Day 71 - The Mission Extension: Seaside to Ellensburg

We depart Seaside this morning, one day early, in a pounding wind and rain storm. The Mission Extension is under way.

The forest is somewhat dark and ominous today as we pass over the Coast Range with Portland in our sights.

I have always thought of Portland as the city of bridges. Indeed - here they are.

Not even the driving rain can keep tourists from the world-famous Multnomah Falls. The Historic Road is washed out past this point, so we had to backtrack about 10kms just to get turned around to keep going east. The Extension Mission is getting exciting.

The Historic Road is also the Narrow Road. Even more exciting with anxious tourists on it. In the rain.

The local creeks are starting to overflow. Even more exciting for the tourists.

The Cascades lives up to its name.

Things are looking up as we depart a quick coffee stop in Hood River.

Driving east up the Columbia Gorge on I 84. Whew!! At least the conditions have calmed significantly. Nothing worse than massive trucks going by on the opposite side of the road and engulfing your vehicle with a massive rooster tail. Fingers crossed for the calm to continue.

The post storm sky drama is always fascinating.

First sighting of the Columbia wind farms.

An old timer mill building basks in the after light of one of thousands of storms weathered.

We line up to once again, cross the Columbia.

The day of adventuring has put us well behind schedule. An angry sunset is behind us.

Well deserved, after a very long drive day that featured almost every type of weather imaginable - but luckily no freezing temps.

We could not have chosen a better spot for our Ellensberg dinner. Brix surpassed our expectations. A new "go to" spot should we every be back this way.

Old town Ellensberg features some great old architecture.

 

 

 

 

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