NewMexiKen and Dad continued their jaunt to the Pacific Northwest Friday, driving across Oregon on a warm, hazy day. The eastern and central part of the state, even along the Columbia River, was frighteningly dry. The drive through the Columbia Gorge, mostly in Oregon, partly north of the River in Washington, was superb nonetheless.
The Pendleton Mills is in Pendleton, Oregon, of all places. The store offers no discounts (other than for seconds), but is still worth a stop. Seeing so much colorful Pendleton wool in one place is always pleasing. Dad, however, refused to buy a nice Pendleton shirt that he liked when he saw it was labeled “Made in China.”
The Bonneville Dam is just one of many along the Columbia that have turned this once great river into, as one critic put it, “A string of lakes.” The lakes are pretty, but the river would be better. Wouldn’t have all that cheap hydro-electric power then though (note transmission lines in the photo).