by Bill Vancil                               more pics at ToriLou.com    return to Home Page 

Introduction  - When I was 15 my parents took me to Europe. That experience has stayed with me over the years. Now, on the 50th anniversary of that trip, Tori Lou, herself now 15, and I are in the Great Northwest on a journey neither of us will ever forget. Tori had a blast at summer snowboard camp at Mount Hood while I did book signings in Eugene and Seattle. We'll spend the 4th of July with friends who live in Blaine, WA, near the Canadian border, then head home through North Cascades National Park with our first stop at Lake Chelan. (scroll down for more)

Thursday, June 22 - With her new instructional driving permit proudly tucked in her pocket, Tori Lou was behind the wheel for most of this beautiful sunny day . We left Madison early and arrived in Mitchell, South Dakota in time to visit the famous Corn Palace and stroll down Main Street of this oddly charming little town that calls it's high school sports teams "The Kernels". Lou grew a lot as a driver today. Near the Dells she feigned discouragement as she was passed by "an old guy in a gray Buick". But by the time we'd crossed the Mississippi at LaCrosse she was holding her own, cruising along beside the 18-wheelers on Interstate 90.

Friday, June 23 - While we were stopped at a scenic overlook midway through South Dakota's Badlands, we heard a voice call out. Some students from Madison on a summer trip, in this remote place hundreds of miles from home, had recognized Tori Lou!  After the Badlands we made a brief stop at Wall's Drug, the overrated but irresistable gift shop gone wild, before continuing our westward journey. In late afternoon, the weather snarled at us, but we snuck between two thunderstorms to arrive in Billings, Montana where we spent the night. Lou got her first look at some real mountains today, the Big Horns - and fell asleep thinking about crossing the Rockies tomorrow.     For more pics go to ToriLou.com

Friday, June 30 - I ditched plans to spend the weekend in Seattle, and drove south to Lake Oswego, Oregon - a chic but relaxed suburb of Portland about an hour from Mt. Hood. My room at the Hilton Garden Inn is identical to the one I vacated in Seattle but Oswego provides a better backdrop for taking a restful break (photo of Lake Oswego at left). While I was fleeing the chaotic traffic of Seattle, Lou called to report all is going well at snowboard camp.
Saturday, July 1 - It's fortunate my interviews and signings are over for this trip, as I woke up today with laryngitis and an alleged chest cold. I found a Safeway store nearby and loaded up on orange juice and zinc lozenges. I'll lay low the rest of this day and Sunday. Hope there's something good on TV. 

Sunday, July 2 - Lou's last full day at snowboard camp went quickly, as we knew it would. I spent the day trying to rest away my newly aquired chest cold and did some wandering. When one says, "beautiful downtown Lake Oswego" it is not said with tongue in cheek. Potted flowers hang from the traffic lights and hidden speakers emit bird sounds when you hit the "push to walk" button. The art-gallery-like-plaza is a great place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. I met a couple from Florida - Bob & Jeannie Harness - who after questioning admitted they'd heard my interview on WFLA back in February. (photo at left - downtown Lake Oswego) Coming soon! Tori Lou's snowboard camp pictures!

Monday, July 3 -  When I arrived at High Cascade skateboard camp, Lou was waiting along with a bunch of her new friends (photo at left). We packed up the Explorer and after a series of emotional hugs and farewells started down the mountain with Lou behind the wheel. She was proudly sporting the best "goggle tan" ever and wearing a High Cascade hoody with the sleeves cut off. The temps on the slopes were in the eighties most of the week. After an hour, the preceding night's farewell party started to have it's effect on Lou and I took over the drving. She napped all the way to just past Seattle... awakening in time to see majestic Mount Baker on the horizon. We arrived in Blaine, at the home of our friends Tom & Sandy Koenig, in time for dinner.

Camp Highlites

While at High Cascade snowboard camp, Tori Lou had the chance to meet Danny Kass - the 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist in half pipe (photo at left).

Temperatures held in the mid-to-upper 80s most of the week, while snowboarders rode in T-shirts with heavy coats of sunscreen. 

In skateboard competition, held at the town center skatepark, Lou walked off with first place in the girls division. Way to go, Lou.

Tuesday, July 4 - We spent the Fourth of July relaxing at the home of our friends, The Koenigs in Blaine, WA. Lou slept in, getting the best night's sleep in over a week. We had a tour of the Blaine area, which is on the Canadian border. Then chilled in the backyard, where Lou provided some tunes (at left Heidi listens to Lou's rendition of some classic rock unplugged). After brats, baked beans, and coleslaw we watched the New York City and Seattle fireworks on the Koenig's big screen TV with Bose surround sound. We opted not to go to the live fireworks in Blaine because it was too cold, and being so far north did not start until late. 

Wednesday, July 5 - Today was a gift.  Just as when we drove the Big Sur coastline in California two years ago, this day and this part of our journey will long be remembered with a special fondness. We left Blaine on a chilly foggy morning but the day warmed and became brighter as we entered the North Cascades National Park (slide show at left). The misty fog rolled upward to jagged snow-streaked peaks, and ribbons of watered plummeted to the river rapids below as we stopped for a rest among towering pines. Both our digital cameras got a workout. We stopped for the night at Campbell's Resort at the southern-most tip of Lake Chelan, the third deepest lake in the country - it stretches 50 miles into the Cascades.  

Thursday, July 6 - One look at the view from our hotel room at Lake Chelan (photo at left) and it's easy to see why we found it difficult to say goodbye to this place. While we were both a little anxious to get home, we took our time to pack up and hit the road. We had hoped to make it to Billings by nightfall, but heavy rain in eastern Washington and the Idaho panhandle slowed us down. We stopped for the night at the C'mon Inn in Missoula, Montana - a classy place with a corny name. Our late departure from Chelan combined with the rain has likely added an extra day to our return trip. But, it doesn't matter. We're enjoying every minute of it. And, you should see Lou drive in the rain, on winding mountain roads. Yikes!

Friday, July 7 - Thick fog wandered among tall pines and clouds draped the mountain tops as we wound our way out of Missoula. As the fog dispersed and the Interstate began to straighten, we found ourselves on the doorstep of the vast plains of central Montana - the point where we realized, sadly, that our journey was nearly over. It's always exciting to see the Rockies on the horizon as you travel west, as we did two weeks earlier. But, seeing majestic mountains grow smaller on the horizon as you return eastward brings a tinge of sadness. We hitched up for the night in a true cowboy town, Miles City, Montana - home of the "World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale" held in May.

Saturday, July 8 - We crossed the Yellowstone River near the burial site of Sitting Bull and entered Standing Rock Indian Reservation in the far northwest corner of South Dakota. Here we accomplished one of Tori Lou's goals for the trip. We saw a buffalo! (photo at left) We happily added it to the list of wildlife we'd seen on this trip, which included an eagle, a mountain lion, deer, antelope, blue herons, egrets, white pelicans, jackrabbits and more. And, all without visiting a zoo! This was the only part of our trip where we strayed very far off the Interstate system. But, it was for a reason. This South Dakota detour would provide the "surprise ending" to our story. Stay tuned, the shocking surprise will be revealed in the July 9 blog entry.

Sunday, July 9 - We arrived home in Madison mid-afternoon and surprised everyone with our "souvenir". On Saturday we had detoured off the Interstate at Miles City, Montana and took Route 12 east to a ranch near Ipswich, South Dakota. This is where we picked up our newest pet, a nine-week-old "Puggle" puppy, whom Tori Lou named "Roy". We met the father, "Hank the Tank", who's a Pug, and the mother, "Cocoa", a Beagle.  As he hops and wags his way into the future, Roy is symbolic of the fun, love and learning we shared on this trip and of adventures we have yet to live. The most immediate adventure - the housebreaking of Roy.