Three Week Road Trip - Sixth Leg - Richland, WA to Las Vegas, NV via Great Basin National Park and Lehman Caves, September 29, 2013

Iffy weather in Richland, and on our way to Walla Walla for a day of wine tasting with the Carpenters.  Walla Walla is a very cute town, lots of tasting rooms, restaurants and shops with cheese, chocolate, home dec - what could be better?  We stopped at a winery for a tasting; very reasonable prices here in comparison to the Napa/Sonoma area.  The wines were so-so, and we bought nothing.  We wandered into a couple of other tasting rooms, but nothing rang our bell, so we went to have lunch at...oops,  forgot to note the name of the place.  The food was OK, they had a beer that Scott likes on tap, so he was happy.  As it is fall, there were a couple of beers that were right in line for this time of year.  Stan and I shared a darker ale.  It was OK; he drank most of it.

Spinach salad, beef dip, reuben and potato skins for lunch.

We drove to a winery that was in an old schoolhouse; a label that Scott and Carolyn had served us for dinner the night before.  The schoolhouse was turned into a tasting room, and it was a very interesting place.  Stan and Scott stayed in the car; Carolyn and I did a quick peek inside and then left for one more tasting room.  The wines there were good; Carolyn bought a red and then we left to see the house that they had just put an offer in on...and was accepted. 

The house is in West Richland and is a great buy.  It needs work, but the backyard is perfect for Carolyn and her love of gardening.  The house has a large basement with a full bath, and I suggested turning that into their master retreat, as the master bedroom upstairs and adjoining bath is on the smaller side.  Also, I suggested that they take part of the laundry room to enlarge the kitchen.  I am a troublemaker!

Looking at the weather, we decided to turn around and head south.  Rain, rain everywhere, and no fun sightseeing or golfing in it.  The weather in Vegas seemed good, so we thought we'd take a quick inventory and play golf for the rest of the week.   Scott suggested that we stop by Twin Falls in Idaho, and we made a reservation to stay the night.  When we got to Twin Falls, only one, Shoshone, was running, and without much water.  These falls are huge when they are running, but the season was over, and, after escaping bees trying to get into our car, we decided to high tail it to Wells, NV and stay the night there. 

A woman at the falls scared me a bit when she said that the roads were desolate on the way to Wells, and that two women had been lost and found dead out there, but Stan wanted to push on, and I overcame my fear to drive until nightfall.  The roads were quiet, but we made it to the teeny stateline town of Wells.  There are a few hotels there (Super 8, never again), and a few restaurants and gas stations and that's it.  How folks survive there, I'll never know, but I was happy to get out.  One shining light (dimly shining, but shining, nonetheless) is Bella's Restaurant.  The staff there is eager to please, the food is plentiful (and they tell you that right up front, even suggesting that you split), and, for diner-type food, it is all right.  Stan's fried chicken was crunchy and juicy.  The potatoes were cold and the vegetables were soggy, but he didn't care as long as the chicken was good.  My cobb was serviceable.  The ranch dressing was good, and although the turkey was processed, it was tasty enough.  Again, neither one of us starved.  Bella's

Cobb Salad and Fried Chicken at Bella's for dinner.  Guess who ate what.

Yogurt and fruit and pancakes, eggs and bacon at Bella's for breakfast.

The curtains at Bella's are various types of aprons, very cute.  Since it seemed to be the only game in town, we ate there for breakfast as well.  Greek yogurt with strawberries and lots of fresh apples, melons, oranges and grapefruit (not all in season, but OK), accompanied the yogurt.  Stan asked for his pancakes well done.  They didn't get that right, but he loved his egg.  The bacon, as usual, was not up to his standards.

It was Monday, the day before the government shut-down, and, as we were passing by Great Basin National Park, we went on in to see it and the Lehman Caves.  Stan and I had picked up sandwiches at a local market and put them in the cooler, not knowing what the food situation would be at the park.  It turned out that we were alone in the picnic area, except for a bird and insect or two thousand, and we had a lovely time eating our sandwiches among the trees.

Lunch among the trees.

Chicken salad sandwich to share - yum!

Great Basin from the Visitor's Center parking lot.

The park itself is immense, and the caves were quite spectacular and small enough to cover in a one-hour tour.  We noticed a couple wearing New Zealand t-shirts and it turned out that they had been in San Francisco during America's Cup, when the American team turned around an 8-1 deficit to win the cup!  The tour guide was a kooky young lady named Carolyn, but she was informative (almost too much), and got the whole group involved in one way or another.

The Lehman Caves.

We dragged ourselves on a long ride to Vegas.  I don't believe I've ever driven 50 miles without seeing another car, but it happened today.  Vast open space, a two-lane highway, and nothing for miles and miles.  I was afraid to ask if we had cell service.  

We made it to Vegas, where we had a nice dinner outside at PF Chang's...ahh warmth...and settled in for a three night stay in lovely, sunny Las Vegas where many golf courses awaited us.  

The next day, we made a 2 pm tee time at Wildhorse Golf Club.  The greens fees were reasonable, and we wanted to make a less expensive course our first one.  Well, it was hot.  And I mean hot!  In the 90s, and we were so tired, heat exhausted and shaky, that we quit on the 7th hole.  Stan almost passed out twice.  Not good.  We felt it was the universe telling us that this trip was not a good idea and that we should go home.  Which we did; 1-1/2 weeks early.  

Now that we're home, we're glad we did this road trip.  It was great fun, even though it didn't turn out exactly the way we'd hoped.  But we're better equipped to do it the next time.  I'll pack differently, and try to stay in a place for more than one night, but overall, the trip was a great time.  And I got to travel with my best friend, travel buddy and love of my life, Stan.

Three Week Road Trip - Fifth Leg at Richland, WA, September 27, 2013

This will be a shorty, for a couple of reasons.  The drive was basically a repeat of the Columbia River Gorge and a fairly boring ride into Washington State, where, once we crossed the state line, it promptly proceeded to rain.  Golf was definitely a question mark.  And I'm tired.

We got to Carolyn and Scott in time for lunch.  We ate at Shari's, a chain of Denny's-type coffee shops.  Shari's  True to form, I forgot to take pictures.  I had quiche with salad, Stan had a burger (new?).  Carolyn had a cuban sandwich and Scott a reuben.  It was fine food.  It would keep us from starving.

We were already dressed for golf.  Carolyn would ride with me as her arm wasn't ready due to a break she suffered last summer.  The weather was very cloudy and windy, and we hoped that it would hold.  

We went to Columbia Point Golf Club in Richland, WA.  Columbia Point Golf Club  What beautiful and deep green fairways, which were wide with few trees and some water.  I'm certainly no expert, but it seemed like a hybrid of a traditional and links course.  A fair amount of elevation and "moguls," as Stan calls them made the course challenging, but it wasn't that difficult to play...until the rain hit.

Brothers-in-law on the tee at #1

I have never used my golf umbrella to play golf, until today.  I was doing fairly well on the front nine, and the rain was falling.  Harder and harder, until, after shooting a 52 on the front nine and finishing the 10th hole, I called it quits.  I was cold, wet and couldn't imagine going on.  I was not having fun.  I took the cart to the clubhouse where Carolyn was already waiting (she was smart and left after the 9th hole), and settled down to chat with her with a hot tea.  I was so much happier.  

Sisters waiting in the warm clubhouse.

The boys actually played the entire 18 holes.  It never stopped raining, and they never stopped playing.  Stan shot a 52 on the front and a 54 on the back for a 106.  Scott shot a 61 on the front and a 50 on the back for a 111.  They came back soaking wet.  All of our clubs are still drying out.  

Carolyn made a very good dinner, Caesar salad and ravioli stuffed with cheese and red peppers and topped with pesto.  Great red wine (Syrah) from the Walla Walla area (we're going there tomorrow!), and she let me do a load of laundry!  Thanks Carolyn!

Oh, and rain, rain...please go away!  It looks like the three week road trip will be abbreviated due to the weather.  Coeur d'Alene is already cancelled.  We'll see what we decide tomorrow.

Three Week Road Trip - Fourth Leg at Columbia River Gorge/Mt. Hood, OR, September 26, 2013

What a dam good trip!  No, it was not misspelled.  We have visited two dams this week!  I hadn't been to a dam in 20 years, and now I've been to two within 72 hours!

A partly sunny day in Troutdale!  Imagine that!  In the car after breakfast and on the road (again) to the Columbia River Gorge.  How nice that Troutdale is at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge so we didn't have long to drive.  Our first view...breathtaking!

The magnificent Columbia River Gorge.

View after view, waterfall after waterfall, this Scenic Drive is without a doubt one of the highlights of my traveling life.  Considering that the roads and bridges were originally built over 100 years ago makes it that much more incredible, and an incredible story as well.  A few of the waterfalls we encountered on our drive today.

Horsetail Falls

Multnomah Falls

We had originally planned to drive through the Gorge and then go around the backside of Mt Hood and have lunch at a lodge over there.  But by the time we arrived at Multnomah Falls, it was already after noon, what with all the stops and gawking at beautiful waterfalls and lush, thick moss-laden trees, ferns and other foliage.  Luckily, there was a lodge right there, and we climbed up the stairs for lunch.  Multnomah Falls Lodge

The Lodge at Multnomah Falls.

 

 

Northwest Smoked Salmon appetizer

French Onion Soup

Moroccan Stew with Lamb Sausage

We had a delicious starter of smoked salmon with apple-huckleberry compote, tropical fruits, whipped cream cheese, cheddar and swiss.  Not terribly fancy, but pretty good.  Stan loved his french onion soup, and we shared and both very much enjoyed the Moroccan stew which was loaded with couscous, tasty vegetables, raisins and a yummy lamb sausage.  After lunch, I had to stroll through the gift shop.  If there's a gift shop around, I must see what's there.  I don't buy much, but every once in a while, I see something that may help me remember the trip.

The Bonneville Dam was our next stop, a fascinating project, started during the Great Depression to create jobs in the Pacific Northwest which was hit particularly hard by the Depression.  At that time, Oregon was sparsely populated, and the project was not particularly popular amongst all the populace, but Roosevelt pushed it ahead and proved to be very beneficial during WWII, when they needed the electricity to product the aluminum and other products needed for the war.  Also incredibly interesting is the fact that there is an underwater viewing station of the fish ladder which salmon and other species of fish use to go upstream to spawn.  

Around a very big bend in the road sits huge, towering, magnificent Mt Hood, shrouded in snow and, usually, clouds.  No clouds today, lucky for us.  Traveling along the "Fruit Loop" where you can buy apples and pears, now in season (yes, we did, and the Concord Pear I ate was super good).  I saw pears and apples I had never heard of before, including the one I devoured in the car.

Mt Hood

The drive back to Troutdale was longer than we had anticipated, but it was very pretty.  So many, many trees - Oregon truly is a green state.  Instead of going straight to the hotel, we decided to go to dinner since it was already after 6 pm when we got back.  Stan had read about a place called McMenamin's Edgefield that had two par-3 golf courses, several restaurants and bars.  We decided to check it out.  McMenamin's  McMenamin's is the most whimsical, amazing place I've ever seen.  It is a 74 acre parcel that used to house the poor back at the turn of the 20th century.  There is art everywhere, not just framed, but painted murals on every wall.  They brew their own beer, have their own winery, glass blowing studio, pottery studio, herb and vegetable garden (all organic), hotel, spa, etc etc.  There are rumors that the hotel is haunted.  We ate at the Black Rabbit restaurant, which was the more upscale venue there.  Stan was entranced by the look of the Caesar salad, so that was all it took.  Brent, our server, was absolutely terrific, and made our experience so much better.  After I ordered the wine sampler (for lack of a better word - OK, I'm super tired and can't think straight) and Stan got a Moscow Mule (called a New Zealand Mule there), I ordered the Pacific Northwest Salmon over warm cucumber, creme fraiche and salmon roe.  Just delicious!  Stan ordered the Caesar, of course, and a salmon tartar over a bed of avocado.  He was a very happy man.

Directional signs at Edgefield.

The Wine Sampler - Most pretty good.  Some just OK.

The ever-present Caesar

Salmon with horseradish crust, warm cucumbers and salmon roe.

Salmon tartar with an endive salad and house made chips.

Tomorrow we visit Carolyn and Scott.  Golf at 1:44!  Finally, a different kind of driving!!

 

Three Week Road Trip - Third Leg to Columbia River Gorge/Mt. Hood, OR, September 25, 2013

Oh, it's raining in Oregon.  Big shock!  Downstairs for a quick BW breakfast (these are getting old fast), and packing the car up for our trip to the Columbia River.

More of the same on the road; small towns, fields of trees (unidentifiable), lots of sheep, cows and horses.  But so lush, green and beautiful.  We passed many fields of solid green; it looked just like grass.  And then we passed a sign that said we were in grass seed country.  Who knew there was a grass seed country!  And, thanks to the farmer who identified his hazelnut trees.  

Off the freeway in Eugene for a quick lunch at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse.  I wanted someplace local, not a chain, but there wasn't anything on Around Me, and we weren't in the mood to look around for a place in the pouring rain.  Their menu is quite large, and I knew both Stan and I would find something we liked.  I settled on teriyaki chicken with rice and veggies, and Stan got....a burger!!!  Both were good, the teriyaki a little sweet for me, but the chicken was cooked just right and the veggies were crisp-tender.  Stan liked his burger with bacon on the side; it was cooked the way he ordered it.  

When I told my sister, Carolyn, that we were going to the Columbia River, she told me to talk to her husband, Scott, and that he would give us some pointers about where to go.  He mentioned a place called Silver Falls, which is on the way from Grant's Pass to Troutdale, our next stop near the Columbia River Gorge.  We followed directions from Siri on the iPhone, who promptly got us lost, but that allowed us to meander around the fields near Silverton and the Silver Falls Tour Route.  Along with the many acres of grass that are grown in the area, Christmas trees are a huge crop.  It is like Napa Valley, but instead of grapevines, there are Christmas trees everywhere!

Fields of grass and Christmas trees.

Christmas trees - a bumper crop.

We bumped along a gravel road for what seemed like forever with nary a car in sight.  I felt that if there were no other cars in the lot once we arrived at the falls, I wouldn't be getting out of the car.  I was having a "Deliverance" moment.  Stan finally figured out where we were and set us on the right path.  We made it to the Silver Falls South Falls parking lot, got out of the car, and, within five minutes, we were gawking at the beautiful river and the falls tumbling into it.

Stan on the way to the falls.

The South Falls at Silver Falls.

The Silver Falls area is a rain forest with a primeval feel.  There is moss and lichen on almost every tree, mushrooms sprouting here and there, and we were essentially alone while on our hike down to a lesser fall, about a 2.8 mile trip.  It wasn't too terribly difficult, some stairs and the usual ups and downs, but we made it even though I got my feet wet crossing a big puddle as we went behind another, smaller fall.

 We crossed the bridge over the river and went back to the car, and were very happy we had made this side trip to a special and extremely beautiful place.  As we were driving, we saw a parking lot for the North Falls, got out, made a quick stop to see the second largest fall in the park.  

An hour and a half later, after driving through several little towns, including a Danish town that had nothing on Solvang, we arrived at Bumper's Grill and Bar for dinner.  Bumper's Grill and Bar  There wasn't much near the Best Western Plus Cascade Inn and Suites, so we drove right down the street and there was Bumper's. 

The ambiance at Bumper's was super.  There was a large aquarium separating the bar from the dining area, dark wood, comfortable booths, good service.  I ordered the hazelnut encrusted halibut, switched the shoestrings out for mashed, and fresh veggies.  The fish was rather dry, the veggies were cold and undercooked, and the potatoes were also a little cold.  Tasty, though.  Stan was very, very happy with his french dip.  He had hoped that the roll was crustier and wasn't crazy about the waffle fries, but was happy overall. 

We're here in Troutdale for two days.  I feel like we're staying here a lifetime.  I'll unpack a little and look forward to tomorrow where we may play 9 holes and see Mt Hood and Multnomah Falls.

Three Week Road Trip - Second Leg to Grants Pass/Rogue River, OR, September 24, 2013

Morning broke bright and beautiful in Petaluma.  We spent a somewhat leisurely morning catching up on emails and having a basic Best Western breakfast.  We knew we would probably be driving into rain up in Oregon, so there wasn't a rush to get up there for golf.  

The drive from Petaluma to the Oregon border, driving from the 80 to the 505, connecting to the 5 is one of orchards and agriculture with smaller towns dotting the landscape along with the cows, horses and sheep.  There were three alpacas in there for good measure.  You know you're in the middle of nowhere (but a beautiful nowhere I have to say), when you're on the 505, a freeway I never knew existed, and the turnoff is for Road 12A. 

Attention farmers:  I have a complaint.  When I'm driving past miles and miles of orchards and fields, I am constantly wondering what crop it is I'm looking at.  How about a sign or two letting us know what we're driving by?  The one tree I could identify was the olive tree, and there were scores of them.  Little did I know we were fast approaching Corning, California, otherwise known as Olive City, home of the Queen Olive.  Being the olive-lover that I am, we had to stop and visit The Olive Pit where we browsed and bought some olive oil and two jars of olives, Mediterranean Mixed and Castelvetrano Italian Whole Green Olives (so tasty!).  The Olive Pit
 
Hungry for lunch, we used our Around Me app to find Fat Daddy's BBQ in Redding, CA.  Boy did we get lucky!  I was unable to find a website, but if you're ever in Redding, DON'T MISS THIS PLACE!!!  Here's the address and phone number:  942 Hartnell Ave  Redding, CA 96002  530 221 6270

A great sign of great food to come.

Dollar bills on the ceiling and flying pigs.

We split The Fat Meal - pulled pork, brisket, spare ribs, BBQ beans and coleslaw.  It tasted as good as it looks.

Whenever I see Redding on a map or read about it, I go back to 6th grade and the best teacher I ever had, Mr. Fields, who moved to Redding after he finished teaching at Rio Vista Elementary in El Monte, CA.  He was the man who encouraged my art and made me promise that I would go to college.  If you're still out there, Mr. Fields, you are not forgotten. 

Deeper in our trip, we came across Shasta Lake and Dam.  We decided to make a detour (why are we traveling by car if not to stop at these places we've never been?).  We drove through charming Shasta Lake, a small, old school-type of town and found our way to the dam and lake, which we caught glimpses of through the trees as we drove to the visitors center.  I had been to Hoover Dam before, probably 20 years ago, so it was pretty thrilling to see something of this scale.  There were very few people there, so access was easy.  The weather was interesting, 75 degrees and cloudy with quite a bit of wind, so Stan had to hang onto his hat as we walked the span of the dam.

Soon to follow was Mt Shasta, covered in snow, which rose in the distance in front of us as we drove up the 5.  The top of the mountain was shrouded in clouds, but Stan was able to click off a couple of shots as we drove past. 

That's Mt Shasta in the distance.

You can't see the top of the mountain, but Mt Shasta it is!

The moment we crossed the Oregon border, it began to rain.  And it poured.  Great.  We got to our second Best Western Inn at the Rogue, near Grants Pass.  Best Western Inn at the Rogue  Our room here is better laid out, bigger and nicer than the one in Petaluma.  We dropped off our stuff and went out for dinner.  The rain had stopped, and we decided to get gas before we drove to Grants Pass for dinner.  I pulled up to the pump, Stan got out with his credit card, but was stopped by...a gas station attendant!!!  It was like coming across an extinct animal! His name was Jim, and he filled up our car, washed our windows and told us it was illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon.  Amazing!

Jim the Gas Station Attendant

A seven-mile drive in the pouring rain to Elmer's Restaurant, a traditional coffee shop...plus.  Elmer's 

Nice to have a fireplace going at Elmer's on a rainy night.

The food was basic and good.  I got the small portion hazelnut crusted cod with rice and steamed veggies.  Super good, especially since it came with a big side salad.  Stan got the roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce.  It came with clam chowder.  His dinner had vegetables too, but he wouldn't eat them no matter how much I asked him to eat something green!  And oops!  I forgot to take pictures of the main dishes, so this adorable photo of Stan with his clam chowder will have to do!

Tomorrow we're off to the Columbia River and hopefully to good weather, sightseeing and golf!

Three Week Road Trip - First Leg to Petaluma, CA, September 23, 2013

It's official!  Stan and I are on a three-week road trip!  This is something we have talked about forever, with one thing or another getting in the way, and now it's happening!  We bought a cargo carrier for the Volvo to put our golf clubs in because they take up so much room.  That will make our traveling so much easier!

After a restless night of very little sleep (for me - Stan slept like a baby), we left the house at 5:20 a.m., it was pitch dark.  We made our usual stop at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Montecito for Stan (he gets a coffee and the cheese crumble and I got a plain yogurt), and then made a second stop at Starbucks.  Sorry CBTL, I just like the lattes better at Starbucks.  And they're bigger too!  We ate in the car and headed north to Petaluma for our first golf stop; Adobe Creek Golf Club.

After a quick bite at Chipotle's in Palo Alto, we took the 45 minute drive to Petaluma.  The weather was beautiful today in the Bay Area, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge was as clear and crisp as I'd ever seen it.  Everyone was out walking or biking across the bridge, there were sailboats in the Bay; it was a picture-perfect day.  Unfortunately, as I was driving and Stan was resting, we didn't take any perfect pictures.

We had originally planned to play golf at Rooster Run, but they were aerating the greens, so we opted for Adobe Creek.  Adobe Creek Golf Club   It turned out to be a good choice.  The weather held in Petaluma, it was a lovely 82 degrees.

Adobe Creek is a links-style course.  There aren't very many trees or water hazards, there is tall grass that can get you in real trouble, and the fairways are wide and forgiving.  There were Canadian Geese everywhere, so we were constantly side-stepping to avoid goose poo.  The course was pretty wet and muddy in places, and there was little to no water in the ball washing stations, which was rather irritating considering the mud, etc. 

I was jacked up from the coffee I had for breakfast and the iced tea I had for lunch, plus I was suffering from the long drive and the lack of sleep.  My hands were shaking through the 11th hole, but then I settled down and felt better.  Oddly enough, my front nine was better than my back by four strokes.  50 on the front, 54 on the back (one par) for a total of 104.  Not bad for my first time on the course, but maybe I should overdose on caffeine more often before playing golf. 

The opposite was true for Stan.  He struggled on the front and did very well on the back.  He finally got his mojo back on his drives and his fairway shots were going straight and far.  He had two pars and a birdie and shot a 99!  The video below was taken on the 18th hole.  His drive was fantastic, and he hit this 200 yard approach shot with his 3 wood.  It landed just off the green. 

Our scores are proof (at least here) that we're getting better.  I felt like I shot a horrible game and still wound up with a 104.  Not great, not perfect, not what I was hoping, but not terrible.

Checked in to Best Western Petaluma Inn. Best Western Petaluma Inn  Lindsey at the front desk was just terrific.  She even offered to help us drag up all of our stuff to our room (which we declined, by the way).  There are no elevators here and we're on the 2-1/2 floor.  Nice enough room; pretty basic but clean with a comfortable bed and enough pillows.  Just what you'd expect at Best Western.  

We left our luggage in the room and walked next door to Palms Grill.  Palms Grill  According to the hostess, they had been open only a couple of months.  They certainly had their act together.  I had the petite size chicken piccata covered with mushrooms and capers with a lemony sauce, white rice (I substituted this for mashed potatoes) and fresh, steamed vegetables (zucchini, carrots and broccoli, perfectly cooked).  The chicken was fork tender and the portion was just perfect.  Even though it was a petite sized dinner, I was very full and didn't even finish the rice.  

Stan had the bacon, bleu cheese burger (shock!), and thought it was very good.  He asked for the bacon on the side, and he thought it was so-so.  The burger was juicy, tasty and slightly pink inside, just as he ordered it.  He ordered a side salad for an additional $1.50 and loved the feta cheese vinaigrette with the crunchy greens.

Tomorrow we go to Grants Pass, Oregon.  The weather forecast is rain, so I doubt that we'll be playing golf, but we may find out a thing or two about Grants Pass.  Stay tuned...