From Portland, we headed inland, following the Columbia River gorge valley. For much of this part of our trip we stayed with ATC (Affordable Travel Club) hosts; this worked so well! We were in different homes, sometimes in out-of–the-way places we’d never have stumbled on by ourselves. Our hosts were a wide range of people who all not only looked after us well, but helped us plan each following day, so again we found places we would probably have driven right by!! We stopped at Multnomah Falls and an excellent 
museum of the area at The Dalles, on our way to Kennewick; went to Palouse Falls and through Palouse on our way up to Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls, near Spokane. We were surprised at how 
many different landscapes we went through; we’d more or less expected mountains and mountains. We drove through rich rolling farmland, gorges, and ‘badlands’ before we finally got into the mountains at around Coeur D’Alene and through to Yellowstone Park (not Jellystone, kids -that came later) Yellowstone was amazing; most of it was open, with just one pass still closed from winter. We had two days in 
the actual park area, but that only scratched the surface. It was extremely slow travelling;- drive 2-300 metres then ‘Stop!-
there’s another buffalo, elk, deer, bear, hotspring, geyser……’ or whatever! It was of course spring and all the little and not so little bubs were out. Do you remember the song ‘..….I’m bigger when I’m little, than you are when you’re big!’ Baby bison are big and bouffy, and yet frolic like little lambs!
Although 2 days wasn’t long enough, I’m glad we couldn’t stay longer; they had a snowstorm just after we left.
!! Heading back westward toward Seattle, we drove through badlands areas and visited an excellent museum, The Museum of the Rockies, possibly the worlds most extensive collection of dinosaurs and related exhibits.
Then, by total good luck, we stumbled across Jellystone Park. So much for trying to tell the kids it didn’t exist
off television. We had a fun visit with Yogi and friends!! He said to say Hiya to all the kids!!
On the advice of our ATC hosts, we stopped at Leavenworth, a very German town in Washington and just caught a street festival, lots of oompah and good fellowship!!
We also detoured slightly to the Grand Coulee Dam; we had been undecided whether or not to detour, but were pleased to not only see the immensity of it still today, never mind when it was conceived and built, but also as good luck would have it, to meet the last surviving worker from that project!! For his 95th?? birthday, his son had driven him to see ‘his dam’ again; he was a real character and it was a privilege to meet a part of history .
All of our ATC visits were great, but one in particular was remarkable. They had a huge log house set in the middle of the forest and bordering state parkland, so more forest. We had our choice of luxurious accommodation in the main house or this fully appointed two-storey treehouse, with its own dunny. We reluctantly stayed in the house, but were sorely tempted; had we not been just recovering from our colds we’d have grabbed it! One of the other impressive features of this place was that our host took us for a before-breakfast bush-walk and was so informative and enthusiastic, we actually enjoyed it!! I know;- most unlike us!!
We bypassed Seattle on the return loop and went up into the islands of Puget Sound, getting close to Canada, and then spent a day getting ready for the next stage of our trip,- shopping, hair, etc.,- as you do
.In Vancouver, we spent a most enjoyable evening with our niece, Lauren, who’s just finishing her studies and is working there. We seldom get to spend that kind of time with her as we usually see her briefly among the whole family mob.Her sister Tamara was also in Vancouver, but sadly had to work that night.
Now, lest I run into those problems again, I’m going to cut this one off here and go to Part 3 !!! Groans all round:-- stay with me faithful readers!!??
Kathie
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