Portland...You Dirty Funky City you.

We landed at Rover's Rest campground just outside Portland in a fog of smoke.  Forest fires have been raging since we were in Wyoming...but this was different.  We got lucky on our way into Portland because as we were driving down route 84 we could actually see the fires burning!  They literally closed the highway hours after we traversed it.  The fire ultimately crossed the road and jumped the Columbia River!  Mind blowing.  Sad thing is the reason the fire is burning is a fifteen year old threw a firework into the woods...  Due to the fire situation we ended up staying four nights instead of the intended two in the city campground.  Scott realized heading back into the woods was not wise.  I was happy.  I have been dying to see Portland.  My feelings are mixed.  Great city, super funky vibe, anything goes attitude...but the strung-out homeless contingent was a bit extreme for me. I have never in my life seen so many homeless people.  This was my first experience seeing tent cities.  There appears to be no rule as to where you can simply fall down and sleep.  Outside the famous book store,  in front of a coffee shop, completely across the sidewalk...where ever your feet stop working.  My guess is that those who live in Portland must be so used to it that it no longer phases them.  Not sure if I could get past it though...  We did however enjoy the Museum of Science and Industry.  I also insisted that we take advantage of the free Thursday evening at the Museum of Art.  No regrets.  Portland is a great place, and I would have explored more happily.  BUT we have moved on to Seattle!  Tomorrow we head back into a state park, but for the last two nights have been enjoying Seattle city camping.  (City camping just means close proximity to other campers, full hook-up and urban setting RV parks.)  Today we enjoyed a Mariner's game.  They played the Angels...and lost.  The fans here are so quiet!  VERY different from a Fenway or Astro's game.  Plus Scott and I marveled at the fact that we were able to get sushi and a vegetarian sandwich in the ball park!  We are all getting excited to visit our friends in Port Angeles in a few days.  Should be nice to eat a meal in a dining room, and hang out in a house that doesn't wiggle when you walk!

Great interactive science museum!

Family heat sensitive selfie.

Yay! Together we can build an arch.

This series speaks for itself.

Lots of fun contemporary art.

Ethan: "Hey buddy, not only do you not have a shoe to tie, but you're also missing undies.  Just sayin."

Fiona working on her assignment.

Did you think I was going to just let them walk through the museum and not do some work?

I am just in love with the woods here in Washington.

Neat little marsh hike near Mount St. Helen's.

The trees amaze me.

We squeaked in a fantastic mountain bike ride.

Go Mariner's! (Say that in a whisper if your from Seattle).

Checking out the city skyline from the stadium.

They had awesome photo opportunities!

Look at this pro-baller in the dug-out.

A little walk Scott and I took this evening.

O.K. on The Hot Springs...

Idaho was a special place that pretty much snuck up on Scott and I.  Like Texas (before we moved there) I never paid it a thought.  What a mistake it would have been to ignore this gem.  The Sawtooth Mountain range was breathtaking.  I had my most beautiful hike of my life thus far in those mountains. A little slow due to altitude and all my huffing and puffing, but well worth the effort.  I have a new shirt that sums it up," My feet are tired, but my soul is wide awake."  Our campground was on "Redfish Lake".  I highly recommend people take a trip there.  This lake was so special.  Clear waters, sandy beaches, hiking trails around and of course...surrounded by mountains.  Another great adventure that was near our site was a real "live" ghost town!  The gold rush had a very formative effect on the state of Idaho, and there are lots of prospectors still lining the edges of creeks here and there as we drove through remote mountain roads, but what the rush left behind was the echo of a wild west that sits quietly in the mountains in decrepit homes and forgotten graves.  On our way home from exploring the remnants of peoples dreams from a century ago, we stopped off in some hot springs bubbling up on the edge of a river.  What a new experience!  It's tricky to find just the right temperature "pool".  Over the years people have dammed up rock pools that mix the cold river water with the sometimes 180 degree water pouring out of the rocks nearby.  We sat and soaked in natures spa.  Then it was time to say goodbye to Idaho and hello to Oregon.  We have been just outside of La Grande at "Hotlake RV".  Yup... a hot lake.... due to more, you guessed it...hot springs!  The place is very nice.  They have a spring-heated pool so I can just walk right in! (Those who know me, know that I won't swim unless the water is warm and I am hot.  No exceptions.)  I celebrated my birthday here with full hook-up, warm clean showers, and a family movie night in bed.  We also enjoyed a fabulous farmers market, with lots of yummy produce.  Who could ask for more?  Tomorrow we head to Portland, OR.  I am so curious about this city and looking forward to further exploration.

Some parts of Idaho, I don't recommend visiting.  Like Arco, Idaho.  We never did see what's so big and sexy about those burgers.

Love how wacky this landscape is.  Difficult to find the horizon line.

We took a short boat ride across "Redfish Lake" to get to some trails on the other side.

So worth it!

Those Sawtooth really are impressive.

We scrambled down off the trail for a river picnic.  A COLD river picnic...

Not too old for a lift from dad.

Felt like these mountains were going to just tumble down.

These were a few of the unmarked graves in the ghost town.

Hundreds of souls who no longer have family come to clear their stones.  Just tourists and their imaginations.  These people lead some seriously tough lives out here.

This was our home in Idaho.  Great dry camp site.

Hot springs.  I thought I had Fiona in the shot.  Technically I did.  That's her red hat.

Check out the color of that water.  Believe it or not it could get so hot you could burn!

This was our second campsite in Idaho.  There was a kinda steep hill next to us....  BTW those pine trees are humungous!

Drive through a forest fire.  Check.  The smoke was scary.  Scott was very serious during these driving hours.

Ethan tricked me into opening his bedroom door and this drove out at me!

Farmers market finds.

How lucky am I?