WA – Aug 2025

Welcome to Washington!  Home to lots of beautiful mountains, a plentiful supply of really great wine, and some super expensive fuel.  While the national average for a gallon of diesel fuel is currently $3.80, as you can see here, the price is significantly higher.  I will admint this particular station was one of the highest I’d seen, and lots of other stations have diesel priced in the $4.90 to $5.00 range. But even at that, it’s still over a dollar more per gallon as compared to the national average.  I expect to see similar high prices as I make my way through Oregon and California, as it seems that is the norm here on the left coast.  Oh well – guess I’ll just have to drink up more of that Washington wine to dull the impact of the high fuel prices.  Enough ranting – here’s what I’ve been doing here in the PNW.

Paterson, WA

Nestled right at the far southern edge of central Washington, right as it borders northern Oregon, is the 1,500 acre Crow Butte Island – plucked right in the middle of the Columbia River.  The only inhabitant on the island is the 275 acre Crow Butte Park, and its amazing campground. Developed in the 70s by the Army Corp of Engineers as part of the McNary Dam project, it was later turned over to the state of Washington to operate.  Soon thereafter the State ran into budget issues, so the Port of Benton became its new keeper. Apparently, the Port is also responsible for all the upgrades that have been done over the decades that have transformed this place into what is now the best kept secret. It is filled with large mature trees providing endless shade, six miles of shoreline, and a boat launch and marina for all the water toys.  I rarely stay in a state or ACoE park as they typically tend to only have back-in sites (you know I don’t do well with those) and seldom have full hookups or 50amp power service.  But this place has it all, and it was magnificent!  Huge grassy sites (mine as seen at left, bottom left), full hookups, with picnic tables and fire rings at all locations.  This place is definitely a hidden gem. And at $28 a night veterans rate, it’s an absolute steal!  If I ever happen to pass through this area in the future, I’m definitely going to stay here again.  My one and only disappointment with this stop was that I had only booked a 3-night stay.  Now I know better for next time – two week minimum!

My first venture out in the area was actually into Oregon as I headed southeast towards Umatilla.  There, driving along the highway as I-82 intersects with I-84, all you see are these dirt mounds for as far as the eye could see.  This place was actually called the Umatilla Chemical Depot.  These mounds were camouflaged bunkers that held stockpiles of conventional ammunition as well as a variety of nerve and blister chemical agents during World War II and the Cold War.  The overhead Google Map view (at right, bottom right) is representative of just how big this place was.  These storage bunkers go on for miles in many directions.  Even as vast as it is, it reportedly only contained roughly 12% of the entire nations stockpile.  Disposal activities began in 2004 and by 2011, all chemical weapon contents had been incinerated.   Today, it is the Raymond F. Rees Training Center used by the Oregon Army National Guard providing weapons firing ranges and tracked vehicle driver training to name a few.  I drove up to the gate to see if they offered tours of the facility, where I was greated by a huge menacing looking army tank.  So I opted instead to just turn around.

Next, I visited the town of Boardman, OR.  There, in a small downtown park was this really cool tug boat – the Captain Al James.  She was a pusher-type tug operating on the Columbia River and was paired up with the barge Umatilla.  Together, they moved supplies such as 220,000 gallons of fuel or 20,000 bushels of grain up and down the Columbia from Portland to Pasco.  Built in  1939, it operated until it was retired in 1972.  Now, it’s a landmark.

Also in Boardman was the Sage Center – with exhibits related to local and regional history, agriculture, and industries.  It was interesting to see all of the various businesses that operate in the area – mostly agriculture related.  Lots of crop and dairy farms in this area.  I also got to see and learn about these massive watering contraptions that you see on many farms.  They were quite interesting.  Lastly, grabbing a half pint of some local ice cream was a nice treat after the visit.

Speaking of industries, one of the other notable businesses that was featured in the Sage Center was Amazon Web Services (AWS).  It’s funny that as I was driving to the center, I noticed a large group of unusual industrial buildings that to me, looked an awful lot like a massive computer data center complex.  Once I saw the AWS exhibit, that confirmed my suspicion.  I also asked one of the staff members and they too confirmed that the buildings I saw across the highway were in fact an AWS facility.  As you can see from the pics I took, and from the Google Map Satellite view, this place is quite expansive.  Also, just  couple of miles down the road on the oposite side of the highway was another data center complex.  I guess this area is particularly friendly to these types of facilities.  Often, that means there is an abundance of cheap electricity, and lots and lots of network infrastructure available in the area.  I sure would have loved to have gotten an inside tour of that AWS center!

There were several Roadside treasures in this area as well.  This pair of metal figures were sitting atop the roof of an HVAC shop.  While these duct-work tin men look like twins, they were actually created several decades apart.  One of them was built in the 1970s or so, and was the mascot of a company in Yakima.  That company closed up in the 1990s, and this guy was purchased by another HVAC company and relocated here to Power City.  The new owner like it so much that he had his guys build another one, and now they both sit together on the roof.  Next was a visit to a local grocery store that featured a giant cowboy.  Built in 1954, this 20 foot tall store mascot has done pretty well.  Last up was supposed to be a visit to very dark old railroad tunnel.  When I got there, the area was very sketchy, and the tunnel structure not very dark yet covered in graffiti.  So, I took a few quick pictures then got out of there.  I later realized that this was not actually the tunnel.  I was supposed to have walked through this tunnel, then follow along a trail, and then end up at the actual dark tunnel.  Well, even if I had known that at the time, it’s unlikely that I would have taken that trip.  So, all I got were pics of this other tunnel.  Oh well!

Cle Elum, WA

Next, I headed further to the west, and back to the north to the town of Cle Elum.  What an absolutely delightful town!  With a tiny population barely exceeding 2,000, the town caters mostly to the outdoor recreation industry.  Lots of lakes and rivers, and plenty of campgrounds in the area certainly support that.  While the downtown was filled with wonderful restaurants and an amazing walkable Main Street, there wasn’t much in the way of things to see or do.  So off I go to other areas to explore.

First up, was proof positive that this area caters to recreation.  Check out this cool place!  On the southern shores of Cle Elum Lake is Speelyi Beach.  What’s better than a beach that you can drive up on right to the water’s edge, with crystal clear blue/green water, sandy beach, and gorgeous mountain views?  Absolutely nothing!  I didn’t risk taking my big heavy truck down in the sand, so rather I parked in the visitor section at the top, and walked down.  There recreation area is part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, and is managed by the USDA/Forest Service.  There is no fee to hang out here, and reportedly this place gets pretty busy in the summer months.  I was there mid week, so the crowds were no too heavy.  Besides swimming and digging in the sand, several folks brought water toys such as boats and jet skis to play on the water.  this was an absolute beautiful place, and one that I would imagine the locals truly enjoy.

Next I visited the town of Roslyn.  Located in the hills of the Cascade Mountains about 80 miles east of Seattle, this tiny town of fewer than 1,000 residents started life in the 1880s as a coal mining town.  During its hayday around 1910, there were over 3,200 residents.  But as coal-fired steam trains were being replaced by diesel power, the coal industry subsided, and so too did the towns population.  There were a few Roadside items here including this coal miner’s memorial which celebrates all who were killed in various mining accidents.  Also featured was this picture of William Amos Craven, and a state proclamation naming Feb 20, 2021 as William Amos Craven Day. William was a black man who came to Roslyn and gave a lifetime of public service to the community.  He worked in the cemetery, was the school janitor, served on the city council, and a coach to the local kids.  In 1975, he was appointed to the vacant city mayor position, and later in the year was voted in to serve a full term as mayor – making him the first black mayor in the state of Washington.  Quite the local legend.  Last up was this very large mural of Marlon Brando from the film “The Wild One” that was painted on the side wall of the town’s movie theater.  Pretty cool!

There’s actually one other claim to fame that is enjoyed by the town of Roslyn – though to be honest, that fame is totally lost on me.  Apparently, Roslyn was used as the filming backdrop of the fictional Alaskan town of Cicely in the 1990s TV series Northern Exposure.  Apparently, fans of the show would likely recognize the camel cafe sign, the home of Ruth-Anne, and the KBHR radio station that were all featured in the show – all of which remain prominent even today in this little town. But alas, all of this is meaningless to me as I have never seen the series.  Oh well – maybe it will strike a memory for some of my blog readers.

I mentioned above about the large mural that was painted along the side of the movie theater.  Well, that theater has other things it can celebrate also.  I’ve been in a “watch a movie in a theater” mood lately, so I figured I’d check out this tiny town’s theater offering.  I had read that it was family owned, and after having been the town’s mortuarary and funeral home from 1903 thru 1972, was purchased in 1977 and converted to show movies.  It officially became operational in early June 1979, with the opening movie of “Heaven Can Wait”.  Interesting aside, while I was in the Air Force stationed at Little Rock AFB, I also worked part time as a projectionist, and in the summer of 1979, I actually ran this movie in the theater.  I’ve probably seen it hundreds of times.  Anyway, the movie F1 was just released and I wanted to check it out.  This theater is small – having only a single screen, and main floor seating for about 45 people.  But, it featured an interesting balcony which held another dozen or so seats for a nicely elevated view of the screen.  These premium seats were pricy at $22 each, but I guess this little place has to make up in cost for what it can’t make up in volume.  It was a fun experience, and the movie was pretty darn good.

Also in Roslyn was the town’s museum. Though it was supposed to be open according to Google, and even confirmed by the sign on the door, alas it was not.  The sign on the door also did make mention that museum proctors were all volunteers, and sometimes they don’t make it to their assigned shift – for which the museum appologized for.  It would seem that on this day, the assigned worker had some sort of a conflict.  Oh well!  There was an outdoor section of the museum so I at least got to see that part.  As noted earlier Roslyn was once a coal mining town, so the bulk of the outdoor exhibits revolved around that.  This included some small rail cars that carried coal out of the mine, along with cars that carried workers into the mine.  There was also this cool looking machine that somewhat resemble a ginormous chain saw (at right, center) that was actually a continuous coal cutter.  It had a 30 horsepower electric motor on it that ran on regular AC, and its long chain-like cutter would be used to undercut the coal so that it could then be blasted loose.  There was also this old circa 1932 cabin that was built along Iron Creek, and in the 1970s, was disassembled, relocated, and rebuilt here at the museum.

On the next day, I drove out towards the south east to go check out a number of Roadside interests.  First, I landed in the town of Granger – a modest little town of just over 3,600 residents  that sits along interstate 82, and borders the Yakama Indian Reservation to the east.  There’s not a lot going on in this town other than its industries which mostly revolve around brick and tile.  So, in the mid 1990s, they came up with the idea of creating these giant concrete dinosaurs to encourage folks to visit.  Today, there are 32 dinos spread all over town.  I guess it worked – it got me to come and visit!  Also, for a little town, they had a pretty impressive 9-11 memorial.  It is made up of twin towers that are watched over by a couple of eagles, with a flag made up soley by the names of those who perished in the event.  Pretty cool memorial for such a small town.

Next, I visited the town of Zillah – another 3,000+ populated town that sits along interstate 82.  Here, there were a couple of interesting Roadside attractions.  First up was this Teapot Dome service station.  It was built in 1922 by Jack Ainsworth as sort of a joke related to the Teapot Dome Scandal that had been in the news at the time. The wooden structure is 14 feet wide and 13 feet high.  The handle is made of concrete, while the spout also served as a chimney for the pots wood-burning stove.  It operated as a gas station all the way up through 2006.  After sitting abandoned and idle for many years, the city purchased it, relocated and restored it into the towns visitor center.  Very cool!  Next up I stopped by the back storage area of a local church to get a glimpse of the Church of God-Zillah.  Back in 2001, the Church of God, located in Zillah, WA, created this wire-frame God-Zillah character and placed it in front of their church.  It apparently was also featured in several local parades over the years.  Well, that particular church is no longer, and the poor critter sits idle on a rotting trailer along the backside of the building.  Perhaps they should donate him to the town of Granger – I’m sure they would welcome him!

Next, I travelled into the Yakama Indian Reservation to visit the Yakama Nation Cultural Center in Toppenish.  I got a cool picture from outside (above right, left side), and that’s about it.  Pictures were not allowed inside the museum.  So, you’ll just have to trust me that it was very interesting and educational.  Next, I went to visit what was suppoed to be a house that featured a bunch of totem poles and other Indian art all around the yard.  But, what I found was a boarded up house with not a single totem pole in site.  The owner must have either moved or passed, and the Indian art is now no longer.  I did send a report to Roadside about this, along with an updated picture.

The other thing the town of Toppenish is known for is its murals.  They call themselves the City of Murals, and it is reported that there are over 80 of them painted throughout the town.  Just in my short walk through one section of town, I easily saw over a couple dozen.  They began painting these murals in about 1989 and each represents a historical scene depicting the towns heritage from the mid 1800’s to the mid 1900s.  They pretty much cover any available building facade, especially in the historic downtown area.  Pretty impressive!

My final stop of this journey leg takes me to the town of Yakima to visit Sarg Hubbard Riverside Park.  There, I would find the Washington state Merci Train.  I’ve seen and written about these trains in the past, but in case you need a refresh of your memory, here’s the story.  In 1947 after the war, the citizenry of the Unites States contributed and collected $40M in food and supplies to fill over 700 rail cars which were then sent to France and Italy – known as the Friendship Train.  The French were so grateful of the gesture, that in 1949 they put together 49 rail cars (one for each US state and one for the territory of Hawaii) filled with gifts – all of which were donated by their private citizens.  They called this the Merci (gratitude) train.  So one train car was delivered to each state filled with all sorts of trinkets and gifts.  While some of the trains are no longer around, many states have taken action to preserve and protect their trains and feature them somewhere in their state.  For Washington, their train is located in Yakima safely tucked away under a protective structure.  This is the third Merci Train I’ve seen – the other two being in Boise, ID, and Manchester, NH.  Assuming I stay on schedule, I will be seeing three additional trains during this year’s trip – one each in OR, OK, and AR.  Next to the train exhibit was a field memorial in recognition of the War on Terrorism (at right, center right).  Pretty cool!

Concrete, WA

My next stop while exploring Washington state takes me to the northwest to the town of Concrete.  A bustling town with a meager population approaching 800. Despite it being a small town, it did have some interesting history.  Located at the junction of the Baker and Skagit rivers, the town once bore the name Minnehaha.  Later as the town eveolved, it was changed to Baker.  The town across the river became host to the Washington Portland Cement Company and they chose to name their town Cement City.  Soon after, the Superior Portland Cement Company was built in the town of Baker.  In 1908, the two towns, each having bustling cement industries decided to merge and renamed themselves to Concrete.

A couple of interesting Roadside venues were here in town.  Most notable as you drive on highway 20 which goes through the center of town, you are welcomed by these giant siloes – made of what else, concrete.  The other interesting site to see relates to Concrete High School  – whose center section was built over the road leading up to the school.  You can literally drive under the high school building!  Its other claim to fame is from the movie This Boy’s Life.  A 1993 film staring a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro is an adaptation of a true story showcasing all the drama of a boys coming of age.  The film used the town of Concrete as the setting, and in fact filmed several scenes in town and in the high school.  Also the “Welcome to Concrete” that is painted on the silos was done specifically for the movie.  Lots of history for this little town!

Next, down the road a bit was this tiny Wildwood Chapel.  A popular respite for those travelling over the Cascade mountains, it has also hosted a number of weddings.  But the wedding party and number of guests needs to be small as this little chapel has only enough seating for nine.

Next, I headed east all the way to the coast to visit a few towns in that area.  First up was the city of Bellingham.  This place sits a mere 21 miles south of the Canadian boarder, and has a population approaching 95,000.  The Whatcom Museum of Art and History sits in a beautiful 1892 building (at right, bottom left) that up until 1936 was the town’s city hall.  Sadly, the museum was closed on the day I was visiting.  Just down the street was this retro style Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon space rocket that was part of of the advertising for the sci-fi themed Rocket Donuts. The donut shop closed in 2019, but thankfully this cool rocket remains.  Behind the rocket was an interesting mural wall. The top section has some crazy themed design, while the bottom section is painted using chalkboard paint, and has the heading “Before I die …”.  Patrons and other walk-by folks fill in the wall’s theme by using chalk to write in what it is they want to accomplish before they die.  Lots of interesting entries to include – “finish streaming Better Call Saul”, “See my son live his best life”, “See the first human on Mars”,  and “Put my city on the map” among many others.  Pretty cool idea!   From downtown I saw a snow/glacier capped mountain that I thought might have been Rainier (at right, bottom center). But, I also knew I was a long way from Mt Rainier, so that was unlikely.  Turns out it was Mt Baker – that sits about 30 miles due east of Bellingham.  Still a pretty cool looking mountain!  Next up, on the campus of Western Washington University was this odd art piece.  Carved onsite from a huge block of stone by artist Richard Beyer who said it was a man getting drunk with a cougar.  University students on the other hand see it as a man humping a bear.  While it once occupied a prominent spot on the campus, it was relocated in Sep of 2024 here on a hillside along a trail – mostly out of site.  Apparently a lot of his art was controversial, and designed to elicit provocative thoughts despite his mainly innocent descriptions.  Oh well – that’s art for ya!

My last visit in the town of Bellingham was to checkout Fairhaven Village Green – a community park that features outdoor events such as live music, films, and a farmers market.  It was a really cool park with a raised section for a stage, a large painted white section of the side of a building presumably used as a projector screen for movies, and lots of shops and restaurants along its perimeter.  It also featured a photo op with a park bench and a bronze man comfortably sprawled therein.   But this was no ordinary man – it was to be Dirty Dan Harris.  Daniel Jefferson Harris was born in 1833, and is credited with being the founder of the town Fairhaven – later incorporated into Bellingham.  He got the nickname Dirty Dan due to his unscrubbed and unkept self, combined with the fact that he earned much of his money doing the dirty deed of smuggling booze.  But he’s a celebrity none the less. So much so that the community even has an annual Dirty Dan festival that celebrates this founder where they dress up in old dirty clothes that would have been fashionable during the time.  Too funny!  Anyway, it was a really nice park that seems to be central to the community.  Since I was on the coastline of Bellingham Bay, I figured I’d get close to the water for a peek. Well, as is usually the case with everything Washington, parking was a nightmare so I double parked for a couple of minutes and snapped a few pics (seen at left, center right).  It was a beautiful bay!

Next I travelled south along the coast to the town of Bow where I would find this cool collection of animals in the yard of a private resident.  Known as Washed Up Creations, these whimsical creatures are made solely from materials that are washed up from the ocean.  This includes sea glass and driftwood to rocks and stones.  These creations are the work of Joe Treat – a now retired 20-year veteran of the insurance business.  He feared getting bored once retired so he took up woodworking.  Turns out, he was not very good at making things straight and square.  Then one day he found a bunch of driftwood and saw that he could turn it into an animal.  Now, his yard is filled with all sorts of creatures from a unicorn, a long necked giraffe, and even an alligator chomping down on someones arm.  Apparently, his yard changes as his art is sold.  It would seem Joe has indeed found a successful hobby to keep him occupied in his retirement years.

I continued traveling south to arrive in Burlington.  Here I would meet up with Mike Vail – owner, artist, and propriator of the Skagit Valley Bigfoot Museum.  When I arrived, I saw that it was a private residence, and didn’t really have any signs indicating it was ok to walk around.  So, I was simply observing from the sidewalk when Mike saw me and welcomed me to come on the property for a closer look. He was an absolute wonderful host and very eager to show me around his crazy world of bigfoot.  He is both a collector and an artist of all things bigfoot.  This is apparently what he does in retirement, and it was clear from his enthusiastic sharing of his collection that he is very much enjoying himself.  I got a picture of him wearing his Bigfoot mask standing next to his latest piece (at left, bottom center).  He really is a talented Bigfoot maker.  His shed turned museum is filled from top to bottom with all sorts of Sasquatch related items.  What was once a small hobby carving out ape-like creatures out of wood has turned into somewhat of an obsession.  Sort of reminded me of my Stooges collection!  Last up in town I visited this really cool children’s church (at left, top) built to resemble Noah’s Ark.  The signage on the side features Noah with a bunch of animals – but way more than two rabbits.  Perhaps that’s not the way it started?  Anyway, it’s a really cool building and a great way to get kids involved with the church.

On my next available site-seeing day I traveled west to see what I had actually come to this area to see.  From the campground I was a mere 30 miles to the entrance to North Cascades National Park.  Route 20 runs right through the park, with various stops, vistas, and overlooks along the way.  It is a beautiful national park nestled among the Cascade mountains.  The park consists of over 500,000 acres of mountainous land, made up the most expansive glacial region in the contiguous United States.  That fact surprised me as I would have thought Glacier National would have that honor. The area was designated a Forest Reserve in 1897, and despite many attempts over the decades thereafter to make it a National Park, it wasn’t until 1968 that it would become so designated. There are several mountain lakes which make for some pretty breathtaking photos (at right, center).  There were supposed to also be some waterfalls along the route, but I guess those are better seen in the spring and early summer when the winter’s snowfall is melting.  While there was a trickle of water coming down the side of the mountain (at right, bottom left), I’d hardly call it a waterfall. The visitor center was nicely built with huge beam construction and a large floor to ceiling stone fireplace, sitting in front of a glass wall with spectacular mountain views.  Check off another amazing beautiful national park from my bucket list.

Between the national park and the campground were a few other places to visit.  In Newhalem along route 20 was the Skagit Information Center.  I stopped there to grab lunch, and to see a couple of Roadside entries.  First up was this interesting open-air gazebo (at left, top right) that was inspired by the Pantheon in Greece.  It’s known as the Temple of Power and is made up of recycled electrical bushings from the Diablo switchyard. Also here is the Newhalem power plant (at left, bottom right) which is owned by Seattle Light and operates three power producing dams above the town.  There’s also lots of hiking trails in the area including this trailhead leading to the Trail of the Cedars (left, center right).  Lastly, this is the Number 6 Baldwin 2-6-2 locomotive engine that now has its resting spot here in the Cascades.  It was built in the early 1900s and was part of the Skagit River Railway – a 31 mile run between Rockport and the Skagit River Hydroelectric site.  For years, it was the only means of transporting supplies, equipment, and workers to the site.  The rail line was dismantled in 1954 as more accessible transportation options became available.  This was a fun stop with lots to see!

Final Thoughts

Once again I filled up a blog after only having visited a few places.  But as I’ve often said, there is so much to see while exploring this country, I could spend the rest of my life doing this and still not come close to seeing it all.  But, I continue to chip away at it making appreciable progress on my bucket list.  I would have thought that my visit to the Seattle area would also be included in this edition, but alas it was already long enough without that stop, so I’ll save that for the next blog.  That should include visits with family here in Washington, as well as a visist with those in the Portland, OR area.  The summer, and by extension this year’s adventure, is going by quickly. I have just over 11 weeks left of travel, out of a total of 24 weeks, before returning to the Florida home base.  So, I’ve completed just over half the trip so far.  The weather continues to be great, and both the truck and RV are performing relatively free of unplanned maintenance.  So, that’s all good!  But, lots more to see and do in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more travel blogs to come.  Till then, be well and safe travels.

I only show a sampling of my adventure pictures here in the blog, and do so mostly in collage format for brevity and ease of reading. If you want to view an album containing individual full fidelity and hi-res images of all my travel pictures related to this specific blog, click the image below. Enjoy!