Driving, surviving and connecting with family

From astonishing Jane

The air quality index  - the reason for the smoky skies

  

Due to all the fires burning  

Our trip to Mt Rainier cancelled, who do you call on for help? Family! Thanks Uncle Andre. The older two children had technically meet him before, but really knowing the gentle giant was a new experience for all.

We got to see some of Battleground, WA. Since it is on the border of Oregon, and mighty close to Portland, we went there for a couple of days.

The state line is the river

Another city with great bridges, and walks that appear short, but end up long, and no one remembered the water bottles nor the camera.

crossing a bridge is one thing...finding a bridge to get back on? that's the harder part

bridge, bridge, bridge....(and submarine)

pretty bridge, poor air quality 

And a new city meant a new reliance on maps, and let down by quirks of cellular networks, new cities, off-line material and deceptive road signage, we continued our skill of getting lost. 3-laned highways, invariably mean being in the wrong lane, with too little merging time allotted, hampered by a HUGE 4WD refusing to yield...and when one child then mentions a need for a bathroom break! It shows not the parents in a calm and polite demeanor. Sigh.

a typical and common example of a large, non-yielding pick-up

  

The kids will tell you what we got up to soon. This place has cool museums.