Mount Baker day-trip

We took a six-hour day-trip around and up Mount Baker in northern Washington.

Here’s an interactive map of our route:

Our first stop was at the Acme Diner for brunch:

Acme Diner

Acme art:

Acme art

Continuing on:

Bridge

Our second stop was at the Glacier Public Service Center, where Jenn collected a cancellation stamp, and we got a paper map with local info:

Glacier Public Service Center

Log

A one lane road:

One lane road

Next was Nooksack Falls:

Nooksack Falls

Then up Mount Baker to the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, a very picturesque area:

Mt Baker

Wild Goose Trail

Wildflowers

Visitor center

Lake

View

Visitor center

Cancellation stamp

View

Visitor center

Gift store

And to the end of the road, Artist Point:

View

International Overlander:

International Overlander

View

An enjoyable day-trip.

Marchesi Vineyards

While in the area, we visited our favorite winery, Marchesi Vineyards in Hood River:

Marchesi Vineyards

We did a wine tasting (alas, not free, as we are no longer members there, since we can’t easily get wine deliveries):

Wine tasting

A resident dog, Jazzy, spent some time hanging out with us:

Dog

Jazzy and Jenn:

Dog and Jenn

A charcuterie platter for lunch:

Charcuterie

Misters keeping us cool on a hot day:

Misters

Decor

Vines:

Vines

Jazzy (with a boo-boo):

Dog

Vines:

Vines

Of course, we came away with a case of wines. That’ll keep us going until we can get back again next year!

Seaside and Astoria

We took a day trip to the Oregon coast.

We had planned to go to Mo’s in Seaside for lunch, but they were too busy, so we continued up the coast.

Some pics of Seaside:

Seaside

Astoria:

Astoria

We ended up going to Bridgewater Bistro, which we had fond memories of from staying in Astoria for our anniversary in 2008:

Bridgewater Bistro

The restaurant is on the pier, and has a cute window in the floor showing the water below (and a skeleton on a rope ladder):

Window in floor

Bridge view

We had a tasty breakfast for a late lunch:

Breakfast for late lunch

After that, we drove over the Astoria–Megler Bridge between Oregon and Washington; a 4 mile long bridge across the Columbia River:

Astoria–Megler Bridge

And back again:

Astoria–Megler Bridge

Cannery Pier Hotel:

Cannery Pier Hotel

Astoria–Megler Bridge

CLAM screen tent

Another useful addition to our campsites: we purchased a 9×9 CLAM pop-up screen tent, to provide shade and/or protection from bugs.

It’s pretty compact folded up in its bag:

Bag

It pops up quickly by pulling tabs in the center of each wall:

Popping up

Popped up, with wind and sun panels attached, and tie-down ropes attached, sitting on a new outdoor mat:

Popped up

With our chairs and small table inside:

With our chairs

Chairs and table

We also got a combo light and fan that can hang from the ceiling, or sit on the table:

Light and fan

On our site:

On our site

We brought Paladin outside in his harness and leash; only the second time he’s been outside, so he was a bit unsure about it:

Paladin

Jenn and Paladin

Paladin

Eating dinner in the tent:

Dinner

McMenamins Roadhouse, Corvallis Meat Pie Shop, 2 Towns Ciderhouse

A few food and beverage highlights.

We took a trip to Portland to take some stuff to our storage unit, and pick up packages from our mailbox. While there, we went to a favorite restaurant, McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in Hillsboro, Oregon:

Roadhouse

Like most McMenamins restaurants, it is housed in a historic structure, with interesting decor:

Roadhouse

A tasty burger and tots:

Burger and tots

Another day, we went to the Corvallis Meat Pie Shop, an Australian food shop:

Corvallis Meat Pie Shop

The owner was a bit of a character, a very talkative Aussie. Of course, he had some comments about Kiwis vs Aussies once we mentioned I’m from NZ:

Corvallis Meat Pie Shop

Very tasty meat pies and sausage rolls; such a rare treat for me in the US:

Corvallis Meat Pie Shop

Lastly, a couple of days later we went to 2 Towns Ciderhouse, our favorite cider maker:

2 Towns Ciderhouse

We got a couple of sampler flights (and some snacks as an ad hoc lunch) to try various flavors:

2 Towns Ciderhouse

Of course, we had to stock up while there, with a case of our all-time favorite flavor, Pacific Pineapple, and some others:

2 Towns Ciderhouse

We stored them in the cooler in our RV basement:

Ciders

Travel from Montrose, CO to Vernal, UT

We drove our coach 209 miles, about 4 hours, from Montrose, Colorado to Vernal, Utah.

The map route, heading north:

Map route

Leaving the Montrose KOA Journey RV park:

Leaving RV park

“Gateway to the canyons”:

Gateway to the canyons

“Tribute to agriculture”:

Tribute to agriculture

US-50 freeway:

Freeway

We were planning to stop for fuel in Grand Junction along the way, so I left the step cover open. Paladin enjoyed sitting on a step and looking out the lower window (which is typically called the “dog window”, but in our case is the “cat window”):

Paladin

Highway:

Highway

Hey hay:

Hay hey

Highway

There wasn’t a good place to stop at lunchtime, so I got up and made lunch while Jenn was driving — a nice option for a motorhome (but don’t worry, I sit down again as quickly as possible, and keep my seatbelt on when in my seat):

Driving

PB&J is quick and easy:

Lunch

Very curvy road:

Highway

Switchbacks on the map:

Map

Highway

Steep grade, sharp curves, yay:

Steep grade, sharp curves

Curve

After all that, we found a spot on side of road for a break:

Break on side of road

Rough road:

Rough road

Maybe they should have workshopped that name a bit?

Kum & Go

Oil well:

Oil well

Train:

Train

Highway

Dinosaur city limit:

Dinosaur

Dinosaurs in Dinosaur:

Dinosaurs in Dinosaur

I see what they did there:

Bedrock in Dinosaur

Welcome to Utah:

Welcome to Utah

Crossing another part of Green River again:

Green River

Vernal had more dinosaurs than Dinosaur:

Dinosaurs in Vernal

Cycle shop

Mural

Our destination, a KOA Holiday park:

KOA

KOA office

Food: Burger Boy Drive In

A bit of a novelty, we visited Burger Boy Drive In, located in Cortez, Colorado. There are drive-in chains like Sonic, but this place had a certain 50’s charm, complete with a window-mounted tray, even though the staff weren’t on roller-skates.

Burger Boy Drive In

Window tray with burgers and tots:

Window tray

We had shakes, tots, and burgers:

Burger and receipt

A rather unremarkable burger:

Burger

But hey, it was an experience.

Goulding’s Monument Valley Stagecoach Restaurant

I don’t post about food very often, as I feel it isn’t that interesting. But I make an exception for notable places. One such is Goulding’s Monument Valley Stagecoach Restaurant. It is the dining room of the famous Goulding’s lodge, a historic area of Monument Valley. Harry Goulding and his trading post and lodge were instrumental in popularizing Monument Valley, including bringing it to the attention of Hollywood for many Western films.

Here’s the monumental view from the parking lot:

View

Goulding’s trading post, now a museum:

Goulding's museum

Goulding’s restaurant:

Goulding's restaurant

The restaurant menu, with some history on the cover:

Goulding's menu

A very simple menu:

Goulding's menu

The view from a window booth:

View

Jenn had Navajo fry bread and beef stew:

Navajo fry bread and beef stew

And I had a Rez Bah sandwich, also on fry bread:

Rez Bah sandwich

The Navajo fry bread was super tasty; highly recommended.

A few days later we went back there again. On the way, we encountered some wild dogs running down the road:

Dogs

The view out the window again:

View

A different angle, showing the gift shop (which we checked out before dinner):

Gift shop

Since we enjoyed the Navajo fry bread so much the first time, we ordered some as an appetizer:

Navajo fry bread

Best enjoyed with honey and powdered sugar:

Navajo fry bread

Jenn had Salmon (which wasn’t great, apparently):

Salmon

I had the burger:

Burger

Mostly good food, and an excellent view.

Sand Dune Arch, picnic, secret back road for Arches National Park

We had an afternoon timed-entry ticket for Arches National Park, so went there a second time, this time going to the visitor center:

Arches sign

Some animal sculptures outside:

Sculptures

Relief map:

Relief map

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Rocks:

Rocks

Tree

Rocks

Lizard

Rocks

A short hike to Sand Dune Arch, nestled amongst rock fins:

Rocks

Arch:

Arch

Jenn & David

Rocks

Tree

Skyline Arch:

Skyline Arch

We stopped in a nice picnic area:

Picnic area

And had a picnic dinner at a very secluded table:

Picnic dinner

Rocks

On a whim, we decided to head down a dirt road (I had previously checked it on the map):

Dirt road

It led to the Tower Arch trailhead:

Rocks

Jenn

We then continued along the road, leaving the park via the “secret” back entrance to the park:

Dirt road

Salt Valley Road, via public BLM land; you could avoid the timed entry requirement by coming in this way, though it is several miles of rough dirt road, so not for the faint of heart or non-4WD vehicles:

Dirt road