Aug 17th
     
The beautiful Columbia River that separates Washington and Oregon.  We love to stop in these little old towns along the way. Moro, Grass Valley and Kent.   This one is Kent I believe.  Didn't see much life in it!  First is grain elevators looks like both old style and new.  Then what looks like an old store with a red door no longer in use and another store no longer in use.  More and more towns are having this problem where some businesses open last year when we came through and this year they are closed and for sale.  Click on the Moro link and look at the picture, the red building just past where it says "CAFE" was another cafe, with the Pepsi sign next to  the cafe sign,  we have stopped in several times but now is closed.  We were sorry to see that had happened.
       
Couldn't resist this old abandoned farm near Kent with the windmill we saw from afar.  Just had to turn down that road to get a closer look.  The General Store is in Shaniko.  Now this little town is old but is still partly in working order and some places are open for business.  Don't let the people at the General Store set the tone for the rest of the town as the owner was pretty rude and down in the mouth toward us, she  lightened up a bit once we bought something.  I suspect she is that way about life in general.  Others in town don't much like her and don't shop there either.   Next is an old mower I believe.  The white building is not in use and I'm not sure what it was.  Do click on the link as I found a site more informative than I am.  Also this link for Shaniko for a story about the town.
     
This is the Shaniko Bank or was?  The blue building on the left used to be the Gold Nugget Saloon but now  appears to be a dress shop.  Next door I don't know what is in there.  Ahh behind the motorcycle is the ICE CREAM SHOP!      
Inside brings you back  in time to the good old days.  Welcomed by Goldie Roberts, also the Mayor of the town, this is where the locals hang out and the tourists stop to get the local flavor of the place and the ice cream.  Yummy!  This Ole House was closed maybe permanantly?
   
This is the Hotel don't know if it was open or closed but doesn't look busy.  Another little store look at the old cars alongside of it!  Then you see what looks like a long barn at the edge of town to the east. 
    
The old Jail Wagon sits in an open lot across from the hotel.  And a really old fire truck!  A little church completes the town.  This is a neat place to stop and drink in the history of the area and to see the town that is a museum in itself.
     
Further along the way to Terrebonne we see a nice barn and some horses in the field happily eating.  Finally we arrive at Crooked River Ranch where our friends Randy and Pat live. 
           
Along the way I snap this picture of a favorite house I see is rented out for people who want to vacation there.  It has a spactacular view of the 3 Sisters mountains.  I borrowed from another time of the year to show you their view which was taken outside the subdivision on the way to Sisters.  The deer is a common sight throughout the subdivision as they have no fear there and walk through everyones yards unless they have fenced them out.  This is high desert country. Smith rocks is nearby where climbers love to go and try out their expertise of climbing clifts.