Day 24 (31st): The Drive to Eugene

Hello Everyone,

Here we are at 10:30 pm, still driving to Eugene and I am blogging real-time in the car. We ended up staying until almost 3 pm in Spokane, with the kids swimming all day at the hotel and me trying to catch up on all of the overdue blog posts. We are now 20 minutes out from the Marriott Residence Inn in Eugene, Oregon so I will be brief.

Blogging at night in the car...


Traveling through eastern Washington is not too interesting as it is dry and arid throughout the region. Here are a couple of views from this part of the trip:



Pretty dull stuff. Although I will say that the cell phone coverage in Washington is excellent compared to some of the other states we've been in, especially South Dakota and Wyoming. Nick and I couldn't believe that we had 4-5 bars throughout from AT&T -- perhaps one of their executives lives in the area! ;-)

On our journey today we passed through the Yakima Indian Reservation. I was impressed with all of the produce they grow for sale, but also a little saddened by what looked to be some pretty tough living conditions. I will say that there were more American flags flown on that reservation than I had seen before, and there seemed to be a quiet dignity in the "Yakima Nation" signs I saw peppered throughout the reservation. Although I am not a gambler, I can see why Indian Gaming is allowed as a means for this community of people to create revenue.



After we passed through the reservation we hit the Columbia River Gorge and it is...MAGNIFICENT!! I told Jill tht it was always my favorite part of the drive home from Bozeman to Eureka, and I spent many a night parked in the gorge sleeping in my Volkswagen bug, thinking the wind was going to tip me over! Anyway, the gorge was as amazing as I remember it, with its wide expanses and whitecaps, trestle bridges that cross it with portions that can be raised for ships that cruise the river delivering goods, and railroad tracks and trains on either side of the river.

The Columbia River is the border between Washington and Oregon. This sign was posted on one of the many trestle bridges across the river:



Here are a few shots of the gorge, including one of a raised trestle bridge:





Pretty, huh? It was a beautiful time to travel through the gorge.

We followed I-84 through the gorge until we got to The Dalles dam where we stopped to fill up with gas. This leads to an interesting sidebar discussion: WHY can't you pump your own gas in Oregon? The guy at the station said it was started by an Oregonian governor years back as "something nice to do for the people" and it has never been rescinded. Is that funny or what? According to the guy at the pump there is only on other state that has this rule and tht is New Jersey (figures). Comments are welcomed on this scintillating topic.

Anyway The Dalles dam was spectacular -- the water was rushing out of the gates so fast it was creating Lunch Counter-like rapids in the river. It was an awesome and a massive structure -- American ingenuity at its best!

After the gorge it became a race against time to get to Eugene. We turned south on I-205 to the I-5 and soon we were pulling into our hotel parking lot. The kids immediately fell asleep (as soon as their faces hit their pillows) and Jill are now quietly sipping a cup of decaf in our room. Life is good -- thank you, Lord!

Goodnight,

Brian

Day 23 (30th): Driving from Bozeman to Spokane, Washington

Hello All,

Well...I must admit that this morning I woke up a bit sad. We were leaving Bozeman, Montana and headed for home, with the roadtrip of a lifetime almost over. We have had so much fun together and seen so many things, I really don't want it to end. But, alas, all good things must come to an end and this roadtrip is one of them. We will have some adventures on the last few days I am sure, but it does feel sad. When I attended MSU I was always sad to leave Bozeman and head west, and this morning was no different, only more poignant because I got to share some of my past and special places with Jill and the kids. Sniff. But I will be forever grateful for this time in my life -- what a gift.

The drive to Spokane is an interesting one, passing through the mining town of Butte, Montana, the huge town of Cardwell (population 40, and famous for its BIG stuffed moose and Lewis & Clark camp spot), the university town of Missoula, Montana (a pretty town and home of the hated U of M Grizzlies), Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and finally Spokane, Washington. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott downtown at the Convention Center which was an absolutely lovely place to stay. The rooms were excellent, the staff extremely friendly and courteous, and the hotel is in a *great* location: on the Spokane River, adjacent to Gonzaga University, the Riverpoint campus of Washington State University, and across the street from the Spokane Convention Center.

The highlight of the evening was walking around the Gonzaga University campus at night. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with the beauty, cleanliness and peacefulness of this campus. From the sports facilities to the law school to the signs on the lamp posts, we all felt safe and at home on this lovely campus. Just from walking around the campus I got the feeling that the school's concept of "developing your total self" through their "humanistic, Catholic, Jesuit tradition" was not just a recruiting tactic but a way of teaching young men and women. Go 'Zags!

Well off to Eugene now to see Kathy, Clint, the girls and the University of Oregon!

Peace,

Brian

***
The BIG Moose, Cardwell, Montana



Entering Idaho


Gonzaga University at night






Gonzaga University Law School

Day 22 (29th): Flyfishing on the Madison River, Ennis, Montana

Hello Everyone,

This was a day for the ages -- a day of fly fishing on the Madison River. This brought back so many memories as when I was 20 years old, I traveled around western Montana that summer, fly fishing all of the major rivers and streams in the area, including the Madison. That was one of my favorite times in life, traveling from place to place, fly fishing, camping, talking with the locals. The summer of '85. And it was extra special because Nick was with me this time.

We left Bozeman at 0700 to head out to Ennis, Montana. This is an absolutely beautiful drive, passing through Four Corners, Belgrade, Norris, McAllister and finally Ennis. We went into town and stopped at Shedhorn Sports, an amazing sporting goods store that had everything a boy could dream of. I picked up my fishing license and a few flies and then Nick saw something that made his eyes light up -- a fly fishing vest like his dad's. It was olive colored and wll made, and was on sale for $25. I decided to get it for him as a gift from Montana -- he was ecstatic! I also picked up a pair of retractable clippers so he could clip his line and a pair of fishing pliers for removing fish from his line. Nick was so happy...he wore it out of the store and all of the way to the river.

We arrived at the river below Ennis lake (Bearcat Canyon) at about 0830 and started fishing: I was flyfishing and Nick was using a spinning reel with a Panther Martin lure. I started with nymphs (a bead head Prince nymph, size 14 for you fishermen out there) and quickly hooked about a 16" rainbow trout -- what a start! I then hit a dry spell using nymphs and was thinking about switching to dries as I saw several caddis hitting the water and fish rising to them. I put on an Elk Hair Caddis (#14) and all heck broke loose! Wherever a fish was rising I would cast there and drop the fly on the water and WHAM! a fish would rise to my fly. Over the next few hours I hooked at least 20 fish, including the few pictured below (sorry for the quality of the photos as I only had my iPhone and my left hand!) It was a morning to remember.

Unfortunately, Nick did not have as much luck with the Panther Martin, receiving no strikes all morning. He was a GREAT sport as he stuck with it, until the afternoon when we went back to the store, picked up a few more Elk Hair caddis flies that we could float using a clear bobber and his spinning reel. Nick caught two fish in the afternoon and did everything himself: presented the fly, hooked the fish, landed it, used his new pliers to remove the hook and released the fish. I was so proud of him! I think we have a new fly fisherman in the family, as he is now motivated to take a fly fishing class and buy his own rod. I am *very* happy about that!

We ended the afternoon with a drive back through some beautiful Montana country, singing Garth Brooks songs and enjoying each other's company -- it was a magical day.

While we were fishing, Jill and the other three kids slept in a little bit, swam at the hotel, and went shopping in downtown Bozeman. They had a blast but Jill will have to write some details a bit later when she can sit at the computer! We picked them up in downtown around 7 pm and went on a very special shopping trip: to find Natalie her first cowboy boots and cowboy hat! We went to Corral West Ranchware and Natalie was in heaven!! We found the perfect boots for her, a classic pair of brown Laredo's, and of course a straw Stetson hat with a horsehair strap. She was on cloud nine as we picked these treasures out with her -- she wore them out of the store and to dinner at Fuddrucker's. She was SOOOO happy!

I cannot imagine a more wonderful day.

Peace,

Brian

***

Madison River below Ennis Lake in Bearcat Canyon


Some of the fish we caught in the Madison


Natalie, Jake and Josh Shopping with Jill while Nick and I were fishing


Natalie's First "real" Cowboy Boots and Cowboy Hat

Day 21 (28th): Bozeman, Montana State University and memories...

Hello All,

Today was a day full of memories, stories and a visit with my best college buddy, Roger Bay.

I am not sure I mentioned it in this blog, but I did my undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Montana State University from 1982-1986. It was definitely a trip down memory lane, as Jill, the kids and I had a wonderful evening on the campus, eating pizza at Colombo's Pizza and Pasta and then walking around the campus to my freshman dorm (North Hedges), the Strand Union Building ("the SUB" as it is called), and the place of my first slip on Montana's icy sidewalks, Montana Hall.

The kids were great, asking me to tell story after story of my years at Montana State, and I enjoyed reliving it with them, telling them many stories, including how I played intramural flag football with Paul Mathern, who ended up marrying Jill's cousin Kerry (we visited Kerry in Lafayette, Colorado at the beginning of the trip). It was really fun to share these stories with the family.

And to top it all off, we got in a late night visit with rappin' Roger Bay. Roger was my best buddy in college, as we ran together, danced together (we were in the MSU dance company together), fished together and hiked together. He was even in our wedding 20 years ago. He is an EXCELLENT guy and what is cool is that no matter how long between visits, he will always be my buddy. He came up to the room and saw the kids (they were all sleeping) and Jill, Roger and I sat in the room and got caught up on the last several years and enjoyed a few good laughs. We finished talking at about 1:30 am, hugged and said our goodbyes, promising to communicate more often. Roger even promised to teach me how to surf in Capitola! It was a wonderful day and night.

We left Bozeman on the afternoon of the 29th (the Madison Fish Story is in between but this keeps the MSU piece contiguous), after stopping to take some shots by the university sign and after grabbing a world famous Pickle Barrel sandwich. This little sandwich shop has been there since I went to school there and has the best sandwiches anywhere. I am seriously thinking of opening one of these in Palo Alto or in Davis...it would be a gold mine!

Peace,

Brian

***

Montana State University


Colombo's (AWESOME pizza place)


The World Famous Pickle Barrel Sandwich Shop

Day 20 (27th) and 21 (28th): Yellowstone!

Hello Everyone,

I finally have a little time to write this blog and tell you all about our 2-day whirlwind tour of Yellowstone National Park. We probably weren't as efficient as we could have been in driving around the park, but we did get to see a large amount of the park with a couple of quality hikes sprinkled in for good measure.

Yellowstone Day 1 (27th)

We arrived in the park late Sunday night (7/26) after our full day in Grand Teton National Park. The next morning I cooked a feast of bacon and eggs and potatoes wrapped in tortillas, i.e., breakfast burritos! The kids (and Jill) *loved* them and we enjoyed a very leisurely breakfast time in our cabin. It was only after I had finished cooking that I noticed the sign that said "no cooking in the room!" Oh, well...

After our tummies were full, we headed to the Canyon Visitor Education Center (CVEC), a new addition to the park. In a word, this new facility was excellent. The kids were fascinated by the exhibits, from the stuffed animals in natural habitat to the interactive displays on the seismic and thermal features under and around Yellowstone. Nick shared with us the fact that underneath Yellowstone is one of the world's largest "super volcanoes." I wasn't aware of this fact, but the fabulous Mr. S (Nick's history teacher) had told Nick about it and he remembered. Fortunately for all of us it's not supposed to erupt in the next millenia...

At the visitor center, the kids decided to do the Yellowstone Junior Ranger program. Although similar to the program at Mount Rushmore, this program was much more involved, with requirements such as attending a Ranger-led program, hiking on a park trail, and completing activities on various park resources, issues, and concepts such as geothermal geology, park wildlife, and fire ecology. The cost of the program was $3 per child, and if completed, the kids would earn a patch that could be sewn on to a backpack or a jacket. The kids signed up and started working on filling out the pages with vigor using the resources at the CVEC. Below are a couple of examples of the exhibits at the CVEC, these ones on detecting earthquakes:



An interesting sidebar is that I once did some work with a wonderful Palo Alto-based company called Stellar Solutions and one of their subsidiary companies, QuakeFinder. As their site states, QuakeFinder is dedicated to earthquake forecasting research to develop, within the next decade, a global warning system of ULF magnetometers used to detect imminent destructive earthquakes. I think their technology is very interesting, and while I was in Yellowstone, I thought maybe this would be a good place to put a network of their sensors. Just another thing to do when I get back to the Bay Area!

We left the CVEC and headed for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon: we were going to hike down to the brink of the 109 foot Upper Yellowstone Falls. It was a short trail and the kids enjoyed the brief little hike to get there. Here are a few of the pictures on the hike to get there and of the scenic overlook:





After staring over the edge and resisting the urge to jump, we headed back through the parking lot to the north rim trail that leads to the brink Lower Yellowstone Falls, where a longer trail descends to a fenced viewing area right beside the falls as they drop down 308 feet into the depths of the canyon. This was truly an amazing place, with beautiful views of the falls and the canyon, outlined in mist and rainbows. Nick said it best when he gasped, "This is the most beautiful view I have ever seen." Here are a few different pics of this area, including the hike back up the switchbacks with Josh on my back:





Our next stop was Inspiration Point, a small but busy outcropping of rock that offered great views of the canyon directly up and down the river. Unfortunately we were having a little meltdown with "Flame" (aka Josh) and only Nick, Natalie and I went to look. Although it was a mass of people going to a small location, it was well worth the walk -- the views were simply stunning. Nick preferred the view from the brink of Lower Yosemite Falls, but I think this view was tough to beat. Take a look at the photos from Inspiration Point:



After we got back to the car it was clear we needed to take a little lunch break, near a place where the kids could go swimming. Since we were going to go to see Old Faithful in the evening light, we headed down towards Grant Village, looking for a place to stop and swim on Yellowstone Lake. The first we stopped was by Lake Yellowstone Lodge, a monstrous yellow hotel and set of cabins right on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. We parked and got out of the car but just barely, as the wind was so strong it practically knocked Josh over! We stayed for a little while, running around on the black sand and in the waves, but decided to go to somewhere a little calmer. We did get some great shots though:





We left the shore after an hour of splashing around and headed for the the Bridge Bay marina where we could be a bit sheltered from the wind. We found a campground and while the kids swam in the channel I prepared a meal of spaghetti. Well you would have thought I had made filet mignon the way everybody raved about the spaghetti! Clearly it is best to get your kids *really* hungry with physical activity before feeding them...they appreciate it so much more!



After our meal we headed down the road toward the most famous geyser in the world: Old Faithful. We were not sure what day 2 in Yellowstone would bring and we wanted to make sure we saw Old Faithful in person before we left Yellowstone.


Yellowstone Day 2 (28th)
-Early start
-Old Faithful Geyser Basin hike 2.5-3 miles
-Norris Geyser Basin for lunch
-Mammoth Visitor Center, Junior Ranger Ceremony
-Drive to Bozeman


Peace,

Brian