Jasper to Banff via the Icefields Parkway

The Canadian Rockies are simply indescribable. We spent three nights in Jasper exploring the area, taking photographs, and saying look at that and that and that.  Each scene was more beautiful than the one before it.  We were there for our October 12th weekend and their Thanksgiving so we even enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at a local restaurant. 

We traveled home through Canada to Minot, North Dakota then across Minnesota, Wisconsin. Michigan, Ontario, New York before arriving in Cornwall, New York five days later. After two nights with my brother Ted and his wife Jane spending time buying my favorite NY State apples for eating, applesauce, and pie and lunch at the wonderful German Restaurant in my hometown, we arrived home safely. 

Columbia Icefield

Lake Louise

Outside of Banff

Seattle

Mount Rainier from the Road --Park Closed

Taurus Art

Native American Basket

Native American Art

Famous Pike Market (flying) Fish Market

Pike Market

View from the Ferry

1962 World's Fair Space Needle

Chihuly Museum and Garden

Monorail

Famous Seattle Public Library

Olympic Pennisula - Northwest Washington

Restored Port Townsend

     Sadly with the National Parks being closed, we did not get to see the beautiful interior of the Olympic National Park. We did see lots of beautiful scenery and experienced the on again off again showers of the rain forest. 

Olympic Mountains

Rain Forest Near National Park

Along the Coastal Route

Los Gatos to Columbia River Gorge

Finn and Mom Making Greta's Cake

We were lucky to be in California for Greta’s 6^th birthday.  She was so excited.  Everyone who came it contact with her knew it was going to be her birthday. Heather made a beautiful cake with a heart shaped center filled with raspberry crème.  On the big day Grandma whipped up Greta’s favorite scrambled eggs for her special breakfast in bed.

Greta 6th Birthday Cake

Greta loves Breakfast in Bed on her Birthday

Dressing the Princesses and Fairies

When Greta and Finn headed out to school we headed North once again toward Crater Lake.  We passed Mt. McLoughlin and photographed it from the side of the highway next to Klamath Lake.  I actually climbed this mountain, probably in my Keds, in 1967 with a group of friends.  It was steep and volcanic with lots of sliding rocks and I do remember it as a real challenge but I made it almost to the peak. In all the brochures about climbing the mountains in Oregon, this mountain is said to be difficult, only for well-equipped experienced hikers who should carry a GPS.  Lucky we made it up and back with no losses.

The next mountain on our route was Crater Lake NP.  There was beautiful weather and we saw the mountain from the highway but the National shut down closed this beautiful park and many more on our route.  We continue through Eastern Oregon stopping briefly to see the Gilchrist Branch Library.  When I worked for the County Library this a 97 mile for the monthly delivery.  At that time Gilchrist  http://www.gilchristoregon.com/ was still a company town owned by a timber company.

Passing thru Bend we entered the high sierra desert, a little populated area with all the beauty of the sage desert. Then we reached the  beautiful Columbia River Gorge with its magnificent views and beautiful waterfalls.

Mount Shasta in Northern California

Klamath Lake and Mt McLoughlin

The High Sierra Desert of Eastern Oregon

Branch 97 miles from the Main Library

One of the Many Closed Signs We Saw

View of Columbia River Gorge

Early Morning on the Gorge at Cascade Locks