ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL PNW

Columbia Gorge Waterfalls--The Historic Columbia River Highway, old US-30

12/23/2020

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You can access The Historic Columbia River Highway, old US-30, off I-84 from

Exit 17 through historic downtown Troutdale
Exit 18 south past Lewis & Clark State Park
Exit 22 south up the NE Corbett Hill Rd
Exit 28 (eastbound) to E Bridal Veil Rd (Bridal Veil Falls will be to the west on the Historic Hwy)
Exit 35 the exit for Ainsworth State Park/Dodson; east of there, US-30 and I-84 are the same until Mosier, except for some business routes through towns like Cascade Locks

I recommend traveling west to east on the old Hwy 30, as it is narrow, winding, and the north side declines precipitously from the ledge-like edge of the road.

I took exit 22 up NE Corbett Hill Rd for another look at Vista House. Corbett is an easy-on-the-eyes farming community up the hill from Troutdale OR. The residents love where they live.

https://www.corbettoregon.com/
https://www.corbettoregon.com/kerslake-farms/ 100+ yr old family farm, slide show
https://oldmcdonaldsfarm.org/ kid activities/programs at Old McDonald’s Farm

Since it was on the way, I turned out at the Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint. Wow! I’m so glad I did. Even though it was a rather rainy, blustery day, it’s a stupendous view of the Columbia River Gorge, including Beacon Rock and Vista House. There’s a small parking lot, accessible information and interpretive exhibits, drinking fountain, benches.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=119

Traveling onward in the quest to reach Vista House is a small pull-out with a nice little outlook, just west within sight of Vista House. VH was closed and barricaded for COVID in 2020. The prospect of the Gorge from parking or walking around VH was still marvelous.

https://vistahouse.com/
https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=108 says flush restrooms are accessible; slides show accessibility of Vista House parking and ramp, but not the restroom
https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=_siteFiles%2Fpublications%2FVistaHouse_Brochure_web095533.pdf brochure w/map of falls further on & their amenities (inclu ADA features)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooOzC9IcG6I&ab_channel=PippiPeterson 5 min video of traveling the Columbia River Gorge, including waterfalls & aerial views of Vista House

Excellent video "Water Falls Along the Historic Columbia River Highway" by John Williams’ “Accessible Adventures” posted October 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE2CLnkVSVo&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=ForestService

8 min video “King of Roads, the Historic Columbia River Highway” for the centennial in 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx98p6uEdOA&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=JohnHardham

3 min video “Day Trip! The Columbia River Gorge”, views of the gorge and waterfalls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrMrOgU4fyo&ab_channel=dailyemerald

US Forest Service Virtual Ranger--Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area videos

https://www.facebook.com/watch/crgnsa/

I visited

Latourell Falls/Guy W. Talbot State Park
Bridal Veil State Scenic Viewpoint (parking lot)
Wahkeena Falls
Multnomah Falls
Horsetail Falls

Latourell Falls/Guy W. Talbot State Park
There can be a little confusion about Guy W. Talbot State Park and Latourell Falls. There’s an upper and a lower part of this park. You might be led to take NE Latourell Rd/NE Park St. down to the little community of Latourell, to the state park picnic area there. And it’s a nice place for a picnic, especially for a group or on a hot day: lots of trees, room to roam and run, picnic tables, kitchen shelter with electricity and water (when the drainage is fixed). The web page below says there are flushing toilets, and the upper part of the park has a vault toilet, so the flushing restroom must be at this lower part of the park. They are not marked accessible. Street parking is somewhat limited, but the website says it is not a much-used park. A local I met there said that the grassy open space across from the park belongs to it, so you could park there according to him. There’s a paved trail, but it looked too hearty a hill for me to try on my own in a manual wheelchair.
To see the falls, go a little further on old Hwy 30, right by the quaint old bridge is a parking area, picnic tables, vault toilets, interpretive signs, trails (mostly not accessible), a nice accessible viewing area of the falls.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=112

Bridal Veil State Scenic Viewpoint (parking lot)
I wasn’t going to stop here because my information at the time said it was not accessible. Yet since I was going right by, I decided to pull in. The falls aren’t accessible by wheelchair, but apparently a viewpoint of the Columbia River is (.5 mi), and the restrooms as well. Right by the parking are picnic tables in a grassy green--not a lot for the popularity of the place.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=107 includes slides of accessibility

Wahkeena Falls
I was delighted by the accessibility at Wahkeena Falls, upgraded 2014. Steps still climb the steep slope to the viewing area for those who want the workout, but now there is also a picturesque accessible ramp up. One of the interpretive signs still requires stepping up to it, or magnification to scope it out. Through the trees as you roll/stroll up the paved path you can glimpse the falls, but then from the view platform you can see the falls and the rush of the stream as it goes right by. When I was there in 2020, they had the viewing area and parking across the road barricaded off, probably to limit visitors because of COVID-19.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=29996 link to a 5 min accessibility video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIQjG_Q3gps&ab_channel=ForestService 5 min video (above)

Multnomah Falls
Reviewed at https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/columbia-gorge-or-i-84

Horsetail Falls
You can see Horsetail falls up close as you drive by on old Hwy 30, but it is so worth pulling into the parking and crossing over to the accessible picnic and viewing area. True there are still steps down to the pool at the bottom of the falls, and the trail up the steep hill is an impossibility for a wheelchair, but enjoy your stop and stay awhile. A large interpretive sign tells about nature around the falls.

Virtual Ranger 5 min video Horsetail Falls trail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbgLNYwFkh0&ab_channel=ForestService
See also https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=29934

Interestingly, US-30 is the 3rd longest highway in the US—over 3000 miles from Astoria to Atlantic City NJ. Its Oregon portion is the longest road in the state of Oregon: 477 miles. There’s the section from Astoria to Portland, the Portland area, and from Portland to the Idaho border just east of Ontario. The section through the Columbia Gorge was designed to showcase the waterfalls and other scenic wonders and was built 1913-1922, named US-30 in 1926. While much of US-30 now coincides with I-84 along the Columbia River, the most scenic portions are now called The Historic Columbia River Highway and are owned by Oregon. With the construction of I-84, parts of old Hwy 30 were destroyed, and Oregon is restoring undrivable portions of it as the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. It's paved and quite a bit of it is wheelchair accessible, though may require a helper for a manual wheelchair. Preciptation may further limit wheelchair safety on the trail.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=77764 Waterfall Corridor
https://www.oregon.com/attractions/historic-columbia-river-highway a few points of interest
https://www.aaroads.com/guides/us-030h-or/ around Biggs Junction
http://www.gribblenation.org/2019/12/us-route-30columbia-river-highway-old.html part 1 history, part 2 drive details & photos of the Historic Columbia River Highway in the Gorge, part 3 drive details & photos US-30 Astoria to Portland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Columbia_River_Highway more details and history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_30_in_Oregon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_30

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Columbia Gorge--OR, I-84

12/15/2020

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The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area begins at Troutdale OR in the west and runs 80 miles along I-84 to Biggs Junction, 20 mi east of The Dalles. I-84 and Hwy 30 are a little like the river itself, sometimes running the same course, sometimes separating, only to rejoin further down the road. Read about the interesting connection between I-84 & Hwy 30 and their history at

Here are places along I-84 through the Gorge going east:

Troutdale—exit 17
Lewis & Clark State Recreation Site and the Sandy River Delta—exit 18
Rooster Rock State Park—exit 25
Benson Lake State Park—exit 30, eastbound
Multnomah Falls—exit 31
Ainsworth State Park—exit 35
Bonneville Dam—exit 40
Eagle Creek Rec/Fish Hatchery--41
Cascade Locks—exit 44
Herman Creek Campground/Trailhead--abt 3 mi east of Cascade Locks on Hwy 30
Wyeth Campground—exit 51
Starvation Creek –exit 55
Viento State Park—exit 56
Mitchell Point Overlook—exit 58
Hood River—exits 62-64
Koberg Beach State Recreation Site—exit 66
Mosier—exit 69
Memaloose rest area/State Park—exit 73 (11 mi west of The Dalles)
Mayer State Park—exit 76 to the north, across the RR tracks
Rowena—exit 76 to the south
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center—exit 82
The Dalles—exits 83-85 (also 82 and 87)
US-197 (Dufur, Bend)—exit 87
The Dalles Dam—exit 88 (also 85)
Deschutes State Park, Celilo Park—exit 97
Biggs Junction, US-97 (Yakima/Bend)—exit 104

Car-free travel in the Columba Gorge

https://columbiagorgeexpress.com/ all buses lift equipped,
https://columbiagorgeexpress.com/transit-connections
https://www.columbiagorgecarfree.com/ “Explore the Gorge by foot, bike, bus, t rain”

Troutdale OR—exit 17
Traveling I-84 what you see of Troutdale is the Columbia Gorge Outlet Mall, but if you take exit 17 and explore a little, you’ll discover some delightful spots. From NW Frontage Rd, take Graham Rd up the hill to E Columbia River Hwy and turn east to quaint and historic downtown Troutdale. The Depot Rail Museum is at the east end of that, at 473 E Historic Columbia River Hwy. Next to that is Depot City Park. For more parks in Troutdale and nearby, see links below.

Or, you can take exit 18, go south past Lewis & Clark State Rec Site on Columbia River Hwy (day use)

Oxbow Regional Park reviewed at https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/oxbow-regional-park-oregon

     Troutdale is on the west side of the Sandy River. On the east bank of the Sandy River is Lewis & Clark State Recreation Site . . .

Lewis & Clark State Recreation Site (day use)—exit 18, go south
     Summer splashers in the stream of the Sandy River meet your longing look as you drive south of I-84 on the Historic Columbia River Hwy (US-30). That’s on the right. On the left you’ll see vehicles parked along the road, and what appears to be a parking lot that was blocked when I was there. A sign shows species of fish that can be caught also swimming in the stream. Folk with fishing poles walk along the river looking for likely spots.
     A bit further south is the official sign for the Lewis & Clark State Recreation Site. It’s a welcome sight with green grass, shade trees, picnic places, paved parking, paved trails (some rather narrow and not exactly flat), and great interpretive signs about Lewis & Clark, Native Americans, and native species. There’s a flushing restroom and water faucets. There’s a large field for running and roaming.
     While I was there a pick-up truck came with a bed full of grocery bags of food. A man appeared to be handing them out to grateful people. A couple of those people took advantage of the faucet to wash hair. It’s a day use area, so later I asked a person I met on the trail along the river whether the people lived there or just came for meals. She wasn’t sure, but didn’t think they lived there. A roll of TP in the bushes along the river might be from picnickers or other persons.
     A paved path along the river is accessible if crossing the road with care. It’s a nice stroll/roll. It has some hills, not extraordinarily strenuous, but enough to give a workout. There are some steps down to the beach, but there is an area not so steep, though not necessarily a wheelchair way.
     A little south beyond Lewis & Clark Rec site a bridge crosses to the west into Troutdale and along that side of the river is the Glenn Otto Community Park with a swimming beach, forest trails, picnic shelters & a playground. At that intersection on the east bank of the river is an historical marker about the Sandy River from 1792 and on.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=116

Sandy River Delta (day use)—exit 18, go north
This is a US Forest Service fee area, a popular dog walking and hiking area. The parking area is packed, but a person I talked to said that there are enough trails they are not crowded. “Five miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails offer year-round recreation. East of the buck and rail fence, a closed Wildlife Habitat Zone supports migratory birds and wildlife.” “Confluence Trail - A 1.25 mile gravel ADA trail leading to an eliptical bird blind designed by Maya Lin, made possible by our partners at Confluence Project. Please leash dogs with 100 feet along this trail. The bird blind, comprised of black locust slats, list all the species encountered by Lewis and Clark during the 1904-1906 Corps of Discovery expedition. Listen to Confluence's audio tour” on the site:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=29976

Accessible vault toilets, no potable water.

Viewpoint/Historic Marker Broughton’s Expedition—milepost 23, Tunnel Point; westbound only
Also called Corbet Viewpoint, about 20 mi east of Portland

Rooster Rock State Park (day use)—exit 25
A great gathering place, or to take the family for a day to picnic & play in the river or playground, enjoy natural beauty, learn a little history about Lewis & Clark, or just take a potty break. It does cost to park. When I’ve been there was plenty of parking during 2020 COVID cares, but it may be different through a regular hot summer season. The park is a long stretch along the river with tables and grills almost close enough to touch the water. If you do want to touch it, there are stairs down to the beach. Drinking water and somewhat accessible flushing restrooms take care of necessaries. Additional amenities include trails, disc golf, windsurfing when the winds come sweeping down the gorge. The site says it has accessible fishing and boat launch. There are reservable group picnic shelters with extra tables in the open, and horseshoes.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=126

Benson Lake State Park (day use)—exit 30, eastbound only
This park was closed whenever we traveled on I-84 in 2020. Amenities indicated on the site are: picnic, flush restrooms, swim, exhibits, and accessible fishing. There’s a day-use fee. See

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=106

Multnomah Falls (day use, restaurant)—exit 31, watch for it on the left
     Multnomah Falls is tremendously popular and for good reason, both for beauty and ease of visiting. Because of that it was closed for much of 2020. When the Lodge was open again for dining in, I took opportunity to go. The decrease in crowds for COVID created a greater opportunity for photography. As a paraplegic, having forgot how steep the access, I thought I could just go on my own. I was very fortunate that people were so kind as to offer to push me up those hills even to the Lodge and to the lowest level of viewing area.
    Park Rangers had a small booth open at the Lodge during COVID restrictions, but with great maps and advice about the gorge and the most accessible waterfalls. The gift shop was full of beautiful and fun things. I really enjoyed the chili & jalapeno cornbread and wasn’t disappointed in trying the homemade clam chowder. You can also get food outdoors at the snack bar, and outdoor tables are nicely situated and pleasant. The Lodge has an accessible restroom on the west end. Access to the restaurant is an elevator in that end. The restrooms in the restaurant are not accessible.
     A grassy island in the parking area has a gazebo of tourist info for the state, including pamphlets you can take, with a plea not to litter. If you aren’t interested in keeping it, please return it to where you got it.
     An excellent video done by John Williams, “Accessible Adventures” below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVp04izP2TU&list=ULeNHJxWfcjeU&index=156&ab_channel=ForestService
See also https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=30026
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd575269.pdf favorite map, shows amenities
http://www.columbiarivergorge.info/maps.html map PDFs of the Gorge
https://columbiagorgetomthood.com/maps-columbia-river-gorge/ more maps, attractions, etc.
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/gateways/1102

Ainsworth State Park (camping & day use)
—exit 35
Ainsworth is not a large park, for day use it has picnic tables along Hwy 30, a restroom, and drinking water. I was frustrated that it was closed for so long in the summer of 2020, but when I was able to access it, I could see why. The fire damage of the season was up close and personal. It’s not the first time the gorge has been closed for natural disaster, such as fire and landslides from sogged out soils. Camping is normally available.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=105

From exit 35 you can access the Historic Columbia River Highway, Hwy 30 east or west. I don’t recommend going west on it, because it is narrow and the downside is very close and in need of shoring up and repair.

https://www.oregon.gov/odot/regions/pages/historic-columbia-river-highway.aspx

Bonneville Dam (day use)—exit 40
I have been anxious to compare the dams on the Columbia River from the Oregon side, the Bonneville Dam in particular, to the Washington side for years, but the Oregon dams (I should say Visitor Centers) have been closed pretty much all of 2020. I’ll have to continue waiting for a chance. In the meantime, here’s some info to plan a visit https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/bonneville/

Eagle Creek Rec/Fish Hatchery (day use & camping)—41
Eagle Creek Recreation and fish hatchery were fenced off. When they open again, it will be a great place to visit. Looks like it’s a popular place, so hopefully there’ll be a chance..

Cascade Locks (day use & camping, hotels & restaurants)—exit 44
Cascade Locks is a tidy little town of about 1200 population. It identifies itself as the Heart of the Gorge. From here you can cross the Bridge of the Gods north to Washington State, travel east or west on either I-84 or the Historic Columbia River Highway (US-30), ride the Sternwheeler riverboat on a tour up the river (with or without dinner), hike/bike various trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail, camp, boat, fish, or take a sweet little honeymoon/weekend away. Of course, there’s more than one way to get most anywhere, but exit 44 is the most direct route to Cascade Locks off I-84, even if it doesn’t seem so. http://www.cascadelocks.com/ has links to a couple short videos (Grant’s Getaways).
The Marine Park near the embarkation point of the Sternwheeler has a fun playground, picnic tables and shelters (it can be windy), a group pavilion, lots of room to run, statuary (including Sacajawea and Seaman of the Lewis & Clark team—Sacajawea is depicted for a bit modern penchant). While you await your trip upriver you can check out the Visitor Center gift shop and the Locks Waterfront Grill.

https://portofcascadelocks.org/sternwheeler-columbia-gorge/

If you live in a wheelchair, some of those activities are limited. The neat old Historical Museum is not wheelchair accessible. When we rode the Sternwheeler there was no way to get us on the upper deck, so it was not really a pleasant ride or easy view of anything from the bow of the boat. We were not on a dining cruise, so the dining room was unpeopled, but it looked like it would be far too crowded for a wheelchair to maneuver. Naturally during COVID that might be different, but the views would still be very disappointing, unless things have changed since we went several years ago.

Cascade Motel Cottages & Studios http://cascadelocksmotel.com/accommodation/
Bridge of the Gods Motel & RV Park https://www.yellowpages.com/cascade-locks-or/mip/bridge-of-the-gods-motel-rv-park-8117571
Best Western Plus Columbia River Inn https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-cascade-locks/best-western-plus-columbia-river-inn/propertyCode.38130.html

 Herman Creek Campground—about 3 miles east of Cascade Locks on Hwy 30
Less than 3 miles east of Cascade Locks, Herman Creek Campground is a small spot for camping/horse camping and a superb hiking trail. “A parade of waterfalls, innumerable moss-carpeted creeks, a sub-alpine lake and ridge top vistas offer a variety of scenery for the equestrian or hiker.” It was closed in 2020 when I went.

Wyeth Campground (day use & camping)—exit 51
At the Wyeth Trailhead there’s a picnic table, vault toilets marked accessible, information signs, and flat paved walkways easy for a wheelchair. It would be a pleasant little picnic and stroll/roll. The campground was closed for COVID when I was there in 2020. It’s small and popular, so you have to reserve early. Only 2 sites are first come first serve. Best suited for tent camping the site says, but claims flush toilets and 10 accessible camp spots.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=30008

Starvation Creek State Park (day use)–exit 55, east bound only
This was such a happy discovery—what a joy and a delight! It’s a small park with a small parking area, picnic table by the parking, informative signs about the area and the details of trails (map, vertical trends, etc), accessible flushing restrooms, and a pretty waterfall and stream that are closely accessible with a little help and includes 2 picnic tables in view. There are further paved trails, including the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, that I’d love to explore another day (it’s only a mile on an accessible paved trail to Viento State Park). For a manual wheelchair you should bring a helper; it can be kind of a stiff climb. Link below includes a link to a great brochure, and a great detailed map.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=122

Viento State Park (day use & camping)—exit 56
With a name like Viento (wind), this park reminds one of a characteristic of the Gorge that some love (windsurfers, for instance), and others not so much. For access to the river and RV camping, go toward the north campground and day use area. For tent camping and accessing the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. “Viento State Park is also a trailhead for a universally accessible 5.6-mile section of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.” It’s only a mile to Starvation Creek State Park.
Park amenities include flush toilets and hot showers, 2 ADA campsites (though there are several flat ones in the RV campground), and some with nice river views. There’s a playground as well, generally firewood for sale, and interpretive signs. The website says you’ll have a better chance of finding a place to camp here than other area campgrounds are full.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=123

Mitchell Point Overlook (Wygant State Park, day use)—exit 58
Don’t overlook this overlook! It’s a terrific view of the Columbia River, and has informative interpretive signs. The road up the hill is rather narrow for 2-way traffic, but maybe not impossible if the vehicles aren’t too wide. Two trails begin here. The beginning of Wygant Trail is wide, flat, and paved, a part of the old Historic Columbia River Highway. You’ll see it to the right, blocked to cars, as you get close to the parking lot. After the initial accessibility, Wygant trail takes a turn at switchbacks for a steep ascent and views for those that are able. The Mitchell Point trail is considerably shorter, with “incredible” views of the river, but it’s quite steep right from the parking lot, not as wide or paved. There’s a vault toilet in the parking lot, marked accessible.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=125

Hood River (day & night venues, restaurants & hotels)—exits 62-64

Take exit 62 to get to the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. It is worth checking Google maps before you go: it’s not an easy straight-forward way there, and not an excess of road signs to comfort your heart as you keep going and going and going. But once you get there, you will be ever so glad that you did! Exceptional views of both Mt Hood and Mt Adams are just the beginning of the rewards. There’s picnicking, room for kids to run, various events (when life is normalized), vehicles to look at before you even go inside. Right away you’re in the good-sized gift shop, with an area for eating off to the right. You pay for your ticket(s) and go on inside to be awe-struck by all the antiques—not “just” cars and airplanes, but all sorts of vehicles and items from bygone eras. Just when you think you have seen it all, there’s a whole other area to see. That other area is quaintly bordered like an antique town. The usual monthly events were cancelled due to COVID in 2020, so finally we just went to see what we could see. It just so happened that the National Guard flew in from Spokane that day, and we were able to get a look into their helicopters and ask questions of the pilots. Not a bad consolation prize.

https://www.waaamuseum.org/

Another day another “we” went out to get a better chance to check out the Waterfront Park. Previously we happened on a day when an event was occupying all the space, and it was impossible to find parking, though we were able to drive out The Hook and see the windsurfers get out on the water. Waterfowl also swim there. It’s a gravel road, but there are some picnic tables and a porta potty (not accessible). That’s the west end of the waterfront park. The east end is the marina, with its park and the Hood River County Museum.

The Waterfront Park is a family friendly place with a playground, picnicking (including reservable picnic shelter), wide paved trails, sheltered swimming beach, well-used accessible restrooms, amphitheater for events. Across the street are restaurants/breweries. I recommend reservations, as we were unable to get any reasonable wait time for dinner.
The next closest place to eat was Riverside, at the Best Western Hood River Inn. The only waterfront restaurant, it does occupy a privileged and popular position. It was dark when we got there so we couldn’t see the view of the river, though the decks were lighted, had outdoor heating, and were not uncomfortable. Without reservations, we did have a wait. Of course, they could not accommodate as many hungry humans as usual because of COVID restrictions in 2020. Lots of burgers were on the menu, as well as pastas and seafood. Our dinner was very good. The friendly waitress kept us supplied with delicious bread as we waited at the table they were finally able to give us. As an appetizer we had the garlic-rosemary fondue with pita wedges, grilled asparagus & broccoli. Our entrees were fish (cod) and chips in substantial portions, and a pasta dish with an Italian sausage. We were too full for dessert. Only one restroom was set aside for the disabled, and it was not at all wheelchair friendly. I was fortunate that a gas station convenience store with a useable restroom was within rolling distance.

http://riversidehoodriver.com/

One of the most well known of the Hood River adventures is the Mount Hood Railroad, with its scenic rides and events. In ordinary years you can take an excursion in spring when all the orchards are in blossom, experience a pretend train robbery, ride a mystery train, or feel the magic of a Christmas train.

https://www.mthoodrr.com/

The other most famous of things to do in Hood River is to drive the Fruit Loop. Local orchards sell their fruit fresh and juicy (some U-pick), as well as various crafts, activities, and events—in the fall many have apple tasting, and cider, so you can find the varieties you can’t live without. Various varieties of peaches and pears are popular in their seasons. A friend told me not to miss the alpacas: Draper Girls Country Farm (has a petting zoo) and Wy’East Vineyards have them?

https://hoodriverfruitloop.com/

Columbia Gorge--WA, Hwy 14

12/4/2020

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What’s to see along the north side of the Columbia River? You can travel Hwy 14 east from Vancouver, WA 180 miles along the Columbia. Also called the Evergreen Hwy, it’s a winding, picturesque road (especially in Fall), used by a number of commuters at the western end. Here are some places to stop/explore:

Vancouver USA
Transit options
Camas-Washougal
Steamboat Landing Park
Capt. William Clark Park
Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Mt. Pleasant
Cape Horn & Prindle
St. Cloud
Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Skamania & Sams Walker Day Use Area & Trail
Beacon Rock State Park
Pierce National Wildlife Refuge
North Bonneville & Dam
Bridge of the Gods (to Cascade Locks OR)
Skamania Lodge & Columbia Gorge Interpretive Ctr
Stevenson
Places further west on Hwy 14 to be added later.

Vancouver USA
I have already posted some about the Vancouver area:

Vancouver City and Esther Short Park https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/esther-short-park-vancouver-wa
Vancouver Waterfront Park, Vancouver Lake Regional Park, Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/saturdays-and-other-days-in-the-parks
Fort Vancouver, w/Pearson Air Field & Museum https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/fort-vancouver-wa

Transit between Fisher’s Landing Transit Center, southeast Vancouver, east as far as Stevenson, Carson, Dog Mountain—WET bus, public Transit 509-427-3990

Camas, WA—14 mi east of I-5, on Hwy 14

Downtown Camas is quaint, with tree-lined streets and public art, lots of little shops, cute little restaurants, and the Liberty Theater, where you can see Classic Retro films for only $5, Ballet/Dance/Stage to Screen for about $15, and (UK) National Theatre Live/Opera about $18.

A friend and I ate at Tommy O’s—their Coconut Crunchy Shrimp was crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, surpassingly delectable; their Buddha Bowl was lovely and luscious; their plate of Island Favorites: pork belly fried rice and Kalua Pork was also good (curry macaroni salad was a bit dry). We had a pleasant dinner at an outdoor bistro table. Tommy O’s is the ground floor of The Camas Hotel, which looks like a handsome historic place for a honeymoon or anniversary, but is not wheelchair accessible. https://www.tommyosaloha.com
Camas has some great parks and connecting trails

https://www.cityofcamas.us/parksfacilities/parkslocate
https://www.cityofcamas.us/images/DOCS/PARK_REC/REPORTS/2015camas_trailmap_hi.pdf
Lacamas Lake (Heritage Park) and Lacamas Park reviewed at https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/saturdays-and-other-days-in-the-parks
Crown Park—15th Ave & Everett St., shady picnic, playground, tennis courts, outdoor swim; see photos

You can travel to Camas-Washougal by bus from Fisher’s Landing transit center in east Vancouver on C-Tran bus #92. https://c-tran.com/routes/92-camas-washougal

Washougal, WA—17 miles from I-5, Hwy 14
Camas and Washougal melt together so that they share the Port of Camas-Washougal.

https://portcw.com/parks-trails/ Picnic & play at the picturesque and thoughtful parks at the port, with great views of Mt. Hood and the sunset, reviewed at
https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/saturdays-and-other-days-in-the-parks

A nice little video to watch about Washougal at http://www.downtownwashougal.com/
“Lewis and Clark camped just down the street in 1806. Pendleton has operated their woolen mill here for over 100 years.” I took the kids on the tour of Pendleton Woolen Mill a few years ago, and it is really worth going. It can be loud, so prepare as needed. The small Two Rivers Heritage Museum is just across the way. See

https://www.pendleton-usa.com/pendleton-heritage.html and
https://www.pendleton-usa.com/mill-tours.html includes a 4 min video.
https://2rhm.com/ (Two Rivers Heritage Museum)

Steamboat Landing Park—about a half mile from Port of Camas-Washougal, Hwy 14
I wanted to check out the fishing pier here, as well as the restroom. The entrance is across Hwy 14 from Washougal River Road. The parking area is rather rough going for a manual wheelchair. From the parking area there’s a small steep hiker’s trail up to the Lewis & Clark Heritage Trail (Dike Trail). Or, you can walk on a paved trail under the highway from Pendleton Woolen Mill and it will take you up to join the variously named trail on the Columbia River dike/levee, from which you can get to a deck overlooking the Columbia River, a part of the park. I’m not sure a wheelchair can get to the deck. The ramp down to the fishing pier can be very steep, so if in a wheelchair, bring a helper.

Capt. William Clark Park—about 18 miles from I-5, Hwy 14; exit south on the roundabout at 32nd St.
This is a great place for a group gathering (group picnic shelters & volleyball standards, grills & charcoal disposal, accessible trails & restrooms, beside fishing). “Both picnic shelters at Captain William Clark Regional Park have four 6-foot picnic tables, a charcoal barbecue grill, spigot with cold running water, a large countertop for food preparation or serving, electrical outlets and a garbage can.” There are also single family picnic sites right along the river, and what looked like an outdoor foot shower to wash away the sands. For history buffs, this is a site the Lewis & Clark, Corps of Discovery, stayed for 6 days on their way home, and it includes some historic canoe replicas.

Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge—about 19 mi from I-5, Hwy 14
Just beyond Washougal is the Steigerwald refuge. Access Recreation has done a great review of this place, including a 5 min video.

https://www.accesstrails.org/Phase_1/Steigerwald_Lake_NWR/Steigerwald_Lake_NWR.html

Although the trail is rated “easy”, when I took the kids on a summer day a few years ago, with my manual wheelchair, I couldn’t make it without their help and really needed an adult pusher. The gravel path just ate up my energy. It takes a long stroll/roll to reach the cottonwoods, let alone beyond. See also:

https://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147563140
https://www.cityofwashougal.us/273/Steigerwald-Lake-National-Wildlife-Refug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6-yYkT84XI&ab_channel=BlueTurtleProMedia 2 min video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaHriCCHWqE&ab_channel=U.S.Fish%26WildlifeService 2.5 min video w/commentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poESTS1xdio&ab_channel=ClarkCoWa 3 min video w/commentary

Mt. Pleasant—about 4 mi east of Washougal
I’ve been intrigued many times by the sign to Mt. Pleasant, and finally turned off to see the old Grange building. It’s hardly off Hwy 14. It has seen better days and better ways. There’s an historic marker there. Just up the hill part way is the old cemetery. More interesting info:
http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/mount_pleasant.html

A Great Video done by John Williams’ "Accessible Adventures" covers
Steigerwald
St. Cloud
Sams Walker
Drano Lake (fishing) and Little White Salmon Fish Hatchery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLr0Jt8UmAU&ab_channel=ForestService

Cape Horn & Prindle—about 25 miles from I-5, Hwy 14
Hwy 14 barely, narrowly rounds a bend and offers a slim pull-out at Cape Horn, to look east up the Columbia River. It’s a spectacular view both below and beyond, if you don’t miss it and you can fit in, or gaze momentarily as you go by. Below the highway are the Cape Horn Falls and Cape Horn Oak View Overlook, that you can access from the Cape Horn Trail. The trailhead is another mile and a half beyond the pull-out, north on Salmon Falls Rd within sight of Hwy 14 (park at Salmon Falls Park & Ride, a bus stop). It’s not a trail for the disabled.

Less than 2 miles past the Cape Horn trailhead is the old Prindle School on the south side of Hwy 14. It’s a cute little historic one-room schoolhouse you can see from the highway as you pass. “Prindle Park is a county-maintained park with picnic facilities and a playground.” (Wikipedia, Skamania County, WA)

http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/prindle.html
https://roadsidethoughts.com/wa/prindle-xx-skamania-stories.htm for history buffs
http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/twilight_the_movie.html for “Twighlight” movie fans

St. Cloud—30 miles east of I-5, Hwy 14 (easy to miss, turn south & cross RR tracks)
This is a pleasant place to picnic on a summer day with kids: we took balsa wood planes, balloons, and bubbles. The apple trees provide shade for the picnic tables (apples that are left to their own devices are not that tempting), there’s room to play Frisby, or other running games. A compacted gravel trail leads to blackberry vines (ripen around August). An accessible vault toilet proffers privacy.

Franz Lake Wildlife Scenic Viewpoint—about 2 mi east of St. Cloud, Hwy 14
Literally just a wide spot in the road, this viewpoint is worth making the stop, if you can pull over. It has a very nice accessible deck, interpretive signs, a bench, and a view of the Franz Lake Wildlife Refuge. Bring binoculars if you are a birder. If you have a train lover with you, you almost couldn’t get any closer as it passes by below.

Skamania & Sams Walker Day Use Area & Trail—about 33 mi east of I-5, Hwy 14
Immediately after the Skamania sign, coming from the west, you can take Skamania Landing Road south across the RR tracks a quarter mile to parking and the 1 mi accessible Sams Walker trail. There’s a picnic table, accessible vault toilet, wildflowers, and view of Horsetail Falls across the Columbia River.

Congestion is a relative term, and just before entering Skamania you are cautioned to lower your speed to 45mph. Just past the bridge, after Skamania Landing Road, on the north side of the road is Cape Horn Estate, an event venue with indoor and outdoor facilities, including the renovated 100-year-old Cape Horn Grange.

https://capehornestate.com/

A few feet further east down the road is the Skamania General Store/Beacon Rock Cafe, with picnic tables, repurposed old school bus, mailbox, and bus stop. From Hwy 14 that’s all there is to Skamania, the rest of town is uphill on the local roads, north of the highway.

Beacon Rock State Park—34/35 mi from I-5, Hwy 14
     Take Doetsch Ranch Road about 34 mi from I-5 (abt a mile before the ranger station) for the flat part of Beacon Rock State Park. It’s wonderful for wheelchairs: 6 accessible restrooms, drinking fountains, 1 mile of nice wide paved flat trail (though roots have lifted some ugly bumps), a day-use kitchen shelter with water and electricity, lots of accessible family picnic tables on cement pads, informative signs about Lewis & Clark, natives and native plants, ice age floods, etc. From the trail look up to great views of Beacon Rock. The boat launch/moorage area has tent camping with RV camping near.
     On the south side of the highway, across from the ranger station, is a covered picnic table, then the hiking trail up Beacon Rock (not for the disabled), and the public restrooms with 15 min free parking (cool old CCC architecture), and some interpretive signs. The handicapped stall of the restroom was marked out of order every time we checked, but I measured it from the outside, and it seemed plenty roomy to maneuver with a chair (roughly 60”x68”).
     Up the hill from Hwy 14 is the older picnic area with a playground and restroom, and further up the hill are the upper group picnic shelter and outside tables (the restroom there is not accessible to wheelchairs), the campground, the hiking trails, Little Beacon Rock. Some of the campsites are accessible, but not sure about restrooms there. Drinking water available.
     Group camping and horse trails are up Kueffler Rd just as you get to the ranger station on Hwy 14.

Pierce National Wildlife Refuge—35 to 36 mi from I-5, Hwy 14
Next to Beacon Rock on the east and mostly between Hwy 14 and the Columbia River, is the Pierce Wildlife Refuge, managed by the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is 329 acres of “wetlands and uplands along the north shore of the Columbia River [a couple miles] west of the town of North Bonneville.” You can only view it from afar (such as from the top of Beacon Rock, possibly the Hamilton Mtn. Trail—a bit too much for my wheelchair to explore) or by arranged group tours.

North Bonneville & Dam—about 38 miles from I-5, Hwy 14; Dam at milepost 39
Saturday the 9th of July, in 2016, I decided to go tour the Bonneville Dam, but as I came to North Bonneville WA I happened upon their Gorge Days celebration (generally the weekend after the 4th)—what a happy accident! Wow! A car show, quilt show, Japanese Taiko drummers performing, food & craft vendors, fun bouncy house & inflatable slide, Bigfoot Scavenger Hunt, library book sale, firemen with a sense of humor . . . wonderful old trees with huge arms branching out, nice wide flat sidewalks. Amazing for a town of only about 1000 population . . I had to drag myself away, but dam I had to go!
A ho-hum photo can be the miserable approximation of an astounding experience in person. Such is the power of a dam. The machinery of the dam dwarfs your presence, then the fish and lampreys right against the window inches from your face, the fish displays and murals, displays and diagrams of the workings of the dam and fish ladders, the Native American exhibits . . . What a Day!

https://northbonneville.net/visitors/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Bonneville,_Washington history of the town, built along with the Depression Era dam

Bridge of the Gods—3 miles east of Bonneville Dam, Hwy 14
Connecting WA State Hwy 14 with I-84 on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, this toll bridge facilitates traffic for recreation, trucking, and commuters. The interesting story of the legendary name of the bridge can be found below:

https://portofcascadelocks.org/bridge-of-the-gods/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_of_the_Gods_(modern_structure)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBs3SzOfRLU&ab_channel=RVerTV 10 min video, Bridge of the Gods at 2.5 min to 9 min.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGdVhWc82I&ab_channel=CharlieDeanArchives 9 min historic footage of the 1928 construction of the bridge with the rapids below it—before the dams were built in the 1930s. Note the guy in the rowboat in the river 150’ below, just in case a worker lost his footing. Note how different the Columbia River looks . . . not nearly so massive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeuhOoN_4sA&ab_channel=TheWhimsicalWoman 13.5 min video of hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail crossing the Bridge of the Gods, 1st 3 min. On-coming semi—scary!

Stevenson, Skamania Lodge & Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center—45 mi from I-5, Hwy 14
Before you get to Stevenson proper, turn north on SW Rock Creek Drive. Skamania Lodge will be to your left on SW Skamania Lodge Way. Skamania Lodge is an impressive, beautiful building, and the center of quite a complex, including the Cascade Dining Room, Skamania Lodge Adventures, golf, pool, spa, fitness center/loop, lots of trails—175-acre resort. Off-season prices are pretty reasonable. They even have a mobility accessible tree house with roll-in shower (not inexpensive).

Lodge https://www.skamania.com/?utm_source=googlemybusiness&utm_medium=organic
Resort https://www.skamania.com/columbia_river_gorge_hotel/
Zipline, Aerial Park, Axe Throwing https://zipnskamania.com/

Across SW Rock Creek Drive from Skamania Lodge is the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center (not to be confused with the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles OR). Drive a little further east to reach the parking lot. There are outdoor exhibits (including a locomotive car able-bodied persons can peer inside, and a toy train toddlers can climb into), picnic tables under the protective shelter of the entrance (most welcome on hot summer days, or wetter ones), and architecture evocative of the Pacific Northwest, the Gorge in particular. Inside are soaring spaces, children’s activities, gift shop, accessible restrooms, wheelchairs to borrow, wifi, 2 theaters, and the exhibits: antique cars, Native American history, the Lewis & Clark journey, model forts of the area, pioneer life, trains, logging, mining, shipping on the Columbia, steam machines, tools, fishing/huge fishwheel, bi-plane, quilts, antique organ & pianos, rosary collection, Chinese furnishings, old schoolhouse items, photos of wildfires, model fire lookout . . . a fulfilling experience.

http://www.columbiagorge.org/

From the parking lot of the Interpretive Center you can walk the quaint Mill Pond Trail around Rock Cove into town and the Skamania County Fairgrounds--Stevenson is the county seat of Skamania County, which includes Mt. St. Helens on the west and a slice of Mt. Adams on the east, Swift Reservoir on the Lewis River, and is bounded on the south by the Columbia River from Mt. Pleasant (across from Vista House, OR) to White Salmon (but not Trout Lake, north of it). Much of the county is part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, with plenty of recreational opportunities.

City site https://cityofstevenson.com/
City parks http://ci.stevenson.wa.us/government/public-works-department/parks/
Rock Creek & Cove http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/rock_creek_rock_cove.html
Port of Skamania County Parks https://portofskamania.org/our-parks/
Skamania County https://nwtravelmag.com/guide-skamania-washington/ and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skamania_County,_Washington

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Newport OR, Beverly Beach, & the Devil's Punchbowl

11/28/2020

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I saw them standing together for the gold and green fall, their heads in a romantic mist—tall evergreens and their more changeable partners--as we traveled through the Oregon Coast Range. Too late in the evening, and no place to sit for a photo on the sidelines of the highway, I could only try to sketch the picture into my memory’s book. We had traveled south on I-5 from Portland (about 1.5 hours) to Corvallis, then headed west on Hwy 20 (another hour) to get to Newport, OR.

Newport in November might not be the first thought for a coast vacation, but the plan was to take advantage of the Oregon Zoo membership’s reciprocal arrangement with other zoos, aquariums, and safaris. The aquarium in Newport was the offered venue for November. Unfortunately, due to lost revenues in 2020 because of the COVID crisis, they didn’t give us the promised discount. A timed ticket was required, which meant limited visitors and improved photo ops.

A brief list of Newport’s things to see and do:
https://discovernewport.com/play

The Oregon Coast Aquarium—our experience below
The Hatfield Marine Science Center—was closed; for more info (including a 2 min video) see https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/visitor-center
South Beach State Park--what we saw and didn’t below
Yaquina Bay State Park & Lighthouse—discussed below
Historic Bayfront—part of our report below
Nye Beach—from our perspective, below
Don (& Ann) Davis Memorial and other local parks—described below
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area and historic lighthouse—a sight to see, below
Agate Beach State Recreational Site--below our hotel
Beverly Beach State Park—between Newport and (Depoe Bay) Lincoln City
Devil’s Punchbowl--we checked out on our way home (looping through Lincoln City)

We stayed at Best Western Agate Beach, and ate at their on-site restaurant, which two I’ll review at bottom of this post, and mention a few nearby options for traveler's necessaries, and the Chalet Restaurant & Bakery.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium
     Though the early November sky threatened rain, the rain held back as we toured the outdoor area. It wasn’t quite the weather to make us wish we had a picnic to eat at the tables on the grounds, and as we left the wind bid us good-bye, but we had a great experience, even with COVID adjustments. I was glad enough to have a helper for the packed gravel paths, which are not too hilly, but in aggregate energy eaters.
    Outdoor habitats host harbor seals, sea otters, birds of various feathers in the aviaries. The aquarium evokes awe as you walk a viewing tunnel through shark and ray infested waters, ocean habitats like “Halibut Flats”, “Orford Reef”, magical jellyfish tanks, all complemented by beautiful sea life murals. Rocky Shore Touch Pool was closed for COVID. The ample gift shop was full of wonders of nature and art, books, clothes, stuffed and toy animals, and memorabilia. Outdoor lights were set up for an evening holiday event they hoped for. Looks like we just missed their temporary re-closure. https://aquarium.org/

South Beach
     As we explored the South Beach area by car, we found the Hatfield Marine Science Center was closed. I wanted to find the public fishing area near the bottom of the bridge over the bay, but it’s a bit hidden in an industrial area. The crabbing pier is behind the Rogue Ales & Spirits building. Park and walk or roll with your gear, or just to look. A restroom and catch cleaning site is right there almost under the bridge.
     Drive under the bridge to the west side, where there’s a little picnic area with a nice view of the bridge and bay, and on to SW Jetty Way for views of the water and waves crashing the jetty, as well as the beautiful bridge. You drive along the north border of South Beach State Park, which you can hike to, but for driving access go south of town on Hwy 101 to S. Beach State Park road. The park has a hospitality center, accessible camping (including yurts), trails, picnicking, viewpoint, wildlife viewing and flush restrooms. Near the campground are horseshoes and playground, firewood for sale, kayak tours. Not so accessible: 9 hole disc golf course, beach access, fishing, dump station. See https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=149 including photos, amenities, brochures, map, and a couple great 2 min informative videos.

Yaquina Bay State Park
     Just on the north end of the bridge watch carefully for signs of how to get to Yaquina Bay State Park. This is a day-use area offering flushing restrooms (marked as accessible), picnicking (some covered, most uncovered), beach, and a lighthouse (wasn’t open Nov 2020). Next to the restroom is a nice map sign of the area and a reminder to clean up after pets. Nice ocean views and informative signs make a memorable visit. For more info, including tide tables & whale watching, see

Historic Bayfront
     Opposite side of Hwy 101 from Yaquina Bay State Park is the Historic Bayfront district. This combination of working commercial fishing harbor includes shopping, restaurants, exhibits (like Ripley’s Believe it or Not), boardwalk and benches, marina, and more. Parking is at a premium. There are public restrooms, no doubt popular; I advise bringing your own TP and wipes. This is one of 3 touristy treks in Newport: https://discovernewport.com/shop

Nye Beach
    Don’t believe every sign that directs you to Nye Beach, NW 3rd Street ends in a very uncomfortable dead end. OK for walkers looking for an overlook of the beach below. But for parking (if you’re lucky, when it’s nice), take NW Beach Drive off NW Coast St. There’s a public restroom, picnic tables, beach access for able-bodied, Newport Visual Arts Center (temporarily closed). The road is a one-way U and passes the famous Chowder Bowl and other restaurants. It’s a steep hill, and not much parking for its popularity. Nye Stay offers close accommodations, as well as the following:

Don (& Ann) Davis Memorial and other local parks
     There’s more to this park than at first (or 2nd) sight might admit. It has a gazebo, cobblestone path, beach access, sitting area. The satellite map looks like the path down to the beach is possibly paved. It’s across from the Newport Performing Arts Center one way, and a take-out the other direction. Just around the bend of SW Elizabeth St. are a couple primely positioned rental homes I’ve always been drawn to. And just south down SW Elizabeth St are
Elizabeth Oceanfront Suites
Shilo Inns Newport Oceanfront
Hallmark Resort Hotel
     Just around the block from the Davis Park is Coast Park with a playground (100 SW Coast St), and a 4 min walk from there (.2 mi) is Mombetsu City Park, a small Japanese garden. For more info about Newport City Parks, see https://newportoregon.gov/dept/par/parks.asp

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area and historic lighthouse
     The accessible tide pool is pretty well sanded in, the ranger informed me. The Interpretive center was closed Nov 2020 for COVID, but I’ve toured it before, and it is definitely worth going to see. The weather was just stormy enough to create crashing and splashing waves, making me more determined to come to the coast for a winter storm watch. Hope the weather won’t be too good or too bad Jan 2021!
     An accessible vault toilet stands in the parking lot of the lighthouse area. Paved paths offer nice views (bring your binoculars). Not many people were there Nov 2020 to interrupt the dramatic view of the lighthouse. The nice wide, paved path to the lighthouse has interpretive signs. Even if you can’t climb the stairs to the top, it’s another worthwhile wheel or walk out to the lighthouse, and the decks there.
     It can be a bit confusing that both lighthouses in Newport are named Yaquina . . . one is at the bay, one at the head. Don’t miss either. https://discovernewport.com/lighthouses includes a .5 min video from the top. Click on the link to Yaquina Head Lighthouse, then click on the satellite view of the map, zoom in as close as you can, and see the amazing 3-D image of the cliffs and ocean—it’s a WOW experience!

Agate Beach State Recreational Site
     Down at the beach below Best Western Agate Beach, on NW Oceanview Dr. is Agate Beach State Recreation Site. A tiny bit of parking is right on NW Oceanview, but drive a bit further north to Agate Beach State Wayside east of the road, where there is a restroom (site says accessible flush), more parking, picnic area, grassy room to run for kids, and a tunnel under the road to access the beach. Google map says it’s a sandy spot for clamming and surfing. The Ocean to Bay Trail goes through there. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=152

Beverly Beach State Park
     This was a great family reunion site several years ago. Some of us stayed in a yurt. It’s not for everyone, but there is just about something for everyone here. 3 campsites and 6 yurts are accessible. There are flush toilets and showers, firewood for sale, group camping, yurt meeting hall, RV facilities, playground, reservable picnic shelters-- not all available during COVID restrictions. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=164

Devil’s Punchbowl

Picnic tables in a grassy area with trees and shrubs, paved paths and ocean views with interpretive signs, restroom, limited parking. A very pleasant place to picnic or play a board game in nature. The site says the restrooms are flushing, but not accessible. Across the street is Mo’s Seafood & Chowder (closed for winter), Flying Dutchman Winery, and Cliffside Coffee & Sweets if you forgot your picnic.
https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=156
http://www.moschowder.com/mos-west-menus/
http://www.dutchmanwinery.com/
https://www.cliffsidecoffeeandsweets.com/

Best Western Agate Beach, with Sea Glass Bistro & Lounge
https://www.agatebeachinn.com/
     Some years ago I stayed and ate at this hotel, just before it was renovated. I had quite a list of suggestions, so I was interested to see how the hotel had been changed. The basic hotel design was not changed. There was still a substantial carpeted ramp to get up to the ADA rooms, all on the main floor (no ADA upper rooms, and the non-ADA rooms have wheelchair inaccessibly narrow bath doors). The halls by the elevators have comfy chairs with nice views. The pool was available by reservation (because of COVID restrictions), and we didn’t have time to go in to see it more closely.
     The bistro food was much improved and not as expensive (though not inexpensive). My helper had the steak, and I had the toasted shaved prime rib & cheese sandwich. The beef was tender and delicious. My helper enjoyed the pancake stack the next morn, but I had brought my own favorite oatmeal mix and hot chocolate for breakfast. The restaurant is still only accessible by an ugly old elevator the staff have to work it for you, and the tables with picturesque views are inaccessibly down stairs.
   I believe I had the very same room I’d had before. It now had a nice décor and was a comfortable stay. I was glad for an ADA 2-queen accommodation, since I needed a separate bed for my helper.   Thankfully the appliances were updated. The armoire had a lowered bar, beside the usual iron & board, and luggage rack. Once you train your eyes to look past the lower roof, the view from the sliding door was not bad. The balcony was tiny, but offered a bit of security from somehow falling out the slider if open. You can drive or walk around the back of the hotel to get to the beach access.
     The bathroom was acceptable for me, with a tub and lots of bars (not all necessarily useful), though there was not a lot of maneuver room to get into the tub past the toilet. A fold down bench was provided in the tub: could be helpful for some. I had to have my helper get the handheld shower down for me. I was able to stretch to reach towels. The tub side was not quite 15” high, 24” wide, and 14” deep, with a nice shape.
     A fold down bar system was helpful for me to transfer on and off the toilet. The TP roll was difficult to reach on the wall behind the toilet. A splashguard behind the toilet could remedy the obvious problem of people with a bad aim. The toilet was a little more than 17” high.

     Next to Best Western Agate Beach is a Walmart, and a person with able legs could walk over from the upper parking lot of the hotel (back of the store). But the hotel is on a hill, and a disabled person would need to drive around. Safeway is just .6 mi south, across the highway from the hotel, and Fred Meyer is .7 mi south, also just across the highway. Both are in shopping centers. A previous stay in Newport I tried out the Chalet Restaurant & Bakery, in the same area as Safeway, and the food and décor gave me a pleasant experience. https://www.chaletrestaurantnewport.com/

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Cottage Grove to California-- S. Oregon on I-5 and Hwy 199

10/29/2020

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I was on an adventure to connect with the Redwods (see https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/redwoods-california ) and Crescent City ( https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/crescent-city-its-coasts ) from Portland OR, so naturally I had the opportunity to journey through Southern Oregon:

Cottage Grove
Gettings Creek Rest Area
Roseburg--see post 8-6-20 https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/crater-lake-fish-the-rogue-wildlife-safari-roseburg-or
Canyonville OR
Wolf Creek (Inn)
Applegate Trail Interpretive Center
Manzanita Rest Area
Grants Pass OR
Kirby OR
Cave Junction OR & Oregon Caves
Rough & Ready

Cottage Grove OR—128 miles south of Portland,
off I-5 (abt a 2 hr drive unless you catch traffic ills)
Cottage Grove is the southern tip of the fertile Willamette Valley that prompted travel on the Oregon Trail, and pretty well peopled the Pacific Northwest—at least until there were gold discoveries. Several times I’ve seen a sign about Applegate (one branch of the Oregon Trail) information at a Cottage Grove exit. I had a chance to take that exit on my trip to visit the Redwoods and Crescent City. Unfortunately, it was the back way in, and 6 miles from the city itself. I suggest taking exit 174 straight on to Gateway Blvd and follow it until it meets Main St, then turn right onto Main Street. The Veterans Park has the interpretive signs about the Applegate (Oregon) Trail. It’s on W Main St and River Road.

The Cottage Grove Museum is just 3 blocks from the Veterans Park: take North H St off N. River Road. https://www.cottagegrovemuseum.com/
The Bohemia Gold Mining Museum is across the street from Bohemia Park (South 10th St) https://www.bohemiagoldminingmuseum.com/
Oregon Aviation Historical Society (2475 Jim Wright Way) https://oregonaviation.org/welcome/ includes a video

     As I wheeled around the Veterans Park and environs, I met a local who said that Cottage Grove area is for bike riding. She also directed me to follow the paved walk from the Veterans Park (through the covered bridge) north behind the police station, to a cute little unnamed park with parking and a picnic table. She suggested continuing east from there, but curbs became a problem. One of several fantastic murals is in the little square at Main & 7th street, restrooms as well.
     But south of Veterans Park (across Main St) along River Road is Riverside Park. Continuing south along the picturesque Coast Fork Willamette River (and people fishing it) .2 mi further is Prospector Park, .4 mi from there is the Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge you can walk or roll through (manual wheelchairs might need a helper on the ramp).
    There are more parks, free parking areas, a speedway http://www.visitcottagegrove.com/outdoor-recreation and a state airport. Hotels are handy, restaurants ready, and shopping convenient enough as you come off the freeway as well as in the historic part of town (though some of the older parts of town suffer from business booming near the freeway). More recreational info at https://www.cgchamber.com/outdoor-recreation/ Here’s a 1 min video the city has done.   The two rivers mentioned are the Coast Fork Willamette and the Row River.

Major Parks in Cottage Grove https://www.cottagegrove.org/cd/page/parks

Bohemia Park—amphitheater, events, for details & amenities see https://www.eugenecascadescoast.org/listing/bohemia-park/9201/
Trailhead Park (Row River Trail)--Has a gazebo and some unwalled shelters, not much else. The Row River Trail starts at the south end of the park at Main St (a block east on Main St is Lulu’s car wash, which has a dog park behind it. South of Main on 10th is Bohemia Park). I didn’t find a website for Trailhead Park in particular, but about the trail see http://www.visitcottagegrove.com/row-river-trials
Kelly Field--is, of course, a baseball field, interestingly the site of a scene in the 1920 Buster Keaton Film “The General”. See https://www.eugenecascadescoast.org/listing/kelly-field/7634/
Coiner Park-- 1319 E Main St, play structures, picnicking, shade trees, basketball courts, gazebo, events, photo looks like a restroom; for fun fotos, see https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x54c1304c80e7a039%3A0x4d17c0c3d4e57836!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipM0wFZ923koNSfZtWP-z5SrSInYujvywNo-Bb7t%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5scoiner%20park%20cottage%20grove%20oregon
Gateway Park--looks undeveloped on Google maps
North Regional Park--Cottage Grove Disc Golf Course, further development in the works
Row River Nature Park--details & amenities at https://www.eugenecascadescoast.org/listing/row-river-nature-park/9629/

If you have more time to spend in the area, nearby lakes offer more recreational opportunities:
Dorena Lake to the east—take Row River Rd along the north side of the lake to find Rat Creek Bridge, Row River Recreational Trail, Harms Park, and on to Dorena (further exploration left to the reader). To drive along the south side of the lake, take Shoreline Dr/Government Road for Schwarz Park on the west end of the lake, Baker Bay Campground & Marina on the south side, Vaughn County Park and Bake Stewart Park on the south end of the lake, and further south is Dorena and beyond.

http://www.visitcottagegrove.com/rv-parks-campgrounds

Cottage Grove Lake to the south—take London Rd along the west side of the Lake, to Lakeside Park. Cottage Grove Reservoir Rd, off London Rd, goes along the east side of the lake, to Shortridge Park, Pine Meadows Campground, a primitive campground, and Wilson Creek Park.

Blue Mountain County Park, SE of Cottage Grove, is not associated with a lake, but offers hiking and picnicking in a beautiful setting. For photos, description, and directions, see https://www.eugenecascadescoast.org/listing/blue-mountain-county-park/9572/

Gettings Creek Rest Area—just north of Cottage Grove OR
If you don’t have time to stay over in or around Cottage Grove this trip, and just need to make a pit stop, this can be your spot. I had time to check out one more stop as it was getting dark, at Gettings Creek Rest Area. One of the two restroom buildings was open and accessible, and they had a room set aside for a disabled person and companion. At least one covered and one uncovered picnic table was accessible and on pavement; a regular drinking fountain and a lowered one attempted to suit anyone’s needs. An information gazebo had nothing about the Oregon Trail, but considerable tourist information.

Canyonville OR—200 mi south of Portland, 100 mi north of the OR/CA border, pop about 2000
     As I drove south on I-5, on a sudden I saw a sign about Applegate info, and took the exit to Canyonville. A Google search and a call to the local Pioneer & Indian Museum furnished me with directions to Pioneer Park (E 5th St & Canyon Ave), where the highway department has built an attractive open structure to house excellent information about the Applegate arm of the Oregon Trail.
It’s a really inviting park for a picnic and play, and the fun annual Canyonville Pioneer Days the 3rd weekend of August (in ordinary years) “...an old‑fashioned, small‑town festival featuring a parade, live entertainment on stage, barbecues and pie auctions, cake walks and bingo, car shows, frog jumps, tugs of war, lawn mower race, a craft show, an antiques and collectibles show and dances.“ The park also has an amazing cross section of a grand old Douglas Fir (9 ft diameter, 142 years old when Columbus discovered America, and would build a 3 bedroom home).
       It probably makes more sense to go to the museum first (exit 98, then turn west on SW 5th Street). It’s free, but a donation is much appreciated. The museum is a complex of several buildings. Because of limited time I was only able to visit the main museum, as well as see the outdoor displays. They have utilized every inch of the main museum in clever and pleasant ways. The volunteer working there was so very nice and accommodating. https://www.pioneerindianmuseum.org/p/homepage.html
     Canyonville City Hall has an information kiosk (250 N. Main St).
Stanton County Park has picnic tables, fire rings, pavilion, horseshoes, swimming, restroom, trails, fishing, boating, campground (tenting as well as complete RV amenities), showers. Exit 99, then go east of the freeway. https://www.co.douglas.or.us/parks/view_park.asp?index=4&features&cnt
Canyonville is home to 7 Feathers Casino resort http://sevenfeathers.com/
     South of Canyonville I passed over the 2020’ pass twice in 2020.

9.5 min video pub 2015 Grants Pass to Canyonville
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgIa-gs3I8c&ab_channel=InterstateKyle

“We live in a world
that is full of beauty,
charm and adventure.
There is no end
to the adventures
we can have
if only we seek them
with our eyes open.”
―Jawaharial Nehru

Wolf Creek—20 miles north of Grants Pass
exit 76 off I-5
Wolf Creek is an historic village with the 136-year-old Wolf Creek Inn: a welcome reprieve along the stage coach route. You can still book a room there, as did Clark Gable and Jack London. The following website includes videos

Applegate Trail Interpretive Center
exit 71 off I-5
The Applegate Trail Interpretive Center, Sunny Valley OR, is just 14 miles north of Grants Pass. It wasn’t open when I came through. In ordinary years they have an annual reenactment (flyer would be on first site below). In sight down the road is the covered bridge.

Manzanita Rest Area
Not far, literally up the road from Grants Pass is the Manzanita Rest Area. The grass was lush and green, mushrooms flourishing, oaks spreading their limbs for lovely shade and drops of acorns. There were picnic tables (including accessible on a paved pad), paved paths, accessible restrooms (one building with really nice accessible restroom and another building with a disabled stall that is not wheelchair friendly). Interesting historic markers, and informational signs about the Applegate (Oregon) Trail, all delighted me.

Grants Pass
Grants Pass is not a small town anymore. It’s a small city of about 40,000, with a lot to offer, and more in the offing. On the way south you can take off I-5 at the exit that says 99 to 199 and go with the flow. On my way north I took comfort in the easy-to-follow signs to I-5. I saw historic downtown on the way down, and up and coming city life on the way up. I was impressed by the way they are able to complement their historic heritage and yet provide prosperous prospects. For excitement Roseburg Downs has horseracing, Hellgate Jetboat Excursions offers a number of options on the Rogue River, from 2 hours to 5 hours, some with brunch, lunch, or dinner https://hellgate.com/ I didn't have time to stop for photo ops, but here are some great resources if you want to plan a trip to the Grants Pass area.

Hwy 199
From Grants Pass to the California border, Hwy 199 takes you through the dry forests and scrubland of Josephine county OR. People in this county appreciate fire fighters, as they have seen no shortage of wildfires over the years. From O'Brien OR the road climbs up to Collier Tunnel (2100’ Google says). The OR/CA border is just north of that tunnel. An agricultural checkpoint hopes to deter risk to California's agriculture from pandemics introduced via produce from other areas.
Here’s a good 12.5 min video of the ride from Grants Pass to Crescent City https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nIJK1VVmAs&ab_channel=RobertMerz
History buffs check out
http://www.webtrail.com/history/index.shtml
Kerbyville (or, just Kerby)
27 miles SW of Grants Pass on Hwy 199
This is the only place I know you can buy golden cron. They’re not ignorant rubes, nor prone to mistakes (as I would be in painting a big sign): the advertisement is repeated on more than one sign. Clever attention-getter (north end of town). The other place in Kerby that caught my attention was their Museum. It was closed, but the little log schoolhouse complete with bell, the Victorian home with a long low building reminiscent of a carriage house, and the sign about freedman crystals, all piqued my interest. I saw a ramp that indicates at least part of the museum is accessible. It’s right on the highway.

Cave Junction OR—30 miles south of Grants Pass, Hwy 199
Cave Junction is on the Illinois River (where its two tributaries meet), and just SW of town is the Illinois River Forks State Park with picnicking, disc golf, fishing, vault toilet, and a short walking trail. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=71
On the map it looks like Cave Junction Jubilee Park, a couple blocks east of Hwy 199 on E. Watkins Street, has a nice playground, and a cool skate park.
Although it’s a small town of about 2000, because of the tourist trade, you can find Italian, Chinese, Gyros, DQ, sausage dogs, natural foods, Subway, Mexican, homestyle American, and a choice of coffee places to soothe your tummy's disgruntle. If you’re in need of other services, among those offered are a laundromat, groceries, banks, churches, NAPA auto parts, RadioShack, etc.
Interesting history (gold discovery in the Illinois River) as well as info about the area in the links below. The ironic name of the Illinois River is explained at last.

Oregon Caves
Cave Junction is so named for the junction with Hwy 46, which provides a way to the Oregon Caves. However, check the website below to find out closure status, and check Google Maps about road closures. Oregon Caves is not accessible for several disabilities.
https://www.nps.gov/orca/index.htm includes a 5 min video

Great Cats World Park
A couple miles south of Cave Junction is an 11 acre park of 17 species of exotic big cats, guided tours, demos, complimentary wheelchairs & strollers, group rates, field trips, traveling show, photo shoot opportunities, and events (Halloween & Easter Egg Hunt). See their site and their facebook page about closures/re-openings. Their website is fun to look at whether you can go in person or not.

Rusk Ranch Nature Center
For a little more gentle exploration, barely north of Great Cats World Park is the Rusk Ranch Nature Center. “Located in the beautiful Illinois Valley of Southern Oregon, we offer kids and families an interactive learning environment to learn all about nature as well as recreational activities for everyone to enjoy! Butterfly Pavilion, Hummingbird Garden, Nature Discovery Play, Volunteer Days, Workshops, Youth Programs, Internships. Wildlife Preserve and Meadow available during events.” http://ruskranchnaturecenter.org/

Rough and Ready—between Cave Junction and the California border with Oregon, Hwy 199
"Rough and Ready" is a good name for the next several places you’ll pass going south on Hwy 199 toward Crescent City CA. Always at the ready for the rough work of fighting forest fires are the smokejumpers. Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum is 5 miles south of Cave Junction.

http://www.siskiyousmokejumpermuseum.org/ and
https://www.facebook.com/siskiyousmokejumpers/ , and
next to that is Captain Drake’s Family Aerial Adventures offering flying lessons https://www.captaindrakesfaa.com/

Rough and Ready Creek, where Rough and Ready Forest State Park (Botanical Wayside) offers a half mile accessible trail to a vista with one picnic table. Don’t be misled by the word “forest” . . . it’s rather scrubby (scrub lands) with forests in the distance. Those who want to hike further can, see

O’Brien OR--about 8 mi south of Cave Junction OR https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Brien,_Oregon the southernmost community 'til the Oregon border (5 miles) on Hwy 199. Apparently populated by about 500 independent-minded folk. I could not find the name of the little saphire blue lake between Waldo Rd and town along Highway 199. From the map I would conjecture it's a small reservoir.

And that's the reservoir of my knowledge aquired on the road and in internet mode, about Southern Oregon from Cottage Grove to California,
traveling I-5 and Hwy 199.

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Crescent City & its Coasts

10/21/2020

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Skies can be blue, foggy, cloudy, rainy, or stormy by turns along the Pacific Ocean. I spent a weekend in Crescent City and her coasts the end of September 2020, to see the Redwoods and this seaside city. It would have been a wonderful way to spend a week! I saw and did so much that I had to make 3 posts out of the excursion. Here's the link to my post about the Redwoods, https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/redwoods-california , and soon I'll add a post about going home through Southern Oregon.

Of course I could not see all that Crescent City has to offer in so short a time, but I got very enthused and here are some of what Crescent City and its environs have:

Crescent City

Ocean World aquarium
Visitor Info/Chamber of Commerce
Beach Front Park
B Street Pier/view of Battery Point Lighthouse
3rd, 4th, 5th street views/beach access
S. Pebble Beach Dr/Brother Jonathan Park
Skate Park
Del Norte County Historical Society
Elk Valley Casino
Enderts Beach Rd/Crescent Beach & Overview
Hotels
Restaurants

Travel south from Crescent City & return

DeMartin Beach Picnic Area
Lagoon Creek Picnic Area
Trees of Mystery
Klamath CA
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park to Crescent City on Hwy 101

Hwy 101 on the north end of Crescent City has

Lake Earl
Tolowa Dunes State Park north of Crescent City
Lake Tolowa

Heading north on Hwy 199 toward the OR/CA border

Gasquet
Panther Flat Campground
Botanical Trailhead
Grassy Flat Campground & Madrona River Access
Patrick Creek Campground & Patrick Creek Lodge
Collier Tunnel Rest Area
2020 Wildfire Fire Damage

Crescent City struck me as a place with all the benefits of a coastal California vacation but “far from the madding crowd,” at least while COVID is still a concern. Maybe it’s not glitzy enough for some, but I was impressed with its really wondrous ocean access, as well as having the Redwoods nearby. There are beaches to play on, rocky ocean-scapes to marvel over (or walk, if you can), history, hotels, restaurants to tempt the taste, more to explore . . . My hotel had a visitor guide from the Crescent City/Del Norte Chamber of Commerce that was full of great info on places to see, things to do, history, hotels, restaurants. It gives the ocean fishing seasons, river fishing seasons (what you might catch when), highlights of different communities in the county, info on parks (national, state, county), the 2 lighthouses in the county, hiking trails and scenic drives, family places to go . . . It notes that the 2020 “Call of the Wild” movie was shot locally, notes arts and culture in the county, and has a very nice sized centerfold map . . . and little tidbits about tsunamis they’ve experienced (including a Japanese boat that floated ashore one day), 100 year old family cheese culturing and distributing . . . I just got all enthused! See

Here’s a 5 min video of 10 Things to Do in Crescent City CA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB_xpGxFIJk&ab_channel=AskForAdventure

Ocean World
I wanted to be sure to get to Ocean World. It’s a small aquarium with wonderful murals, fun décor, tours, touching experiences, photo ops and seal/sea lion performances, beside the gift shop full of sparkly things, T-shirts and toys. Because the lower level is not accessible, they gave me half off the price, and then I rejoined the tour. Their tidal pool was a bit touched out, worse for wear. Their restrooms are located at the bottom of the entrance ramp. You must get the code from the counter person to open them. You can find several videos about the place on YouTube by different people. Here is a more professional 7 minute one

Visitor Info/Chamber of Commerce
     Take Front Street west off Hwy 101, note the pretty little area by the bus stop, note the Redwood National and State Parks headquarters to the north on K street (official address 1111 Second Street). The bottom floor of the Parks headquarters has an information center, picnic area, etc, which were closed for COVID. There’s a parking lot on Front and K St. with Tesla superchargers. The library is right across from the Redwood Parks headquarters. Just past K street on Front Street is the Crescent City-Del Norte County Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce. Turn left (south) onto Play street for parking between the visitor center and the city pool (temporarily closed). Along Play street is Kid Town with picnicking, fun play structures, restrooms. It’s just a small part of Beach Front Park.

Beach Front Park
     Beachfront Park is big. Lots of room to play sports, and for the annual all-day 4th of July community celebration from the morning parade to the fireworks show at night. The park has a cannon and gazebo as part of its installations. Take Play Street or Stamps Way off Front Street to Howe Drive/Battery Street. You’ll be driving right along the fun and scenic part of Crescent Harbor. There’s a paved walkway, benches, parking, beach access. As you keep driving west you’ll see the Northcoast Marine Mammal Center and gift shop, and a public restroom. The road bends around to the right, and soon you’ll see Dog Town with plenty of room for pooches to run and their people to picnic. Bend with the road to the left and turn left onto B Street to drive to the pier or park in the lot while you hike out to Battery Lighthouse (if it’s open). A large sign right there gives explanations. By the parking lot are more public restrooms and picnic table.

B Street Pier & Battery Point Lighthouse
    A large sign on B Street gives info about touring the Lighthouse/Museum. If the Lighthouse is not open, you can get a nice view of it from B Street as it heads out to the pier. Driving out to the pier there’s a really nice view of the waves coming in, the beaches, waterfowl, and you can park and have lunch with the squirrels hoping for tidbits. The pier is very accessible, quite a long stroll/roll to the utmost. It’s said to be an excellent situation for catching Dungeness Crabs, Dec through July.

3rd, 4th, 5th Streets have views and beach access
     Heading north on B Street, between Front Street and 2nd Street you’ll see to the west Oceanfront Lodge, with probably the best ocean view of any hotel in town. Go up to 3rd Street and turn west to the 3rd Street Coastal Access, with a nice view even if you can’t climb down to the beach. 4th Street also has a nice view, and 5th Street as well. 5th Street has a little more room for parking, as well as stairs down to the beach. If you like rocky surfs, these are great. But even more great are the views as you head north on South Pebble Beach Drive.

S. Pebble Beach Drive & Brother Jonathan Park
     S. Pebble Beach Dr runs along the coast with spectacular views of the ocean and wave-crashing rocks. From the 5th Street beach access, go north a block on Taylor Street and veer left onto S. Pebble Beach Dr. Between 8th and 9th streets is Brother Jonathan Park and a parking area on the cliff side with a tremendous view. There’s a restroom half a block east on 9th Street. The Taylor Street end of the park has playgrounds and a basketball court. There are vacation rentals dotting the Google map between Brother Jonathan Park and Pebble Beach. As you continue north, Pebble Beach Drive meets with W. Washington Blvd and Airport Rd. The latter takes you to the Del Norte County Regional Airport. If you follow Pebble Beach Dr to its extreme, you’ll end up at Point St. George. Six miles out to sea is the St. George Reef Lighthouse. For more info about driving north on Pebble Beach Drive, see https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/pebble-beach-crescent-city/

Skate Park
     If you have a bored teen that prefers a wheeled board to a surf or beach, take him/her to the skate park on 5th Street, between D and F Streets. “Crescent City Skatepark is one of the best flat land skateparks in California. There are ramps, quarter pipes, different size ledges and manual pads, rails, stairs, and a pyramid in the middle of the half pipe. Ok, it is not a poured concrete park, but, it's not bad for the middle of a forest community. Enjoy.” http://www.crescentcitywebs.com/content/skateboarding

Del Norte County Historical Society
    The historic housing of the Del Norte County Historical Society does have a ramp, so if it had been open, I could have pursued a perusal. But their website has more about the 2 lighthouses, local tribes, the wreck of the ship Brother Jonathan, and the tsunami destruction the town has experienced. Their street address is 577 H St, Crescent City, CA 95531, website https://delnortehistory.org/
Battery Point Lighthouse, see also

St George Reef Lighthouse, see also

Elk Valley Casino
    Take Elk Valley Road off Hwy 101 (next to the Chevron, where friendly helpful staff kindly pumped gas for me so I didn’t have to get out of the car). Google says the casino is a “Lively spot for slots, poker, & dining”, and a “Vibrant establishment for slots, poker, & bingo, plus live entertainment & casual dining”. See https://www.elkvalleycasino.com/

South Beach
South Beach, just at the south edge of town, is a popular place and a nice sandy spot to play in the water. You can park along Anchor Way (off Hwy 101), lots of people park along Hwy 101 as well. More info from a surfer’s perspective at https://magicseaweed.com/South-Beach-Surf-Guide/298/

Enderts Beach Road--Crescent Beach & Overview
     Just 2.5 miles south of Crescent City (on Hwy 101) is Enderts Beach Road, really worth taking. Drive Enderts Beach Road to its conclusion, a small parking lot, where you can see a grand view of the ocean meeting the shore. There’s an accessible vault toilet and parking, trails down to the beaches (not wheelchair accessible), and the last chance section of the Coastal Trail. Head back on Enderts Beach Road and turn off to see the sea, play, picnic at Crescent Beach, that includes an accessible vault toilet and picnic table. https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/crescent-beach/   More info about nearby beaches https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/enderts-beach/

Hotels
     I stayed at Best Western Plus Northwoods Inn. I had originally booked a double queen room to accommodate my helper. But none of the double queen rooms are ADA, and all the ADA rooms just have a king bed. One look at the double queen room and I could see it would not work for me. The bathroom had a walk-in shower, but a barrier to rolling in. Thankfully they had an ADA room I could switch to (I didn’t have a helper this trip). The staff was great. From the beginning I chose the 3rd floor so I could have the best view. It was a view of the marina, and I would have preferred a natural landscape, but at least it wasn’t just the parking lot. There’s a kind of fun seal statuary fountain in the midst of the parking lot, and once I was entertained by a contest between a crow and a gull over a half orange. In the end they both decided it was not worth having.
     The hotel amenities were what attracted me. Beside the decent view and complimentary breakfast (breakfast bag during COVID cautions), was a pool, rec room with pool table, outdoor picnic patio (including sink and electricity). The handicapped lift for the pool wasn’t working, the desk attendant said. I don’t have a dog, but there’s a huge area for pet play. My room was roomy, except the doors of the bathroom, closet, and frig area tended to collide in the hallway.   The towels were nicely reachable, and I was able to set my own self up for the roll-in shower. The handheld shower was easy to use without wrangling, and the gentle spray of the water was helpful in keeping it under control. The toilet area was also roomy, and the elongated toilet was quiet but effective, 17.5” high. The bed height was 25.5” and had plenty of comfortable pillows (5, I think). The switch for the bedside lamp was hard to use, and I had to plug my phone in on the desk. But overall the room was pleasant and comfortable. The following website is not entirely accurate on mileage to local attractions https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-crescent-city/best-western-plus-northwoods-inn/propertyCode.05435.html
     Anchor Beach Inn is just across the street from South Beach, so some rooms have quiet ocean views. They advertise 8 kinds of rooms, continental breakfast, and a spa hot tub. Some nice photos of places to go in the vicinity are included on their site https://anchorbeachinn.com/crescent-city-beachfront-park/
     Ocean Front Lodge may be the best view of the ocean. It’s on the western end of town, with nothing between it and the coast. https://oceanfrontlodge1.com/

Restaurants
     Oceans 675, onsite restaurant at Best Western was closed for COVID-19. Steak & seafood, bar & grill on the menu. https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-crescent-city/best-western-plus-northwoods-inn/propertyCode.05435.html
     The Apple Peddler Restaurant is right next to Ocean World Aquarium and Ocean View Inn. A sign advertising berry cobbler was awfully tempting. https://applepeddlerrestaurant.com/
     Perlita’s Authentic Mexican is just across the road from Ocean World has high marks and low cost, “understated eatery for classic fare”, Google says. Menu at https://www.google.com/search?q=wonderful+thesaurus&oq=wonderful+thesa&aqs=chrome.0.0i457j69i57j0l2j0i22i30l3j0i10i22i30.60228j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
    The Chart Room is on Anchor Way, not far from Best Western, and I wanted seafood at the sea. I decided to try their fish taco (a thing I always thought so antithetical), and lobster bisque. The lobster bisque was ravingly rich and glorious. The tacos ok, they could have been cooked a bit more. It’s located right on the harbor (can be cool and breezy), and sea lion serenades accompanied the sights, one of which was a set of 3 “snowmen” created with crab pots and such. There was outdoor seating (indoor seating was closed for COVID at the time), but I was tired and took my meal back to my room where I could get comfy. https://ccchartroom.com/
     Schmidt's House of Jambalaya, is also on Anchor Way, and sounded very tempting to me--menu looks tasty! I couldn’t tell if it was wheelchair accessible. https://jambalaya.house/

Travel south from Crescent City
DeMartin Beach Picnic Area—14.4 miles (22 min) south of Crescent City on Hwy 101
     The ocean was in kind of a fog the day I drove down this way, so it was a little hard to tell, but I thought I could see some wave-crashing rocks off shore. I couldn’t tell if there were picnic tables. But the parking lot has a low stone wall around it, and places to get down to the shore. In the link it is called Wilson Creek Beach, as Wilson Creek/Wilson Creek Road meet Hwy 101 from the other side right there. A picnic table and firepit are pictured on the site. If you click on the map and explore a little, you see that this beach extends south down to a point, about the same time the highway veers SE and soon comes to Lagoon Creek picnic area.

See www.californiabeaches.com/beach/wilson-creek-beach/
https://www.outdoorproject.com/united-states/california/wilson-creek-beach-picnic-area
and here’s a 9 second video pan https://www.youtube.com/watchv=gnncDI4MU8w&ab_channel=FoxNews

Lagoon Creek Picnic Area-- .7 mi south of DeMartin Beach Picnic Area, Hwy 101
This picnic area/rest stop is beside a lagoon pond, and offers picnic tables, an accessible pier, restrooms, informative signs, and hiking to viewpoints and beaches. This link focuses more on the hikes and beaches than the picnic area, but it’s something . . . https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/lagoon-creek-beach/

Trees of Mystery near Klamath CA
A giant statue of Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox (appropriately masked for COVID-19) will capture your attention and curiosity as you travel Hwy 101 just north of Klamath CA. Wonderfully sculpted gardens name the place: Trees of Mystery. Across the highway is the Forest Café and the Motel Trees, both single story, but not sure how accessible restrooms are. The website below has photos of the themed rooms.

Klamath, CA
Klamath CA is the center of Yurok Country, the largest tribe in California. You can get gas, stay overnight in the newly built Holiday Inn Express, take a traditional canoe tour, or jet boat tour, fish, hike, or take a gamble. The Visitor Center was closed for COVID-19.

General Info https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/klamath/
Visitor Center https://visityurokcountry.com/visitor-center/ includes a 1.5 min video
Yurok Country https://visityurokcountry.com/ includes a 4.5 min video, map of tribal area, etc.
Holiday Inn Express Redwood National Park https://www.guestreservations.com/holiday-inn-express-klamath-redwood-ntl-pkarea/bookinggclid=CjwKCAjwiaX8BRBZEiwAQQxGxwtfjY3GeYWsSWQSwIQd2hGbtZahR4GPck9NCUJFK6JZNKe8eOHPtBoCAocQAvD_BwE

Return to Crescent City via Hwy 101
After a trip down the road to see more of the Redwoods via Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, I returned to my temporary abode in Crescent City. From Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, it’s about 35 miles back to Crescent City traveling just Hwy 101. I always prefer a loop rather than going back the same way I came. The speed limit is not too limiting at first, 65mph, and it’s a nice wide freeway—until you get to Klamath CA. The next 19 mi to Crescent City are not as straight-forward free and easy. Still, it doesn’t take too long, and it’s a pretty drive.

Off Hwy 101 on the north end of Crescent City
I didn’t check out the following, but they are too near not to give honorable mention:

Lake Earl https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Lake-Earl-WA and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Earl
Tolowa Dunes State Park https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=430
Lake Tolowa
About the Tolowa People https://www.tolowa-nsn.gov/who-we-are/ and https://delnortehistory.org/tolowa/

Heading north on Hwy 199
toward the OR/CA border
Leaving Crescent City via Hwy 101 and 199, over the rivers and through the Redwoods, you'll soon be heading north along the Smith River as it cascades down from the mountains to the north. While traveling with the Smith River on my right hand, I caught some fabulous intermittent views of the rocky river coursing on its way. Yet seldom was there a wide spot to pull over just when the best views came into sight. From the car I couldn't capture a good photo anyway. But it's worth keeping your eyes open to these beauties as you drive by.
At Gasquet CA you say good-bye to the Smith River temporarily as it winds around the town. Gasquet is the end of the line for bus 199 from Crescent City (Redwood Coast Transit Authority). http://redwoodcoasttransit.org/routes-schedules/route-199/ There's a Forest Service Ranger Station in the tiny town of Gasquet, that according to the following site is a must visit (make sure it’s open before you go) https://redwoodparksconservancy.org/smith-river-national-recreation-area . Gasquet is nearly halfway between Crescent City and the border with Oregon (18 mi from Crescent City, 22 mi to the border). Interesting info about Gasquet is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasquet,_California
Hardly outside Gasquet is

Panther Flat Campground between the highway and the Smith River on the left. It has tables and campfire rings with grills, accessible flush toilets, coin operated hot showers, drinking water; swim, raft, fish the Smith River—area brochures & maps at Gasquet Ranger Station. www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232322

Then a mile down the road there’s a

Botanical Trailhead (.2 mi flat accessible loop trail) https://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog/2018/11/02/darlingtonia-trail-199-smith-river/

followed by

Grassy Flat Campground between the highway and the Smith River which is now on the right. Flat but not grassy, and for a view of the river it's a sometime steep hike to an old bridge, and to swim/fish from a small gravel beach. A half mile drive to Madrona River Access is rewarded with flat parking almost level with a large sandy beach and shallow swimming hole. Grassy Flat has fees, no drinking water, vault toilet. Picnic tables and campfire rings with grills. Tent and trailers up to 30’ acceptable. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/srnf/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=11443&actid=29

About 7 miles from Gasquet you'll arrive at Patrick Creek Campground on the right, with picnic tables, campfire rings & grills, drinking water, flush toilets, tent & up to 35’ trailers, day hikes, and Patrick Creek Lodge & Historical Inn is on the left/west side of the highway.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/srnf/recarea/?recid=11446
http://www.patrickcreeklodge.com/ includes a 1 min video

As my car climbed the mountain toward the summit there was more and more notice of fire activity. The road had widened to 4 lanes, then narrowed again to 2. A warning was posted “narrow winding road for 6 mi”. I was Nervous Nelly. Another electric sign warned of fire activity 3 miles ahead (Collier Tunnel). In about 2.5 mi smoke and the acrid smell of things you wish hadn't burnt started seeping into the car, despite blue skies. I passed an area with lots of white trucks and an ambulance and began to see blackened trunks. The passing lane was closed. The Collier Tunnel Rest Area was closed.
( https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMG3XQ_Collier_Tunnel_Safety_Rest_Area_US_Hwy_199 )
On the north side of the tunnel the real ravages of the raging fires of 2020 stood tall before me with charred trunks, browned branches, and dying needles. Along the road you could see how the fire fighters had to hack and fell trees to get the fires under control. At last I was able to pull out for a picture at Oregon Mtn. Road, near the agricultural checkpoint at the OR/CA border. How close the fire seemed to our national treasure, the Redwoods National and State Parks!

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Redwoods--California

10/20/2020

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The Wildfires of 2020 were dampened by rain just in time to open Hwy 199 between I-5 and Hwy 101 for my trip to see the Redwoods Sept 25-27. It rained most of the 25th, but after a foggy start to the 26th, the world was bright and sunny the rest of the weekend.
Here are the places I visited in the Redwoods:

Redwoods National and State Parks

Hiouchi Visitor Center
Walker Road/Simpson-Reed Trail
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park picnic/campground
Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Howland Hill Road and Stout Grove

The first thing to know is that “The Redwoods” is not just one national park. It is a group of national and state parks stretching about 60 miles between the Crescent City area to a little southeast of Orick CA. Thank goodness the Redwoods website and visitor information cover it all. It’s too much to see in a day or a weekend. Figure about a week, or make more than one trip. This trip I stayed in Crescent City, but a brochure I saw made Eureka look enticing as a southern base another time.
     I had imagined the Redwoods as a flat lowland habitat. I didn’t realize they are growing in the mountains and stream ravines of Northern California. This affords some tremendous overviews at times as you travel the highways, and some intimate scenes as you wind through the tall trees that so amazed the timbermen with their substantial girth and old growth. Before you go there, while you are in the planning stage, go here: https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm
For info on scenic drives, go here https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/drives.htm
     I would caution that the speed limit varies as the road does, and driving through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park you’ll see red reflectors nailed to trees that crowd the edge of the road.
     As a side note, after about 350 miles (including some little tangential excursions pursuing the Applegate track), I didn’t want to chance running out of gas. Having forgotten in my enthusiasm to get going in the morning from Crescent City, I pulled into the little village of Hiouchi, just north of the Hiouchi Visitor Center, where a friendly young man filled my tank and my questions (I importuned a fellow customer to request help pumping my gas so I wouldn’t have to get out of my car. As I didn’t have a helper along with me for the trip, I needed to conserve energy). There’s an RV park next the gas station, a motel across the way, and eats available.

Hiouchi Visitor Center
     If you are coming from the north, the Hiouchi Visitor Center (9 mi east of Crescent City on Hwy 199) is a good place to start, especially when the Redwoods National and State Parks Visitor Center in Crescent City, and the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park Campground Visitor Center were both closed for COVID. At the visitor center you can get the helpful Visitor’s Guide (see below), which includes a nice big map, and more informative pamphlets, and questions answered by the eager and friendly staff there. The visitor center was stripped of much of its inner displays because of COVID restrictions, but the nice little gift shop also had some intimate little displays, and fun and informative things to buy. The exterior of the visitor center has one large and a couple not as large murals, accessible restrooms, interpretive path (only part of which was accessible), and picnic tables. Considering moving the location of the Hiouchi Visitor Center has limited what they want to invest in the present site. Visitor's Guide: https://www.nps.gov/redw/learn/news/newspaper.htm

Walker Road/Simpson-Reed Trail (about 2 mi west of the Hiouchi Visitor Ctr)
     Walker Road can be easy to miss, as you drive west from Hiouchi, it will be on the right. Let off on the accelerator when you see signs warning of pedestrians crossing, and watch for the Walker Road sign, the ranger advised me. Not far off Hwy 199 plenty of people park on the sides of unpaved Walker Road for hiking through the old growth forest. The accessible Simpson-Reed trailhead is right by the accessible restroom, but it was blocked by a fallen tree when I was there. The bottom of an upended tree is on the other side of the restroom, and all the tourists wanting pictures of themselves with it as a backdrop complicated my efforts to get a photo of the restrooms. If you continue on Walker Road you will come to a point of decision: right or left? Both lead to river access, a ranger in the right place at the right time told me. At the end of the right road I found access to a smooth-rock river beach with swimmers playing in the water. Obviously people with more adventurous vehicles and disposition than mine had driven right across a stream and made a banked U-turn back. I saw their tracks. Only one car was there when I was. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/simspon-reed_trail.htm

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park picnic & campground
Cool place to lunch or camp—day use and campground, right on the Smith River. Visitor Center was closed for COVID. $5 parking fee for day use, waived the day I was there. “Del Norte Coast Redwoods, Jedediah-Smith Redwoods, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks are the only parks in the California State Parks system that accept the Federal Access Pass discount.” For more info, including ADA cabins with electricity, see the website (not up to date about closures when I visited 10-7-20)

Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
If Google and sites below are correct about the time and mileage, 20 mi (about 20 min) south of Crescent City, take exit 765 off Hwy 101 (it’s well-marked), and proceed in awe along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. You may be thinking at this point that you have seen plenty of trees by now. But this route is worth taking at least once in your life. It’s 10 miles, 20 min (if you don't stop), from one end to the other. At the southern end, near the Prairie Creek Visitor Center is “Big Tree . . . This tower stands out in one of the prettiest old growth groves. Located in Redwoods National and State Parks, north of the Prairie Creek Visitor Center on Newton B Drury Parkway. The 100-yard trail to the Big Tree is paved.”

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/drivenbdparkway.htm
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28434#:~:text=The%20Newton%20B.,Creek's%20old%2Dgrowth%20redwood%20forest

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
     I was enthused about getting to Prairie Creek, with accessible trails. I like how the signs tell just how long the trails are and how long the accessible part is. It still appeared that you might need a helper on at least one of the trails, and I didn’t have one this trip. I got there about 5pm after a pretty full day, so I didn’t get out of my vehicle. There weren’t any elk in the meadow, but benches and cautions that they are wild animals. I wouldn’t want to face off with a big bull elk, nor a momma with her baby. I would let them have their space as an onlooker. I hope another trip I will be able to explore this area more. The following link is great. I also picked up a brochure about this park with a great map (see photos for this post). https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=415
Accessible features, including restrooms, showers, campsites, cabins, beach wheelchair, trails (w/lengths) http://access.parks.ca.gov/parkinfo.asp?park=12&type=0

Howland Hill Road and Stout Grove
     While I was there, Howland Hill opened up, so I started my trip back home by traveling that way. From Crescent City take Elk Valley Road off Hwy 101. It’s kind of the back side of the city, but you will also pass Elk Valley Casino.
     As you travel Elk Valley Road (about a mile) there’s a caution intersection sign with an arrow indicating a right turn toward Stout Grove that you should take. When you reach that intersection at Park City Superette (groceries), take the right road. When you reach the Jedediah Smith Redwoods sign (about 3.5 miles), you’ll see the sign “End County Maintained Road”, and you’re climbing a steep, winding, narrow (1 lane) dirt road, not for the timid or “wide load”. If you are intrepid, no matter you’ve seen a lot of big Redwoods, this is not to be missed! But be warned, once you start up, there’s no turning back until you’ve already gone through the worst of it. Not only you can appreciate what early settlers faced before paved roads existed, but the size of the trees is truly magnificent. I was hoping and praying not to meet any vehicles head on, because there’s not always a wide spot to pull out of the way, and I emphatically did not want to have to try to back down the steep, narrow, winding road with a precipitous edge. Over the course of the entire road there were a dozen or so meetings, but I was fortunate that either the oncoming car or I was able to get to one side, and by the time I reached the restrooms at the trail heads, there were more wide spots.
     I wasn’t always able to stop and get photos of the most intimidating parts of the road, but I think I got enough to give the idea.
     At 6.8 mi from Crescent City (3 miles from Hwy 199), along Howland Hill Road, is the short turn-off for Stout Grove, signs for each on opposite sides of the road. There’s an accessible restroom at Stout Grove, informative signs, and trail heads; it's strictly day use, no dogs.
     As you continue on Howland Hill Road toward Hwy 199 there will be other trail heads, and a couple one lane bridges. You come to a caution “Rough Narrow Winding Road Next 6 miles”, and you wonder what kind of humor led to that! Howland Hill Road turns into Douglas Park Drive, which leads through a residential area. Then when Douglas Park Dr meets S. Fork Rd. (County Road 427), take the left (north) toward Hwy 199. You’ll cross the Smith River almost immediately (if not, go the other way!), pass the Forks River Access and Boat Ramp (on the Smith River). Through the trees is a glimpse of the pretty bridge where 199 crosses Myrtle Creek. After crossing Smith River you’ll soon come to US Route 199. Your choice, whether to head north (right) toward Grants Pass, or south toward Crescent City. See

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/JedSmith/StoutGrove.html
See also “Howland Hill Road, the location of 1983 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” includes a 2.24 min video of the road https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/5132-howland-hill-road.html

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Mt Rainier & Hwy 12

9/22/2020

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On the Way to Paradise . . .
Exit 68 for Hwy 12 is about 75 miles north of Portland on I-5. It's a wonderful way to go.

Majestic Mt Rainier Aug 26, 2020

This is the map I wish I'd had to plan my journey.

Lewis & Clark State Park
     Washington’s Lewis & Clark State Park is only about 2.5 miles from I-5, exit 68. From Hwy 12 take the Jackson Hwy south to “one of the last major stands of old-growth forest in the state. Coniferous trees, streams, wetlands, dense vegetation, and wet prairie comprise the park environment. The park contains a vast stand of rare old-growth forest. It is a Civilian Conservation Corps park, and many of the buildings constructed by the corps remain in use today.” I don’t think Lewis and Clark were ever even close to where this park is, but then General George was never in what’s now the state of Washington, either, so it’s just a way of appreciating their accomplishments.
     Note that the Day Use area is closed Oct-Apr15, but at least some campsites are open year-round. One group kitchen shelter is reservable, the other first-come-first serve. There’s a forest exhibit, playground, playfield, amphitheater, and June is Youth Fishing Month when kids 14 and younger can fish the creek. Some campsites are ADA accommodating, but not much else is, such as restrooms and old growth trail.
     More info at https://www.stateparks.com/lewis_and_clark_state_park_in_washington.html and https://parks.state.wa.us/538/Lewis-Clar

Jackson House State Park
As mentioned in the links above, on the way to Lewis & Clark State Park, you will pass by or stop at the Jackson House State Park on the Jackson Highway. Very interesting for history buffs, and has picnic tables and room to run for kids needing to stretch their muscles. Site says there are restrooms, but nothing about accessibility.

https://waparks.org/parks/jackson-house/ has a virtual tour and a brochure you can download
https://parks.state.wa.us/1060/Jackson-House
https://parks.state.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/7868/Jackson-House-PDF this brochure shows it SE of Chehalis
https://discoverlewiscounty.com/culture/john-r-jackson-house

Ike Kinswa State Park
     The turn-off for Ike Kinswa State Park is not quite 14 miles from I-5 on Hwy 12. There’s a ½ mi hint, but the turn-off comes up suddenly with little notice (small sign) where to turn north off Hwy 12 onto Hwy 122-E. You’ll travel through farmland on the north side of Mayfield Lake. The boat launch area is first (has picnic tables and restroom, beside boat launch and great views; Discover Pass and launch permit fee, dump station fee). Continue on Hwy 122 east a little, and the campground is to the right, the day use to the left. You can get a useful map and info at the entrance to the campground.
     There are lots of great amenities at this park, which is open year-round, but I was attracted initially for the accessible fishing pier, which is nice and easy to get to. There’s as restroom with an accessible stall, and the paved path past the restroom leads down to the accessible fishing pier. The handicapped parking spots at both entrances to the day use area are hemmed in kind of narrowly. Nice picnic spots, swimming area roped off (looked kind of murky), kayaking, trails (some wheelchair friendly paths), horseshoes, etc. The campground has campsites, hookups, RV dump (seasonal), cabins, 4 restrooms, 10 showers.
     “The nine cabins at Ike Kinswa State Park sit along Mayfield Lake and are within walking distance of the lake. Each cabin is 12-by-24-feet in size and features a 6-foot covered front porch, picnic table, electric heat, lights, and locking doors. Bathrooms and showers are nearby. Cabins are furnished with bunk beds that sleep three and a full-size bed. Outside is a fire grill, utility hookup, and a deck that is ADA accessible. Pets are allowed in cabins 4, 5 and 9 with a $15 (plus tax) pet fee per night.”
     More info at https://parks.state.wa.us/519/Ike-Kinswa and https://www.stateparks.com/ike_kinswa_state_park_in_washington.html

Highway 122 rejoins Hwy 12 at Mossyrock if you keep going east.

Mayfield Dam
The turn-off for Mayfield Dam is just a bit past the west end exit to Hwy 122 off Hwy 12. It’s on the right. There’s a fenced cul-de-sac that looks way down on the dam at the south end of Mayfield Lake, with a bench or two and some info signs. It’s just a small paved area, but those interested in dams would like to see. The view across the lake is nice. Only personnel allowed in the fish hatchery at water level.

Mayfield Lake
The privately owned Mayfield Resort & Marina can be seen across the lake from the dam, and you get to it south (right) off Hwy 12 via Winston Creek and Hadaller Roads. There are accommodations, playground, marina, restaurant, and nice people. https://lakemayfield.com/
Mayfield Lake Park was developed and is maintained by Tacoma Power. It’s a great family place with a nice beach, playground, boat ramp, restrooms, campsites (water & electricity) and day use ($5 fee summer holidays & weekends), group camp, fire rings/grills, coin-op showers, accessible sites and restrooms, reservable kitchen shelter, fishing, horseshoes, volleyball. From I-5 drive east on Hwy 12 about 17 miles, turn left on Beach Road and the park entrance is ¼ mile.
https://www.mytpu.org/community-environment/parks-recreation/mayfield-lake-park/#pattern_8

Mossyrock and Mossyrock Park
Mossyrock is a cute tiny town a bit south of Hwy 12 (pop 759 in 2010, though the K-12 school district of 400 serves the area around). It’s been around since 1852. The town’s website has some interesting history at http://www.cityofmossyrock.com/ The August Blueberry Festival had to be cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. ☹ See also https://discoverlewiscounty.com/mossyrock
Mossyrock Park is another of Tacoma Public Utilities’ developments. It’s a family-oriented campground and picnic area on Riffe Lake, with a boat launch, fish cleaning stations, swimming, playground, horseshoes, volleyball, coin-op showers, laundry, water faucets throughout the campground, reservable kitchen shelter, trails (including .8 mi wheelchair accessible, handicapped campsites and restroom, and group areas. Each campsite has a fire ring and picnic table, but be aware of fire restrictions. Day use parking is $5 on summer weekends and holidays, otherwise free. It’s only a 6 min drive (3.2 mi) to Mossyrock Park from Mossyrock town, if you don’t mistakenly take a right when you should go straight. Head east on Main Street, take a slight left onto E. State St., and continue on Mossyrock Road E. and Ajlune Road. Don’t veer to the right at Swofford Rd, unless you are trying to go to Swofford Pond and fish, but it’s not handicapped friendly.

Cowlitz Wildlife Area
We came across the sign for Cowlitz Wildlife Area, but weren’t sure what it was. At home I found it at

map mural on the outside of El Amigo Restaurant and Groceries, Mossyrock, WA

Taidnapam Park, Cowlitz River Project, Tacoma Power
Taidnapam Park is about 15 min (9.5 mi) east of Morton WA (total about 2 hours from Portland to Taidnapam). Take Kosmos Rd from US-12 southeast of Morton, then Bridgeover Rd, and a sharp left onto Champion Haul Road. Warning: Taidnapam Park is so popular that you should reserve 9 months in advance. During COVID-19 we had no problem with crowds in the day use areas. We didn’t check the campground.
And there are reasons Taidnapam is popular: fishing bridge over Riffe Lake, fish cleaning station, accessible restroom, 2 boat launches, picnic tables with grills, playground, and swim area in the Day Use ($5 summer holidays & weekends). The forested campground has fire rings & picnic tables in each site; campsites with water, electric, and some with sewer hookups, group camp with hookups, coin-operated showers, accessible restrooms, and primitive camping. Year-round camping and day-use (except Dec 20-Jan1). Lake levels may affect swim areas and boat launches. You can call to find out—look for the number at the link below. Be aware of fire restrictions, and heavy logging truck traffic.

Packwood Lodge & Cuisine
Restaurant choices are limited in Packwood, so we decided to buy a pizza there at Cruisers, and brought salad and cheesecake, fruit cups and drinks and such from home. I wanted a Pacific Northwest themed salad, so I topped the spinach greens with chopped apple, dried cranberries, chopped hazelnuts, feta crumbles, and cedar plank-grilled salmon. It was so good I didn’t use the dressing I brought, but you could top it as you like. The gourmet combo pizza was expensive, but delicious, even left over. For breakfast we likewise brought some choices—for myself I brought crepes, combined whipped cream with a small piece of the cheesecake to wrap the crepes around, and topped them with blackberries. White Pass Taqueria is right there by the Packwood Lodge, and they feature breakfast burritos and other choices, as well as a lunch and dinner menu (menu provided in-room).
Likewise, it didn’t seem like there were many good choices of hotels in and near Packwood, but after looking at the website and calling the Packwood Lodge, we decided to give them a try. The Tudor exterior is a bit dated, but the King Suite we got was very nicely appointed. The bathroom was tight to maneuver in a wheelchair, so I was glad for the grab bar by the toilet. All was clean, recently renovated. There was the usual (reasonably sized) frig and microwave, tables and chairs in the spacious quarters. The French doors were a nice touch, but didn’t open onto a private area. Two sleeping areas could have had a curtain between, at least. Nice big flat screen TV in my room. I forgot to measure the height of the bed, but it was high, if that’s an issue for you or yours. The room was octagonal, so made an awkward angle between the bed and nightstand. Inconspicuously wheeled furniture made it easy to adjust for that.

Packwood Lodge https://www.packwoodlodge.com/ (gravel parking not great for wheelchairs)
White Pass Taqueria https://www.whitepasstaco.com/ (includes menus and you can call in orders)
Cruisers http://cruiserspizza.com/ (menu includes burgers and other sandwiches, pasta and other entrees, seafood, and breakfast; parking was at a premium during COVID-19, as outdoor picnic tables supplemented indoor seating)

Mt. Rainier—from Stevens Canyon (SE entrance) through the park to Nisqually (SW entrance/exit)
     Grove of the Patriarchs—Very close to the park entrance booth is the parking lot for the Grove, without announcing that you’ve found the place. The restrooms are old and over-used. Only the vault toilet is maneuverable with a wheelchair. I was very disappointed that while they emphasize that the trail is easy, it is not for wheelchairs. I had to miss out on that classic experience.
     On the drive up to Paradise the scenery is absolutely awe inspiring, and there are excellent photogenic views of Rainier. You become aware how massive a mountain it is when you see it in person. I was awfully glad to be driving up from the south so that we were on the up-side of the steep mountain incline and somewhat narrow scenic route. Marvelous stonework all along the roadway, constructed by the Depression era WPA workers nearly 100 years ago, is telling of the rigors of the alpine environment. On the way down roadwork delayed us somewhat.
     Despite the pandemic, the parking lots at Paradise were pretty well full. We parked in a handicapped space of the additional parking lot, and my helper pushed me up to the visitor center. I didn’t want to wear out too soon. Only a booth was open of the visitor center, beside the busy restroom. My helper said the restroom was nice enough, though. There we got the information that would have been useful to have before going, while in the planning stage. Additionally, the ranger marked the most wheelchair friendly “hike” where I could see wildflowers and a glacier. Another time we will try that out.
     There are opportunities for learning, lunching (picnic tables), and looking. The lodge there was closed for COVID, though. I couldn’t fit everything in one photo. You can see photos, and even a link to Youtube videos at their site: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/paradise.htm , accessibility info at https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm
     Longmire sounds like it has a lot to offer, but it seemed too crowded to find easy parking when we were there, and we were tired, not wanting to get home too late. See more (including links to videos) at https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/longmire.htm
     We exited the park at the Nisqually entrance at the SW corner of the park. Immediately Gateway Inn and Cabins met our view. It’s 4.3 miles from the center of Ashford WA, where more places to stay offer some choices, though not any 5-star hotels. Nisqually Lodge looks pretty good on the internet. Or, Paradise Village (hotel, restaurant, café/bakery), Alexander’s Lodge, Mountain Meadows Inn . . .

Here are a couple virtual/video ways to experience or prepare to experience Mt. Rainier. And then some photos from previous years . . .

5 min video—“Mount Rainier, Sumer in 4K – National Park, Washington State – Short Preview”
A montage of video scenes of Mt. Rainier including some animals, only natural sounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkt48E34Tno&frags=wn&ab_channel=4KRelaxationChannel

13 min video—"Mt Rainier: Washington’s Highest Peak”
Climbing Mt. Rainier--with commentary--Aug 5 (posted Aug 15, 2019)
https://youtu.be/Y6eWmpgvl2k

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Mt Hood & Hwy 26

9/18/2020

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On Sept 2, 2020, starting with a luscious lunch at the top, Timberline Lodge, we explored attractions along Highway 26 coming down from the mountain. You might notice I was a bit obsessed with making a connection with the Barlow Road (Oregon Trail).

Timberline Lodge
                Timberline Lodge is so picturesque, yet hard to take it all in one photo. A wide angle distorts, and a narrower shot leaves much out. And even with the smaller crowds of COVID-19, it’s hard to avoid having cars distract the view. But something within us makes us want to capture where we’ve been and what we admire in some way. So we take photos anyway.
                Timberline Lodge was built in the Great Depression under the WPA administration. It was dedicated 28 Sept 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Much of the history of the lodge is collected in public areas, especially the lower floor. For more history, see https://www.timberlinelodge.com/about-us/history and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timberline_Lodge
                The magnificent entry to the Lodge is not wheelchair accessible. Although there are handicapped parking spots there, the handicapped entrance is the archway on the right end of the building. A couple of handicapped parking spots there have a level, unblocked way to the handicapped door. As you make your way to the elevator up to the main level, you’ll pass by many windows on the history of the lodge. The great fireplace structure is a hexagon with 3 fireplaces each on the lower and main floors. The décor is homey, rustic, uniquely built just for this lodge, including Native American motifs. More info at https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/timberline-lodge-marvel-of-wpa/#:~:text=Common%20areas%20are%20the%

Wheelchair Wanderings​in search of accessible vacations

Wheelchair Wanderings
in search of accessible vacations