A Great Trip through the Pacific Northwest -- February 2009!

The Journey Home

Motoring back to Denver from British Columbia, we decided to take the less direct route. We enjoyed a visit with our friends in Seattle – watching the Super Bowl in 3-D, designing an addition, eating well and relaxing. We then continued down the coast to Salem, enjoying Oregon's capital. We decided not to go to the ocean but instead headed to the Oregon Botanic Gardens where surprise: the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Oregon is located. A horticulturist recommended a state park to visit before we crossed the mountains, which were luckily clear, to Bend - guess all the snow was up in Canada. John Day Fossil Beds NM were quite fascinating, like a bit of the Painted Desert that got shifted to the North. Stopped in Pendleton to do some birthday shopping for our Moms before picking up Lewis and Clark’s trail across the Bitterroot Mountains. We had an awesome lunch and good visit with our friends in Missoula before ending up in Livingston on a Saturday night (sing it, Jimmy).

This was our second winter visit to Yellowstone NP. Incredible. Seeing the animals, hearing the stillness, absorbing the solitude - it is really a magical experience. We heard the wolves howl and saw the trackers monitoring their activities. There were lots of wildlife photographers looking for the ultimate opportunity - we saw it early one morning when we caught sight of a coyote and realized he was heading to an overnight kill. We stopped and watched him tear at the carcass. We got out and looked for wolf tracks, since they are usually the first to bring down the prey…and sure enough, we found the tracks along the edge of the road in the snow: definitely much larger pads than a coyote. If that isn't enough for your senses, the beautify of the hot springs with ice frozen from the mist and the colors of the minerals offsetting the white of the snow has a mysterious quality that doesn't seem natural. Snowshoeing to remote places really allow us to experience a tranquility that is appreciated.

Wolf Tracks in the snow Yellowstone NPPacific Northwest
Wolf Tracks in the snow -- Yellowstone NP.
Kelowna, British Columbia Area Images - Click on an image to view large version

Seattle Skyline from Bainbridge Island Ferry

Pam, Jacqueline, Terry and Barb

Henry, Jacqueline, Terry - Super Bowl 3D

Henry and Pam at Bellevue Botanic Gardens

Frank Lloyd Wright, Gordon House in Oregon Gardens near Salem

John Day Fossil Beds NM, Oregon

Mike and Svetlana Schwartz with Pam and Svetlana's Awesome Lunch

Henry with His Cup of Java, Enjoying Beautiful Morning - Yellowstone NP

Calcites at Upper Terrace Mammoth Hot Springs - Yellowstone NP

Early Morning shadows at Mammoth Hot Springs - Yellowstone NP

Pam and Henry at Lamar Valley - Yellowstone NP

Sunrise Lamar Valley - Yellowstone NP

Henry with the Mini - Yellowstone NP

Bison - Yellowstone NP

Big Horn Ram Waiting for Us After Early Morning Hike by Gardiner River - Yellowstone NP

Pam, "So Long Pardner, Come Back Soon"

Schedule

Itinerary Highlights.

Fun things to do.

2009 PACIFIC NORTHWEST SCHEDULE
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
25 January 26 27 28 29 30 31
1-4 pm Destination Osoyoos

Osoyoos, BC

Sole Vita

Celebration at Breeze

Osoyoos, BC

Sole Vita

Drive to Penticton on Lake Skaha road

Osoyoos, BC

Sole Vita

Osoyoos, BC

Sole Vita

Check-out

Drive to Seattle

Seattle, WA

Bendrick's Home

Mercer Island

Ferry to Port Townsend

Visit Kayak Showrooms

Jacqueline Basketball

Seattle, WA

Bendrick's Home

Mercer Island

Tacoma Museum of Glass w/ Barb & Jacqueline

Seattle, WA

Bendrick's Home

Mercer Island

1 February 2 3 4 5 6 7
Bellevue Botanical Garden w/ Barb

Seattle, WA

Bendrick's Home

Mercer Island

Hoyt Arboretum—Portland

Van's Aircraft Factory Tour

State Capital—Salem

Salem, OR

Comfort Inn

Oregon Garden (Botanic)Frank Lloyd Wright—Gordon House

Silver Falls State Park

Bend, OR

Comfort Inn

Tour Bend

60° sunny day!

Bend, OR

Comfort Inn

John Day Fossil Beds NM

Rain in PM

Hermiston, OR

Comfort Inn

Visit Pendleton Factory

Whitman Mission NM

Nez Perce NM

Missoula, MT

Sleep Inn

Lunch w/ Mike & Svedlana Schwartz

Drive to Livingston

Livingston, MT

Comfort Inn

8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Yellowstone NP

Snow Shoe to Tower Falls

Ranger Hike

Music/Slides @ lodge

Gardener, MT

Super 8

Yellowstone NP

View Coyote Pair

Snow Shoe Slough Creek

Ranger Wolf Talk

Gardener, MT

Super 8

Yellowstone NP

View Coyote @ kill

Snow Show Lost Lake

Coyotes @ Lamar Valley

Billings, MT

Comfort Inn

Drive to Denver

Denver, CO

Happy Travels,

Pam and Henry