We left Ft. Stephens and traveled along the Columbia River Gorge which is quite a scenic trip. The Columbia is a 
huge river threading its way through hills and mountains to the Pacific. As we left the coast, the temperature climbed and climbed until it was nearly as hot as home. We pulled into Pendleton, Oregon which was the home of the Pendleton Wool Mills. We took a tour of the mills which was disappointedly small but it was an interesting tour. The outlet store had hundreds of the Indian design blankets which cost hundreds of dollars. Their fabric was minimal although I bought 2 pieces for re-enacting. As we have traveled through Oregon, we found that the state has a law that a gas attendant must pump your gas. The law was passed to provide low level jobs. Most of the attendants were nice but I noticed throughout the stores and especially at the Pendleton outlet store that many of the young people have a very belligerent and irritated attitude toward their jobs. The twittery girl (talking across the store to a friend) who reluctantly cut my fabric was obviously not wanting to be there or to be inconvenience by customers. When she cut my fabric she did such a shoddy irregular job since she was obviously irritated and inconvenienced that the piece will not be useable. Wish I had caught the problem before I left and I would have let my feelings go since she wasn't the first or only infantile young person we'd dealt with in Oregon. No wonder the state government must make low end jobs. Oregon is also very ecologically conscious to an unsensible dregree. According to a radio program we heard, the state government does not consider the hydro electric dams on the Columbia as a renewable resource--huh?
huge river threading its way through hills and mountains to the Pacific. As we left the coast, the temperature climbed and climbed until it was nearly as hot as home. We pulled into Pendleton, Oregon which was the home of the Pendleton Wool Mills. We took a tour of the mills which was disappointedly small but it was an interesting tour. The outlet store had hundreds of the Indian design blankets which cost hundreds of dollars. Their fabric was minimal although I bought 2 pieces for re-enacting. As we have traveled through Oregon, we found that the state has a law that a gas attendant must pump your gas. The law was passed to provide low level jobs. Most of the attendants were nice but I noticed throughout the stores and especially at the Pendleton outlet store that many of the young people have a very belligerent and irritated attitude toward their jobs. The twittery girl (talking across the store to a friend) who reluctantly cut my fabric was obviously not wanting to be there or to be inconvenience by customers. When she cut my fabric she did such a shoddy irregular job since she was obviously irritated and inconvenienced that the piece will not be useable. Wish I had caught the problem before I left and I would have let my feelings go since she wasn't the first or only infantile young person we'd dealt with in Oregon. No wonder the state government must make low end jobs. Oregon is also very ecologically conscious to an unsensible dregree. According to a radio program we heard, the state government does not consider the hydro electric dams on the Columbia as a renewable resource--huh?
We also took a tour of the Pendleton Underground, a basement level of businesses, speak-easys, brothels, opium dens and Chinese labor quarters. The tour was well done and we enjoyed it. We also went to their historical museum which was very expensive for a poor excuse for a musuem -- obviously just to fleece the tourists. As you can tell, Pendleton, OR, is on the bottom of my list for this trip.
From Pendleton, we drove to Boise, Idaho. We drove through farm country but I didn't see any plants I thought were the famed potatoes, mainly corn, wheat and hay. The scenery was lots of hilly farmland. Boise is a large city of about 250,000 and is much like Midland/Odessa area with shopping areas. We went through their historical museum and through a military museum but really spent more time resting and staying out of the heat. It was in the 90's + here and our air conditioner is really struggling to keep the trailer even marginally cool. Tomorrow we will travel to Brigham City, Utah to see Prometory Point and the Golden Spike. Bet it's going to get even hotter.
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