mineral, WA

We drove into Elbe and discovered an original railroad dining car made into a restaurant. It was very cool. We had to eat lunch elsewhere because it was closed due to the virus. Right next to this place were several former railroad cabooses, which were fashioned to make rooms to rent. It was called The Hobo Inn. Across the street was a walk up burger joint, this is where we enjoyed an old fashioned bacon cheeseburger. Well, mine was with no bun. LOL

Afterward we journeyed to the next small community and shopped in an old general store, complete with creaky wooden floors and history dating back to the 1920’s. This place had almost everything you would need From food stuffs to hardware to fishing and camping supplies. It reminded me of an old store back in my hometown, where the butcher wrapped your fresh cut meats in the white butcher paper and tied it with a string. No I’m not THAT old, I just remember from when I was a kid.

Then wandered into a clean little art shop with pottery, paintings, sketches and more. Again, local artists are showcased in these types of shops. We love to support small business owners while traveling.

On our way back to camp, we stopped off at a property that displays lots of original works of art made from metal scraps. Key word… scrap. The owner/artist, Dan, came out to greet us, and we had quite the conversation. He is very talented. His plan is to erect a large metal crucifix in the desert of AZ, near the highway, but is running into opposition from the government. If you are ever in this area, stop in and visit. Full disclosure ; he does ask for donations to take pictures of his stuff.