Passing through Oregon was a little different than I had expected. When I dropped down into Pendleton and through Hermiston the landscape turned into what I image Kansas looking like. I was expecting pine trees and green for as far as I could see; instead wheat fields and dry flat land.
Once I got into Washington I saw my first real view of Mt. Rainier:
While taking the picture above I was attacked by a ton of mosquitoes, one even tried to bite the end of my finger tip.
An hour or more later I saw one more full view just as I was coming into Ashford:
Not far from this picture I saw a sign that said elevation 1250'. This is one big chunk of rock sitting almost at sea level.
I am staying my first night in the Whittaker's Bunkhouse. It was built in 1908 in the town of National (2 miles south of Ashford) and housed single loggers and mill workers of the company town. After all the timber in the valley was cut and there were not more logs for the mill to cut the city of National faded away.
In the early 90's the bunkhouse was renovated and this is what my room looks like today:
This morning I woke up and found that I had mosquito bites on my feet. How could this be?
Yesterday, I put bug spray all over myself, however, because I was wearing shoes I didn't get any on my feet. Last night while I was sleeping they feasted on my feet because with these small beds my feet poke out and hang off the end. It didn't even cross my mind last night to put bug spray all over me; I'm not camping right? I have a motel key for the deadbolt on my room door, not a zipper holding a thin sheet of nylon.
2 comments:
What a beautiful and buggy start to your Rainier adventure! We miss you and hope you are having a great time!
WOW what a place to stay.
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