Yakima

I cannot add much to Diane's narration of our adventures in Forks and La Push. Except that it is a pretty area but it is not growing. Sounds like the biggest industry is tourism brought in by the movies, even though none of the movies was actually filmed in La Push.

In this trip we have seen some little towns that have done a great job of reinventing themselves and thriving when their main industry goes away. Half Moon Bay, Ca, Sisters, Or, Bend, Or are in this list. Forks and La Push unfortunately are not.

We ended up back in Aberdeen. As you may recall we spent one night in Aberdeen about three weeks ago. We ended up in the same Walmart, almost the same parking spot. We just took a 600-mile loop through Tacoma, Seattle and the Olympic National Park.

In Aberdeen we officially started the eastbound leg of our adventure.

One of my goals for the trip was to visit a fish hatchery. We got to see the Cowlitz Fish Hatchery near Salkum, Wa. It is operated by the Tacoma Power company to minimize the effects of the power generating dams on the local salmon. Their visitor center and self-guided tour were very informative and interesting.

We spent one night at an RV Park in Packwood, Wa. Packwood is another town not in the list of towns that have reinvented themselves and are thriving. Even the RV park was up for sale.

Our next major stop was Yakima, Wa to visit our friend Shirley, but Shirley was going to be busy for a couple of days so,  at the recommendation of a local waitress we headed to Leavenworth, Or,  about 90 miles away. Leavenworth is at the top of the list of towns that have reinvented themselves. The whole town has been done as a Bavarian town.  There are German restaurants (I had some delicious Jägerschnitzel)  and bands in lederhosen playing polkas in the town square. Even the sign for Starbucks is done in a Bavarian font. I asked someone if the founders of the town were of Bavarian descent but was told no.

From Wikipedia: "Leavenworth was officially incorporated on September 5, 1906. A small timber community, it became the headquarters of the Great North Railroad in the early 1900s. The railroad relocated to Wenatchee in the 1920s, greatly affecting Leavenworth's economy.

The city struggled until 1962, when the Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) Committee was formed to transform the city into a mock Bavarian village to revitalize its economy. Owen and Pauline Watson, owners of a business on Front Street, formed the committee after visiting Solvang, California in 1958 and thought it was an excellent idea for Leavenworth."

They pulled it off beautifully. The sidewalks were full of people and it was almost impossible to find a parking spot. One advantage of the Bavarian theme is that it goes well with winter and snow.

We finally reached Yakima and Shirley. We had a great time in Yakima.  Ate at some very cool restaurants and got to see the town from a local's point of view. At one point Shirley mentioned that she had moved a table to her porch to work on her beading. I asked her if she had any of her bead work she could show us and she kind of answered "glad you asked".  Shirley is big into beading and has made some very nice jewelry. For some time I had been looking for a nice bracelet for myself but all the ones I see in the stores are too clunky, too feminine or too expensive. Shirley took Diane and I to the local bead store where I picked out the materials for a bracelet.  That evening she taught us a quick class on bracelet making and I made one that is perfect for me.

Her husband Dale volunteers counting and banding local wild owls. He is very passionate about it. His "hooters calendar" with pictures of the owls was a big hit. Huge thanks to Shirley and Dale. We had a great time.

Stay tuned