More pics from along I-84 in Oregon

[Tobin S.]

A few people have told me that I'm not really getting pictures of the more beautiful areas of the states out west here, and I know that there are prettier places out here than some of my pictures have portrayed. I would love to get pictures of those areas, but I am very limited in where I can go. I have to consider the route I have to take and due to the sheer size of the vehicle I'm driving I can't just stop anywhere and snap some pictures. There are also some beautiful areas that I've been through where it just wasn't safe to stop. There are also time considerations. When I'm on duty on my log book, I'm on the clock and I can only work so many hours a day because of log book rules. So, I can only take pictures when I have a good opportunity and not always when I want to.

Windmills! I think I've seen wind generators in every state out west now and in quite a few in the central part of the country. There are probably some back east, too, but I don't run east of Ohio or in the southeast at all so I haven't witnessed any there. I am still in awe of them no matter how many times I see them, especially up close like in the following picture. I don't know why, but I find them to be graceful and beautiful.



The following two pictures were taken of the Columbia river at the same spot. For half of the length of the state the Columnbia forms the border between Washington and Oregon and I-84 runs right along beside it. It becomes forested and more mountainous along there and prettier as you get toward Portland, but like I was saying above, it was one of those situations where I couldn't stop and get some good pictures.





Greetings from Portland, everyone. I'm at my first stop making a delivery. I'll have three more in the morning in the area and then hopfully I'll be able to catch something going back east and keep the wheels rolling.

[Kali]

1. wow

beautiful, Tobin. Thanks!

I liked the earlier one too (yeah the mountain seemed puny - I know how those kind of photos go) but I liked the foreground of the hay and pens too. I'm not biased about stuff like that;-)

[hibbing]

2. Thanks Tobin

Hi Tobin,
Thanks for posting these. Very nice, I totally understand your limitations in time and opportunity to take them, and appreciate the effort you do take when you do have a chance. I like the wind turbine one, the highway sign in the foreground really gives it some scale. The river ones are also awesome.

Peace

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear Tobin!

I think you do really well, especially considering your constraints. And I love these three!

The river is just gorgeous...all that water!

The landscape is very familiar to me, since I lived for four years as a child in the town of Richland, WN.

Keep those wheels rolling!

[elleng]

4. Good work, Tobin S!

[marzipanni]

5. I like seeing your photos, especially since I haven't traveled much lately

I went by train across Canada from Vancouver, B.C. to Montreal, then on to Boston by bus in the early 80s to visit my family after I had been living in California, and also returned to California from Boston by train another time with a friend. Both trips were fun, but if I did it again I'd arrange to get off, ride a bike or rent a car and explore some places, then get back on a few days later.

My husband's family took a car trip across the country when he was ten, and stopped in historic and other places of interest. I wish I had done that when gas was cheaper! I remember when people used to advertise, on college bulletin boards for instance, for someone to drive a car or help with the driving across the U.S..

I was surprised to discover the Green Tortoise bus still exists!
http://www.greentortoise.com/adventure.travel.html
In my younger days it was a way to travel cheaply, trans-continentally, though it was rumored to be "lousey". ;)

Do you stop and sleep alongside the road? In our little town the near-the-freeway motel/restaurant loop seems to be a sleep-stop area for truckers.

[Tobin S.]

7. I try to get into a truck stop or a rest area to sleep

But they fill up quickly after the sun goes down and you'll be lucky to find a space in them after 11pm or so. When that happens you have to get creative about where you park. You have to find a space where nobody will be bothered by your presence and come knocking on your to bother you in the middle of the night. It could be on the shoulder of an on ramp to the interstate, although I try to avoid that and use it as a last resort.

[Catshrink]

6. Wow do those bring back memories!

I've been on that road many times. I really like Astoria (Goonies!) and that way cool bridge over the River. I once drove over it when it was windy and icy - that made the elevation seem way higher than it was and scared the crap out of me as I slowly drove down to the lower deck. Here's the bridge from a distance:



And here's the view looking down from the highest part - imagine a strong wind and a bit of ice.



Did you know that the Columbia Bar, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, is one of the most difficult and dangerous places for ships in the world? I always found that amazing.

edited to remove the photos from NOAA that were way too big! But here's a link to some cool photos of the Bar:

http://onbluesky.com/pilot.htm

And the NOAA site:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/gallery1.php

[fizzgig]

9. that bridge is something else

spooked me a bit crossing it, i couldn't imagine doing that in weather.

[CreekDog]

10. That's a cool bridge

The Astoria Megler Bridge! :D

[likesmountains 52]

8. Thanks again, lovely.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. I think you are doing a fine job with your pictures on the road -

These are lovely.

I hope you get a good paying load headed east.

:hi:

[Oceansaway]

12. thanks...n/t

[Rosie1223]

13. I love seeing your pictures!

And please stop only where it's safe to take them. I'd hate to think there's a trucker out there taking pics from a moving rig!

[travelingtypist]

14. Were you west of The Dalles at night or something?

Where Teh Gorge and all of the gorgeous trees?

Your pictures are beautiful. I love that drive, but dayum. There's trees here, dude.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. That looks more like east of The Dalles

where the terrain turns rocky and semi-deserty.

[Tobin S.]

18. Yes, it was east of The Dalles, more toward the central part of the state

I forget the exact mile marker or the name of the closest town.

[Tobin S.]

17. Okay, now go back and read the post

:P

[cwydro]

15. I love the pics!

I don't care where you take them!

Traveling pics are always cool.