HANK CRAMER SANG SONGS TO US ALL ABOUT THE LEWIS AND CLARK STORY, SOME SONGS WERE THE ORIGINALS FROM THE EXPEDITION DIARIES

ON OUR BALCONY

TAKEN FROM OUR BALCONY....MT. HOOD, IN THE DALLES, OREGON

WELCOMING COMMITTEE, AND THE "SHERIFF" WE WERE GIVEN A BAG  WITH THINGS TO SEE IN THE DALLES...VERY COMICAL

GATEWAY TO THE DALLES, RIGHT BY OUR SHIP

FROM THE TOP OF THE BLUFFS, WHERE WE VISITED AN ART MUSEUM CALLED "MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART"

IN FRONT OF THE MUSEUM....THERE WERE WINDFARMS ALL ALONG THE TOPS OF THE BLUFFS, FOR MILES

 THERE WAS AN EASEL SET UP IN THE MUSEUM FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED TO DRAW THAT THERE GUY OVER THERE....SO YUP, I DID.

HERE ARE A COUPLE PICS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CHESS SETS...OVER A HUNDRED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.  click to enlargee

CLICK TO ENLARGE

OUTSIDE SCULPTURE...WAS SURPRISED WHEN I WALKED AROUND IT, REALIZED THAT THE STATUE WAS MADE OF MANY  "SLICES" OF THIN METAL

AS I WALKED AROUND IT, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED

MT. HOOD IN THE DISTANCE

SAM HILL WAS A CRAZY, WILD, IMPULSIVE ENTREPRENEUR WHO  LEFT THE LEGACY OF THE ROADS ALONG THE COLUMBIA...(all others said its not possible, even tho there were railroads).  OUR GUIDE SAID THAT THIS IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE SAYING, "WHAT OR WHERE THE SAM HILL, ETC".....HE HAD THIS STONE HEDGE MADE NEAR THE ART MUSEUM

BEAUTIFUL DAY, DOCKED RIGHT BY A HUGE PARK....WE DID A TWO MILE WALK ON THE TRAIL.  RIVER IS VERY COLD, ALTHO WE SAW A FEW PEOPLE WADING, AND KIDS PLAYING IN IT...MANY PLEASURE BOATS, PADDLEBOARDING, ETC.

SACAJAWEA PARK AND INTEROPRETIVE CENTER

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LINDA IN A DUGOUT CANOE

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BROWSING IN THE CENTER...INDIAN ARTIFACTS....AND FACTS

THIS TRIP TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO POST, SO I WILL ONLY POST A FEW PICS A DAY...WHICH WILL PUT THE ORDER MESSED UP...SO EXCUSE THAT.,

SISTER`IN`LAW, LINDA KANGAS, AND I TOOK A TREK OUT WEST LAST WEEK (6/2019)
WE WENT ON A COLUMBIA RIVER CRUISE FOR 8 DAYS, ON A "PADDLEWHEEL" SHIP...LIKE THE OLD DAYS, EXCEPT WE WERE ALL MODERNIZED, OF COURSE.  WE FLEW TO SPOKANE, SPENT THE NIGHT IN A HOTEL WITH THE REST OF OUR PASSENGERS, AND WERE TAKEN TO CLARKSTON WHERE WE EMBARKED ON THE SNAKE RIVER...WHICH JOINED THE COLUMBIA.  99 PASSENGERS, ROOM FOR 110.
WE HAD TWO LOUNGES, WITH SNACKS AND JUICE, WATER, POP ALL THE TIME, PUZZLES, BOOKS AND WIFI IN THE LIBRARY...FRESH COOKIES PASSED OUT TWICE A DAY, A HISTORY LESSON EACH DAY, AND A PROGRAM AT NIGHT, WHERE THEY PASSED OUT ROOTBEER FLOATS AND HOT FUDGE SUNDAES! (ERP!)

ALMOST TO OUR SHIP BELOW...AWESOME SCENERY

GETTING OFF THE BUS TO EMBARK

THIS IS IT....MANY PLACES TO SIT OUTSIDE, TOP DECK, SIDES, BACK, WE HAD OUR OWN BALCONY

SPOTTED MANY OSPREY NESTS ALONG THE RIVER

AND PELICANS, EAGLES TOO

WE WENT THROUGH 8 OR 9 LOCKS, NOT SURE ON THE COUNT...THE LOCKS CONTROL THE   IRRIGATION IN EACH AREA, AND THE LAND PRODUCES MANY VEGETABLES,  WHEAT, SOYBEANS, APPLES, PEACHES, POTATOES, CHERRIES, GRAPES, ETC. IT'S CALLED THE "BREADBASKET OF THE WEST"  FOR MANY MILES, THE LAND WAS MORE DESERT LOOKING, UNTIL WE GOT INTO THE COLUMBIA GORGE AREA.  THERE WERE MANY TRAIN AND VEHICLE TUNNELS ALONG THE RIVER .

INSIDE THE LOCK, THE WATER BEGINS TO DROP...SOMETIMES OVER 100 FEET.  YOU CAN SEE THE DARK LINE WHERE IT'S BEGINNING

ALONGSIDE EACH DOCK IS THE DAM, AND FISH  LADDER FOR THE SALMON.

WATCHING THE OPERATION WITH LINDA

GATES ARE OPENING...

YOU CAN SEE HOW FAR DOWN IN THE LOCKS WE ARE BY THE DARK COLOR OF THE WALLS

SOME WATCHERS ON THE UPPER DECK

Bruce Tikkanen, Pete , Paul,  lowell Torola, me...at Portage golf course

lydia Heinonen, kaylie Halonen, Miranda Hendrickson, Kiira Berg

                                         ZION SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC LAST WEEK
                                          (Click to enlarge)

GREAT DAY AT LAC LABELLE CAMP

MARGIE AND BRIAN HELMINEN CLAN

Taken at our camp in Lac Labelle...naming the maiden names:

LASANEN, HALONEN, PARKS, ANTTILA, KANGAS

next row:PALOSAARI, HAATAJA, TOROLA, ANDERSON, KIILUNEN

front:ANTTILA, STUROS, ISAACSON

Russell and Katrina Helminen, Kevin, Maggie and Lily

All the way from Alaska