DAY FIVE
April 26, 2016
Once again the
continental breakfast sucked. They didn't even bother to put out juices or
creamer. Powdered milk, coffee, tea or hot chocolate and calorie laden
monstrosities posing as doughnuts. The only thing this place had going for it
was the free wifi and hot water. It's right by the highway, so the only way to
get peace and quiet if traffic bothers you, is apparently at the back on the
top floor. It doesn't bother me, so it wasn't a problem.
In Canada we usually
include basic amenities in our hotel rooms, from the cheaper to the most
expensive: coffee fixings, coffee maker, microwave, bar fridge AND microwaveable
safe cups for reheating if needed. While in the US, they seem to thrive on
skimping on the basics. You might get a microwave and a bar fridge, but most
places won’t be outfitted with a coffeemaker, and any cups you might find are
really cheap plastic things that would melt if you looked at them in anger. So,
making coffee isn’t an option and reheating cold coffee isn’t an option either.
After a very
disappointing continental breakfast effort, to the point of ‘why bother’, some
serious research on the computer ensued. Crystal found the perfect place for
breakfast in short time, although we certainly weren’t prepared for what we
discovered. Peper’s 49 in Castle Rock turned out to be one of the most amazing culinary experiences of
the entire trip for me.
Old country charm
meets urban appetites in this amazingly comfortable and history laden diner.
The gold rush is immortalized here, in stunning decor and talented artistry.
The portions are country sized - you know the ones that will fill you up for
the day while you are out working hard?! Food is fantastic, and very well
presented. I ordered a half order, but there was still enough for two. Hearty
and flavourful sausage gravy smothered two biscuits, joined by two sausages
perfectly browned and an amazing fresh egg that had the flavour and coloration
you won't find with store bought anymore. Crystal was liking the food, but the
coffee was really great and she was lost in a bottomless cup for a time.
The
coffee alone was worth going for, and wasn't served in one of those cutesy
little cups that most places have, this rich brew was poured into a real mug!
The coffee was a Canadian blend, apparently. I would definitely recommend this place to
anyone, and if ever possible, I will be back!
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| GOLD RUSH DECOR |
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| COFFEEEEEEEEE |
The fog that had been floating around had burned
off by the time we were done breakfast, and it was back to the hotel to get our
stuff
loaded into the truck and head out exploring the mountain that had shocked the
Pacific Northwest with its brutal eruption in 1980. We got a little sidetracked
by the Mt St Helen’s Gift Shop that was across the hotel parking lot. So
sidetracked that we actually ended up spending a good hour in the shop and
having a great time conversing with the owners. Amazing items can be found
here, and there’s a fountain of information on the area, including one of the more mysterious denizens - Bigfoot.
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| SQUATCH OF THE PNW |
Both the gift shop
and the restaurant are must visits if you are in the area!
Upon loading the
truck, we made our way up to the Mt St Helen’s Visitor Centre. This was a very
informative and great interactive experience. Crystal and I were blessed enough
to grow up in the PNW, so the natural history and geological aspects were
pretty much already known to us. We both ended up being far more interested in
the lives of the locals that were touched by the eruption, and how amazingly
the area had recovered and regrown in such a short period of time.
The Visitor Centre
featured a wonderful walking tour through the forest and over a marsh; easy to
navigate being gravel or boardwalk. I was amazed at the silent brooding beauty
of the mountain itself; the new life that had burgeoned in the wake of its
destruction. The area was filled with life; birds singing, bumble bees droning
by, a great blue heron, ducks - it was a wonderful lazy feeling break.
Crystal struck up a conversation with a
couple of gents who were taking photos of the birds, discovering that that was
a nest up by the Centre.
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| MT ST HELEN'S |
We drove slowly down
the mountain, each lost within our memories and thoughts. Stopping off for
lunch at C&L Burgers, which had been recommended, we both had the elk
burger. I really wasn’t all that impressed. The patty was similar to something
McDonald’s would sell, and the flavour just wasn’t there. We both had
milkshakes that blew us away though, made with real ice cream! Crystal tried
the mocha espresso bean and I chose the blackberry. Neither was disappointing.
After that we said
farewell to Castle Rock, Washington and continued on towards Maryhill. Due to
our experience of closed park roads we continued on the I5 until we got to the
205 then the 84. Apparently Crystal was feeling a little anxious about the
whole ordeal of driving on unknown highways, but I’d have never ever guessed.
She never missed an exit or a turn, it was really great driving with her. We
crossed over the Columbia River from Washington to Oregon, and delighted in the
views.
The air became
drier, somehow emptier and the green slowly faded to khakis while the beloved
forest giants turned to sparse grasses and sagebrush. We had left the Pacific
Northwest behind us once again and entered into the desertlike climate of the
interior.
We continued
travelling east alongside the Columbia River until we reached The Dalles, where
we crossed the river once again, back into the State of Washington.
MARYHILL, WASHINGTON
Highway 14 wound its
way through ranch and wine country, arid and very reminiscent of the BC
Interior near Kamloops and Merritt. I was excited to be nearing one of the
places I really wanted to check out, and was looking forward to spending a
relaxing evening around a campfire; planning out the next day, reminiscing over
the trip so far, and just enjoying being alive.
The big difference
between backpacking and truck camping is the amount of things one can bring. We
had most of the comforts of home all packed into Crystal’s truck, and were
ready to find the campground and get set up for the night.
Peach Beach RV Park
was hidden away behind an orchard and beside the Maryhill State Park, and it
turned out to be absolutely perfect! They also allow camping the fun way - in a
tent! I was led to the area by a Patricia Briggs novel originally, but was
thrilled with the treasure we found!
There are a number of sites right along
the river, which are perfect for tents, flat and fairly spacious. Right on the
beautiful Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge, it would be amazing in
the summer and fall, as it is surrounded by peach orchards and there is a fruit
stand. A privately owned park, it is quiet and has a friendly atmosphere. Only
$25 a night, and that included both WiFi and hot showers.
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| PEACH BEACH & MARY HILL |
There were a handful
of RVs there, some apparently year round, but we were the only tent. It was a
breeze setting up for the night, right alongside the river. It wasn’t much
longer after that that we were settled in and eating a delicious camping supper
of smokies and beans.
A rather chilly
breeze started blowing in off of the river and we decided to go for a wander
for a number of reasons.
It was such a beautiful area and walking would
warm us up, to name a couple! We walked through the little streets of the small
but historical village, finding a tiny church that had been built in 1888. Some
fragrant roses planted near the front entrance, and I had to pause to smell
them. It was a small but intriguing place, past and present collided everywhere
you looked.
An ancient gas pump sat unused, while a nearby yard had free
roaming chickens protected by a mighty house cat, beside it all ran the
railroad. On a hill overlooking the village of Maryhill stood the attraction
that I had come to see. In the falling twilight a dark and brooding shadow
stood guard, a cement replica of the mighty and mysterious Stonehenge. This was
full sized, and without the wear and tear and disintegration of the original in
England. I looked forward to checking it out after breakfast.
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| MARY HILL CHURCH |
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| STOPPING TO SMELL THE ROSES |
We took our time
heading back around the peach orchard, with a stunning view of the snow capped
Mt Hood off to the West.
We ended up checking out the private swimming cove in
the campground, a small finger of land protected it from the river, providing a
safe place for everyone to play and enjoy the cooling waters in summer’s heat.
For now, it was far too chilly to even be entertaining the idea of a swim.
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| MT HOOD |
The darkness got
thicker and the breeze got stronger as we headed towards the tent. The shelter
of the tents and the warmth of our sleeping bags were definitely calling to us.
While Crystal fell asleep in short order, I laid there reading, my mind
partially on the book and partially on the amazing area we were in. It was
quite a while before sleep finally chased me down, due in part to the almost
constant train activity on the other side of the river; their whistles would
cut the lonely darkness just as I was drifting away. I got used to it fairly
quickly, but the imagination was spiked with every sounding, which kept me
awake.
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