We were a bit sad to leave Cannon Beach this morning. It is
a really gorgeous place, and has inspired us to consider a trip down the
coastal 101 from Seattle to LA one day.
We drove off through the lovely Oregon
forests, but they soon gave way to farmland as we neared Portland. Portland was
very pretty, lots of trees and green space, and cute little weatherboard
houses.
In the centre though, we encountered the inevitable freeway spaghetti –
layers and layers of freeways, going over and under themselves. Very confusing!
LOL.
We stopped at Jiffy Lube for the RV to be checked over and
have an oil change. It seriously only took about 20 minutes. You drive in over
the pits, about 6 guys in overalls leap into action, and its done in no time.
We were impressed.
We then headed on the I 84 along the Columbia River gorge,
following the route used by Lewis and Clarke on the way to the Pacific. It was
really pretty – big rock spires sticking out of the river, lots of green trees
and blue sky. It quite abruptly turned to dry hills – almost desert. It
reminded us of Utah.
We stopped in The Dalles for a quick shop and fuel, then
pushed on. We saw loads of windfarms and power stations on the river, which
sparked a question about the state borders. The river is the border of Washington
and Oregon, so if they dam it and have a power station, who owns the power?
There were lots of trains too. It seems that unlike Tassie,
the US actually uses its railway! J
We pulled into the John Day Lake recreation area for the
night – a site called Le Page that is operated by the US army corps (why?). The
lake is very picturesque, and the campground is tidy. It seems a lot of people
come fishing and boating here. Its lovely and warm too, a nice change from the
coast and the mountains. Change into shorts and a cold drink and a BBQ dinner!
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below to see where we are located.
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