SUCCESS 2LZ

Have MiFi – Will Travel

Part I:  The North Cascades Highway

With the motor coach loaded and ready to go, we got an early start.  We were eager to begin our vacation, ready to get away from the dull, gray, cloud-covered skies that had been present all week.  Another motive for our early departure was cinnamon rolls for breakfast!

There’s a little restaurant called The Eatery just west of Marblemount on the North Cascades Highway where Tootsie Clark bakes fresh cinnamon rolls every morning.  I wanted to be sure to get there before the buttery, sweet cinnamon rolls were all gone…

Feeling full after breakfast we smiled at each other, wiped our sticky fingers, and continued the drive up Highway 20.

Although we have traveled that route many times, the scenic beauty always inspires wonder and admiration that adjectives cannot describe.

Have you ever seen a lake the color of green jade?  We stopped to marvel at the stunning overlook at Lake Diablo.  The distinctive green color of the lake is caused by finely-ground rock dust suspended in the water which reflects the green of the forest.

Then we headed towards the passes over the Cascade Mountains, first Rainy Pass and then the highest – at 5,477 feet – Washington Pass.  Next stop, Eastern Washington.  Sunshine, blue skies and warm summer weather!

From Highway 20 we turned south onto the Methow Valley Highway (Route 153).  At the end of that road, where the Columbia and Methow Rivers meet, is the town of Pateros, WA.

Little wonder that Pateros has become a favorite spot to rest and refresh.  The waterfront park, an oasis of soft grass and shade trees, is on the Columbia River.  Perfect for boating, water-skiing, and jet skiing.

Storyboards placed along the walking trail give you a glimpse into the area’s colorful history.

I read about the Chinese miners who arrived in the 1860’s and were among the first settlers in this area.  They came to pan for gold along the Columbia River and at the mouth of the Methow.  The miners built the “China Ditch” that provided water for their work.  Constructed by hand, the ditch was about six miles long.  In later times, it was used for irrigating the local orchards.

Then I tried to imagine what it must have been like in the days of the sternwheelers.   Until the arrival of the railroad, sternwheelers moved people and commerce up and down the rivers.   During the spring runoff, the rapids boiled – making the passage even more challenging!  At these times, cables were fastened to U-bolts in rocks on the riverbank and driven by a steam-powered deck winch, these cables pulled the boats through the churning rapids!

Our dog likes it here, too.  She likes to take walks and check out the marmots that live in the rocks along the river bank.

We’ll spend a day or two here… reading, checking email, doing some work online – the MiFi connection is great here!

Tags: American Alps, Columbia River, Lake Diablo, marmots, Methow River, MiFi 2200, North Cascades Highway, Pateros, Rainy Pass, Vicki Vannoy, Washington Pass