Wow such an awesome thread! I'm planning on a Cross country roap trip around the states from NJ -> CA ->NJ sometime around June! Now I know where to go for WA and OR.
Thank you for sharing your awesome pictures and info!

Tuesday May 9, 2017

Started out from Seattle in the AM.
All the I90 onramps were stuffed solid, so I took Rainier Ave down around the south end of the lake, then Rt900 from Renton to Issaquah.
Got gas to get over the pass and proceeded to Vantage on the Columbia River.

Turned on to Hwy 26 east on the route I used to take to school at Pullman.
It's pretty flat and relatively featureless.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...snek/Hwy26.jpg

Don't know why people seem to think the twins get blown around more than most cars. Of course it will be affected. Just take control and deal with it. No worse than a van or a Malibu.

Got a SWIRLY THING ALERT!!! Didn't crash. Meh.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...irly_thing.jpg

After passing Pulman, I headed south on Wawawai road.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...lsnek/wai1.jpg

It dives down into the snake river canyon and follows the river along some impressive lava rock bluffs to Clarkston / Lewiston.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...lsnek/wai2.jpg

Spotted the Snake Riverboat along the way, then spent the evening touring the towns and shaking up in a motel.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N..._riverboat.jpg

Wednesday May 10, 2017

Next day I took a wrong turn at Asotin and rather than turning up the hill (fantastic corners), I followed the Snake River Road along the waterline for about 15 miles until the pavement ended.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N.../snek_rvr1.jpg

It's very skeenik and portagraphikal.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N.../snek_rvr2.jpg

Once I got onto the right road, the uphill canyon was fun and I neglected to take pictures. Running late...

Once at the top, the road follows along a mesa top through Anatone to the top of Rattlesnake Canyon where Fields Spring State Park is.
This is near the top of the canyon. Lots of turns, but short vistas due to tree cover.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ek/up_rtl1.jpg

Stopped where the view opens up near the middle for a couple shots.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ek/dn_rtl1.jpg

The last corner at the bottom is Rattlesnake Creek. There was a wash through there last winter that messed things up and scoured out the creekbed and parts of the roadbed on the right side.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ek/dn_rtl2.jpg

This is one of the portions of the road near the bottom that was washed half away.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ek/lo_rtl1.jpg

Here's the view back up rtlsnek cr. from the Grand Ronde River at the bottom.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...k/boggans1.jpg

Stop off here for Boggan's Oasis and a thick handmade milkshake. Couple dozen flavors available. I got Black Raspberry.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...k/boggans2.jpg

The road goes back up the other side through Buford Canyon that has some quite amazing switchbacks carved into the hill.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ek/buford1.jpg

Slightly farther up I stopped for some car shots. Down the canyon.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ek/buford2.jpg

And up the side of the hill above.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ek/buford3.jpg

Once at the top I'm traveling along another mesa. It folows Joseph Creek Canyon (Chief Joseph - Nez Perce) past the Rimrock Inn.
I didn't stop. There's a public viewpoint a bit farther along with huge views and a pit toilet if needed.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ez_rimrock.jpg

They've got a couple of small history displays too.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...z_rimrock2.jpg

The road turns into OR3 at the border and eventually drops gradually into the Enterprise basin with mountains all around.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...rise_basin.jpg

On the way back northwest toward La Grande the road cuts through the mountains at Minim which is another fantastic canyon run.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...nim_canyon.jpg

West of Pendleton, there was a grass fire burning off to the north. I could see the flame front advancing with orange flames, but the photo doesn't do it justice.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N..._grassfire.jpg

OR Hwy84 is smooth as glass in the eastern part of the state, though the part from the Dalles to Portland is hammered and lumpy as a very hammered lumpy thing.
I turned off on 97 and took that north to Yakima, then WA12 over White Pass.
Picked up I5 and headed home.
About 10 hours straight driving with a few stops to poke around various and sundry.
That was a long day.

What a wonderful day.

Only now got to uploading from last week.

All the Bogz from east of the mountains.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...gz_2017_sp.jpg

Shot of the Blakely Harbor steam engine pad for the sawmill.
It were all sawdust back in the day.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...ey_bldg_sm.jpg

(copied from the landmarks thread)

Took a drive today out to Aberdeen (WA) and down 101 on the coast through Westport, Grayland and Raymond.

That was nice. Turned around and came back the same way. I don't often go down that part of the coast.
Usually miss out that part by taking an inland route and avoid it. Recommended.

Stopped off in Tokeland for a landmark.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...c/tokeland.jpg

June 17, 2018
Went for a drive to test out the new Domo kite I got at Ocean Shores last week.
The weather turned out drippy on the Sunday, so I hit up the kite shop.

Took a drive up to Port Gamble, Wa. and the timber processing yard they used to have down there.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N.../frs_domo1.jpg

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N.../frs_domo2.jpg

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N.../frs_domo4.jpg

Couple pit shots from the historic races at Pacific Raceway yesterday before 86 Sessions.

So much nostalgia

https://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/...crac_alfas.jpg

You probably need an 86 Experience

https://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/...s/pacrac86.jpg

Found these chocolate starfish Lotus wheels that Ho needs

http://www.britishracecar.com/Marcus...us-18Jr-AG.jpg

Rather than sit inside on a nice day knitting bones, I took off for Ocean Shores to tag the shark for the landmarks thread.

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...oc_shark2w.jpg

http://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/N...oc_shark5w.jpg

Then I went up 101 a bit to Donkey Crk Rd / NF-22.
It goes from a bit north of Humptulips east to Wynoochee Lake.
The Donkey part was well paved two lane, but NF-22 is single lane and mostly gravel.
Was fun. There were log trucks involved.

https://www.eskimo.com/~johnsen/car/...onkey_cr1w.jpg

Damn, 6 lug. Mine is 4. Would be perfect for snow tires.

Nother Landmark.

Lumpiest Egg in the World!
Winlock WA. Egg capitol of the NW prior to the 1950's.

Attachment 171642

Attachment 171641

Out at Ocean Shores WA playing with fighter kites.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/atta...hmentid=190311

Nice domo-kun kite.