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Mysterious and imposing Stein's Pillar |
Monday, September 30, 2019
Stone Guardian
Friday, September 27, 2019
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Surfin' USA
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Bend residents float down the Deschutes River on a warm day... |
If you've ever been to Kamloops in BC, Bend in Oregon will seem familiar. Bend has a comparable population to Kamloops. Like Kamloops, Bend is located in an arid part of the state. It has a river running through the heart of it just like Kamloops.
Bend has something Kamloops doesn't though. Surfing!
Yup, you can surf in Bend. They've created a whitewater park in the river which includes standing waves. Local surfers politely take turns riding waves just like we do here on the west coast.
You can watch the surfers in real time via this webcam.
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Surfers at Bend's whitewater park |
Monday, September 23, 2019
Bend it Like Blockbuster
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Have I slipped through a bend in time? |
Bend Oregon is home to the very last Blockbuster on all of earth. At one time the video chain -- with its instantly recognizable yellow and blue logo -- had 9000 outlets.
The end of the chain came in the form of digital media which supplanted DVDs and BluRays as the media format of choice. Combined with streaming services such as Netflix video stores disappeared quickly.
That said, this Blockbuster still has a steady and loyal customer base. It also survives on its reputation as a must-see tourist attraction in Bend.
Friday, September 20, 2019
The art of Springfield
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Some of the art of Bayne Gardner... |
They even have tours organized around them. One of the most impressive murals celebrates local author Ken Kesey who was the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
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Ken Kesey immortalized in a mural... |
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Springfield
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The gang's all here in Springfield... |
But is there a real Springfield? Well, it turns out that there are about 33 of them in the United States, but the one that is the inspiration for the series is Springfield OR. The creator of the series, Matt Groenig, grew up in nearby Portland.
The real-life Springfield commemorates this fact with a large bright mural on the side of their oddly named Emerald Arts Center downtown.
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"Emerald... you keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means." |
Monday, September 16, 2019
Spruce Goose
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Too big to get it all in one frame... |
One hangar is dominated by the Spruce Goose, built by Howard Hughes in the mid-1940s as part of the war effort. This thing is huge... like really really BIG.
The wingspan is longer than a football field. The tail is eight stories high. Even by today's standards this is a massive aircraft, all the more remarkable when you consider that it is constructed almost entirely of wood.
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The Spruce Goose dwarfs everything else around it... |
Friday, September 13, 2019
Twedes again
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A gloomy cloudy day over North Bend in Washington... |
Although it's famous for its coffee and cherry pie as a result its appearance in the show, on this particular trip I decided to try their banana creme pie instead. I can reliably report that it too is very good... and VERY filling.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
La Conner cute
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The residents of La Conner even park artfully... |
If you are an art lover, La Conner is your town. The main street features numerous shops selling art in quality from pricey fine to mass produced 'lifestyle' and everything in between. We have some of it sitting in our home as I write this.
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All stair rails, veranda and posts... |
Monday, September 9, 2019
LOST
What mysteries does the ISLAND hold? |
Take away the telltale tall evergreen trees and you could be looking at the jungle of some mysterious island off South America. It was an effect enhanced by the call of the many birds hidden in the trees.
The beach at Florencia Bay... |
Friday, September 6, 2019
She sees seaweed by the seashore
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Burying seaweed in the hot sun... not fun. |
I can't complain since the trip is free for us, but I'm less enthusiastic about the east coast. They have a growing seaweed problem there. Each day, vast mats of seaweed wash ashore on the resort beaches. In the heat of the day, it rots quickly, producing a pungent smell similar to sewage.
Who wants to spend time on beach like that? It turns out -- unsurprisingly -- no one.
During our last stay in Playa del Carmen, we witnessed teams of labourers sent out each morning from the hotels to clean up the beach areas in front of the resorts. Their job was to dig deep holes in the beach sand and bury the seaweed.
In some places the problem has become so acute that they've had to resort to earth-moving equipment to dig the trenches.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
They zig... you zag
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More Mad Max than Rolls Royce... |
That's the philosophy behind the Rat Rods, a group of car enthusiasts who gleefully adorn their car with lo-fi accessories, rust and DIY parts.
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The Chevy from Hell... |
Monday, September 2, 2019
No school like old school
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Despite the Boler, I doubt this car has ever been near an RV park... |
The car owners are frequently grizzled and grey, but their enthusiasm for restoring cars never wanes. They are always happy to talk about their automobiles. If not with the public then with each other.
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That's a lot of grey facial hair! |
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