Vodka Tasting at BENDISTILLERY

 Today I met Claire at BenDistillery in Bend, OR. Claire provided me with some great vodkas and one gin to savor. I really liked the Crater Lake Pepper Vodka, which is 80 proof and is made with five different hot peppers to provide a great flavor to use in making Bloody Marys. Check out their web site at www.bendistillery.com.
Tomorrow I will be leaving the area and heading toward Colorado.
Warmest regards, Gus

Navy & Marine Shore Party's Land Ship

 Today I visited Fort Stevens Historic Military Site near Hammond, OR. This site is at the mouth of the Columbia River. I was allowed to be an "honoray" powder monkey--one of the boys and girls aged 7-14 who assisted with the work aboard ship. Here I am with James (left) who is not old enough yet to help out!
Fort Stevens is the only mainland military installation "fired upon" by the Japanese during WWII. You can find lots of historical information by searching: Coastal Artillary Forts of the Pacific Northwest.
Warmest regards, Gus

Tsunami Route

 I am confused: the "One Way" sign says I have to go one direction and the "Tsunami Evacuation Route" sign says to go the other direction! I hope I don't have to take the tsunami route, but it is nice to know that there is a plan. I am almost a mile from the ocean, but the land is very flat between the campground and the ocean. I need to get to higher ground if there is an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean.
The weather has been nice here in Seaside the past three days--sunny, cool and dry.
Warmest regards, Gus

Astoria, OR

 This is the view I had from atop the Astoria Column when I climbed the 164 steps to the top on Sunday. The bridge beyond the town of Astoria is the Astoria-Megler bridge (over four miles long), which was built during the years 1962-1966, and is the longest continuous truss span in North America. This bridge across the Coumbia River allows easy access to Washington state. The next bridge across the Columbia is at Longview, WA.
Beyond the bridge is the infamous Columbia River Bar, considered the most dangerous river bar on the planet. Hundreds of ships have sunk in this stretch of water where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.
Warmest regards, Gus

Astoria Column (Oregon)

 The Astoria Column is the final monument in a series of 12 historical markers erected in the early 1900s between St. Paul, MN, and Astoria, Oregon.
The column combines paint and plaster carvings to decorate the Column exterior with a frieze of 22 significant events that occured in the region. Some of the events are: Captain Robert Gray arriving in 1792; Lewis and Clark arriving in 1805; John Jacob Astor sends fur traders, 1811; Railroads arrive in the 1880s.
Warmest regards, Gus