This is a photo of the approach of Fort Clatsop, near Astoria, Oregon, on the
Columbia River.
Inside Fort Clatsop, still wearing the rain gear. It also breaks the wind.
Back on US Highway 101, still headed north.
US Highway 101no longer tracks the coast as closely as it did farther south,
so it is time to head east. This is where we left 101 and
enjoined Washington State Highway 107, for our travels east.
Now headed east on Washington State Highway 18.
Day fifteen. All is well. Overnight in Cle Elum, Washington.
This morning started like many others had started for us during our travels up the western coast, although we were not along the coast when we awoke - we were well inland, in Portland, Oregon. Just like our mornings on the coast, it was cool (54 degrees), and cloudy. By the time we had breakfast it had begun to rain, and the rain continued until early afternoon as we traveled along our way.
Last night we had planned our first stop of the day to be the 1805-06 winter home of The Corps of Discovery (aka the Lewis and Clark Expedition), Fort Clatsop. Fort Clatsop is located near the town of Astoria, Oregon, which sets on the southern banks of the Columbia River. The present day fort is a replica based upon the drawings and dimensions made by Captain Meriwether Lewis. The original Fort Clatsop decayed in the wet climate of the region. The first re-creation was destroyed by fire in 1955. Today's version is the third edition of Fort Clatsop.
Getting to Fort Clatsop proved to be more of a challenge than we would have preferred. In my attempt at expediency I simply entered the National Park / Fort Clatsop address into my GPS and engaged it to the fastest time. I failed to also look at a map, and realized only after we were well into the trip that it took us through some of the most back roads in that part of the country. In the Ozark Mountains they have a series of roads that motorcyclist find interesting, and they affectionately call those "The Pig Trail". Today's roads were not so well maintained "pig trails". They had a multitude of sharp curves, were narrow, rough, and travel was made more difficult because it was raining.
But, we made it through the route without any issues, save it took longer than it should have taken. I am not sure that the way we went was truly the "fastest time".
Once at Fort Clatsop we spent time in the museum, in the bookstore, and on the grounds, plus we took a tour of the tiny fort before getting back on the bikes to again continue north on US Highway 101. By the time we arrived at Fort Clatsop the rain had stopped, and it was not raining when we left there. The temperature remained cool however. 54 degrees was the highest temperature we saw all day.
Our route after leaving Fort Clatsop took us across the Columbia River over the magnificent Astoria-Megler Bridge near Astoria. This was the last completed structure on US 101, having been completed in 1966.
Our chosen course took us through the back roads until we hit I-5, 30 miles south of Tacoma. The ride was without rain until we made the turn west and after we passed through Tacoma, just south of Seattle. After travelling through Tacoma on I-5 we got on Washington Highway 18 to connect to I-90. Once on I-90 we crossed the Cascade Mountains along the Snoqualmie Pass (elevation 3,022 feet).
Once we neared the mountains, and throughout our crossing of the mountains it rained, and the temperature dropped to 46 degrees. Interestingly (at least to us) was that the 46 degrees mark was exactly 60 degrees lower than the highest temperature we saw on this trip (at 106 degrees) in both Texas and New Mexico.
As we descended into a valley on the east side of the Cascades we arrived at our overnight location, a small town by the name of Cle Elum (Population 1,872). The temperature again rose to 54 degrees.
Once again we arrived safely, with another interesting day completed.
Another good day.
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