I spent a lot of time on the Oregon coast. There are a lot of interesting and beautiful places along this coast like the California coast.
I found some good places for tide pooling.
And I even saw some whales.
At one spot I found a crew working on a commercial for Campbell's Soup. The guy in the chef's hat gets hit by a wave and comes up with the idea of using sea salt in the soup. Watch for it soon on a TV near you.
After the coast I went to the Columbia Gorge. The building in this photo is called Vista House. It was built basically to attract tourists. I got lucky and caught it with a rainbow.
The area is also known for it's waterfalls.
Then I moved on to the Mt. St Helen area. The major eruption happened in May of 1980. It was fascinating to see how much destruction and the many ways it's starting to come back. The also have some very nice facilities there to tell you all about what happened.
The area right next to the mountain was pretty much blown away by the blast and the landslide that came with it.
Further out you can see trees laying down parallel to each other pointing away from the mountain. Beyond is a zone of standing trees that were killed by the heat of the blast.
Spirit Lake was right in the path of the side of the mountain that slide down. They're calling it the largest landslide in recorded history. When it hit the lake it created a huge wave that splashed up on the opposite shore washing the flattened trees back into the water. You can see a lot of the trees still floating in the lake.
It's amazing how much life is coming back even in the most devastated areas.
I found this waterfall between St. Helen and Rainier. I haven't had a lot of time for photos right here yet but I'm sure you'll see plenty in my next post.
I'm feeling pretty tired, burned out and lonely lately. Pray that I can get my enthusiasm back soon. Maybe I need a vacation from my vacation. What does one do on a vacation from a vacation? Maybe I'll have to spend a day reading or something. It also helps to here from you. Got time for a comment or an e-mail? Also pray that this upcoming holiday doesn't cramp my style too much. Coming on a Wednesday, it cold effect two weekends.
Thanks for looking and praying.
10 comments:
Steve, When you get home you're going to have to build me an addition to put my favorite pictures in. I like them all! If you want a book to read you could try "Only Road North". Its about some guys traveling in Africa. Love, Mom
Hey Steve,
Sorry you are getting burned out. Maybe just stop and do nothing for awhile. You certainly are in a beautiful place, but it could get old when there is no one immediately to share it with. I hear from people that they are watching your blog religiously. Some of them must be shy about commenting. I'm not shy! There is a photo of Becky on our Professional Photographers blog. Check it out at prophtogswestmi.blogspot.com if you are bored.
Cool photos as usual. Pretty fun that you saw the commercial being taped. I really like your waterfall pics.
Rest up if you need it.... then enjoy Alaska!
Love, Deb
PS
Congratulate Mom on her first published comment!!!!! ;-)
Hi Steve,
LOVE your waterfall pics! We check your site SO often & just love to live this journey vicariously (though it would be better to be enjoying it along with you!). Will be praying for your burnout. Seek God in all this. Maybe take a morning, afternoon, or whole day with just your Bible & no camera or binocs (I know, am I crazy???!!). Read, journal, seek, praise, meditate. Let Him guide you. He has given you a great gift - the talent that you have, as well as the time & means for this trek. I'm sure He wants you to know Him better when it is all done.
We're going to mom's in Ohio tonight, staying till late next week, then dropping Kenny off at Deerfoot 7/7 on our way back to Maine. He'll be there 2 wks!
Enjoy your time there, & thanks so much for all your posts! We love them!
For the gang, Julie McK
Hey Steve, have you picked out where you will watch fireworks on the 4th? If you pick a high spot, you might see them in more than one direction! (It looks like it is all high spots around there).
Maybe one of your nieces or nephews could come out and join you for a week of travel. What a summer adventure for them, as good as any camp and with much better scenery!
Steve,
I check out the blog each and every day. It's been a blast following you on this "Ride Across America" (sorry Peter Jenkins). You are taking all of us on quite the journey! Rock on! And when you feel a little burned out, spend some time in the Psalms and Philippians—great books to revive the spirit!'
BTW, I turned my brother Barry on to your site a while back. He has now become an official "Steve's Wanderings" watcher! Keep snapping and typing—
Tom F.
Hi Steve,
I had a long weekend off, with no computer access at home, so still thought you were in Oregon. I LOVE that coastline!
I also like Washington, although haven't seen the coastline as much. My dad spent his teenage years in Seattle. One summer, he cleaned cabins up in Snoqualmie Pass on Mt. Rainier. That was when camps were REALLY rustic!
Many years ago a friend and I took a ferry across the San Juan de Fuca Straits between Victoria and Port Angeles, and we had four porpoises (or dolphins?) swimming just ahead of the bow of the boat. That was way cool.
Are you stopping in Juneau at all? My brother Ron and his wife are spending the summer there, working with jewelry to sell to the cruise passengers who stop in port.
Well, enough from me... we are really with you in spirit; we so appreciate your updates!
Keep on keeping on!
Barb P.
Steve;
Hey, cuz, I see your problem. There were signs of it even back in the early days of your trip with comments like "I would have spent more time on these shots but I was already a couple days behind..." You're on a schedule! Not only that, look at what you do every day-- you go out & take a bunch of pictures then you return to base, record them to disk, catalog them & eventually type up a report. Think about it--schedules, filing, cataloging, reporting...Sounds a lot like work doesn't it? At least for those of us with desk jobs it does. And you're probably at it 10-12 hours a day 6 days a week, right? No wonder you're burned out! You don't need a vacation, you need retirement; no schedule there!
I like Julie's suggestion, or maybe something like this---when you find yourself in one of those perfect beautiful scenic spots [with no bugs or dangerous wildlife ;~)], just sit back, relax, enjoy the view & let the words of "How Great Thou Art" run through your head a while.
Maybe when you fall in with one of those singles groups you should invite them to join you in one of those spots for the afternoon instead of you following them.
Hang in there, Steve, take a Saturday off sometime. Nice pictures.
John B.
Hey Maier Man!
What an adventure...as Tom noted below, he told me about your journey right after I stopped at the Sugarbush shop and heard about it from your Uncle. You are taking some awesome pictures! I wish I could have given you a HD-DV video camera for the trip--we could have made a TV series out of your travels. Donna sends her love and best wishes! God bless you--as he renews your strength for the second half of your journey!
Barry F.
Well said.
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