MAKING MEMORIES; Roadtrip to Huff & Puff

Yesterday morning I woke up with a hunger for a burger - not just any burger, but a specific burger ;-)

So, I broached the idea with Holland: "Did I mention to you that I am impulsive?" Holland: "No." Me: "Well, I am; and today my impulse is hungering for a specific hamburger - an elk burger from Huff & Puff in Randall ... I know it's a long drive (1-1/2 hours one way), but it will so worth the drive. Wanna come with me?"

He did not want to make that long drive for a burger; any kind of burger.

Him: "What's wrong with burgers here?"

Me: "They are not Huff & Puff Burgers. And Longview is not scenic landscape. I'm needing a road trip. I miss the mountain" (meaning Mt. Rainier).

The end of January, I was hungering for a Bundy Burger at a retro burger bar across the river, in Clatskanie: ... and he enjoyed that outing once it got underway; so, I knew he'd enjoy the drive to Randall too once it got underway.

New Married Life Underway Post: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2023/02/new-married-life-underwaybanana-bread.html

"Hon, I agree that it will be a very long drive (3 hours' drive time, plus half an hour eating time), but it will also be a scenic drive. And my first long-distance drive of this year. I'd really like to have you with me, making a new memory."

It seems I always have to place a stick of dynamite under my guys' butts to get them out of the house. I {get} that they spent their entire {work years} on the road, and got tired of driving - especially long distances, But, I haven't. And Holland knew before we got married that I like to enjoy long drives.

I laughingly reminded him that just the other day he laughingly said:

We both groused a little before settling on The Plan. He agreed to go; I agreed to allow freeway driving, to cut down drive time as well as mileage costs ... with the concession that we drive the long way back home. This would be, after all, a scenic road trip.

We went :-)

And, as anticipated, once he was on the road - he enjoyed himself ;-)

We "made a day of it" every mile of the road that led to the Randall destination :-)

Miranda Lambert - 'Highway Vagabond' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ekEXOzV0-o)

We started off by driving Coal Creek Road, and over Delameter Road to Vader via Westside Highway; Holland wanted to share some of his life with me (today, it was fishing holes). He relaxed and enjoyed the outing; I enjoyed some {new} places I'd never been before.

Snow patches along Delameter Road; Castle Rock.

At every new experience, Holland would tell me a little more about himself before we had met. I'm glad we like the same things. I'm glad we enjoy spending time together. I am glad he showed me where we will be fishing. I LIKE being out-of-house and outdoors.

Steppenwolf - 'Born To Be Wild' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41cFf9N5F-A)

He was also noticing that after snapping off photos/videos, I'd loosen the back of the battery cache to save battery power on the digital camera ... so, he said, "the phone charger I bought for you will also work with your camera, Baby; you can take all the pictures you want to without worrying about running out of power".

He's so thoughtful :-)

My digital camera is several decades old, but it's still up to the job it's put to. I use the digital camera because there are times the pictures and videos come out clearer that with the smart phone app: the zoom feature is broader. The digital camera can do videos, but they are like silent movies - no sound.

Arkansas Creek & Cowlitz River, fishing spot; Castle Rock.

Portable Phone Charger also works for my digital camera!

Road is pitted with large potholes, and a BIG mud hole at the rock pit entrance/exit; Castle Rock.

The Highlander makes a good 'mud-dogging' vehicle; I was proud of 'Molly'. LOL

We have named the Highlander, 'Molly' because it has an attitude resembling Irish temper when the seat belts are not immediately activated. LOL

After we left the fishing hole behind the rock pit, Holland showed me another one at Hog Island, off Westside Highway towards Vader. I had used the roadside pullout as pit stops for twelve years when I had my Pomeranian ... but I did not know that there was a dirt spur off it, with a fishing hole: this was a nice {discovery} for me.

It dismayed both of us to see that someone had dumped garbage there :-(

Some lazy pig dumped their paint containers at Hog Island ... GRRR

Holland showing me where his older brother had in his younger years, rolled his pickup - Hog Island; West Side Highway.

And a little further down the road, Holland showed me two more fishing holes. I am so looking forward to next month.

Old barn & Pump House; Westside Highway.

A gravesite along a fishing hole roadside - of all the things to see near a fishing hole! Eternal fishing buddies; 71 yo & 17 yo, buried together - probably grandfather and grandson. Along the Cowlitz River; Westside Highway.

Along the Cowlitz River route; Westside Highway in the background. Holland grew up in this area; his family members still live on the family homestead, across the road in the distance.

An old train trestle in the Cowlitz River; Westside Highway.

Waterfall above Cowlitz River fishing hole, under the Westside Highway Bridge; Vader.

Westside Highway Bridge; Vader.

I LIKE this Patriot's spirit; I'd driven past this place a thousand times over the years. I never knew the secrets hidden and revealed to me, this afternoon.

Tom Cochrane - 'Life Is A Highway' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3sMjm9Eloo)

Holland then drove up S. Military Road in Vader, coming out at the freeway entrance - where Mt. Rainier & Mt. St. Helens revealed themselves :-)

Mt. Rainier, to the left - I miss "the mountain". I always love seeing it; freeway view from Winlock.

Mt. St. Helens, to the right - freeway view from Winlock.

Holland drove the freeway to Hwy. #12 ... and to Randall from there.

Solar Windmills in the distance, seen along Highway #12 ...

Mt. St. Helens showing near Mossyrock-WA

Mayfield Dam Plaque.

Mayfield Dam; I've never been here before.

Dam sponsored activities: maybe we'll be fishing at these places.

Mount Adams, in the distant Gorge area; seen Highway #12, nearing Randall-WA. No flooding anywhere today. YAY!

Huff & Puff Burger Bar; Randall-WA

We ordered our Elk Burger w-Fries, with a side order of onion rings and two milkshakes ... what we got was the burgers, onion rings, and shakes: no fries. When Holland went back to inquire about the fries, the girl said, "I didn't charge you for the fries, but I can out some down for you." He skipped it, and came back to the Highlander. I was chagrined.

WTH????

The burger came with fries: we paid $13.99 for a full deal; no extra cost.

I had bragged about Huff & Puff all the way up there. I always order the elk burger - and it always came with fries.

The girl working the joint must be either a really stupid blonde not to understand the menu - or she was new to what the job was, and didn't understand the menu clearly posted: 'Elk Burger WITH FRIES'. Why did she think we ordered FRY SAUCE? I choose to believe she was a stupid blonde.

So, we drove to Packwood, and ate our food there. While we ate, I said to Holland that I drive this way several times a year for a burger, to enjoy the drive - but mostly to visit {my mountain, Mt. Rainier}: I miss the mountain, and would really like him to join me when I do the drive. I enjoy the drive solo lobo ... but sharing the time with my husband would be an added bonus :-)

We also watched the elk roaming, eating, and loafing around lazily all over Packwood ;-)

Elk, comfortable in someone's front yard; Packwood-WA

Elk alongside the road, eating holly berries!

They are in the process of shedding their winter fur.

Elk were everywhere; behind a Lodge in Packwood-WA

Making themselves at home alongside a Realtors building.

It was a great day, despite the fries incident.

We both enjoyed ourselves.

Tom Petty - 'You Wreck Me Baby' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyO7qucNJJo) & B-52's - 'Love Shack' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOryJvTAGs)

My heart is singing a familiar song I believed was null and void. I'm so happy to be blessed with the love of my husband, Holland :-)

Thunder - 'Love Walked In' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IWAOPi4VCc)

MOUNTAIN HIGH & RIVER WIDE ~Wandering Wednesday 2022-1

Lenny Kravitz – ‘I Want to Get Away’ song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewfVFBqOLgw)

I was up bright and early this morning; my garden area was fully watered by 9:30 A.M.

A 20-cent cut in price this morning; still pretty high in a recession period.

Prices have been holding even until today: 8-2-22 prices.

Clatskanie-OR from Heron Pointe-WA; 25 min (19.8 mi) via WA-432 E and US-30 W

I hadn’t eaten anything yet, and my stomach wanted a Bundy Burger for lunch … so I switched out my thongs for sandals, and and drove to Clatskanie, thinking I’d eat my ‘burger, then drive to Lee Wooden/Fishhawk Falls County Park to get a short hike in: but when I got to Clatskanie, Bundy’s was closed tighter than a clam at high tide ☹

So, I jetted across the street to the mini mart; and bought a pound of chicken gizzards … and zoomed back across the street and up the backroad behind Safeway 😊

I had intended to drive the familiar backroad loop route from Clatskanie … but instead of turning towards the Camp Wilkerson Park road towards Apiary, I veered off onto a different road just for the adventure of it 😉

This Daytrip to Vernonia via Mist Mountain, Highway #47, is my first 2022 Daytrip.

I passed the road sign pointing to Scappoose/St. Helens – feeling Venronia drawing me forward. I got surprised in several ways: the Highlander climbed Mist Mountain, at an elevation of 1,320 … and this route into Vernonia led me to different part of Vernonia – both were new adventures for me; I hadn’t driven over the mountain before (with or without Bob), nor had I ever visited the part if Vernonia I found myself in (Bob may have driven through on his truck route – but if he did, he never said anything to me about it).

“Mist Mountain” (is actually higher than stated in this article – I read the posted elevation sign to be 1,320 ft/elev.): https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/clatskanie-mountain/

Bridge work along the route ...

I was thoroughly enjoying myself 😊

Radio waves were channeling the cheney dog barking … and it appears to me that she is behaving exactly how she tried to prove (falsely) President Trump was behaving – refusing to accept that she lost the election, verbally denying the election results, staging a political coup with a bid for the 2024 Presidential Election, and inciting {mob} mentality. cheney is hosting her own insurrection: and the deadhead obamanites are eating her political barf, up – and spewing it all over social media.

I tuned the biased chatted out.

America has had enough of liz cheney: that was glaringly obvious in her total loss when the count came in. We do not want – nor do we need – liz cheney in DC; let alone, in the Oval Office! Anyone who believes for a nano second … that dementia poster boy biden, actually won the Presidential Election, is as delusional as obama’s puppet is. That is a dangerous person: and that person should not be seated in our governing seats. Kick her treasonous ass to the curb! Kick it hard.

Highway #47 may be a country backroad – but it is a very busy backroad; log trucks were every other vehicle on the road … and cars, pickups, and SUV’s, were seriously crowding my back bumper from beginning to end: I finally pulled over at the Big Eddy campground, and let the bumper riders pass me. I was going the speed limit; but Oregon drivers are rude and obnoxious drivers because they are by and large stoned out of their minds 95% of the time.

This was a new road to me, and I was intent on taking my time, and leisurely looking at the surroundings. I didn’t need to be top-dog on the road.

The area of Vernonia that I drove through was pretty suburban, and edging closer to citified. It’s still got a small-town vibe … but it’s not as {country} as the section of Vernonia I was aiming for – and missed.

WOW. This is a side of Vernonia I never knew existed.

Vernonia from Clatskanie; 39 min (28.4 mi) via OR-47 S

Vernonia, Oregon

Vernonia - along Highway #47 backroad.

Forest Grove was half a mere hour in the distance; so ... I backtracked.

I did not want to end up in Forest Grove! So, I had to backtrack to the green highway sign that pointed to Scappoose/Vernonia 😉

This is a different route than I am used to: there are 3 road routes that lead to Vernonia – this is a new one. I like learning different routes: each route has different scenery, and I like that, too 😊

This route dropped me behind Burgerville, in St. Helens – which is about 30 minutes from home.

When I got to Rainier, there was back-to-back traffic on the Lewis & Clark Bridge, crossing from Rainier to Longview this afternoon; around 1 PM. Bridge crossing was very, very busy.

St. Helens-OR from Vernonia; 40 min (27.2 mi) via Scappoose Vernonia Hwy

W.T. ...

Heron Pointe-WA from St Helens-OR; 34 min (28.1 mi) via US-30 W

Back in Longview - and that little daytrip is a definite repeat.

It was still 90-degrees, but the humidity wasn't sky high, so I decided to nip over to Willow Grove, on my way home, and get a short riverside hike in before parking the Highlander in my carport.

Tugboat on the Columbia River; Willow Grove-WA

This tree root reminded me of a beached octopus. LOL

Hijinx on the River ...

After a light Supper, I watched the fading sunlight gild the clouds 😊

Today was a good day – from start to finish.