White, Blue and Red

We're back on the road again and in our usual pattern, we doubled our travel time by meandering the back routes. But, oh the the sights we see. We started with the white, snow capped landscape of Mt. Hood. The lodge was crawling with folks donned in ski boots, snow goggles, shorts, sandals and cameras. There were purveyors of necessary goods scattered throughout the multi-tiered lodge. Gift shops. Snack shops. Outdoor wear shops. And I think some folks were actually skiing.

The scenic highway that led us to our next destination was a patchwork of vineyards, fruit orchards and lush forests. Such travels are always a little bittersweet. Visually stimulating but hard on the posterior muscles. We were both relieved when our hotel sign popped into view in the heart of Willamette Valley.

The local community was hosting a 4th of July extravaganza by the river and we were only too happy to join in the festivities. A blues band was playing its strong bass rhythms and we settled in for a great show. It is true that being out of town can inspire a person to participate in activities that would never even blip on the hometown radar screen. Me, outdoors, past 9:00 pm, eating kettle corn, contemplating a blues dance. Intervention time.

The day was completed by an explosion of red singed fireworks. The oohs and ahs were shared by the little peeps, older folks and everyone in between.

One thing is for sure, neither South Dakota or Oregon is afraid to celebrate with a few pyrotechnics.

Happy Birthday, America!