Driving from Bend to eastern Oregon took us through the Ochoco National Forest, a beautifully wooded area.

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We spent a night at Claude Holiday State Park which was right on the John Day River. Other than the mosquitoes, it was a wonderful campground.

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We took a tour of Pendleton's underground city. It was a step back in time to experience some of the town's wild past through tunnels where Chinese laborers lived and businesses thrived in the late 1800's. We got to see the old Shamrock Cardroom, the Chinese laundry as well as a very successful meat business which were all run in the cellars and connected by tunnels. Here you see a cowboy getting ready for his bath before visiting one of the many bordellos which existed in this town until 1953.

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Here is an example of some of the fine wool which arrived in this area to be woven into the famous Pendleton wool blankets.

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Quaint churches along the side of the road aren't as plentiful in this area as they were on our last trip but this one was certainly picture worthy.

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We were very surprised to see the amount of grain being produced in the fields of eastern Oregon and Washington. Even more surprising was coming through an area near Walla Walla, Washington that was famous for it's pea/bean products (garbanzo, split pea, etc).

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Couldn't resist taking a photo of one of these striped fields. Unfortunately the color didn't come out as clearly as I had hoped but I have a picture of it in my mind!!

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Finally a wonderful sunset - and this after an unbearably hot day here in Cour d'Alene, Idaho. It almost made up for the heat (notice I said almost)!

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We climbed out of Coeur d'Alene and got to see the Coeur d'Alene Lake in all it's glory. It was far larger than we though and extremely beautiful.

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While here in Missoula, Montana we took a tour of the Smokejumper facility which is the training center for those men and women who help protect our national forests. We also went to an Art Fair in town which was held along the Clark Fork River. Here is Al with the river to his back (hmm I should have pushed!).

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Here in the park in downtown Missoula they have a hand carved 1918 merry-go-round which was similar in many ways to the old merry-go-round in West Haven, Connecticut where Tryna grew up (that carousel is now located at Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif.). Tryna couldn't resist riding the flying horses and trying for the brass ring. Unfortunately the rings she got weren't the coveted brass one.

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