Pacific Northwest Destinations Archives - Page 5 of 5

Mount Rainier

By Alan K. Lee

One of the benefits of living in the Pacific Northwest is that you have incredible places like Mount Rainier National Park almost in your back yard. Mount Rainier is close enough to both Seattle and Portland that it’s possible to visit the mountain as a day trip, which many people do. But Rainier is so large, and there is so much to explore, that you can’t even begin to experience all it has to offer in a day, or even a week.

My wife and I have vacationed in Mount Rainier National Park a number of times over the years. Our favorite part of the park is the aptly named Paradise area, located on the south slope of the mountain at an elevation of 5400 feet, 9000 feet below the summit. The name Paradise was bestowed on the area by Martha Longmire, one of the early developers of tourist facilities in the area, more than a century ago. But appreciation for the beauty of this spot goes back much farther. Native Americans frequented the area long before it was discovered by white settlers, and they apparently appreciated its beauty just as much. Their name for the area, Saghalie Illahe, translates to Heavenly Place or Land of Peace.

Paradise is the most visited section of Mount Rainier National Park for good reason. Subalpine meadows abound with lupine, paintbrush, and dozens of other wildflowers. Small streams and waterfalls course down the mountain. There are many trails in the area that offer spectacular views of the Tatoosh Range to the south, and, of course, of Rainier itself.

Summer weekends are usually very, very crowded. There may be long lines at the Nisqually Entrance to the park, and you’re unlikely to find a parking spot anywhere close to the Jackson Visitor Center or Paradise Inn after mid-morning. Even if you get there early, you’ll still be elbow to elbow with other visitors. If you can visit during the week, I’d highly recommend doing so, and even then I would recommend getting there as early in the day as possible. But even if you can only visit on a summer weekend, Paradise is such an incredible place to see that it’s worth putting up with the crowds, provided that you can actually find a place to park. If you can’t, though, there are many other places in the park worth visiting.

The popularity of Paradise has certainly impacted the area. The meadows above Paradise Inn are crisscrossed with trails, many of them paved, and the sheer number of people using them can’t help but have a negative effect on the quality of the area in terms of wildlife habitat. But even close to Paradise Inn and the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, you are almost certain to see wildlife such as hoary marmots and golden-mantled ground squirrels.

Yellow-pine chipmunks are also frequently seen in the meadows. Black-tailed deer are abundant in the area and may be seen even close to the visitor facilities. Gray Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers are frequently seen in the area, and more than sixty other species of birds are known to inhabit the subalpine areas of Mount Rainier, almost fifty of which nest in the park.

On the trails above Paradise, you are likely to see other wildlife. Look for mountain goats on the slopes above you. Black bears, elk, coyotes, bobcats, and cougars also frequent the area. Look (and listen) for pikas on talus slopes.

Hiking opportunities are abundant in the Paradise area. The Falcon Guide, Hiking Mount Rainier National Park, is a good resource. On our most recent trip (in August 2021) we spent five days in Paradise and did at least one hike every day.

The highlights of the trip were the two hikes we did on the Skyline Trail. The first was the four mile out and back hike to Panorama Point. The second was the roughly four mile Skyline-Golden Gate loop. Both are listed as “moderate” hikes, but both have significant elevation gains (1700′ and 1400′ respectively). We did both hikes early in the day during the week, but we were far from the only ones on the trail, especially on the hike to Panorama Point. But the area above Paradise is so incredibly scenic that the crowds didn’t diminish the experience much.

There are also plenty of easy hikes in the Paradise area for people who don’t want to (or aren’t able to) hike to the higher areas on the mountain. Myrtle Falls, for example, is an easy one mile round trip hike from Paradise Inn.

On our last few visits, we have stayed at Paradise Inn. It is one of the grand lodges of the Northwest, on a par with Crater Lake Lodge, Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, and Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park. It’s worth visiting, even if you’re not staying there. It’s an amazing structure.

Paradise Inn was constructed in 1915-16 opened July 1, 1917. The attached Annex was completed three years later. The combined structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Close to Paradise Inn, the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, named after long-time U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson, offers general information, exhibits, a park film, guided ranger programs, a book/gift store and a cafeteria. Unfortunately, all visitor centers in the park are currently closed due to the ongoing pandemic.

Accommodations in the area are somewhat limited. Paradise Inn has 121 rooms, 42 in the main lodge and 79 in the attached Annex. The National Park Inn in Longmire has 25 rooms. Reservations for both can be made through Mount Rainier Guest Services, 360-569-2275. Information on accommodations outside of the park can be obtained from the Mount Rainier Visitor Association . All reservations should be made well in advance.

There are two large campgrounds in the southern part of Mount Rainier National Park. Cougar Rock Campground, between Longmire and Paradise, has 173 individual sites and five group camp areas. Ohanapecosh Campground, in the southeast part of the park near the Stevens Canyon Entrance, has 188 individual sites and two group camp areas. Both have RV sites that can accommodate up to 27 foot trailers and 32 foot motor homes (35 foot at Cougar Rock), but there are no hookups. Both do have dump stations. Reservations can be made through the Mount Rainier National Park website.

Both Paradise Inn and the National Park Inn have full service restaurants, but both were operating on a reduced scale due to the pandemic when we were there in August. The National Park Inn dining room was closed, but take out meals could be ordered and picked up at the reception desk in the lobby. The dining room at Paradise Inn was open for dinner only for most of our visit, but closed (unexpectedly) for the season on our last day there. Paradise Inn also has a limited service cafe, and there is a cafeteria at the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center that is open daily during the summer season and on most weekends and holidays in the winter (depending on road conditions). The National Park Inn restaurant is open year round.

There is far more to Mount Rainier National Park than just the Paradise, of course. Below Paradise, the Reflection Lakes along the highway offer beautiful views of Mount Rainier.

The nearby Snow Lake Trail is an easy and worthwhile hike. To the east, the Stevens Canyon area has a number of interesting areas, including Box Canyon, a 180 foot deep slot canyon, and a number of roadside waterfalls.

The Longmire area has some interesting history, a museum, nice hiking trails, and the National Park Inn offers both lodging and dining options for the visitor. The road to Longmire is also plowed in the winter, so it’s a year round destination. (The road from Longmire to Paradise is open in winter when the weather allows.)

In the Ohanapecosh area in the southeastern corner of the park, the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail is a good family friendly outing. And the nearby Silver Falls Trail is a must for waterfall lovers. In the northeastern section of the park, the Sunrise area offers beautiful views of the eastern side of the mountain and has an abundance of hiking trails.

You could probably spend an entire summer in Mount Rainier National Park and not see it all.

Originally posted July 10, 2018. Updated and re-posted September 18, 2021.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Crater Lake

By Alan K. Lee

The Lake

Crater Lake makes a tremendous first impression. The first time a person sees the lake with their own eyes will likely be a sight they will never forget, especially if it’s a sunny day with the lake at its deepest blue. There just is no way to describe the depth and intensity of the lake’s color, and photos don’t really do it justice. If there’s a more beautiful lake anywhere in the world, I haven’t laid eyes on it.

Crater Lake is 1943 feet deep, making it the deepest lake in the United States, second deepest in North America, and ninth deepest in the world. It is also one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the world. It’s that combination of depth and clarity that results in its intense deep blue color.

The caldera that Crater Lake occupies was formed 7700 years ago when the summit of 12,000 foot tall Mount Mazama collapsed after a massive eruption. Over time rain and snow filled the caldera to its present level. The lake has no outlet. The level of the lake remains nearly the same because the amount of evaporation from the surface of the lake closely matches the amount of precipitation falling on it in any given year.

Wizard Island formed sometime after the eruption that formed the caldera. It rises 770 feet above the surface of the lake, 2713 feet above the deepest point in the lake. It last erupted about 5000 years ago, but it is considered dormant, not extinct. Conceivably, it could erupt again at any time. Merriam Cone also erupted after the caldera was formed, but never reached the lake surface. Its summit lies almost 500 feet below the average lake level.

Phantom Ship, a remnant of an eruption 400,000 ago, rises 170 feet above the lake surface. Its formation predates that of Mount Mazama itself.

The Park

Crater Lake is such a stunningly beautiful place that it should be on everyone’s bucket list. It’s one of the few places I’ve ever been that seeing it for the first time could be a transformative, life changing experience. It was exactly that for William Gladstone Steel, an experience that ultimately led to the creation of Crater Lake National Park. Steel, known as “The Father of Crater Lake,” first laid eyes on the lake in 1885 after a journey by rail, stage coach, and on foot for the final 20 miles. That experience led to a 17 year quest to preserve, protect, and promote the lake. Largely through Steel’s efforts, Crater Lake was included in the Cascade Range Forest Reserve in 1893, and became the nation’s sixth national park on May 22, 1902. More information about the park can be found on the park website.

Crater Lake Lodge

Crater Lake Lodge sits on the rim of the caldera in the Rim Village. One of the grand lodges of the American West, the lodge has been welcoming guests since it opened in 1915, except during WWII and from 1989 to 1994 when the lodge underwent a complete restoration.

My wife and I recently spent three nights at the lodge. Although it lacks the amenities of a luxury hotel, our room was comfortable, with a private bathroom, and the location more than makes up any lack of luxuries.

The Rim Drive

Any visit to Crater Lake should include a drive around the lake on the 33 mile Rim Drive. The lake can be circumnavigated in little more than an hour, but plan to spend at least half a day.

You’ll want to stop at all of the viewpoints. Maybe combine the drive with a hike down to Cleetwood Cove and a boat tour of the lake. You can get off at Wizard Island and hike to the summit and then catch a later boat back.

For a more adventurous day, hike to the summit of Mount Scott, the highest point in the park. It’s a two mile hike to the summit with 1250 feet of elevation gain, so it’s not an easy hike (All Trails rates it “moderate”), but the view might just be worth the effort.

Hiking Trails

My wife and I are avid hikers, and Crater Lake offers the hiker a variety of options, from the very easy Pinnacles Trail to the more challenging Mount Scott Trail. Other trails of interest include The Watchman, Cleetwood Cove, Plaikni Falls, Garfield Peak, Pinnacles, and Annie Creek trails. All are very worthwhile outings. Check out the AllTrails website for detailed descriptions of the park’s many trails.

The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the park, but does not ascend to the rim of the caldera. Hikers on the PCT can take the Dutton Creek Trail that climbs up to the Rim Village, then hike the trail that parallels the West Rim Drive and reconnect with the PCT north of the lake.

The Pinnacles

Many visitors to Crater Lake don’t make the short side trip to the Pinnacles area, and even fewer hike the 1.4 mile out and back trail along the rim of the canyon, but it’s a worthwhile detour off the Rim Road.

Practical Info

Crater Lake is located in the southern Oregon Cascades, about 250 miles south of Portland, 140 miles southeast of Eugene, and 75 miles north of Medford. A number of private companies offer bus or van tours to Crater Lake from Medford, Bend, or Eugene, but there is no commercial bus or rail service to the park.

The south entrance to the park, the Mazama Village area, and the Rim Village are open year round. The north entrance and the Rim Drive are closed in winter.

There are two lodges in the park, Crater Lake Lodge in the Rim Village and The Cabins At Mazama Village that are open for the summer season. Crater Lake Lodge has 71 rooms, starting at $246/night. The Cabins At Mazama Village has 40 rooms, all at $160/night. Prices listed are for the 2024 season. Note that the concessionaire that operates both lodges is changing, so prices may also change. Check the park website (linked above) for current information.

There are two campgrounds in the park. Mazama Campground has 75 RV sites, 18 tent sites with electricity, and 121 tent sites without electricity. Tent sites start at $22. RV sites run from $32 to $44 per night. Mazama Campground is usually open from early June through late to September. Lost Creek Campground, located on Pinnacles Road, is a primitive tent only campground with 18 sites, operated by the park service. Lost Creek Campground is currently closed and will not be open for the 2024 season. Backcountry camping is allowed in the park by permit only.

Dining options in the park are somewhat limited. The dining room at Crater Lake Lodge is open to all visitors, but reservations can only be made by people staying in the park. The Rim Village Cafe offers “grab and go” sandwiches and salads (I had a pulled pork sandwich from there on our recent visit that was very good). It is open from 9am to 8pm in the summer and 10am to 5pm in the winter. The Annie Creek Restaurant in Mazama Village is open from 7am until 9pm. The Mazama Village Store sells packaged sandwiches and snacks.

Summer park entrance fees are $30 for private vehicles and $25 for motorcycles. Winter fees are $10 less. Snowmobilers, bicyclists, and pedestrians are charged $15 per individual. All entrance fees are good for seven days. Entry reservations do not need to be made.

Gasoline is available at the Mazama Village Store. There is a Tesla charging station just outside the Annie Spring entrance station near Mazama Village, but no other electric vehicle charging stations in the park.

Other lodging, dining, and services are available outside the park at Diamond Lake, Union Creek, and Fort Klamath.

Conclusion

if you’ve never been to Crater Lake, you’ve missed out on an experience available nowhere else in North America, and perhaps nowhere else in the world. The place is that unique and that fantastically beautiful.

Originally posted September 13, 2021. Most recently updated April 6, 2024.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Seattle Center and the Space Needle

by Alan K. Lee

I remember going to the Seattle World’s Fair as a ten year old kid and seeing the Space Needle for the first time. That was pretty cool. At that age I wanted to be a scientist when I grew up (never happened), so the U.S. Science Pavilion was also a highlight for me. I remember seeing the Mercury space capsule that Alan Shepherd rode into space. That was pretty cool, too. So was riding the Monorail. But what I remember most vividly was putting a few coins into a vending machine and having a ready to eat hamburger pop out. A hamburger vending machine. That was the coolest thing ever.

Today, the Seattle Center occupies the site of the 1962 World’s Fair. While most of the buildings constructed for the Fair were torn down after it closed, some of the buildings were re-purposed and remain today. The United States Science Pavilion became the Pacific Science Center, and the Washington State Coliseum that housed the World of Century 21 exhibit became Key Arena, one-time home of the Seattle Super Sonics NBA team. The Monorail and the International Fountain are still in operation, and, of course, the Space Needle remains Seattle’s most iconic landmark and draws people from all over the world to the Seattle Center.

The 605 foot tall Space Needle underwent a major renovation a few years ago. There is now an open air, glass walled observation deck, and a revolving glass floored interior space (The Loupe) where you can look straight down to the ground more than 500 feet below your feet. If those are too vertigo inducing for your pleasure, the 360 degree view from inside still offers an awesome view of Seattle, Elliott Bay, and Puget Sound.

There’s also much more to the Seattle Center than just the Space Needle. The Pacific Science Center has two IMAX theaters, a laser planetarium (the Laser Dome), and a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits for kids, families, and school groups. Chihuly Garden and Glass features hundreds of glass art sculptures by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly. The Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the EMP Museum and, before that, the Experience Music Project) has a variety of exhibits featuring music, film and video, gaming, and science fiction and fantasy themes. The Seattle Opera and the Seattle Repertory Theater are also located at the Seattle Center, as are the Seattle Children’s Museum and the Seattle Children’s Theater.

Space Needle viewed from the International Fountain Gallery

Adult ticket prices for the Space Needle range from $37.50 to $49, depending on the day of the week, time of day, and (possibly) the season. Check the website (linked above) for ticket prices and open times for the day you plan to visit, and check for discounts for seniors, students, and early entry.

Chihuly Garden and Glass opens at 10:00 Sun-Thu and 9:00 on Friday and Saturday. Closing times vary by the day of the week. Adult admission ranges from $35 to $42.50, with discounts for seniors and children. Check the website linked above for more information.

The Museum of Pop Culture is open daily (10:00-6:00 weekdays and 9:00-6:00 weekends). Adult admission is $36.50, with discounts for seniors (65+), children (5-12), students (with ID), military personnel, and Washington residents. Check the website for open times and more information day.

A combination ticket for both the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass is available for $69 (adult admission). And the Seattle CityPass Card includes admission to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, and three of the following five: the Museum of Pop Culture; Chihuly Garden and Glass; Pacific Science Center; Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour; and Woodland Park Zoo. CityPass tickets are $129 for adults and $99 for children 5-12. (Check the website for prices for children under 5).

The Pacific Science Center is temporarily closed as of 10/2/25, but is scheduled to reopen on 10/11. Check the website for more info. The Seattle Children’s Museum is open 10:00-5:00, Wed-Mon (closed Tue). Check the website for ticket prices, event schedules, and more information.

When it’s time to grab something to eat, you have your choice of any number of restaurants and cafes in the area surrounding the Center. My wife and I usually gravitate to McMennamin’s Queen Anne Pub just to the north, but there are many other options. Toulouse Petit, just northwest of the Center at the corner of Queen Anne and Mercer, brings a bit of the Big Easy to Seattle with their Cajun and Creole menu. A block south on Queen Anne, Dick’s Drive-In is a classic 1950s style drive-in (currently open for take out or delivery only). Just southeast of the Center on Cedar St, the 5 Point Cafe and Bar is a classic American diner that has been in operation since 1929. Across the street, Wa’z Seattle serves modern Japanese cuisine. And next door, Tillicum Place Cafe is a popular and highly rated Euro-style bistro. Many more restaurants, cafes, and pubs dot the areas around the Center. You can probably find whatever cuisine you’re looking for somewhere not too far away.

Downtown Seattle viewed from the Space Needle

If you’re planning to stay in the area, the Maxwell Hotel, Mediterranean Inn, and Hotel Five all get very good reviews. Kimpton Palladian Hotel, Ace Hotel Seattle, Pan Pacific Seattle, and Fairfield Inn and Suites also get good reviews.

Museum of History and Industry and Lake Union Park

It would not be hard to spend a whole day at the Seattle Center. Or you can make a weekend of it and spend another day at other downtown Seattle attractions. The Olympic Sculpture Garden and Myrtle Edwards Park on Elliott Bay are a short walk to the west of the Center. It’s not much farther to the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) and Lake Union Park to the east. Adult admission is $25, with discounts for seniors, students, and members of the military. Children 14 and under get in free. And Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Seattle Great Wheel are all about a mile to the south, along the Elliot Bay waterfront.

There’s far more to do in downtown Seattle than I can list here, so go explore. Seattle’s a great place to visit and you’ll have a great time. Or ride the ferry across the Sound and explore Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, the Kids Discovery Museum, Steven Fey Photography Gallery, Mora Iced Creamery, Eleven Winery, Blackbird Bakery, Doc’s Marina Grill, and the Harbour Public House are all within walking distance of the ferry terminal.

Bayocean Peninsula, Oregon Coast

By Alan K. Lee

Bayocean Peninsula, on the northern Oregon coast, is a sandspit that separates Tillamook Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It is, by any measure, a nature lover’s paradise, whether you’re a beachcomber, hiker, mountain biker, boater, birder, wildlife lover, or photographer.

Now an undeveloped county park, a century ago it was home to a thriving resort community of 2000 people. The town of Bay Ocean Park boasted a large hotel, dance hall, 1000 seat movie theater, bowling alley, shooting range, tennis courts, and a heated natatorium housing what was billed as the largest salt water swimming pool on the west coast, complete with a wave generator. The town featured paved and lighted streets, a public water system, telephone system, and a diesel powered generating station that provided the town with electricity, all at a time when most small towns in Oregon had few, if any, of those things.

Despite having paved streets and its own gas station, there was no road connection between Bayocean and the other coastal communities, much less to Portland and the Willamette Valley. Many residents and visitors traveled to and from Bayocean by steamship, a three day journey from Portland that involved crossing the notorious Columbia River bar and navigating the unprotected mouth of Tillamook Bay, a sometimes rough, frightening, and potentially dangerous experience.

To make crossing the Tillamook bar safer, the Army Corps of Engineers recommended jetties be built on both the north and south sides of the bay’s mouth. But half of the cost (a then considerable $2.2 million) would have to be paid by local residents. To cut the cost to a more affordable amount, the local port district proposed building only one jetty. The resulting north jetty, completed in 1917, did make crossing the bar much smoother and safer, but it also contributed to the town’s demise by changing the near shore currents, which began eroding away the beach in the 1920s.

In 1932 the north jetty was extended, further accelerating the erosion. The natatorium was destroyed by waves during a massive storm that winter. By 1938 almost 60 homes had fallen into the sea. Other storms over the years took many of the remaining buildings, and in 1952 another major storm breached the southern end of the peninsula, turning Bayocean Peninsula into an island. The Bay Ocean Park post office closed in 1953 and most of what was left of the town was bulldozed by the Corps of Engineers in 1956 during a project to build a dike across the breach created in 1952. The last house on the peninsula washed away in 1960, and the last structure, a long abandoned garage, fell into the sea in 1971.

The south jetty was eventually built in the 1970s and that stopped the erosion of the peninsula, but by then the town of Bay Ocean Park was long gone. Today, nothing remains of the town. What’s left, though, is a treasure trove of delights for the outdoor enthusiast: miles of untrammeled beach, unspoiled dunes, a bay shore sheltered from the prevailing winds, an upland spruce and pine forest, and an abundance of waterfowl and other wildlife. The haul road used in building the south jetty is now an ideal mountain bike and hiking trail on the bay side of the peninsula.

To reach Bayocean from the town of Tillamook, follow the signs for the Three Capes Scenic Route (Oregon Highway 131). After crossing the Tillamook River bridge, turn right onto Bayocean Road toward Cape Meares. At milepost five, turn right onto the old south jetty haul road (aka the dike road) and proceed to the trailhead parking area. There are pit toilets at the trailhead, but no water.

From the trailhead, the road continues north beyond a locked gate. You can also hike through the dunes to the beach from the trailhead parking area. The road along the bay shore is mostly gravel, with a few sandy stretches, and mostly flat. It’s an easy four mile bike ride to the south jetty.

Hikers can do a 7½ mile loop by hiking through the dunes to the beach, walking the beach to the south jetty, and returning along the bay side on the gravel road. There are several trails connecting the dike road to the beach, making shorter loops possible. And a longer hike or bike ride (10 mile loop or 9 mile out and back along the beach) can be done by starting at the beach access in the town of Cape Meares, instead of the Bayocean trailhead. See my Bayocean Peninsula Hike post for more details.

Back country camping is no longer permitted on the peninsula and there are no campgrounds. In the past, boaters frequently camped along the bay shore at a cove called Crab Harbor near the north end of the peninsula and backpackers sometimes camped in the woods or dunes near the middle of the peninsula.

The north Oregon coast has much to offer beyond Bayocean Peninsula, of course. Oswald West State Park and Hug Point to the north, and Cape Meares and Cape Lookout to the south are some of my favorite places on the north coast. But Bayocean Peninsula is unique. Nowhere else on the northern Oregon coast can you find such an extended stretch of roadless, yet accessible, beach. And it’s close enough to Portland and the rest of the population centers of the Willamette Valley to be an easy day trip. I’ve hiked and biked the peninsula a number of times and I’m sure I will return many more times. I never get tired of its sights and sounds.

Originally posted April 23, 2019 by Alan K. Lee, updated July 8, 2021 and March 4, 2024

All photos © Alan K. Lee, except as noted

Vancouver Island Revisited

by Alan K. Lee

Surrounded by the salt waters of the Pacific Ocean and Inside Passage, dotted with freshwater lakes and streams, recipient of abundant precipitation (more than 120″ per year along its west coast), Vancouver Island is a land defined by water.

The island’s relatively mild, wet climate makes it one of the most productive and diverse terrestrial ecosystems on the planet. And the cold, nutrient rich ocean waters make the marine environment equally productive.

Forest trail on the west coast of the island

Anyone planning a visit to Vancouver Island should note that it’s a big place.It’s 280 miles long by 60 miles wide. Look at a map of British Columbia and it looks small in comparison to the province as a whole. But British Columbia is huge – far bigger than the state of Texas – and Vancouver Island by itself is larger than nine U.S. states. It’s just too big to fully explore in a single trip.

Any trip to Vancouver Island should include a stay in Victoria, but beyond that it’s best to pick one or two areas and plan your visit around those. It’s also far too large and has far too many outstanding areas to cover in a single blog post. We’ll focus here on the area near the town Campbell River (including Quadra Island), Strathcona Provincial Park, and the west coast of the island near Tofino and Ucluelet.

Roughly midway up the east coast of the island, the town of Campbell River, the self-proclaimed “salmon capital of the world,” is a good base from which to explore the area. Fishermen have flocked to Campbell River since at least the 1880s. In the 1920s the Campbell River Tyee Club popularized the area with fishermen world-wide. Painter’s Lodge, opened in 1929, attracted Hollywood stars such as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, which further popularized the area.

Painter’s Lodge recently reopened, and offers lodging, event space, helicopter tours, whale watching, grizzly bear tours, and wildlife tours, in addition to guided fishing trips. Campbell River has a variety of other accommodations, including a nice campground at Elk Falls Provincial Park on the outskirts of town. In 2015 a suspension bridge was built just downstream of Elk Falls. Check out the video on the park website.

Campbell River has a variety of dining options for any budget. Anglers Dining Room at Dolphins Resort gets consistently good reviews. Ideal Cafe, Locals, and Quay West also get good reviews. Check out Beach Fire Brewing and Cornerstone Taphouse for good craft beers.

Only a short 15 minute ferry ride across Discovery Passage from Campbell River, Quadra Island has a full range of tourist facilities, including a number of cafes and lodging options if you desire a quieter, more rural environment than you’ll find in Campbell River. Quadra, largest of the Discovery Islands, provides the outdoor enthusiast with a network of hiking and mountain biking trails, kayak and boat launching facilities, and beach access points. The northern end of the island has several lakes and parks, the largest being Main Lakes Provincial Park. Hike, bike, paddle, or just take in the scenery and enjoy the quiet, natural area.

Strathcona Provincial Park, established in 1911, is the oldest provincial park in British Columbia. With the highest peaks on Vancouver Island and the highest waterfall in Canada, Strathcona’s scenery is hard to beat. Located 15 miles west of Campbell River, the majority of the park is wilderness.

Fabulous hiking trails can be found throughout the park. Paddling and fishing can be had at Buttle Lake. There are two fairly large campgrounds – Buttle Lake Campground (85 sites) and Ralph River Campground (75 sites). There are also three group camp areas available by reservation only, and a variety of back country campsites not accessible by road.

Accommodations a bit more upscale than camping can be found at Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre on Buttle Lake a few miles outside of the park. You can rent small motor boats, canoes and kayaks, and stand up paddle boards there. For the more adventurous, there is a zip line and a high ropes course. And you can get information there about local hiking and mountain bike trails, and whitewater and sea kayaking opportunities.

On the west side of the island, the stretch of coastline from Ucluelet to Tofino is part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim). The tamer sibling of the more remote and wild section of the park that includes the 47 mile West Coast Trail, the Long Beach unit of the park is easily accessible and has numerous small inlets, rocky coves, and beautiful sandy beaches.

Tofino has long been a popular tourist destination and can be crowded in the summer, but the other seasons also bring people to Tofino. Storm watchers flock to the area in the winter. Surfers come for Rip Curl Pro Tofino, the official Canadian surfing championship, in May, and the all-female Queen of the Peak competition in October. There are a variety of festivals throughout the year that bring people to Tofino, including ArtSplash in March, the Tofino Shorebird Festival in May, the Clayoquot Salmon Festival in August and September, and the Tofino Winterlights Festival in December.

Ucluelet, about 25 miles south of Tofino, is less touristy and more down to earth than its glitzier neighbor. The town is situated on a peninsula between Ucluth Inlet and the Pacific Ocean. It’s a popular fishing port and the rugged coastline has a number of secluded coves and beaches that, for my money, are about as pretty as it gets. Hike the easy 1.6 mile Wild Pacific Trail loop at the tip of the peninsula for some of the most spectacular scenery you’ll find anywhere on the island.

Shoreline near Ucluelet viewed from the Wild Pacific Trail

Ucluelet has fewer dining and lodging options than Tofino, but you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to stay, and you’ll find some of the freshest and best seafood anywhere.

There is, of course, way more to Vancouver Island than this post covers, and it’s hard to go wrong regardless what part of the island you choose to explore. My wife and I will be making another trip to the island soon, perhaps this fall if the covid-19 pandemic eases and the border reopens.

Originally posted February 1, 2019

Updated and re-posted June 21, 2021

Gallery Without Walls 2021

The following is an edited and updated version of a post originally published May 20, 2019. Most of the photos shown here are from the spring of 2019. The rest are from another visit that I made in October 2020. Some of the Gallery Without Walls sculptures shown here were part of the 2019 and 2020 rotating collection and are no longer on display, and “Clackamas” has been moved to George Rogers Park. But there are plenty of new additions for 2021. The featured image shown above is a detail of “Fortress” by Vicki Lynn Wilson.

‘Frog On Fruit” by Heather Soderberg-Greene, bronze

The Gallery Without Walls outdoor sculpture exhibit is a program of the Arts Council of Lake Oswego, Oregon. I’m a fan of all forms of art, but I particularly like sculpture. I like the 3D aspect of it, being able to walk around it, see it from different angles. Sculptures often invoke different emotions or convey different ideas when viewed from different angles. And I really like that these sculptures are displayed outdoors. The changing light as the day progresses can lead to the sculptures looking very different from hour to hour. I’ve revisited some of these sculptures and seen things on a second visit that I completely missed on the first, just because the light was different.

“First Footsteps” by Jim Demetro, cast bronze, 2005 People’s Choice Award winner

Currently, there are eighty sculptures on display in public spaces throughout the city. More than 40 of the sculptures are part of the Arts Council’s permanent collection. The remainder, the rotating collection, are on loan from the artists and are on display for a two year period. Each year, one sculpture from the rotating collection is added to the permanent collection by a vote of the public.

“Wormy Apple #2” by Ed Humphreys, cast aluminum

“Angle of Response” by Lee Hunt, modified alpha gypsum

Forty-six of the sculptures are in the downtown area, making for an easy walking tour. Others are scattered across the city in parks and other public spaces. Click here to view the 2021 tour brochure.

“Sunflower” by Patricia Vader, stainless steel and aluminum

A couple of years ago, my wife and I spent a nice spring day checking out the sculptures on display. We didn’t come to downtown Lake Oswego that day with the intention of doing the walking tour, but we while we were there we stopped at Lower Millennium Park where some of the sculptures are displayed. Then we took a short walk on the trail along the lake shore where there are a couple of more sculptures on display. We ended up spending most of the afternoon wandering around the downtown area, admiring and taking photos of the sculptures and the many flowers that were in full bloom at the time.

“Pouffe” by Hilary Pfeifer, stained cedar

A week later I came back one morning to take photos of some of the sculptures we had seen the previous week that I hadn’t been able to get good pics of because the sun had been at the wrong angle or they had been in deep shade (or I just wasn’t satisfied with the photos I had taken). I wound up spending a couple of hours wandering around downtown, taking photos and admiring a lot of the sculptures that we had missed the previous week. And I still didn’t see all of them.

“Anillos” by Maria Wickwire, high fired ceramic clay, 2007 People’s Choice Award winner

Downtown Lake Oswego is a great place to spend a lazy summer afternoon. Even if you’re not interested in the sculptures, the downtown area has many coffee shops, cafes, pubs, galleries and interesting shops. And Millenium Plaza and George Rogers Park are nice spots to relax and just soak up the sunshine.

“Sprout” by Mike Suri, People’s Choice winner 2010

I’ve got to give a plug here to one of my favorite pubs, Stickmen Brewing. It’s a great place to spend an hour or two on a sunny day – good beer and a nice outdoor deck right on the shore of Oswego Lake with a great view of Lakewood Bay. It’s also a great place to begin or end a walking tour of the Gallery Without Walls.

“Amyas and Soleil” by Amyas Maestas, bronze

“Clackamas” by Mike Suri, Cor-Ten steel, People’s Choice winner 2016

If you’re an art lover and find yourself in the Portland area, make your way to Lake Oswego and check out the sculptures in the Gallery Without Walls. I think you’ll find it worth your while.

“Zephyr” by Devin Laurence Field, stainless steel

“Bread Upon the Water” by Jerry Joslin (1942-2005), bronze

Posted January 22, 2021 by Alan K. Lee

All photos by and the property of the author

Building Murals

My wife, Joan, and I are both art lovers as well as enthusiastic travelers. Finding local artworks is always on our agenda. We tour local museums, of course, but we also seek out street art wherever we go. Street art is alive, connected to the community, always interesting, and often surprising. The photos below are a sampling of the building murals that we’ve found on some of our more recent trips around the Pacific Northwest (and beyond), starting with Freak Alley in Boise, Idaho.

Another large collection of building murals can be found in the small town of Nelson, British Columbia, home of the Nelson International Mural Festival.

The town of Leavenworth, Washington offers a more traditional, sponsored set of building murals that highlight the Bavarian village theme of the town.

Other Northwest towns with significant collections of building murals include Chemainus, British Columbia (aka Muraltown), and Estacada, Oregon.

Farther afield, we recently traveled to Arizona where we spent an afternoon exploring the back streets and alleys of the former copper mining town of Bisbee.

Downtown Phoenix also offered up a large collection of building murals and other street art, as well as abundant sunshine and 85 degree October afternoons.

Art enriches everyone’s life. And public art does so in a much more direct and immediate way than art that is hidden away in a museum. And yes, art saves lives.

Posted by Alan K. Lee, November 11, 2019

All photos by the author