This morning, as the geese flew overhead honking their adventuring, I decided to do a little adventuring myself ;-)
Off on another Sunday Funday Exploration; this is my 6th
solo outing
solo outing
I left the carport with a little over 3/4 tank of gas; I never know beforehand exactly where I want to go – I just aim the car in a general direction and let it have its own way. Today the car decided to jog my memory cells and try for Toledo:
Leaving the carport with a little over 3/4 tank of gas.
Heading up Coal Creek Road, my peripheral vision caught sight of the Coal Creek Falls running fast and furious, so I pulled into a side turnout and watched them for a few minutes. They were loud …
Coal Creek Falls running fast and furious.
I will be turning the car back and heading towards Castle Rock. Determined to get to Toledo on the backroads.
A bit up Delameter, I saw a sign I have driven past for years. Today, I decided to drive it and see where it goes:
Garlock Road tied into Hazel Dell Road; on the lower end of Delameter Road: a 3-minute spur.
Bob would have known that; and I am sure, that more than once over the past 44 years, we have taken that route with the same result.
That curiosity settled, I continued on through Castle Rock and decided to treat myself to breakfast; so, I nipped into Peper’s parking lot – and almost pulled back out. It was busy. But, I was determined to prove to myself that “I can do this”. I walked through the door, sat in a familiar booth, and ordered breakfast – 55 minutes later, I realized that I had more of an appetite than I thought I did when I nipped in earlier:
That curiosity settled, I continued on through Castle Rock and decided to treat myself to breakfast; so, I nipped into Peper’s parking lot – and almost pulled back out. It was busy. But, I was determined to prove to myself that “I can do this”. I walked through the door, sat in a familiar booth, and ordered breakfast – 55 minutes later, I realized that I had more of an appetite than I thought I did when I nipped in earlier:
Peper’s 49er Restaurant in Castle Rock. 30 mins Dr. from home.
I sat in “our booth” facing the huge Elk picture. Bob and I ate here quite a bit over the years - Bob liked it.
Echoes of Bob coaching Azariah to “say E-L-K”, in his toddler years, ran through my thoughts. Thoughts of us eating here while we dated. While our daughter and granddaughter were growing up. LOTS of memories ... I admit I did get a bit teary, and my stomach lurched some looking at that empty place across from me - but I toughed it out.
My Breakfast; I'll have to fast for a week – Homemade Beef Hash, eggs, & hash browns. $19
Looking at this picture, I KNEW exactly WHERE this place IS that the artist painted. Just before Box Canyon in Mt. Rainer National Park.
Obviously haunting memories didn't curb my appetite. I cleaned up pretty good: that hearty breakfast carried me through the day until Suppertime at 6 PM.
After I paid my tab, I drove the backroad that skirted the freeway; passing Paradise Cove RV Park and crossing over the freeway on the overpass: I haven’t been this way on my own in a long time & my memory is a bit sketchy when I don’t do things repetitively (Bob drove most of the time after he retired in 2012), but the route I was taking seemed familiar to me. When I passed the RV Park, where we stayed for a while in our 5th Wheel in 1999; I recalled a rainy night when Bob was working graveyard shift and our Pomeranian, Tyson, needed to go out and do his business. We had our 4 year old granddaughter with us at the time, so I bundled her warmly and slipped her raincoat on her and we walked the dog. We had to go outside the Park to do this, and while out there in the rain, I saw a coyote walk up the onramp and pad right by us – it looked at me, but kept on going past us. I didn’t get rattled, Tyson didn’t bark or lunge at it, and Alyna was as good as gold; there was no incident, thank God!
And that was the only time anything like that ever happened there …
And that was the only time anything like that ever happened there …
I drove the backroad past Papa Pete’s Pizza; and past Paradise Cove RV Park.
Windfall snapped trees from recent storm, where I crossed the overpass at Exit 52, 1/2 mile north of I-5 at Castle Rock, WA.
Historic Laughlin Round Barn: built in 1883 & repaired when wind damaged it in 1995. 1 mile north of Exit 52, off I-5 at Castle Rock, WA
Low, old concrete bridge siding. I like stuff like this ... you won't see finds like this along the freeway route.
Turning right, I crossed over the freeway again – and took two left turns.
I MADE IT:
Toledo to the left ... I'll have to take a drive out the right side one of these days. Just because it’s there, and I am curious ;-)
Tadpole Flats. LOL: Toledo was at one time known as “Frogtown”.
Chauvinistic Barn painting - for 'weak women'.
According to historical accounts, Ray Vaughn Pierce acquired a questionable medical degree and sold several ‘medicinal’ products he claimed “could cure” a variety of ills. One such product is advertised on the sides of this barn, south of Toledo. This is just one such barn advertisements that was painted on the sides of barns all across the Nation in the early part of the 20th Century. “Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription” was touted by Pierce himself to “cure weak women”, or weakness brought on by illness that women were prone to in those days – I’m thinking a loosening of their corsets, stays, and prudish attitudes could have done much better for them. MPO
2nd Left turn pointing the right way ... I'll try the right turn another day: I’m sure that will take me to Toutle.
Entering Toledo’s Main Street (aka Cowlitz Street).
ARE YOU PROUD OF ME BABE? A H.U.G.E. and major step for me! Water - especially swift flowing water seriously terrifies me. Thank You, Yeshua, for helping me!
I like it here; the people are friendly. Country atmosphere; comfy home-town vibe.
Behind the Grocery Market, is the building where Dr. Christianson had his clinic, and where I had to have pure oxygen treatments from 1996 to 2001: we were in Toledo a LOT, before my lungs acclimated to Longview's polluted environment; there are still dicey days, but I don't need pure oxygen anymore. You would think I would remember how to get there, but since watching Bob die, it seems like every long-term thought has flown out the top of my head. People tell me this is normal for people who have undergone a traumatic experience – but I don’t like it.
And I am hoping that forcing myself to do things like I am doing today, will jog my memory and restart the long-term info,causing it to flow freely again …
Back end of Toledo’s Main Street seen from the old doctor's office locale, behind the Grocery Market.
A penny; I almost stepped on it. Take the find any way you choose ... I choose to believe it is a Penny from Heaven, and that Bob was in some way with me today.
Main Street, seen from Cowlitz Street – the main drag.
That’s it: 2 eye-blinks. There is an Auto Parts building on the opposite side; and the bridge about 10 steps back. It’s shorter than Cathlamet’s Main Street … and that’s hard to believe; but I’m seeing it with my own eyes. Truth!
Toledo Events Building, on Cowlitz Street. I suppose Toledoans understand the meaning of the Bull. It's lost on me ...
1880’s Jail House - behind the Events Bldg.: I could not find any info about it.
Toledo is making the claim, but Toutle is actually the real 'gateway' to Mt. St. Helens. Toutle was established in 1890 – Toledo in 1892. (http://www.chronline.com/news/cowlitz-river-gave-birth-to-town-of-toledo/article_3f804ad6-15e1-11e5-9d38-9bb6d9f74f2a.html)
Checking the gas gauge as I got back into the car, I saw that I had barely used any gas at all getting here. That’s good to know :-D
About 1 hour drive from Castle Rock on backroads. Yes - I am keeping careful documentation of mileage and gas usage; important info for future adventures.
Bob and I ate a few ‘burgers here at this little turquoise Burger Bar, on the outskirts of town over the years; I'll have to do that again.
Back side of the little Buger Bar. When I pulled over and parked in a turnout along the roadway to see what that extension building was, 2 Great Danes were barking and tearing it up alongside the car – they were actually standing on their hind legs and peering down at me over the fenceline: HEAD AND SHOULDERS above the fenceline - huge paws pounding the top of the fenceline. It was kinda unnerving.
Driving up the hill past the Toledo High School, I decided to keep on the road I was already traveling just to see where it would take me:
iI knew where I was at this point: this memory, I knew ;-)
FLYINGDOG FARM on S. Military Road: nothing on the Internet about it; but there is a generic FB Page.
Back at Castle Rock, headed home. 2 hour/9 minute loop to this point.
Memories refreshed, feeling accomplished that I did the drive without once breaking down or having a panic attack along the way, and checking out a farm I don’t remember ever seeing when Bob drove this route … I was feeling 8 miles high as I dropped off Military Road and crossed onto Westside Highway on the outskirts of Vader. It rained off and on throughout the day, but it wasn’t dicey on the road; the whole trip unfolded without a hitch ;-)
After I got back home and uploaded the pics and vids – figuring the timeframes, I was surprised: I had no idea that a spur of the moment trip, like this trip, was a literal DAYTRIP when Bob & I did it together – I scaled it back significantly because I don’t know all the weaving roads Bob used to spin off onto and drive to drag the trip out for me: the little drive I did today was a 3 hour soloing experiment; including my breakfast stop. The “little drives” Bob used to drag out for me when he did them, probably morphed into 4 to 5-hour drives … and sometimes longer because we went quite a bit further afield than I did today.
I left the carport at 9:23 AM this morning, and parked the car in the carport, again at 12:25’noon.
I am spreading my wings and broadening my horizons – even if they are only basically in a {close back 40 proximity} for the time being.
I am learning the concept of time and distance.
And I am gaining a new, and deeper (if that is possible!), appreciation for the depth of my husband’s love for me.
I love you, Babe.
Always.
OX
