Washington~Oregon~Travels

We’ve been taking extra steps to maintain our health during this CoVid-19 pandemic and have been using gloves while fueling up and wiping down the rooms before settling in as we travel home.   We have limited choices as to which motel we stay in because we have Maggie, our beloved dog with us but have found them to be very clean and taking extra steps to maintain a healthy atmosphere.

Sunshine on the Cascades

We wake up to a beautiful sunny day in Redmond, Oregon.  This will make for a great day for photos with the first one of the day including those beautiful mountains of the Cascade Range across the way.  We did bring food along so eat most of our own food except for morning coffee and our favorite drive thru ‘on the road’ brekkies so off we go to begin our day.

Quiet times on Hwy 97

We have been following US Hwy 97 since we left I-5 at Weed, Ca.  It is the most important north-south  highway in Oregon other than the I-5 and the only one east of the Cascade Range.  Most of this highway is a two-lane highway and is fairly quiet for traffic. It stretches from Weed, Ca through Oregon and Washington to the Canadian border and beyond. 

The General Store

Sights such as this one are often seen along Hwy 97, although this may be the most colorful.  A small community or town may appear around the next corner and before we know it is behind us.  This interesting looking general store is about an hour south of Biggs Junction.

WW 2 Veterans Historic Highway

In 2009 the Senate of Oregon passed a bill to rename Hwy 97 “The World War Two Veterans Historic Highway”.  It was so named because during the war this highway connected several training facilities used by the military.

Crossing the Columbia

The Columbia River creates the border between Oregon and Washington before it empties into the Pacific.  Biggs Junction is where Hwy 97 meets Hwy 84 that can take you east or west and offers the essentials one might need when on the road. 

Small fishing lake

Although this is a very small lake, one must assume there are fish in there.  The sun is shining and that may be the first day of spring fishing for the locals here.  Wishing them good luck.

Wenatchee River

The Wenatchee River is 85 km (53 miles) long and drains into the Columbia River at Wenatchee, Washington.  The river has been the source for irrigating the many orchards in this, the Chelan County since 1891.

Beebe Bridge

The Beebe Bridge crosses the Columbia River in Chelan County.  The original bridge was a suspension bridge built by the Beebe Orchard Company in 1919 in order to carry water to their orchards on the other side.  At that time it was the largest privately built and owned in the world and the first in Washington at a cost of $75,000.  This new structure was built in 1963, much to the chagrin of the Beebe Orchard Company but with a payment of $4,000 agreed upon, the old one was dismantled.

Tiny towns of northern Washington

We pass several small towns on our travels following Hwy 97 in Washington State.  It was two hours from the Beebe Bridge, passing through these towns and five miles north of Oroville that we crossed into Canada at the border. 

Border Crossing

We did have a lineup at the border to wait for but when our turn arrived at the Customs window, our very polite and nice young man asked us his questions, gave us the information about quarantine and sent us on our way as I told him to “stay well” and with a smile, “I’m trying”, he replied.

It always feels good to be back on homeland but I know with all that is going on during this challenging time with CoVid-19 happening, it feels even better than usual to be home.