Go Northwest!

Florence, Oregon: 12:50 PM

Strolling along Bay Street in the Old Town district of Florence, Oregon, a section of town that is a favorite of many local residents as well as tourists and other travelers.

Old Town lies immediately east of Highway 101 and the historic Siuslaw River Bridge in an area along the Siuslaw River. Map

The popular area hosts numerous and various shops including art galleries, restaurants, and many stores offering antiques, clothing, gifts, candy, ice cream and other specialty foods.

At the east end of Bay Street is the Port of Siuslaw Marina serving recreational and commercial boaters and fishermen. The marina features a commercial wharf and docks, waterfront boardwalk and a RV campground.

Florence, Oregon: 10:30 AM

Old Town, a section of several square blocks down by the Siuslaw River in Florence, Oregon is a popular attraction whether the draw is for sightseeing, shopping, dining or all three. Of particular interest to me on this morning was coffee. A kind lady at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center mentioned I might find what I was looking for down in this area of town.

Sure enough, I found the perfect place at the Siuslaw River Coffee Roasters and Coffee House at the west end of Bay Street down near (almost below) the historic bridge built in 1936 that enables travelers cruising US Highway 101 to cross the Siuslaw River.

Eclectic, and perhaps funky, in both furnishings and layout, the coffee house felt warm, comfortable and like the place where one might want to hang out  with friends and family or perhaps even alone with a book or laptop on a cold rainy day

The coffee house isn’t particularly large but patrons can chose from several seating areas including a leather couch in front of a stove, a small alcove where several can gather to pass the time of day or enjoy their coffee in privacy, a large table in front of the french doors leading to a deck overlooking the river, the deck itself which offers an array of several wrought-iron tables and good views of the river.

On this particular morning, a small group of local residents were occupying what one patron called the “Alpha” table and visiting about who knows what. They apparently are participants in a regular gathering to chat about the weather, news of the day or just about anything that attracts their attention at any given moment.

Rachel Pearson

Standing in line to order my particular preference I happened to strike up a conversation with Rachel Pearson, a woman active in the local community who does a lot of volunteer work for schools and also occasionally contributes to the local newspaper. Rachel and I chatted for some time sitting out on the deck watching the river roll by. She told me about the move she and her husband, a physician, made from Wisconsin to Florence some years ago and how they have found a wonderful community here and particularly so for raising children. Rachel also shared with me a bit of the background and history of the coffee house.

Owned by John and Kathy Stone, their coffee is roasted on the spot with a Diedrich 30-pound roaster that sits in a small room behind the service counter. The coffee is always fresly roasted and at a volume sufficient to supply the daily needs of their customers plus have a few pounds available for those may want to buy their beans by the pound.

John Stone with Diedrich 30-pound coffee roaster.

9:15 AM Wow! What a Weekend in Leavenworth, Washington. Last night attended the town’s ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the long-awaited opening of Amtrak’s new Icicle Station and the return of passenger service to Leavenworth. And today, its day two of the annual Autumn Leaf Festival.

First stop, however, is my morning latte! Discovered a new coffee house here earlier in the month when I came over for a general membership meeting of the Chamber of Commerce and discovered Haus Dog Kaffee & Tea.

The family-owned coffee and tea house is conveniently located on the west end of Front Street and is within easy walking distance of the several area hotels and the center of town main attractions.

The owners, Regina and Klaus Ulmke, have created a delightful European-style coffee and tea house featuring Italy’s LaVazza Espresso coffees and Harrisons & Crosfield English Teas plus an assortment of baked goods, fruits, jams and condiments all served in a setting of attractive wooden tables and chairs, colorful blue umbrellas, decorative place settings and an abundance of flowers in front of the backdrop of Icicle Ridge and the Cascade Mountains.

7:00 PM Let the Celebration Begin!

Music, dancing and food greet dozens of guests arriving for the festivities and ribbon-cutting ceremony  to celebrate the opening of Icicle Station in Leavenworth, Washington and to welcome the first inaugural run of new passenger train service along Amtrak’s Empire Builders route between Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington.

8:08 PM. Supporters of the new Icicle Station in Leavenworth line the long length of the railroad platform as Amtrak’s Empire Builder slows to a crawl and them stops to allow more than 70 passengers who had boarded in Seattle to disembark and participate in the ceremony commemorating the opening of the new station and passenger service.

The ceremony concludes with comments, congratulations and thanks from Mayor Rob Eaton and a variety of other dignitaries representing the city of Leavenworth, Washington State, Amtrak and BNSF.

Folks interested in visiting Leavenworth by train can call Amtrak at 800-872-7245 for reservations, or, book online through Amtrak’s web site.

Leavenworth, a city nestled on the eastern side of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, recreated itself decades ago as a Bavarian Village and is one of the most popular destinations in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest. The city is an all-season destination featuring numerous indoor and outdoor activities and attractions. Accommodations abound whether your preference is camping, cabins, hotels, bed and breakfast accommodations, or vacation rental houses.

Icicle Station, Leavenworth, Washington

3:43 PM. At first glance, the railroad tracks and train station platform seen in the above photo could be almost anywhere in the United States. What’s unique, however is that Icicle Station at Leavenworth, Washington is the first Amtrak new station to be built in the last several years and restores passenger rail service to one of the most popular destination sites in the Pacific Northwest.

Friday, September 25th, 2009 marked the celebration and dedication of Icicle Station and the restoration of rail service to Leavenworth. In the scene above, construction crews ready the platform for the evening event which will commence in just a couple of hours.

In preparation for the event, crews clean the area of construction debris, check lighting, put finishing touches on signage and make sure train schedules are coordinated to allow Amtrak’s Empire Builder to stop at the new station and allow some 70 dignitaries to disembark who boarded in Seattle to participate in the inaugural ride. Current construction is stage one of several stages to be completed in the near future. Additional covered seating areas and shelters are to be added along with permanent fencing to replace the temporary orange safety barrier.

Chuck Taylor

Chuck Taylor, a BNSF Railway flagger, explained that the main line running through here is heavily traveled by freight trains throughout the day. The freight trains typically pass through at speeds in excess of 50 mph, and Amtrak usually is flying by at 70 mph or more. To accommodate tonight’s special event, freight trains have been routed to the outer track, or siding, while Amtrak makes it’s first scheduled stop at approximately 8:15 PM. Between now and until after this evening’s ceremony the freights will slow to about 25 mph as they pass Icicle Station. Seen below is one of the several freight trains that came along during the late afternoon and early evening.

SR 129 Dropping Down To the Grande Ronde River: 4:39 PM

South of the small community of Anatone and the wheat fields,  SR 129 passes the 792-acre Fields Spring State Park on the east side of the highway. This is a camping park providing views of three states and the Grande Ronde River from Puffer Butte.

Beyond the park, the highway soon begins a steep descent down a narrow canyon loosely following the course of Rattlesnake Creek to the Grande Ronde River as seen in the photo below.

Looking south at the highway descending numerous switchbacks.

Numerous viewpoint pullouts along the way provide opportunities to stop for photos and take in the splendid views.

Across the river, the highway begins a twisting upward climb through the distant canyon seen in the above photo and becomes Oregon SR 3, the Enterprise-Lewiston Highway, at the Oregon border.

Once out of the canyon, the highway seemingly flattens and runs south almost straight as an arrow to Enterprise, Oregon and the beautiful Wallowa Valley. Along the way it flows through a forest corridor and runs by a pullout that is the Joseph Canyon Viewpoint. The elevation along here, surprisingly, is more than 4,000 feet with a high point of 4,693 feet as announced by a summit sign in the proximity of the intersection of Day Ridge Road.

Having driven a distance of slightly less than 90 miles from Lewiston, we enter the Wallowa Valley with a backdrop of the magnificent Wallowa Mountains in the distance.

Next Stop: Enterprise, Oregon

On Highway 129 about half way between the towns of Asotin and Anatone, WA: 4:04 PM

From Lewiston, Idaho we crossed the Highway 12 bridge over the Snake River into Clarkston, Washington where we picked up Highway 129 and followed it south through to the small town of Asotin, which sits on the west bank of the Snake River.

At Asotin, we found the intersection where there is a sign that reads Highway 3. Highway 3 actually is an Oregon State Route. Washington SR 129 becomes Oregon SR 3 at the Oregon border not long after crossing the Grande Ronde River.

The highway out of Asotin, twists and turns as it climbs out of the canyon giving us great views looking back toward Clarkston and Lewiston. Once out of the canyon, the highway flattens and is a pleasant drive through wheat farms on the left and right at an elevation of 2,910 feet, or, 887 meters.

This was another beautiful September day late in the afternoon with the sun highlighting the harvested wheat fields and the high ground rising in the distance across from Hells Canyon. Struck by the beauty of our pastoral surroundings, we stopped to enjoy the views and take a few photos like the one above.

Next Stop: Dropping Down to the Grande Ronde River

Lewiston, Idaho: 3:30 PM

Lewiston, Idaho is one of my favorite places for many reasons including climate (particularly in the winter), the amazing topography and the proximity to the Clearwater and Snake rivers and Nez Perce country.

I also particularly like the tree-lined, shady streets of the older part of town in preference to the much newer suburban-like developments anchored by the big box stores seen almost everywhere across America.

Also, there is much to do in the area including history, culture, museums and scenery. I enjoy learning more about the history and people of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Nez Perce War, Gold Mining, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. I also enjoy exploring Hell’s Canyon and visiting the campus of the Lewis-Clark State College and the visitor center at Hells Gate State Park.

Unfortunately on this trip, we were running late, the afternoon sun was far too close to the horizon and we had another three-hour drive ahead of us.

Next Stop:

Visitor Center, Nez Perce National Historical Park, Spalding Site: 2:21 PM

Our first stop in the Lewiston area was to visit a spot along the Clearwater River just a few miles east of the city off US Highway 12 to begin our tour of the Nez Perce and Hells Canyon country. The spot is the location of what is now known as the Spalding Site, one of 38 sites that make up the Nez Perce National Park, which was established in May 1965.

Though the park is managed by the National Park Service, the Nez Perce Tribe is one of the key partners in governing the park. Tribal members work at the park and the Tribe is consulted whenever a major park project is undertaken.

The Spalding Site, located just minutes east of downtown Lewiston, Idaho along US Highway 95 (See Google map) and the Clearwater River, is named after Henry and Eliza Spalding who founded a mission in this area to the Nez Perce in the late 1830’s.

The center piece of the site is the Visitor Center where one can learn the story of the Nez Perce people through visiting with National Park Service staff, videos, books and the excellent museum containing thousands of artifacts including a number that once belonged to Chief Joseph (March 3, 1840 to September 21, 1904), chief of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce.

For more information on the Nez Perce and the Nez Perce National Historical Park, visit the park’s web site.

Next Stop: Lewiston, Idaho

Viewpoint Overlooking Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington: 1:56 PM

Following lunch at Colfax, Washington, we continued south on State Route 195 intending to pass through  Lewiston, Idaho toward our day’s destination at Enterprise, Oregon. (An easy side trip is to stop at Pullman, Washington and the campus of Washington State University.)

Leaving the gentle hills of the Palouse, SR 195 rises and falls to rise again at it crosses the border into Idaho and joins US Highway 95 in approaching Lewiston. The highway seems to flatten a bit just briefly and then runs southeast a short distance before curving again to the east. At this curve is a viewpoint on the south side of the highway at a spur which affords views toward the south.

For a person unaware of the nature of the local topography, the view can be a jaw-dropping experience as the landscape suddenly changes. One discovers that the cities of Lewiston and Clarkston lie some 1,000 feet below the highway on either side the Snake River.

In the above photo looking south from the highway viewpoint, the camera has flattened the rather steep 1,000-foot descent. The highway seen in the photo is the Old Spiral Highway descending down from the spur. The Clearwater River is flowing from the left side of the photo to join the Snake River as the Snake exits Hells Canyon and passes between Lewiston on the left and Clarkston on the right.