Destination: Goldendale Washington

 

Blogger! Grrr. It is not letting me place the photos in order so bare with me, please.

We crossed over to the south side of the Columbia Gorge and immediately noticed a change in climate and terrain. Warmer and dryer are the key words.

 

I love this yellow sage brush and you will see that I try to incorporate it into many of my photos when I can.

 

I love these windmills and have always regretted that there is no place to pull over and photograph them in the Coachella Valley in southern California. Here in southern Washington state there is no shortage of photo opportunities. Just take a side road and you can pretty much drive right up to them. We drove in their shadow many times.

 

When you are close to them, you can hear the thrumming whine of the turbine and blades as they gracefully cut through the air.

 

This is a fairly new power project and the roads winding in and out of the windmills are newly paved and look inviting.

 

Nice combination of High-Tec power production, traditional farming, and the ancient moon.

 

Love those shiny new white windmills against that clean, crisp, blue sky.

 

We drove through the sleepy little farming community of Goldendale and decided right then and there to stay the night. It reminded me of growing up in Saskatchewan. There are a few heritage houses that reveal the age of the town.

 

These next two shots are out of the hotel room window facing west. The window was dirty but the access to the rear of the hotel was nasty and swampy so I took my chances. Not bad considering the dirty window.

 

We saw that a very nice sunset was coming so we jumped in the truck and headed to higher ground to wait for the light to get even better, and it did not disappoint. But that is in tomorrow's post. Some of the best old barn shots I have ever taken.

 

Thank you Blogger for putting this photo from late afternoon into the evening time slot. Anyway, this is the museum in Goldendale. Rather photogenic, I would say.

 

And back to the Gorge earlier that day, looking east, on the north side of the Gorge. Note the train tunnel lower left.

 

Just as we were heading out to higher ground for some sunset shots. This was looking to the northeast. We were hoping we would not be driving into that the next day. It was gone by morning. Whew!