Ricky's Visit - September 8 - 14th, 2004 (and Mary's Birthday)

My son, Ricky was coming in from Fort Worth, Texas to visit with Rocke and me. We anxiouly waited for Ricky's visit and it finally arrived. On Wednesday evening, Sepember 8th, Rocke and I checked online to see if Ricky's plane was on time. To our surprise, it had not left Denver on time and it looked like it was going to be an hour late. We checked again and he had finally left Denver and was on the way to Portland. Rocke and I left for the airport around 10:15 pm and Ricky's plane finally arrived at about 11:15pm. Ricky was ready to get to bed. It has been a long day for him, as there is a two hour time difference. So by the time he arrived in Portland, it was around 1:15 am back in Texas. We visited for a while then we all turned in for the evening . . . it was going to be a busy week for all of us.

Rocke had to work on Thursday, so I took Ricky to Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. Wow, what an interesting place to visit! Ricky and I spent the whole afternoon there looking at the many displays. What an awesome place to go, very educational and interesting.

After leaving the Museum Ricky and I went into McMinnville to meet Rocke at McMenamins Rooftop Bar. In the Pacific Northwest, McMenamins has a chain of pubs which are the closest thing we have to a group of English-style tied houses. Like many tied-house groups across the Atlantic, the McMenamins pubs have a certain feel to them, something that identifies them as members of a particular group of businesses, with the similarity of decor, menus, and beers. This empire now stretches from Oregon's central Willamette Valley and the Pacific Coast, through the Portland area in a very substantial way, across the Columbia River to Vancouver, and continues up the road, with a place in Olympia and outlets in Seattle and suburban Mill Creek. Some links to visit to find out more about McMenamins: Homepage and McMenamins Pubs.

Rocke was tied up in traffic after work, so Ricky and I had time to relax and have a few drinks at the pub while taking in the breathtaking views of Yamhill County. From the Rooftop Bar it is a truly spectacular look at Oregon's lush Wine Country, the impressive Coast Range and beyond. Rocke finally arrived and we enjoyed a delicious meal while watching the sun set over Yamhill County.

Friday morning, Rocke had taken the day off and we all left for Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Oregon. That was where we would be staying Friday and Saturday night for my birthday weekend getaway. We drove down I-5 to Eugene and drove east on Hwy 126, which followed the "Wild and Scenic" McKenzie River. What a beautiful drive through the Willamette National Forest, along the McKenzie River. We turned right onto "The Old McKenzie Pass" Hwy 242 built on an 1860s wagon route over the top of the mountains. Because of the snows that start about the end of October (and because there is a convenient alternate pass over the mountains), the road is closed during later fall and winter, and doesn't open again until late in the spring. The forest along the byway on this portion of the pass is dark green, characterized by water loving tree species such as hemlocks, cedars and firs. The climb eastward up Highway 242 is through a thickly vegetated, narrow corridor. Here the road meanders and travel is slow (15 mph corners!)..

Once we made our way through the lush forest, we came to the beginning of the lava fields. We stopped at the Belknap Crater Viewpoint. Rocke, Ricky and I walked out onto the lava fields. Except for a very sparse population of trees trying to grow on the lava, it looked like the flow had just cooled! We were able to view Belknap Crater and the smaller cone of Little Belknap Crater. A little further up Hwy 242 at the 5,325 foot elevation, we stopped to tour the Dee Wright Observatory where we were literally surrounded by cold barren lava. We climbed up to the Dee Wright Observatory and took in the panorama of six Cascade peaks. At the top of the observatory, a bronze peak finder points to geologic features amidst sweeping lava fields. After taking in these breathtaking views and getting a few pictures, we were on our way again.

At an elevation of 4,909 feet on the east side of the pass, we came to Windy Point, which also offered a picturesque view of the lava flows and volcanic peaks. We made a stop here to take in some more beautiful views of the Lava Fields. Ricky also enjoy feeding the chipmunks. When we left the Windy Point viewing area and drove east on 242, there was little vegetation on the lava fields, but as we made our descent down from the summit of the McKenzie Pass, a mixed conifer forest returned, eventually giving way to Ponderosa Pines at the lower elevations. It is the dramatic transition between these diverse natural environments that defines the uniqueness of this byway.

We all enjoyed seeing the lava fields. Rocke had not seen the lava fields in years and was in awe at what he saw.

Our next stop was Eagle Crest Resort. After arriving at the resort, we found our condo and unloaded the car. The suite Rocke and I had reserved was beautiful and had everything we needed for our stay. It was like home away from home. While waiting for Michael and Sylvia to join us for the weekend, Rocke grilled some steaks out on the patio and I baked some potatoes. Ricky, Rocke and I were enjoying a delicious meal when Michael and Sylvia arrived. They drove in from The Dalles after Michael got off from work and, because they were running late, had stopped along the way to get something to eat.

Saturday morning, we drove down to Crater Lake to spend the day. Rocke and I had been to Crater Lake with Aunt Esther only about 6 weeks earlier, but we always enjoy going to Crater Lake. It's the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh-deepest in the world. Its reputation as a spot of overwhelming, sublime natural beauty . . . the "Gem of the Cascades" . . . extends around the globe.

Crater Lake's peaceful appearance belies its violent creation. Approximately 7,700 years ago, 12,000-foot Mount Mazama erupted and collapsed on itself, forming a large, bowl-shape caldera. Remaining lava flows sealed the bottom and, after a long period of cooling, the caldera filled with rain and snow creating the sapphire-blue lake.

There is way to much information to write about this great wonder of the world, so I am including a couple of links for you to go to if you are interested in learning more about Crater Lake. Check out http://craterlake.wr.usgs.gov/geology.html.

We rode around the rim of the lake and the sight of the glowing blue of the lake was just awesome. This is something you have to experience . . . words and pictures can't justifiy such beauty. We all had a wonderful time at Crater Lake.

We were going to take a hike down into Crater Lake and take the boat tour, but found out that the tours had been cancelled because of mechancial problems with the rescue boat. What a disappointment! We did, however, take a climb from the rim up to Watchman Tower, where we could see the expanse of the lake. The trail up to Watchman Tower goes to a point several hundred feet above the rim (and 2000 feet straight up above the water). The fire tower has seen long service and in the early days, rangers sat on a stool with glass feet in an attempt to protect them from lightening. The day we were there, the tower was again in use. Rocke went inside the tower to visit with the Forest Ranger.

From there we drove around the rim and took a side road to see the Pinnacles. The history of the "pinnacles" began about 7,700 years ago when the eruptions of Mt. Mazama were reaching their climax. Torrents of red-hot, gas-charged pumice poured down Mazama's slopes at speeds of up to 100 mph. On top of this came a flow of heavier rocks called scoria. These glowing avalanches flooded downslope for many miles, leaving deep deposits in their wake.

Temperatures in the deposits may have exceeded 750 degrees F. Plumes of vapors appeared as gasses escaped from the settling rocks through vents called fumaroles. Minerals in the gasses, combined with extreme heat, welded the sides of the fumaroles in the shape of slender cones. Since then, water has eroded a canyon through the deposits, exposing the cones. Many of these fossil fumaroles are hollow.

What an awesome site . . . a "must see" if you ever travel to Crater Lake National Park.

Our next veiw point before leaving Crater Lake was to see the Phantom Ship .

Phantom Ship isn't a ship of course—it's an island, the tip of an ancient mountain much older than Mount Mazama. When you see Phantom Ship from one of the overlooks on the road around the lake, you see it from 1,000 feet above; it looks like a ship from there.

But from down on the water, it looks like what it is—very old rock sticking out of the water. The boat goes pretty close to it, but no one is allowed to go on to the island, so it remains today as it has been for ages, changed only by the forces of nature.

After leaving Crater Lake, our next stop was in Sisters at Bronco Billy's for birthday dinner for me. The restaurant, a two-story wood frame building dating back to 1912, occupies a prominent spot along the main street of Sisters. It's easy to see at a glance that the town and the restaurant are a perfect match; they radiate plenty of genuine charm and character to captivate visitors traveling through the resort lands just east of the Cascades.

We all enjoyed a delicious meal and afterwards, headed back to the condo to enjoy some birthday cake.

Sunday morning after breakfast we all drove back toward The Dalles. Ricky rode with Michael and Sylvia so he could spend some more time with them. This would be his last day to see them before heading back to Texas.

On the way back to The Dalles, Michael stopped at several spots for us to tour. The first spot was at Sherar's Falls. The Deschutes River roars 15 to 20 feet in a sagebrush setting. The waterfall is owned by the Warm Springs Tribe. There are wooden platforms Native Americans use to dip-net for salmon and steelhead as they try to go up the river to their spawning beds.

Our second stop was at the Crooked River Bridge, was designed by Conde B. McCullough, who designed many of the bridges along the Oregon coast. It was built by Kuckenberg and Wittman of Portland, Or. for $180,000.

When completed, it was the highest single arched span in the United States. Before 1926, U.S. 97 was a loose collection of unpaved city and county roads. The completion of the Crooked River Gorge Bridge, or High Bridge, was a major milestone toward completion of a paved route from border to border.

Our last stop before reaching The Dalles was Tygh Valley Falls. Tygh Valley Falls (also known as White River Falls)is a colossal 3-part waterfall in the desert. Tygh Valley Falls is located within White River Falls State Park. A viewing platform offers an outstanding vista of rivulets of the White River pouring 70 to 80 feet downward off a 150 to 175 foot-wide escarpment. The second of the trio of falls is actually a single 25 to 35 foot plunge. The trailside vantage, however, includes the upper falls, revealing a dramatic tiered combination.

After reaching The Dalles, Michael and Sylvia wanted to take us to dinner before we headed back to Portland. They took us to Cooper Spur Mountain Resort. What an awesome way to end a wonderful birthday weekend. The food was delicious (we recommend this resort highly!!) and the amosphere was awesome. The walls of the restaurant are appointed with historic photographs and descriptions in tribute to the early pioneers who explored and settled the area more than a century ago.

Ricky's last day in Portland I took him down to tour Silver Falls State Park. To learn more about the history of Silver Falls State Park click here.

Silver Falls State Park is a fantastic place to visit and a must see if you have never visited there. Ricky and I had intended to walk the full circumference of the Park (some 7 or 8 mikles), but the trail past South Falls was closed due to a cave-in from winter storms. We went down to South Falls and spent quite some time there for Ricky to get some pictures. We had his view camera with us and he wanted to get several shots. While taking pictures with the view camera, one has to be VERY patient as it takes a long time to get things set up. It's a long, somewhat winding descent to the 177-foot-tall waterfall, but this trail, as well as several others, allowed us to walk behind the falls. There, the water sprays on you in varying degrees - depending on time of year - and you can stand next to the awesome power of this remarkable natural wonder.

After getting several shots of South Falls, we walked back up the trail to the Lodge. The Lodge, built of native stone and logs, with two grand fireplaces, was originally designed as a restaurant. It’s unique furnishings were crafted of myrtlewood from designs by Margery Hoffman Smith of the Oregon Arts Project who also decorated the interior of Timberline Lodge. The original furniture at Silver Falls--25 tables, 82 chairs, 11 wall benches and fireplace benches, and large dining room bureau--were all crafted from two myrtlewood logs 5’ in diameter and 40’ long. They were dried in an experimental kiln at Oregon State College for 60 days during which they lost nearly half their weight of 18,000 pounds. After years of hard use the furniture retains its marble-like beauty. We ordered something to eat from the cafe at the lodge and ate our food while enjoying the warmth of the fire they had going at the lodge.

We were running out of time, as we had to get back to Portland in time for dinner. We drove down to the North Falls so Ricky could get some pictures. The trail to North Falls is somewhat difficult but well worth it, as it descends below some awe-inspiring, towering black rock walls which look much like the foreboding walls of an ancient European castle. As you walk behind this falls, you find yourself in a cave. There are a couple of benches back in the cave for people to sit on and relax while enjoying the spectular view of the falls from behind. While Ricky and I were in the cave behind the falls, there was a downpour. It was a good place to be when it started to rain. We waited around and enjoyed watching the falls and when finally the rain stopped, it was time to return to Portland.

After getting back home and freshing up, it was time for dinner. Rocke and I took Ricky to Beaches in our neighborhood for his last dinner in Portland before returning back home to Texas.