Hitting The Road: Good-bye Oregon

Even though Cowboy H and I got to spend an entire day soaking up the beauty of the PNW during fall, it wasn't quite enough. In addition, the Desert Rose and her Loving Husband were busy packing and taking care of last minute vet, health, and travel concerns, so we didn't get much time with them either. The morning that we had to leave came way too soon, and there was still so much left to do! (Ahem, Desert Rose.)

However, once we finally got on the road, it was smooth sailing! We crossed the Oregon-California border just before 3 pm and had to say good bye to all of this:

We were already running behind schedule and didn't want to stop unless necessary (fuel, restrooms, etc.) so most all my photos were taken from within in the King Ranch while it was moving (on the freeway no less). I have no idea where this was, but somehow I managed to capture this really cool bridge right off the freeway:

The highest point on I-5.

Oh, Oregon, we will be back. We will be back as soon as we can. And thank YOU for having us.

Before I move on to how ugly and brown California is compared to Oregon, I have to share this with you. Oregon has these little "Speedometer Check Sections" along the freeways.

When it says start, you're supposed to begin timing yourself. There is a mile marker for each mile, 1-5.

So, if your speedometer says 60 mph, it should have taken you exactly 5 minutes to get to the end of the section. Just in case you're really worried about your speedometer accuracy. Of course, we were very concerned and tested the King Ranch's at every single one. Just kidding, I was too busy taking pictures.

Entering California was like crossing into Kansas or something. There was seriously a straight line drawn right on top of the designated state line and once you hit that line, everything changed. One side was green; one side brown. One side could get rain; the other could not.

There are a few deer just chilling under that tree right off the freeway, but what I really want you to notice is how brown it is. This was just inside the state border, too.

One thing I can say about I-5 is it has some gorgeous rest stops along the way (well, up north at least). Seriously, you could go to one of these for a picnic. They are like parks. We found one that was right along a river and decided it would be a good time to give Little Lady some water and check her feed bags.

What? You mean I can get out?

Yes, we were cruising around the rest stop with LL.

Pretty soon we came along Mt. Shasta, which was a spectacular sight, even if the lake was almost completely dried up.

Next thing we knew, the sun was setting and we had only a few more hours before our overnight stop.

Not Quite Mt. St. Helens

This place was gorgeous. I'm so glad we changed plans and came here instead. I'm sure Mt. St. Helens would have been a terrific experience, but for a photo-obsessed girl, this was a complete playground. And seeing as how we don't really get the fall colors in Southern California, I was in heaven.

We crossed right under the railroad tracks and were faced with the tremendous falls and the historic lodge. The lodge was very cool and we ended up eating lunch there after working up an appetite climbing all the way to the top of the falls!

I took so many pictures, it got a little bit ridiculous. But I couldn't help myself!

We were fortunate to find another couple to take our pictures; they even had the same camera as me. I promise you Cowboy H is having a good time; trust me.

The hike up was stunning, well worth the 11+ switchbacks and 1 1/4 miles. It was cold and windy, but by the time we got to the top our jackets had to come off. The views over the Columbia River were incredible.

As we headed back down, I tried to get some close-up shots of the leaves, but it was so windy most of them came out like this:

I did manage to get one good one though.

These colors just kills me. I couldn't stop. We finally made it back to the bottom; Cowboy H had to take the camera away from me or we'd still be up there! However, he did let me get a few pictures from inside the lodge while we were eating our lunch. Check it out:

And don't forget: Mama H's Big Quiz #1 is still open! Get your answers in pronto, because I will be closing it tonight (Wednesday) at 8:00 pm PST and someone will be getting "Motley Crew" to hang on their wall (or stuff in the closet)!