June 19, 2014 - Columbia River Gorge Biennial Classic - Wahclella Falls

Here we are in Oregon for the Columbia River Gorge Biennial Classic.

After about a 40 minute drive from East Portland, we arrived in Cascade Locks. It was a beautiful drive along the Columbia River. Or should I say "gorge-ous"? We found our way to Marine Park, the headquarters for the 13 walks and 1 bike ride that make up the CRGBC.

Marine Park lies right next to the Columbia River. There is a beautiful statue of Sacagawea in the park. She joined Lewis and Clark's expedition when her son was 2 months old. She was "married" to a French trapper and was probably about 17 years old at the time of the expedition. She served as an interpreter, having grown up among the Shoshone until about being kidnapped by Hidatsa when she was about 12. Her presence let the locals know that Lewis and Clark's expedition was peaceful and friendly.

Sacagawea and Meriwether Lewis' Newfoundland dog

The registration for the walks was well-organized. They even had a greeter. In addition to registration, there were some tables where you could buy merchandise and pick up leaflets for upcoming walks.

Today we opted to join the guided 10k walk to Wahclella Falls. There were about 45 people in the group. First we had to drive about 5 miles to the Eagle Creek Campground. From that point we had a good view of the Bonneville Dam, the locks, and the old and new powerhouse.

The Bonneville Dam

The Bonneville Lock

The new powerhouse

Wikipedia tells us about the early days of the dam (with some editing by me): 

"The folk song, Roll On, Columbia, Roll On, was part of the Columbia River Ballads, a set of twenty-six songs written by Woody Guthrie as part of a commission by the Bonneville Power Administration, the federal agency created to sell and distribute power from the river's federal hydroelectric facilities. At the time, the agency was facing a controversy because several counties in Washington and Oregon had begun construction of their own dams on the Columbia, outside of the federal jurisdiction. The BPA hired Guthrie to write a set of songs about the federal projects to gain support for federal regulation of hydroelectricity.

As part of the effort, Guthrie, who was from Oklahoma and knew little about the Pacific Northwest, was driven all around Washington and Oregon to gain inspiration from the Columbia and its tributaries. Guthrie was glad he was able to tour and get a feel for the area, commenting that "these Pacific Northwest songs and ballads have all got these personal feelings for me because I was there on these very spots and very grounds before."
Of the Columbia River Ballads Roll on, Columbia,  was by far the most popular. Because of the song's message and popularity, it was established as the official folk song of Washington in 1987." 

Click below to listen:

Roll On, Columbia, Roll On

The Walk

We walked about 2.5k on a paved trail through some pleasant woods along the highway. There was one long set of stairs, so this walk was not suitable for strollers, wheelchairs, etc.

After 2.5k we arrived at the trailhead for Wahclella Falls, but first we took a detour to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery. I wish we had more time to explore this site. There was a museum and gift shop, as well as some charming historic buildings. And, of course, the fish hatchery operations. We saw very small trout in one pond, and large rainbow trout in another. We also saw a pond inhabited by huge sturgeon. It looked like they had been fed pieces of salmon. There was another place where you could go below the level of the pond and see inside one of the tanks. We saw lots of sturgeon there, and one of them was scary big. There was also lots of fish-themed art on the fish hatchery grounds.

Big cedars at the fish hatchery

A sturgeon weather vane

Sturgeon

Rainbow Trout

The trail to Wahclella Falls took us a mile down a canyon. The scenery here was splendid: moss-covered logs, ferns, crystal clear water, wild flowers. There was a fresh, balsam-y forest smell. It was a hard walk, but worth it. When I registered for this walk, it was listed as 2C. This morning it was listed as 3C, which was probably more accurate, but might have deterred me from signing up for this particular walk.

 

Wahclella Falls

A lot of people we met on the trail had dogs with them. In all but one case, they were obeying the posted leash law. There was also a woman in the volkswalk group who had a pet carrier backpack. It had a parrot in it. Really. Insert your favorite pirate joke here. 

From the falls we retraced our steps, skipping the side trip to the fish hatchery.

Roll on, Columbia!

Upon our return to Marine Park, we availed our self of the hot dog lunch offered by the Columbia River Volkssports Club for $3: a Polish hot dog, chips, cookies and a drink. It was great to sit down in the sun and look at the river.

Special thanks go to Dick B., our guide, who was very patient with me and the other slowpokes.

Walk Route: A-

Walk Instructions: C+ (It would be nice to have more detail, especially indications of the distance traveled every km or two. Putting cell numbers on the instructions was an excellent idea.)

June 14, 2014 - Trail of Blue Ice

Trail of Blue Ice

We drove down the Seward Highway to the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center in Portage Valley for a regular volkswalk on the Trail of Blue Ice. This trail is named for the blue ice that can be seen in glaciers. The trail connects several glaciers in Portage Valley including Explorer Glacier, Middle Glacier, and Williwaw Glacier.

We started at the visitor center and walked past Portage Lake on a very nice improved trail. The trail was fairly flat. The first part was paved, and then we turned onto a gravel trail to follow the Williwaw Nature Trail. We saw many lovely wildflowers along the side of the trail, especially lupine and columbine.

Columbine

We were going to turn around at the 2.5k point, which was a sign reading Williwaw Ponds.  However we missed the sign and continued past a beaver lodge until we reached a bridge and realized we had gone too far. Apparently the sign had rotted and fallen off the sign post and you could only see a remnant of it when you were coming back in the other direction.

A glacier

Bear-proof trash can

 Not finished . . .

April 7, 2014 - Honolulu (YRE)

We docked right by the Aloha Tower. We couldn't have been closer to downtown Honolulu. In fact, the ship was closer to downtown than the clock tower is.

The plan for today was to do the state capital volkswalk. We picked up the walk route right there at the clock tower. After a few blocks we reached Honolulu's vibrant Chinatown, with its exotic food markets. We bought some almond cookies at a little hole-in-the-wall bakery.

We walked past a number of historic buildings in Chinatown, then past a Chinese temple to a botanical garden. From there we walked to the YMCA where the volkswalk officially started. Our route continued past a Catholic cathedral built in 1843 of coral blocks from the harbor. The we passed St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral, built in 1867 in the English Gothic style, on the site of the home of King Kamehameha III. Polynesians have probably lived in Honolulu since 1100 CE. King Kamehameha I united the islands in 1795.(Write your own editorial here.)

Washington Place was the home of Queen Lili'uokalani from the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy until her death in 1917. It was not open to the public. I would have liked to see it after having read about it in "The Last Aloha." Shortly thereafter we passed the Queen's Medical Center, founded by Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV in 1859.

Finally, we arrived at the State Capitol building. It was built in 1968 and featured an open design with symbolic elements representing the volcanic origins of the islands, the ocean, palm trees, blue skies and tradewinds blowing through the open courtyard. I found the building confusing, unwelcoming and unattractive. I have now visited 37 state capitols. Most are some variation on the Bullfinch dome theme and clearly state "I am a Capitol." Many have an information desk and in some guided tours are offered. This building didn't even have an obvious entrance. You went into the courtyard and there was an abstract mosaic on the floor in the center, but no explanation as to what it represented. There were elevators on the sides, but you didn't really know whether to go up or down to get to the main part of the capitol. Maybe there was no main part. Signage was very minimal and we had to ask to find even a restroom, which was hidden in a back passageway. I think a state capitol building should be more accessible to the public. You should be able to easily find the legislative chambers and you should not be made to feel that the elevators and restrooms are not for public use.

We then walked past several government buildings to the Honolulu Art Museum and Thomas Square, a large park that appeared to have been colonized by homeless people. Continuing on, we saw the performing arts complex. Then we walked through a high-rent district where we saw dealerships for Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc.  before reaching a missionary house/museum (more coral blocks). Next came the Kawaihao Church, built by the missionary Rev. Hiram Bingham, whose grandson, Hiram Bingham III, discovered Machu Picchu.  Then we saw the Territorial Office Building, the Judiciary Building, and the King Kamehameha statue, honoring the king who unified the islands.

Across the street stood Iolani Palace. Iolani Palace is the only true palace in America. The 4-story Italian Renaissance building was built between 1879 and 1882.

 . . . to be continued

 

Good Night Honolulu!

March 1, 2014 - Fur Rendezvous

Today's walk began at the Anchorage Westmark Hotel where tourists were ebbing in and out like the tide, holding their souvenirs like trophies.  Our route passed by several Fur Rondy venues and several opportunities to partake of unique forms of transportation. There were dogsled rides, pony rides, horse-drawn carriage rides, helicopter rides and carnival rides. Old-time Alaska entertainment was available in the form of a fur auction, an Eskimo blanket toss, and the ceremonial start of the Iditarod. If you hung around until later in the afternoon you could see (or participate in) the Running of the Reindeer, or a vintage snow machine parade,  or the Fur Rondy Melodrama ("The AlaskAvengers vs. Dr. Despicable"), or Yukigassen (whatever that is).

It was a sunny day in the mid 30's, perfect for a nice walk downtown. Well, maybe not quite perfect. It has been a little too warm recently. The Fur Rondy snow sculptures were not in good condition. They had to truck snow in and spread it on the downtown streets so that the Iditarod dogs had the proper surface to run on.

Sagging snow sculpture

An angel in front of what was once a speed-skating Olympic moose

You could buy an ulu or a reindeer sausage sandwich. You could choose from among all kinds of fur hats, from stylish to the kind with an animal head hanging down one side.

In addition, today's walk showcased the Performing Arts Center, the Anchorage Museum, the Convention and Visitors Bureau Log Cabin, the Alaska Railroad Depot, and several other points of interest. 

The 10k option allowed you to enjoy all the foregoing, plus fabulous views of the Chigmit Mountains and the Alaska Range from the Coastal Trail and ice skaters on Westchester Lagoon.

Do come Rondy with us next year! 2015 will mark the 80th anniversary of Fur Rendezvous.

Here comes a dog team

There it goes

It takes a village to raise a child  . . . up in the air

September 26, 2013 - Hartford, CT

Kate and I did a volkswalk in Hartford today. Hartford is everything that Providence isn't.

The capitol

The state capitol building (1876) is one of the better ones. (I have now seen 36 state capitol buildings.) It is the only Victorian Gothic statehouse in the country. It is stunning and has been carefully restored and well-maintained. Try to find the pamphlet published by the League of Women Voters that offers a self-guided tour of the capitol.

Inside the capitol

The inside is worth exploring. In addition to the ornate Victorian stenciling, variety of marble, and gorgeous dome, the building contains many statues and historical artifacts. My favorite was "The Genius of Connecticut," a wonderful statue of a winged woman, the symbolic protector of Connecticut.

"The Genius of Connecticut"

There is a lot more to see on this walk. First you will walk through Bushnell Park with the Corning Fountain.

Continuing on, you will see the Old State House (Bullfinch, 1796), the State Library and Supreme Court buildings, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Butler McCook Homestead, the Hartford Public Library, City Hall, the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Travelers Tower (for many years, the tallest building between New York and Boston). "We . . . are . . . Travelers. Dum , de dum dum, dum, dum, dum."

Then you come to the urban renewal district and some recent construction. After walking over a bridge across the Connecticut River, you will have a view of the Hartford skyline and the blue onion dome of the former Colt firearms factory. Coming back via a different bridge, you will pass by a number of Nineteenth Century structures before entering Bushnell Park. You will see a nicely preserved 100-year-old carousel and you will joust with traffic as you walk under the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch (1885).

Hartford has a good vibe. If you want to see all the museums and other venues on the walk route, you would probably need three days.

Walk Route: B+
Walk Instructions: B+

September 25, 2013 - Providence, RI

RISD and some historic buildings

Our destination today was the Roger Williams Visitor Center in Providence, where we began our volkswalk. We walked through a park, past the oldest Baptist chuch in America (1648), and past the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

A beautiful roof line

We went back and fourth across the Providence River four times over different bridges.  

After walking through the Providence Place Mall we arrived at the State Capitol. It was a typical state capitol building with a rotunda and lots of marble and statues inside.

Rhode Island State Capitol

Inside the Capitol

The Library inside the Capitol

All in all, Providence was pleasant, but not particularly remarkable. It had a lot more buildings from the colonial period and a lot fewer modern buildings than I expected.  I did not come away with a feel for what this city is about. The walk directions and map were very confusing, and crossing the streets was sometimes tricky.

Leaving the city was difficult and we got lost in a maze of freeways. After looping around three or four times, we found our way out of the maze and got on the road to Hartford, CT, where we are spending the night.



Walk Route: B-
Walk Directions: C-

September 24, 2013 - Freeport, ME

Upon reaching Freeport, Maine, Kate and I embarked upon a volkswalk that took us down Main Street to the L.L.Bean "Campus." It is a lovely, well-planned campus (and is a destination for tour buses). It was fun to shop there in person. I especially liked the Home Store. I didn't buy anything because I really don't have any room in my luggage for anything else. But I was tempted.

Freeport is a very picturesque town. Even the CVS and the Hampton Inn blended in to the classic New England setting. Obviously, they take their zoning very seriously here. We bypassed a crowded lobster place at lunch time and ended up at a Chinese buffet. It was ok, but my clothing absorbed the smell of the restaurant and I did not enjoy that.  

Walking around Freeport, you would think that they invented moose here, even though we didn't see any live moose. This is of course, ridiculous. Everybody knows, or should know, that moose were invented in Alaska. However, I think they may have invented Sorels in Freeport and there were some gret Sorel photo ops there. I wanted to buy a super-cute Sorel keychain, but I din't want to spend $8 for it. My daughter, who went to college in Maine, says they are not Sorels, they are "Bean Boots."

There are a number of other outlet stores on this route and a few mildly historic buildings. It's just what you would expect to see in New England, and fall is a terrific time to visit.

Walk Route: B
Walk Instructions: C