Are We In Vermont? Or Is This Rainier?

Day 6: Monday, July 12, 2010
Driving and sightseeing day: Castle Rock, WA to Kent, WA
Feature of the Day: Mt. Rainier
Night Accommodations: KOA in Kent, WA

So Cindy roused me early in the morning and began telling me excitedly about her dream featuring raccoons eating food off of her, and as I groggily struggled to comprehend the relevance to Mt. Rainier, she pointed to the sight captured below:
We had been visited by raccoons in the night! Cindy is a prophet. Clearly.

As an active volcano, Mt. Rainier is arguably one of the most destructive volcanoes in the world, due to the heavily populated areas surrounding her peak, and her explosive history. Her 26 glaciers (including one Fryingpan Glacier—Tolkien, anyone?) provide gorgeous vistas, many waterfalls, and frequent mudslides. Along the trail of lookout points, we began following (accidentally) a woman in a van with South Carolina plates. We chatted and it turned out that Lynn (that was her name) was from Pleasant Hill, CA and had lived in the Bay for some 20 years, before moving to SC for 10 years after her retirement, which she described as “ten years too long”. She was attempting a similar trek to ours, albeit starting from the other coast, no tenting, and alone. Hearing her story made us wish we had more time to spend at each National Park, to truly soak up what each treasure has to offer, but her journey also made us thankful that we are traveling together and visiting family and friends along the way. While she seemed full of joy and wonder at the splendor of Rainier, she also seemed lonely and eager to reach out to other people.
Once we reached the summit of Rainier, our surroundings more resembled a New Hampshire ski lodge in February than Washington State in mid-July. We ventured outside along one of the trails, but quickly found it to be more than we had bargained for—the entire mountain was covered in snow! Deep snow. New England snow. Poor Cindy and Matthew were trekking along, venturing up the slopes with their Keens, and consequently their toes immediately froze. Of course I was in heaven; I missed the snow!Scaling the mountain we could see young yellow-green shoots from various plants poking through the layer of snow, only to be crushed by self-absorbed and wayward tourists. It seems we as humans either forget (or choose to forget) how fragile life really is and the responsibility we have towards preserving it wherever we go. Stewardship. And common sense! Follow the signs of the park rangers. Even now, nearly a hundred years after the latest fire, the fields are still recovering from its rampage.
During the hike we encountered two guys wearing cowboy hats and dazed expressions. Turns out they were from Tuledo, OH on tour with their band, Stately Mane. They confirmed that their state consists of corn and wheat fields as far as the eye can see, and that the steepest slope around is the exit ramp on the freeway. Makes Oberlin a bit scarier. I still giggle at this conversation.

People literally travel from all over to bask in the wonder this volcano bestows upon her visitors, and I am deeply thankful that we were three of them.

Boom! Mt. St. Helens

Day 5: Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sightseeing day: Mt. St. Helens

Night Accommodations: Mt. St. Helens RV Park in Castle Rock, WA

This summer marks the 30^th anniversary of the last eruption from Mt. St. Helens. Upon hearing this factoid, I thought Only? and Cindy thought Already?! It was fascinating learning about the progression of seismic activity leading up to the May 18^th eruption. The final lateral blast of the eruption from the northern flank spewed pumice, ash, and debris into the air as far as Puget Sound and eventually the entire world. That's pretty amazing given the size of Mt. St. Helens.

This is where I geek out. Feel free to skip ahead, or risk learning something.

The eruption created various zones of destruction. The trees closest to the volcano were split open, ripped from the ground, and carried further down the mountain into lakes and roads. There are places along the volcano where you can still see that all of the tree trunks are facing away from the blast.

The projectile material from the northern flank was accompanied by a powerful heat blast, which scorched trees in the surrounding area. The sonic blast from the eruption powered down the peak, creating a giant tidal wave through Spirit Lake. When the tidal wave fell back into the lake, it brought with it entire trees that completely filled in the body of the lake. The eruption totally reshaped the surrounding area and even created two beautiful lakes.

Turns out Mt. St. Helens was named by British explorer Vancouver after the Baron of St. Helens, one Alleyne Fitzherbert. The Baron was chief negotiator in the treaty with Spain that permitted British exploration of the Pacific Northwest. I share that bit of information for one reason only: Fitzherbert. Awesome name.

What does Matthew most remember from visiting this epic active volcano? It was cold. There were clouds. And there were crazy chipmunks that were not afraid of people.

Mosquitoes, Men in Skirts, and a Motel Room?

Day 3: Friday, July 9, 2010

Driving and sightseeing day: Medford, OR to Crater Lake, OR to Roseburg, OR

Feature of the Day: Crater Lake

Night Accommodations: America's Best Value Inn in Roseburg, OR

If you have never been to Crater Lake before, it is exactly like walking into a postcard, the vista is that picturesque. When Mount Mazama erupted about 5700 BC, so much pyroclastic blast was expelled that the summit caved in on itself, creating a caldera, which has since then filled with snow, ice, and water. Now Crater Lake is the deepest lake in North America. The water is unbelievably blue and swatches of snow blanket the dormant volcano and its accompanying Wizard Island.

While the vista was stunning, the accommodations were horrendous; our campsite was overrun with dozens upon dozens of hungry mosquitoes. After canceling our reservation, we were left with no place for the night. All the campsites and even motels in Roseburg were booked due to a car show; Eugene was fully booked due to the county fair. Oregonians. At long last we found shelter for the night, though we were forced to rent a motel room. Access to a microwave taught us that Cindy has no idea how to pop popcorn; access to a queen bed reminded us that Lisa likes to sprawl and spin (like a ninja!) in her sleep.

Day 4: Saturday, July 10, 2010

Driving day: Roseburg, OR to Castle Rock, WA

Feature of the Day: Portland, OR

Night Accommodations: Mt. St. Helens RV Park in Castle Rock, WA

I am chagrined to admit that I slept the majority of this day when not driving. We did drive around Portland, OR very briefly, but were so turned around by our hormonal GPS system and city traffic that we mostly saw its industrial side. The City of Roses did indeed live up to its name, as the city was festooned with the flowers, and even the police cars included a rose logo. The Rose Garden, however, turned out to be a complete misnomer, as it was their sports arena (roughly equivalent to the TD Banknorth Garden/Fleet Center or Oracle).

Random fact of the day: Portland's sister city is Suzhou, China. How awesome and random is that?

Also, some men in Portland like to wear skirts. I'm from Boston, so whatever, but it still tickles me.

Off to Oregon! aka My OSF Obsession

Greetings all!

Apologies on the delayed entry, but this first week has been incredibly hectic and the internet connection sporadic and unreliable. But away with excuses! Let us divulge the details of our travels...

We departed from our beloved Lafayette abode in the wee hours of the morning last Wednesday, July 7, 2010 because I came down quite suddenly with a stomach virus that past Sunday.

Day 1: Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Driving and sightseeing day: Lafayette, CA to Ashland, OR

Total driving time: about 6.5 hours

Overnight accommodations: KOA campground in Medford, OR

That first day we drove from Lafayette, CA to Ashland, OR—about a 7 hour drive, all told. Very quickly the freeway gave way to sweeping fields dotted with cows, horses, and goats (most real, some fake). The first leg of Oregon was much of the same as NorCal, but towards Ashland the road narrowed and wound tightly along the sides of mountains, which revealed both breathtaking scenery and my subpar driving abilities. We passed and made faces at Mt. Shasta along the way.

The town of Ashland, Oregon lives and breathes Shakespeare. Banners trumpeting his name and face permeate the town, the names of stores and inns speak of the Bard, and every bookstore proudly features his works in the front—where they belong. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival was absolutely incredible. I could go on and on, but I will condense my ramblings for the sake of your sanity.

Day 2: Thursday, July 8, 2010

Sightseeing day: Oregon Shakespeare Festival

KOA campground in Medford, OR

Suffice it to say, whilst at OSF (Oregon Shakespeare Festival) I indulged in the following: American Night, the world premiere of a new Culture Clash production; The Blues Had A Baby And They Called It Rock 'n Roll, a blues concert by Sarah Jane Nelson and Hawkeye Herman; The Merchant of Venice, the first show (in conjunction with Twelfth Night) ever to be performed at OSF 75 years ago; a backstage tour of the grounds with the lovely Kate Hurster; She Loves Me, a sold-out musical described by The Wall Street Journal as “nearly perfect”; a stage combat presentation by the Bard Brawlers; and Hamlet, starring the astounding Don Donahue. Two words: nearly flawless. Absolutely smitten. Demand more.

Will post reviews when there is more time and less to cover!