Travel Day Two Nov 3, 2013

Today was a short trip to our first destination, Olympia, Washington. The wind was still blowing, but not as strong. After two passes around the Pilot Truck Stop, we couldn't figure out where motorhomes were supposed to gas up for diesel, so we gave up and headed west down the Interstate. We've never had good luck at Pilot Gas Stations. Good Sam offers a discount gas card, and we tried it last year, but even with an 8 cent discount, diesel was generally higher than other stations.

Eastern Oregon is very arid along the Columbia River. We were surprised at the green vegetation still clinging to the craggy cliffs. The wind was still blowing, which seems a constant along the river. It's perfect for wind power, and the huge windmills line the tops of the hills on both sides of the river. Still, the wind here wasn't as strong as yesterday, and we had a head wind, so the Jeep didn't get pushed sideways. Better traveling. 

We passed several barges and a River Boat making their way along the river. I want to travel on a river boat someday. It's on my bucket list.

At Hood River, the weather changed. The wind died down a bit, and the rain began. We spotted a double rainbow at the bridge. We crossed that bridge a couple of years ago, pulling our 26' trailer. Very narrow, very old, and under construction. Not a fun bridge in a big rig. 

The fall colors through the Columbia Gorge were beautiful, even on a gray day. So glad we came this way. We missed the snow on the passes and got out of Newport before the first snow hit. 

We stopped for lunch at Multnomah Falls. As many times as we've driven by, we've never walked down to view the falls. We went down for a picture op. Beautiful!

We arrived in Tumwater about 4 pm. Pulled into Alderbrook Estates - a small mobile home park that accommodates RVs short term. This will be our home base for the next couple of months while we spend time with our family here. Son-in-law Gary is facing the challenges of cancer treatment. Not a fun journey, but one we will travel with him. Prayers appreciated.

It's 8:30 am, and the sun is shining in the window. Amazing! I thought the sun didn't shine through the clouds in Western Washington. Time to get dressed and go enjoy the day!