danwiz.com
This is Page 1 of 5 - the best of May and June 2016!
posted: June 30th, 2016
Go To Page:

This page begins with May 19th in Medford, Oregon. Then, down in Row #3 we begin our trip north to Alaska on May 24th. This page goes through the end of May 25th and being at our friend's house in Kittitas, Washington.   Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Note Well: The photos shown on this month's pages mark the beginning of Kazuya's and my life in the U.S.A. We flew from Tokyo to Medford, Oregon on May 18th, a friend picked us up at the airport and graciously permitted us to stay at their house as long as we needed to. A different friend took us out "car shopping" the next morning and by the end of the day we were the owner's of a 2015 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab, Automatic Transmission, 4 Wheel-Drive with less than 10,000 miles on it. On the 20th we got a canopy put on it so that we would have a place to sleep as we traveled up the Alaska Highway to our home in Fairbanks, Alaska. We managed to kill a few more days in Oregon with friends as we prepared for the trip north and then we headed north on May 24th. We finally arrived at our home in Fairbanks on June 4th.

May 19th and 21st
  Here are four photos of the rig which we bought (more details just above in the bluish box) and then a photo of Mt. Ashland (7,532 ft = 2,296 m) which was taken from the window of our friend's house. WOW! Note that it's May 21st, and that snow dropped last night.
May19th_16_18_20_22_ToyotaTacomaRCRC
May19th_16_18_20_22
_ToyotaTacomaRCRC
May21st_007RC
May21st
_007RC

May 22nd
  Now it's May 22nd and we are taking a walk from our friend's house in Phoenix, Oregon down to a "Farmer's Market" which ended up being just the name of a store. Oh well, they had some nice fruit and vegetables anyway.
May22nd_002_PhoenixRC
May22nd_002
_PhoenixRC
May22nd_004_PhoenixRC
May22nd_004
_PhoenixRC
May22nd_005_PhoenixRC
May22nd_005
_PhoenixRC

May 23rd and 24th (Day #1 Of Our Trip North)
  The first shot in this row was taken on May 23rd and shows Mt. Ashland from near a different friend's house, this one in Ashland, Oregon. The second and third shots were taken on May 24th, our first day on the road as we were leaving. They show a bee swarm in a bee tree. The third shot has an insertion to show the actual size.
May23rd_005_AshlandRC
May23rd_005
_AshlandRC
May24_3_Steve_House_Bee_SwarmRC
May24_3_Steve
_House_Bee_SwarmRC
May24_1Sm_Steve_House_Bee_SwarmRC
May24_1Sm_Steve
_House_Bee_SwarmRC

  Okay, now we are truly "on the road". Here is my journal entry from this date.
Leave Ashland at 9:30 AM. Stop by our friend's place in Phoenix because we forgot to return their house key. We then continued on north via I-5 and arrived in Roseburg at 12:23 PM. We got some foods and snacks and continued on to Toketee Falls, stopped there, hiked the trail and enjoyed the waterfall and flowers. We then drove through the USFS compound where I lived many years ago, out the back entrance and continued on to Diamond Lake Store and Resort. We got some beer and then went to the Thielsen View Campground, but it was not open yet, so we went to the main Diamond Lake Campground, set things up, cooked and ate and then walked around taking pictures. Then it began to rain and we got into the canopy, into our sleeping bags, drank our beer, did our writing and talked.
The first shot here shows a Table Rock or whatever as we were driving north on I-5 north of Medford. The second shot shows a Dichelostemma congestum and the 3rd shot shows me beside the North Umpqua Highway (Oregon Highway 138) where we stopped to take some flower photos and also to eat our lunch.
May24th_005RC
May24th
_005RC
May24th_020RC
May24th
_020RC
May24th_022RC
May24th
_022RC

  Here is a bunch of Dichelostemma congestum flowers in first position. In second position is Kazuya beside the highway and in third position is Kazuya sitting on the tailgate of our rig eating lunch. You should notice that I messed up the dates on my photos and labeled them May25....
May25_05_DiamondLakeRD_Dichelostemma_congestumRC
May25_05_DiamondLakeRD_
Dichelostemma_congestumRC
May25_02_DiamondLakeRD_KazuyaRC
May25_02_DiamondLakeRD
_KazuyaRC
May25_08_DiamondLakeRD_Kazuya_LunchRC
May25_08_DiamondLakeRD
_Kazuya_LunchRC

  The first shot in this row shows the huge water pipe at the Toketee Falls parking area. Notice the water leaking from it. Interestingly enough, it looked pretty much the same when I lived here back in 1971. The second shot shows a Clintonia uniflora flower and plant and the third shot shows a group of them.
May24th_035RC
May24th
_035RC
May24th_040RC
May24th
_040RC
May24th_044RC
May24th
_044RC

  The first shot shows Rhododendron macrophyllum. The second and third shots show an amazingly blue Collinsia grandiflora (Giant Blue-Eyed Mary). The second image shows a portion of the third shot.
May24th_050RC
May24th
_050RC
May24thPart_066RC
May24th
Part_066RC
May24th_066RC
May24th
_066RC

  The first and second images in this row show Trientalis borealis ssp. latifolia - the second image being a portion of the first photo. The third shot shows a scenic view from along the trail into the Toketee Falls overlook.
May25_19_DiamondLakeRD_Trientalis_borealis_ssp_latifoliaRC
May25_19_DiamondLakeRD_Trientalis_
borealis_ssp_latifoliaRC
May25_19Part_DiamondLakeRD_Trientalis_borealis_ssp_latifoliaRC
May25_19Part_DiamondLakeRD_Trientalis_
borealis_ssp_latifoliaRC
May25_20_DiamondLakeRD_NearToketeeFallsRC
May25_20_DiamondLakeRD
_NearToketeeFallsRC

  Here are three shots which show Toketee Falls. The center shot is a two-shot panorama to show the amazing green of the moss that is beside the base of the waterfall.
May24th_071RC
May24th_071RC
May25_39_40_AutoPanorama_DiamondLakeRD_ToketeeFallsRC
May25_39_40_AutoPanorama_Diamond
LakeRD_ToketeeFallsRC
May25_36_DiamondLakeRD_ToketeeFallsRC
May25_36_DiamondLakeRD
_ToketeeFallsRC

  Here is a final shot of Collinsia grandiflora (Giant Blue-Eyed Mary) and then a shot taken from the window of the rig and finally you see a shot of Diamond Lake and Mt. Bailey. You should be aware that in the upcoming pages there will be many photos which were taken by Kazuya from our moving rig. I have not attempted to disguise any of these "taken from the rig" photos by cutting out the section of the photo which shows the hood of the rig or whatever.
May25_22_DiamondLakeRD_Collinsia_grandifloraRC
May25_22_DiamondLakeRD
_Collinsia_grandifloraRC
May24th_096RC
May24th
_096RC
May24th_101RC
May24th
_101RC

  In first position in this row is a shot of Diamond Lake and Mt. Thielsen (9,182 ft = 2,799 m). The second and third images show Viola glabella (Smooth Yellow Violet) - at Diamond Lake. The second image is a portion of the third photo.
May24th_110RC
May24th_
110RC
May24th_122PartRC
May24th_
122PartRC
May24th_122RC
May24th_
122RC

  Here is another shot of Mt. Thielsen and Diamond Lake in first position. In second position is another shot of Viola glabella (Smooth Yellow Violet) and in third position is another violet - Viola orbiculata (Roundleaf Violet).
May25_43_DiamondLakeRD_MtThielsenRC
May25_43_DiamondLake
RD_MtThielsenRC
May24th_124RC
May24th
_124RC
May24th_127RC
May24th
_127RC

  Here is another shot of Viola orbiculata (Roundleaf Violet) and then two shots of Anemone oregana
May24th_128RC
May24th
_128RC
May24th_131RC
May24th
_131RC
May25_48_DiamondLakeRD_Anemone_oreganaRC
May25_48_DiamondLakeRD
_Anemone_oreganaRC

  In this row there are two shots of Trillium ovatum and then a shot of me as I was walking back to the rig after finishing up our little photographic jaunt here.
May24th_132RC
May24th
_132RC
May25_50_DiamondLakeRD_Trillium_ovatumRC
May25_50_DiamondLake
RD_Trillium_ovatumRC
May24th_138RC
May24th
_138RC

  Here is a final shot of Viola orbiculata and that is followed by a photo of "Angry Orchard" Hard Cider. We drank a bottle of Hard Cider each for our entire trip north instead of beer. This photo also shows "Umpqua Dairy" Chocolate Milk. Kazuya had never seen Chocolate Milk before so he bought it to see what it is - he said "very sweet" as he drank it. The third shot shows me preparing things for supper in the Diamond Lake Campground.
May25_53_DiamondLakeRD_Viola_orbiculataRC
May25_53_DiamondLakeRD
_Viola_orbiculataRC
May24th_143RC
May24th
_143RC
May24th_142RC
May24th
_142RC

  After we ate supper and got things put away we walked around the campground shooting photographs. Here are two shots of Mt. Bailey (8,363 ft. = 2,549 m). By the way, when I lived at Toketee Ranger Station I climbed twice and I also climbed Mt. Thielsen twice. The third shot in this row shows a final shot of Anemone oregana (Oregon Anemone). This one is in much better condition than the two shots you saw up in Row 13. And that brings us to the end of "Day #1 Of Our Trip North". We traveled only 209 miles (336.4 km) today, but we got started anyway! We're in no big rush. We want to enjoy our trip.
May25_55_DiamondLakeRD_MtBaileyRC
May25_55_Diamond
LakeRD_MtBaileyRC
May25_56_DiamondLakeRD_MtBaileyRC
May25_56_Diamond
LakeRD_MtBaileyRC
May24th_160RC
May24th
_160RC

End May 24th Begin May 25th (Day #2 Of Our Trip North)
  On the second day of out trip north we traveled from Diamond Lake Campground, Oregon to Kittitas, Oregon, where we stayed with our friends Tony and Nancy for a couple of days. First of all, please note that the dates on my photos are not correct, it was May 25th and not May 26th. Here is my journal entry from this date.
Up at 0530 with Kazuya. Start out with coffee and breakfast and then leave Diamond Lake Campground at 6:55 AM. Head for Highway 97 and follow it north, stopping fairly frequently to take photos – it was a great adventure all day long, especially crossing the Crooked River Gorge and then later on, the Columbia River, through the lands of the Yakima Nation, and then we finally arrive at Tony and Nancy’s place at about 4:00 PM. Get parked and go into the house and Tony give us a tour of the entire place. Then we went shopping for a few things, returned home, ate supper, showered and shaved. I gave Tony his care package from Steve and we talked until about 10:15 PM. Now it’s 11:02 PM and we’ll be sleeping very soon.
The first two shots in this row show that at the Cascade Mountains Summit in Oregon there was still a pretty good amount of snow remaining. The 3rd shot is another species of violet - Viola purpurea (Goosefoot Violet) - which we found on the east side of the Casacde Mountains along Highway 97 in Oregon.
May25th_006RC
May25th
_006RC
May25th_009RC
May25th
_009RC
May25th_020RC
May25th
_020RC

  Here are two more shots of that Viola purpurea (Goosefoot Violet) and then a species of Lupine Lupinus sp.
May25th_022RC
May25th
_022RC
May25th_025RC
May25th
_025RC
May25th_027RC
May25th
_027RC

  Here is a really nice Lupinus sp. shot in first position, then a shot of an interesting mountain. The third shot was taken at the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint from the highway bridge. It shows the bridge we are on and then the old highway bridge and the third bridge is the railroad bridge over the Crooked River.
May26_05_Hwy97_Lupinus_spRC
May26_05_Hwy
97_Lupinus_spRC
May25th_051RC
May25th
_051RC
May25th_053RC
May25th
_053RC

  We're still walking around at the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint. The first shot in this row shows the present Highway Bridge. The second shot shows the old abandoned Highway Bridge, which is now open only to foot/bicycle traffic. The second shot is a two-shot panorama (one above the other). The third shot shows a large number of turkey buzzards circling (why?).
May25th_056RC
May25th
_056RC
May25th_063_064_AutoPanoRC
May25th_063_064_
AutoPanoRC
May25th_087RC
May25th
_087RC

  We're still in the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint and walking along the Crooked River. The first shot is another of the abandoned highway bridge. The second shot is the railroad bridge and also shows distant mountains. The third shot is a portion of a photo to show a Turkey Buzzard or Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura).
May26_12_PeterSkeneOgdenStateScenicViewpoint_CrookedRiverRC
May26_12_PeterSkeneOgdenState
ScenicViewpoint_CrookedRiverRC
May26_14_PeterSkeneOgdenStateScenicViewpoint_CrookedRiverRC
May26_14_PeterSkeneOgdenState
ScenicViewpoint_CrookedRiverRC
May25th_094PartRC
May25th
_094PartRC

  Here are the final three shots taken in the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint.
May25th_114RC
May25th
_114RC
May26_28_PeterSkeneOgdenStateScenicViewpoint_CrookedRiverRC
May26_28_PeterSkeneOgdenState
ScenicViewpoint_CrookedRiverRC
May25th_116RC
May25th
_116RC

  Now we're driving north along Highway 97 again. The first photo is a scenic shot, the second shot is another Lupinus sp. shot and the third shot was taken as we got closer to the Columbia River Gorge and was our first view of the incredible number of windmills which are in this area.
May25th_123RC
May25th
_123RC
May25th_129RC
May25th
_129RC
May25th_154RC
May25th
_154RC

  The first shot here shows that the windmills are getting closer. The second shot is of the Columbia River as we cross it on Highway 97. The third shot is, quite obviously, windmills.
May25th_157RC
May25th
_157RC
May25th_174RC
May25th
_174RC
May25th_182RC
May25th
_182RC

  The first shot shows Kazuya at a rest area. The second shot shows the Stuart Mountains (I think) and the third shot shows more windmills.
May26_29_NearColumbiaRiver_KazuyaRC
May26_29_NearColumbia
River_KazuyaRC
May25th_253RC
May25th
_253RC
May26_33_NearColumbiaRiverRC
May26_33_Near
ColumbiaRiverRC

  All three shots in this row show the Stuart Mountains (I think) and the third shot is actually Mt. Stuart (I think), in Washington. And that brings us to the end of "Day #2 Of Our Trip North". We traveled 358 miles (576 km) today and our rig now has a bit more than 10,000 miles on the odometer!
May26_34_StewartMountainsRC
May26_34_
StewartMountainsRC
May26_35_StewartMountainsRC
May26_35_
StewartMountainsRC
May26_36_StewartMountainsRC
May26_36_
StewartMountainsRC
End May 25th, End Page 1
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this amazing road trip from Ashland, Oregon to Fairbanks, Alaska. Go To Page:

Purchase Photos Complete List Of All Photos E-mail us Go to the Special Items Page
Top Of Page Lightbox Instructions Comprehensive Site Map Return to our home page



Link to Amazon.com (new window).
We get 2% of whatever you spend if you go to Amazon from this link!! Please shop on Amazon from here.
If you would like to donate to our hiking & traveling fund or show your appreciation for our efforts you can donate through PayPal. A single donation will entitle you to request a single full-sized photo IN THE DONATION MONTH - which you may then use as a desktop wallpaper or whatever. The copyright will be retained by us and the photo will be inconspicuously marked with the copyright symbol (©), year and photographer's name. (Donation probably not tax deductible.)