Sunday, October 4 - Day 3

Got underway South out of Seattle in clear, bright skies, enroute to one of our prime destinations, the Lewis & Clark National Park and it's environs, at the mouth of the Columbia River. We got off the interstate at Kelso, WA, and got info at a visitors center which had a 9 ft tall stuffed Sasquatsh, all hairy and fierce, right in the lobby. Lisa posed. 

Had a good lunch at Stuffies, famous for their cinnamon rolls. Lisa took a photo of one which weighs 7 pounds and they have bigger. While we were there, a birthday party ordered one of the big ones. I had some outstanding fried fish for lunch. We took a normal sized cinnamon roll for our breakfast tomorrow. 

We drove West on a scenic highway along the Columbia River and were amazed at the size of that river. It was wider than the Mississippi in places. It was wonderful to envision the Corps of Discovery drifting down that river in 1804 after more than a year since they left Wood River, IL, in March 1803. They were nearing the end of one leg of the greatest adventure which ever occurred in our country, the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase which doubled the size of the US at that time. They were about to sight the Pacific Ocean after following the Missouri River to its source in the Rockies. They crossed the mountains and were led to the source of the Columbia which emptied them into the Pacific. Their adventures were epic and when I was in my early 20's, I wanted to repeat their voyage but found that the rivers had all been dammed and private property would prevent me from completing. Oh well, I have always been enthralled with their trip and finally got to visit their Winter camp on the South coast of the river, Ft. Clatsop, named for the Indian tribe in the area. It is a reproduction of course but the National Park people say it is on the same place. 33 men and Sacagewea and Pomp, her son, lived in a small log fort from November 04 to early Spring 05 before they started back toward St. Louis, arriving in September 05.

While relaxing before dinner tonight, we heard seals barking in the river. They were very loud so we went outside and walked a little ways to a commercial boat pier where the seals congregated. We spent a nice hour watching them cavorting. Lisa got some nice photos of the sun setting into the Pacific under the Astoria bridge.

We are going to spend tomorrow morning “exploring” Cape Disappointment and the L & C Interpretive Center and maybe go back to Ft. Clatsop. Then we are heading South along the Pacific coast at a very leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery.

A late recollection from Seattle: while waiting for a shuttle at our hotel, a very brightly painted passenger van pulled up to collect some people. The large name on the van was CANNABUS which provides marijuana tours of the city.

Another late recollection from Seattle: walked by a restaurant with a sign out front that said "Soup of the day - whiskey".