Washington State to 21 November 2010

Our last week in USA was travelling westward through Washington State after leaving Coeur d'Alene in Idaho.

Spokane in eastern Washington was travelled through at high speed on Interstate 90.

Made easier by an unobstructed thoroughfare where local roads were carried on over bridges.  We were happy to pass through.

Washington is a state of extremes of country from the dry prairie...

...irrigated pastures and ...

...crops on silt flats.

In the irrigated areas grain storage facilites are common.

Modern tractors and implements are a common sight.

All this agriculture, including orchards, is interspersed with arid grazing not unlike Central Otago, NZ.

Irrigation water is sourced from damed rivers such as the Columbia River shown here near Othello.

Bridge across the Columbia River.

There was still a small mountain pass to cross.  White Pass on Highway 12 on the way towards the westcoast and the Pacific ocean.

By the time were near the coast it was dark in the town of Aberdeen not far from our destination at the seaside town of Ocean Shores.

Ocean Shores was a good base to explore the Olympic National Park area on the Olympic Mountains.

A Lodge near the Quinault Rain Forest headquarters.

Rainforest.

Moss covered stream boulders.

Narrow roads led up valleys and around small lakes.

Rivers flow from the Olympic Mountains.

 Rivers are home to various birds such as the Bald Eagle.

 Even the phone booth has its own moss top at the the High Rain Forest Visiter Centre.

Small Elk herds roam the grassland enclaves on the edge of the forest.













Where the stag keeps a watchful eye out for competitors.

The coast was rugged in places.

Located on flats and easy downs bewteen the park and the coast is a series of plantation forests.  Here a logging machine is operating, stripping side branches and cutting the log into specifies lengths before stacking.

An old iron bridge near Oak Harbor, north of Seattle, is a holiday and recreation area on the harbor. (American spelling of "Harbor")

Interstate 5 North to Vancouver.  We are heading home via Vancouver.