A Journey of 1000 Miles

I seriously don't know anymore how people do any kind of living with only two days off a week. I did do it myself for years. But since moving to Alberta and taking on the local camp-rotation lifestyle, I've been able to spend my free time doing things I'd have never had the time or inclination to spend what would have amounted to half of my entire year's vacation doing. So when work slowed down this summer, and I was told I was getting an early week off, I told them to give me two; I had something I wanted to do.

There are 1937km (1200miles) between Edmonton, Alberta and Grants Pass, Oregon. That's 19.5 hours of driving if you take the fastest route, or exactly 24 hours of driving if you take a wrong turn into Montana and a few touristy side-trips on the way. 

How do I know this?

Well, let me show you...

Accidental tourist stop: the Frank Slide, Alberta.

I've been here once before, years ago, but at this point I thought I had already missed my exit so I stopped for a stretch and a few photos from the roadside turnout. The story of this place is truly mesmerizing (see my link above)... there are still people under there!

Through southern Alberta and into British Columbia, where I realized I hadn't missed my exit.

Yet.

Alas, I made it into BC, and sat at a construction zone for an hour, running up my driving time, and running down my patience. So I took the first turn I came across that, according to my map, would take me the US border.

And suddenly I was in Montana.

Pretty enough, but I was in the back-country somewhere and my gps now showed the extra couple of hours my trip was going to take. It made me a bit nervous and eager to get through, but I eventually got to Utah. By this point, it was getting dark, so I didn't make any stops, other than to get some food or use a bathroom. I drove into the night, determined to make my halfway point before stopping to sleep. I was well into Washington State before I pulled into the nearest little town and hunkered down for some rest. 

The next morning, I awoke to a smoky scene. 

Much of British Columbia's forest fire smoke had blown south, and visibility in Washington was pretty low because of it. The sun was eerie and red behind me as I continued to make my way southwest on the highway.

By later that morning, most of the smoke had cleared and I was welcomed into northeast Oregon with the same sense of awe that I continue to get every time I step off a plane in the south. It turns out Oregon is much like an upside-down (and substantially smaller) British Columbia, with desert-like areas in the north, forests and mountains in the south, and all of it its own brand of beautiful.

The Columbia River creates the border between Oregon (near side) and Washington State (far side)

Whoa... what the ????

Oregon's highest mountain: Mount Hood just appeared out of nowhere.

The Dalles, Columbia River Gorge

It took me a couple hours to make it through the Gorge with all my stops, but the State Police officer that shoo'ed me off the side of the road served as a reminder that I had a few other places in mind before finally making it to my intended destination.

Other places: namely Multnomah Falls.

But first, just a short walk away? 

Horsetail Falls, Multnomah County...

...and then the big kahuna: Multomah itself.

The sun wasn't in the greatest spot in the sky for morning photos. This was my one chance, though, so I took it and ran with it...

   

From that bridge halfway up...

...and one of my very favourite photos I've ever taken.

 Then it was back to the truck, and another 8 straight  hours to my happy place. 

Ahhhh.... my Rogue River. It feels like home.

My people were happy to see me. 

This pretty lady, however, continued with her now-expected death stare:

I was finally able to get this guy to slow down long enough to get my camera on him too. It took a couple hours to get just a few shots, but I'm happy with the outcome.

Teasing the neighbour's dog..

After the neighbour's dog got in trouble from being teased...

Posing pretty. I think this might've been the longest he held still the whole time I was outside: approximately 8 seconds.

And a quick look before he dashed off again.

The highlight of this Oregon adventure, though, was a camping trip to Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area. We missed the turnoff the first time through, but accidentally stumbled on this incredible view while just trying to turn around:

Then it was back over that bridge, a short right, set up the tent, and we're good to go!

We spent a full day and a half at Lost Creek Lake, about a mile from our campsite.

I don't know how he so consistently finds such incredible places to take me, but he hasn't failed me yet. <3

I was quite fascinated with these stumps that look like strange little alien creatures running along the bank... or I've been playing too many video games.

And I wasn't the only one having fun. Half of the family showed up for a few hours, an afternoon, a night, or the weekend...

Mutiny!

Happier now.

This pretty much says it all...

"Jack and Rose"

This isn't going to end well...

Nor this.

Escaped!

We weren't the only ones on the lake. Three and four times a day, these water bombers flew in, skimmed the top, and took off again to douse the nearby forest fires that had started ravaging the state. Not all heroes wear capes: some of them have wings of their own.

Meanwhile, back at the campsite...

...he made friends with the neighbours. 

They brought this...

...and these...

... who fit in perfectly with the cousins' kids when they stopped by for a visit!

One last night...

 ...and then it's back to town for some shopping and visiting.

And then back on the road for this girl.

Stop in Seattle for dinner with this guy and his lovely wife.
"Come back any time! We have lots of room!"
Oh yeah? Seattle, eh????

And then it's back across the border and up through British Columbia, where I swear, not a speck of the entire province isn't absolutely gorgeous.

Side of the highway in the south.

Side of the highway in the north.

Can't even complain about the view from random construction stops.

I continue to be so incredibly grateful to my American family for letting me take over their homes and lives for days and weeks at a time, and for inspiring and allowing me to take two-day road trips knowing that on both ends, there will always be a place I can call home.