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The Western Washington All British Field Meet is held in July every year at St Edward State Park in Kenmore, WA on the north side of Seattle on the shores of Lake Washington. This beautifully restored landmark building peacefully tucked away in a lush 326-acre forest, was originally a Catholic Seminary and is now an exclusive Lodge. Lots of great photos on this special WWABFM web page showing some of the amazing British sports cars on display at the Western Washington All British Field Meet this year.

Today, June 8, we fired up the MG and headed down Territorial Highway to Bradley Vineyards in the town of Elkton, about 40 miles south of the lake. This is an enjoyable twisty backroad with no traffic. About a half dozen other retired club members from the Central Oregon Coast British Car Club drove in from Florence and we met them at the Vineyard... we brought sandwiches, did a little winetasting and had a picnic on the vineyard's deck. Lovely quiet setting and good company.

Today, May 1, we got a break nice break in the weather to take the MG out for a spin. We drove over to Vancouver Lake and took Taffy for a walk in the park. Taffy really enjoys riding in the MG too and can sit on the rear bench and look out the middle between the seats, or just curl up and lie down back there which she does quite a bit. Vancouver Lake, located just west of Vancouver, Washington, is a large, shallow, 2,858-acre lake, measuring 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is located on the right bank of the Columbia River and is popular with locals for non-motorized water sports.

Sign by the lake in the park: "Vancouver Lake is man made and was deeded to the port of Vancouver in 1919. Max depth of the lake is betweem 12 and 15 feet. Canoeing, rowing, sailing and kayaking are popular uses of the lake - etc"

We walked Taffy along the paths in the park and enjoyed the pleasant weather. We decided next time we'll bring a picnic!

Driving to and from Vancouver Lake we took some nice local roads and boulevards. Here we are pulled over right by a gorgeous flowering pink dogwood tree.

March 27 was a warm spring Sunday with no rain in the forecast, so we decided to take the MG out and give her some exercise. We drove the hour or so on back roads down to Mt Angel to a tavern we visited once before some years back... the Mt Angel Sausage Company. Here we are parked out in front of the tavern. The sign on the front of the yellow truck reads "Got Brat!!" We sure did. Brats and then some... We loosened our belts and ordered their splendid European Wurst Sampler plate which we split, complete with delicious sauerkraut, and sensational fried "Kartoffeln und Zwiebeln" (potatoes with onions). Not to mention some oustanding Deutsches Bier. Yummmm!

We kept the MG down in Veneta at Fern Ridge Shores all summer. That's where we spend most of our time during the sailing season, getting out on the lake as much as spossible. Over the course of the summer we took a number of backroads drives on pleasant afternoons when the sailing winds were calm and we wanted to get out for some fresh air.

During the April MG Club cruise, we had occasion to cross the Willamette River. In order to get from the west side of the valley over to the east side and Wilsonville, our intrepid guides elected to take us across the river on the Canby Ferry. A fun little 5 minute adventure. The Ferry holds 9 MG's and they had to make 4 trips to get us all over. That's us in the middle, me with the blue t-shirt and white cap.

On an uncharacteristically hot day in late April 2021 we joined the Columbia Gorge MG Club for a run down to Oswego Hills Vineyards for some wine tasting, followed by a spirited back roads tour over to Wilsonville to Slicks Big Time BBQ in Wilsonville for some of the tastiest BBQ this side of the Rockies! We had an excellent turnout thanks to the gorgeous weather.

Not only did we add the gorgeous Vilano 5th Wheel to our toychest, we also decided to upgrade our Forest River Class C motorhome to the magnificent Thor Motor Coach Miramar 32.2. We'll be taking lots of trips around the west in this baby year round. Trips to the warm country in California and Arizona in winter and trips around the mountains and Pacific Northwest coast in the warmer weather.

Last year we bought a 2019 Keystone Avalanche 382FL 5th Wheel (pictured below) to serve as our summer headquarters at Fern Ridge Lake in Veneta, OR, where we keep our sailboat. In August 2020, we decided to trade in the Avalanche on this new (to us) 2018 Vanleigh Vilano 375FL 5th Wheel. These high quality 5th wheels are hard to find, but are head and shoulders above the quality of the Avalanche. You can see a full page of photos of the new Vilano here. We'll keep the MGB down here in Veneta... there are many great back roads for MGB fun.

The Pacific Northwest got hit with a heatwave the last week of July, with temps reaching 100 degrees and above, both in Vancouver where we live, and in Veneta at the lake. This kind of heat typically squelches the wind so we decided to load up the Forester motorhome and head over to the Oregon Coast. We hooked up the MG on our brand new car dolly and started out. It towed perfectly and effortlessly. We're just an hour from Florence at the Oregon coast so we headed over there and up the coast to Lincoln City as our first overnight stop, about a 3 hour trip.

Once we arrived at our first stop, the KOA campground in Lincoln City, we unloaded the MG and parked it next to the coach, ready to head out next morning on a little tour we mapped out... taking the coastal route up to Sandlake > Cape Lookout > Netarts > Cape Mears > Tillamook and then back down Highway 101 to Lincoln City again.

The Lincoln City KOA turned out to be a total bust, so after lodging a complaint with KOA corporate we moved out after two nights and went down to Newport where we stayed at a lovely campground right near the iconic Yaquina Bay Bridge. Next day we headed down to our second reserved destination, the KOA at Waldport, Oregon. This KOA was a delight and totally redeemed our faith in KOA. The weather was a gorgeous 70 degrees, so I drove the MG the 35 miles while Libby drove the motorhome. We puttered around a few local backroads and coastal sights Wednesday afternoon, stopping occasionally to snap a classic photo like this one at the Ocean Beach picnic area, before settling in for the night.

Next morning we tried Taffy out for her first short little ride in the MG. She fits in the little back bench area and can sit up with her head between the seats. She seemed to really enjoy it! It's a great joy to now have the new car dolly to bring the MG along with us on RV jaunts around the northwest. Touring along the twisties at the Oregon Coast in a little classic sportscar makes all the difference, compared to just driving it in a regular car. It's kind of like the difference between cruising on a sailboat and a powerboat. Either way it's nice to be on the water, but a sailboat makes it into a sport instead of simply a conveyance.

The Waldport KOA was located just 2 miles from a marvelous little beach access called Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site, a state park administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. We took Taffy for walks on the beach there all three mornings, including our last morning when we pulled the motorhome in so we could load up the MG on the car dolly for the drive home.

Hardly anyone there at Driftwood Beach, so we took Taffy for walks on the beach off leash all three mornings and she romped exhuberantly, looking for all the world like a little beach bunny! She never ventured more than 20 yards from us at any time!

We decided on a Sunday drive in the MG along some beautiful back roads in the Wine Region south of Eugene. Perfect weather... high close to 80 and with some cloud cover off and on to give us a break from the sun. The route planned on google maps was about 75 miles round trip. The route took us down Territorial Highway out of Veneta to Curtin, Oregon. We passed many signs for wineries on side roads off Territorial. Enroute we spotted the King Estate Winery, a beautiful complex sitting up on a hill. Surrounded by fields of lavender and endless manicured rows of grape vines, the Winery occupies a really beautiful spot with some excellent valley views which you can see on our Windseeker gallery page.

We took a 90 mile tour of some marvelous backroads in the southwestern part of Washington State. We drove around the environs of Mt St Helens and stopped at a wonderful viewpoint. That's the infamous Volcano that blew its top almost 40 years ago in 1980. That's Libby sitting in our white MGB.

August 1, 2019 - New Keystone Avalanche 382FL 5th Wheel

We have enjoyed our travels in the Forester Motorhome for the past year, including some short local trips, a six week trip to California over the winter and then spending the summer in Eugene, OR with our sailboat. With all this, we haven't used the MG too much. Next year should be different. We just purchased this fine 2019 Keystone Avalanche 382FL 5th Wheel which we will be keeping at Fern Ridge Shores RV Resort right on the lake. We're spending the early fall here this year, but next year we'll spend the whole summer down there - and we'll have the MG with us for many fun day trips in the area.

September 18 -- 2019 Forest River Forester 3041DSF

After some summer travels in our Forest River Sunseeker, we decided we need just a bit more room. After looking at countless floorplans, we decided on a brand new 2019 Forest River Forester 3041DSF. This is a completely new model for 2019, built on the same Ford E-450 Chassis as our previous Sunseeker, but it is about 5' longer, for a total of 32' in length. Check out this large format Forester photo gallery. It includes everything we loved about the Sunseeker, but has more room, including more legroom in the driver's seat, a larger bedroom with walkin closet, and a larger four door refrigerator. Plus as a factory fresh unit, the Forester comes with full factory warranty for worryfree travels. We have some major trips planned for 2019.

February 24 - Our new tow vehicle

Along with the purchase of our new motorhome, we decided a new tow vehicle ould be appropriate. Our 2009 Chevy Suburban LTZ made a good tow vehicle for our boat and our new car hauler trailer, but was getting a little long in the tooth. So after some research I decided on a Dodge Durango R/T AWD which is smaller and a little lighter than the Suburban yet amazingly, it is more roomy up front in the driver and passenger seats where it counts. And with a 2 speed transfer case, it can also be flat towed. It also has more horsepower and more torque than the Suburban for serving as a tow vehicle. I found a spectacular deal locally on a 2016 model, still under full factory warranty. Perfecto!

February 1 - A new motorhome

After a 15 month hiatus from RV travel, living at home, we decided it was time to pick up where we left off. We had sold our magnificent Tiffin Allegro Bus in the spring. We had been on the road almost constantly since 2012 and wanted to spend some time at home. Now we've decided to purchase a new 2018 Forest River Sunseeker 2500ts. On its Ford E-450 Chassis it can comfortably tow our enclosed car hauler trailer, our car, or the sailboat. We're now focused on taking shorter trips around the Pacific Northwest, sometimes with our sailboat in tow, and other times with the MG in its trailer. And maybe sometimes both! This should provide plenty of options to keep life interesting!

January 13 - First Classic Sports Car meetup of the year

We had gorgeous weather today for January in the Pacific Northwest... clear skies and unseasonably warm temps. This always brings classic sports car lovers out in numbers (it's early morning and the long shadows this time of year don't provide the best colors). Second Saturday of every month, many from the area meet at Commonwealth Classics in Vancouver to enjoy coffee and some breakfast snacks together and chat about their cars. We started coming last summer and have attended a number of times, but this is the first time since I had my knee surgery. It was good to drive the MG, see some familiar faces and some beautiful cars. My little MGB always commands its share of attention, especially when I put the hood up!

Commonwealth Classics is a shop specifically focused on British sports cars, as the name implies, but other classic car owners always show up as well. And nothing at today's gathering attracted more attention than this exceptional 1960 Corvette. Immaculate and all original, it is a real show stopper. It is a rare race built job, one of only about 100 built, I was told, and reportedly worth about $140,000. A feast for the eyes. That is the proud owner Craig standing behind it.

After the show Libby and I took about a two and a half hour drive in our beloved little MGB out past Washougal then up and around the northside of Vancouver before dropping back down to the house. We were even able to put the top down for part of the ride in the mid afternoon, What a treat for January in the Northwest. Lots of rain headed our way next week, so we were glad to get in a nice drive. Our mild rainy weather here in SW Washington, however, is nothing compared to the deep freeze plaguing much of the country right now. You do not have to shovel rain!

Happy New Year - 2018

Well, the new year is upon us... 2017 has slipped into history, and 2018 is now upon us. After all the political turmoil, we're happy to put 2017 behind us and look forward to a better future.

We got some beautiful sunny weather to start the new year... perfect for exercising the MG. I wasn't absolutely sure I could get into the MG yet after my knee surgery, especially with the top up. But I managed fine. She started right up and we rolled out of the garage. I took her out for a half hour cruise... running great as always, and absolutely no problem driving it with my new knees.

Holiday Greetings

Seven weeks after TKR surgery, my knee is doing great. I've been getting full revolutions for a month now on the exercycle, I have 125 degree flexion and have been back working out at the gym. I hope to be able to drive the MG again by January, though weather may preclude this until closer to spring. We're having a quiet Christmas season at home this year. The house is decked out in holiday decor. And Santa is in his sleigh. Ho Ho Ho !!!

For only the second or third time since we have lived in Oregon and Washington, we were treated to a white Christmas... or almost white anyway. We got a light snow Christmas eve which accumulated a bit more than the photo here, but after dark. We awoke to a white Christmas as we looked outside. It never got very warm so the dusting of snow persisted throughout the day. Nice!

Well the holidays are upon us. This weekend on December 9 our local MG Club held their annual Christmas party at the Clackamas Banquet and Catering Center in Portland. Perhaps 50 members were in attendance. A delicious turkey and prime rib buffet dinner was served. There was also a raffle held. Libby bought $20 worth of raffle tickets and got back a pretty good ROI, winning a $50 gift certificate to a local MG repair shop, one free $7 entrance ticket to the local Maritime Museum and a $25 gift certificate to Fred Meyer Grocery and Dept Store. Not bad... $82 return on a $20 investment! Actually paid for the raffle tickets AND our buffet dinner! A good time was had by all. And yes, they did display that slide of our MGB in their slide show!

November 2017 - Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery & recovery

On October 31, I went under the knife to have total knee replacement surgery on my right knee. Osteoarthritis in my knees finally reached a point this year where it has become necessary to have the surgery. In February I returned to Dr. Jon Greenleaf, a pre-eminent orthopedist in the pacific northwest, who did my ACL replacement surgery 20 years ago. He performed my first Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery on my left knee. And now I have returned to have the same TKR on my right knee. I am pleased to report I am at home and doing well.

I was released from the hospital late this morning after an overnight stay for observation... same as for my first knee surgery. Willamette Fals Hospital is a pretty nice place, had a private room with cable TV and the food is good... you order right off a full menu just like a restaurant! I'm not sure exactly why, but I am not nearly as immobilized this time. Last time I posted a video of me walking without a cane or walker one week after surgery which felt like a major accomplishment. Click on the image at the left to see me walking less than 24 hours after surgery! Ya just can't keep a good man down! But I will be using a walker at home for the next week and not going anywhere.

I am in the recovery and rehab process with my knee replacement. After a week, I am doing well... went to my first scheduled PT session one week after surgery. Our new split california king adjustable bed is a godsend in the recovery this time around. I am sleeping much better in much better comfort and able to comfortably watch TV or work on my laptop without leaving the bed. And once again, my loyal personal P.A. (Physician's Assistant) spends most of his time being totally comfy close at hand!

Today, 11/15, the staples were removed... 16 days after surgery. Pretty painless. Looks much worse than it feels at this point. That's the first knee, 9 months later... next to the current one just before the staples were removed. I am done with the major drugs... just back on my naproxen which also helps with my ideopathic neuropathy in the feet and the occasional tylenol. I hope to be able to drive my MG again about the time the weather is conducive to do so. Until then it's physical therapy to regain range of motion and then back to the gym to rebuild my leg strength.

Here's the two knees a month after surgery on the left. Doing well... I have a full 120 degrees range of motion now after 3 weeks of PT, so I am ahead of the first knee's progress in every respect. I am driving the Suburban and started back to the gym and weight lifting today. Still some mild swelling, but regular icing should do away with that in another month. I am looking forward to an active spring and summer. This will be my last post on the knees.

October 28 - MG Club run to Tippy Canoe Restaurant

In what will undoubtedly be our final run with the MG Club this year, we met the group at Troutdale Outlet Mall and then went for a backroads autumn cruise to the quaint little Tippy Canoe Restaurant for a tasty breakfast with the group. Beautiful fall weather meant a sterling turnout with more than 20 club members in attendance. The morning air was chilly so we were one of only a small handful of hardy MG owners who arrived with the top down. The weather will be changing shortly, and anyhow I am scheduled for Knee Replacement Surgery next Tuesday, so I will not be able to fold my long legs into the MG for at least several months. I hope to be back in the saddle by spring.

October 15-22 - Redmond, Oregon

We're headed to Eaglecrest Resort in Redmond, Oregon to squeeze in one last weeklong MG trip before the weather changes - and also before my scheduled TKR (total knee replacement) surgery on October 31. Redmond is just north of Sunriver where we went for 5 days last month. Sunriver is about 30 minutes south of Bend, Oregon and Eaglecrest Resort is about the same distance northeast of Bend. There are lots of fun MG day trips in the area like over to Sisters, OR named for the Three Sisters grouping of three volcanic peaks which tower above the landscape.

We rented a lovely, comfortable 2 BR 2.5 BA Condo for the week at Eaglecrest Resort just outside Redmond, OR. Hold your mouse on the photo at the left for a moment to see a quick slide show of the condo. Besides some very comfortable accommodations, Eaglecrest Resort offers various amenities including walking and biking trails, a real 18 hole putting course, a well appointed sports center including a large indoor swimming pool, tennis and pickleball, and a lot more.

Our first day here in Redmond was clear and beautiful with highs reaching into the 70's - perfect fall weather. Looks good all week... just overnight showers Thursday and some daytime showers for our last day here on Saturday... and even that could easily dissipate during the week. Perfect. compare this to a solid block of serious rain in Vancouver Tues-Sunday. Good choice to be here for the week. Our two-hour loop today in the MG took us out to Sisters, Black Butte and Tumalo State Park. Here's a shot out the windshield with the snowcapped Mount Jefferson in the distance.

Here's a great photo along the side of a country road with the snowcapped Three Sisters mountains in the distance. Definitely a Kodak moment if there ever was one. No, that is NOT a painted backdrop! From here we drove on into the cute little town of Sisters, located just 20 minutes west of Redmond.

What's a stop in a cute little town without a stop at the local ice creamery? BJ's Ice Cream Parlor in Sisters, Oregon. Fresh Oregon Bing cherry ice cream. Hard to beat it! Corey likes it too!

Here's a shot of the MG at Black Butte Ranch about 15 minutes NW of Sisters. It's a popular resort with golf course, riding stables, a small lake, spas and the like. The sun glinting off the windshield kinda spoiled the lighting exposure in this photo, but I had to include it anyhow.

The last leg of our afternoon tour took us south to Tumalo State Park located along the Deschutes River. We stopped for a little leg stretch and were greeted by the world's friendliest duck. He came right over to us looking for handouts. Libby had some crackers along and was hand feeding him off a picnic table by the river. He and Corey were begging in unison.

That's Libby's hand with a cracker and our friendly duck begging on the table while Corey was scarfing up the crumbs underneath the table. The whole thing was just hilarious!

Today we drove around the area and then after lunch, we drove over to the Golf Pro Shop and paid our fee to play the 18 hole putting course. It is a well maintained and very challenging course with many par 4's and par 5's. We both shot in the 80's for 18 which was not too bad, considering we had not picked up a golf club in years.

The day ended on a less than optimal note. I decided to go over to the little lake at Eaglecrest and sail my little remote control sailboat. When I dropped it in the water, I had placed the battery pack in the hull, but forgot to flip the 'on' switch. By the time I realized it, the gusty winds had pulled it away from shore with no controls whatsoever. So I watched with chagrin as it circled its way over to little island in the middle of the lake where it lodged itself in the rocks. Fortunately Eaglecrest has a maintenance staff and they used a little jon boat to go out and rescue it for me. Good thing, as I tested the water and it was like ice water.

Today Wednesday was probably our last day for MG joyriding on this trip. Weather turns cooler tomorrow and rain is expected Thursday. So today we drove a 2 hour loop south from Eaglecrest back to Tumalo State Park where we had a picnic lunch and were joined again by our friendly resident duck (see above). From there we drove east about 20 miles then north to Prineville and then over to Smith Rock State Park, which was certainly the visual highlight of the day.

Here's a closeup of the MG in the photo above... just a perfect photo of the car, and one that would be equally at home on the cover of any British sports car magazine.

Smith Rock State Park is a 3,200-foot (980 m)-high ridge (above sea level) with a sheer 600' cliff-face overlooking a bend in the Crooked River. These impressive volcanic formations are a visual treat, especially in the late afternoon sun. The State Park is popular for hiking, climbing, mountain biking. And of course it's a perfect spot to capture iconic magazine cover quality photos of the MG. You can also see the higher res photos on the large format Photo Gallery of MGB beauty shots. I also turned this into my impression of an MG magazine ad.

We awoke on Thursday morning to a change of weather in the offing. Today is only forecast for a high of 56 with some rain moving in. We're going to secure the MG back in its trailer, and do some indoor things today. The weather change did make for a stunning sunrise, though!

Today we loaded the MG back in its trailer due to incoming inclement weather. We'll stick around until Sunday as planned because that is probably going to be the best travel day. Then we drove down to Bend and went back for another delicious brunch at Jake's Diner. That is today's incredible cinnamon roll... and lest you think that's just a big doughy blob with frosting, check this cross-section slice.

Friday the weather turned much colder with a high only around 50, with intermittent rain. With the MG safely inside its trailer, we drove the Suburban over to the town of Sisters, noodled around the shops for a while, then had lunch, returned back to the condo for a nap. Then this evening we went to see "Lost in Yonkers" at the Cascades Theatrical Company, a play by legendary comic playwright, Neil Simon. With all the dismal news these days, we needed some humor. Lost in Yonkers is not one of Neil Simon's funnier plays... not like Barefoot in the Park or Sunshine Boys... it is more serious and has best been described as 'poignant'. Cascades did a good job with the show. We headed home Sunday after our week was up. Good trip!

October 10 - Portland Meadows - Day at the Races

The Thoroughbred racing season is underway here in the Pacific Northwest, We drove over to Portland Meadows Racetrack today for the third day of the season. We had great seats in the very uncrowded stands... indoors with big glass windows right at the finish line with TV monitor, and a table and power outlet for my laptop. I used my online account with the Daily Racing Form Betting (DRFBets.com) to place my bets, studying the horse stats at TVG.com in order to try to make informed choices. I won a race or two but lost more than I won today. I only make $5 bets so even losing all bets makes for an inexpensive afternoon of entertainment. Some days you win, some you lose, but overall I am still ahead in my online account.

September 23-28 - Sunriver, Oregon

We left Vancouver Saturday morning on a 3.5 hour drive to Sunriver, Oregon which is located in central Oregon near Bend. Once again, towing our nifty car hauler trailer, loaded with the MG and our bicycles including Corey's Doggyride bicycle buggy. We unloaded the MG first thing and took a little cruise around Sunriver, capturing this classic photo of the MG in front of a beautiful waterfall display and big artistic Sunriver sign depicting this popular planned residential and resort community in Deschutes County, Oregon, just south of the city of Bend. Another great shot for the large format Photo Gallery of MGB beauty shots.

We rented a nicely appointed cottage through VRBO in Sunriver which should be very comfortable for the duration. We've mapped out several MG drives over the next 4 days. Bicycle trails abound in Sunriver, and the community has a community center where we can get a workout, swim, and so on. And with lots of small lakes and rivers in the area, we should find plenty to do.

Our first day in Sunriver, Sunday, turned into a beautiful early fall afternoon for a drive. I mapped out a loop which took us south, around Crane Prairie Reservoir, along Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway up towards Mt. Bachelor which gleams in the sunshine with the recent early snowfall. Some beautiful backroads to drive the MG, many without another car. This is the beauty of being able to trailer the MG to some marvelous remote locations.

Monday was a little cool and cloudy to start out so we drove around the area a bit in the Suburban, stopped at a friend's place to see it (we had the entry code even though they are not in town.) We took the dog for a walk, did some work on the computer including some research on transmission coolers for the car to aid in towing. Then we went for a bicycle ride along some of the many miles of trails here in Sunriver. Bicycling doesn't get much better than this, with over 30 miles of well marked paved wooded trails which meander all through Sunriver.

Tuesday we got up and out early. I followed Libby who drove the Suburban up to Bend to the Original Bend Transmission Shop, where I had arranged to have a secondary transmission cooler installed to aid in towing through the mountains. From there we set out in the MG, stopping for a delicious brunch at Jake's Diner, "home of the largest portions in central Oregon" as they proclaim on their website. Of course we had to start off with one of their infamous cinnamon rolls as pictured at the left. That is a dinner plate! The monster is 10 inches in diameter - we shared half and took the other half home. Mmmmm...

After brunch we set out on a cruise through the high desert which took us south to La Pine and then east to Fort Rock along the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway through high desert pine forest to the sagebrush covered desert of Fort Rock. From there we had planned to head north about an hour on a loop which would pick up Highway 20 leading us back into Bend. But what Google mapping failed to tell us was that the roads up through there are all gravel, and my MG does NOT do gravel roads. So we turned around and retraced our steps (tire tracks), getting back to pick up the Suburban around 4pm.

The scenic highlight of the drive was the magnificent ediface of Fort Rock. This National Natural Landmark rises huge out of the barren, immense flatness of Central Oregon's high desert. An enormous near-circle of towering jagged rock walls make it seem like a fort.

Heading home in the reverse direction back towards the west afforded some marvelous views of the snowcapped peaks of Central Oregon (visible where the road meets the horizon) as we headed back along the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway. The MG performed admirably on the 170 mile trek today. It's just a joy to drive on these uncrowded scenic country roads.

On our last day in the area we drove up to Eaglecrest Resort outside of Redmond where we had stayed many years ago. It is nicer than ever and so we decided to book a one week stay in about two weeks. I have arranged to store the trailer with the MG and bikes at a small storage facility in Bend, and we'll pick it up when we return. That will likely be our last vacation for the year.

On the way back from Eaglecrest we stopped off in Bend to pay a brief visit to Pioneer Park. We had stayed next door to the park at Bend's Riverside Motel in the mid 90's when son Patrick was very little... I was shooting an episode of a television series here in Bend called McKenna. It was fun to be here again and see the changes. Corey and I took a walk along the path by the mirror pond. I was also able to capture a second photo of Libby and Corey along the water.

Thursday morning we arose early. (Corey always awakens with the morning light and alerts us to the joyous event.) We packed up the car and since the MG and car trailer were already in short term storage from yesterday, we hit the road about 9:15 to head home. We took Hwy 97 making good time without the tow, and headed north through Madras, Oregon and the high desert. The weather was totally clear and gorgeous, and we had exceptional views of all the snowcapped peaks of Central Oregon including Mt Jefferson (left.)

From Madras, we took the turnoff on Hwy 26 and took it up through the Warm Springs Reservation and the Mt. Hood National Forest, back around Mt. Hood to Portland. The route through the forest affords some spectacular views of Mt. Hood as you come up around the back side. We dropped back down into Portland and then up to Vancouver, arriving home by 1:00. Fun to go away, always good to be back home. We arrived to a gorgeous Indian summer day, with temps reaching well into the 80's. Rain moves in tomorrow for the next 3 days but that's good... we need it. More nice fall weather is forecast to return before we head back over to Bend/Redmond and Eaglecrest on the 15th.

The MGB's enduring fame and popularity

Ever since the 1963 model year was introduced in the fall of 1962 when it made the cover of Road & Track Magazine, which gave it a glowing eight page review, the MGB has retained a prominent spot in the hearts and minds of Europeans and Americans alike. Introduced first as a roadster and followed soon thereafter with the hardtop MGB GT, this quintessential British sportscar has remained a favorite with sportscar enthusiasts the world over. There is just nothing like the sound and feel of a British roadster. To drive one is to become a believer. I became a believer in 1964 and my passion for British sportscars has never waned. Featured on many magazine covers, it made the cover of The Economist in October 2016, more than 50 years after its introduction, and it appears U.K. politicians Boris Johnson and Theresa May may feel the same!

September 2017 - Wildfire Season in the West - Hurricane Season in the East

One of the worst wildfire seasons in recent memory is upon us. At the left is the current firemap with over 1300 wildfires burning in the west. Disastrous conditions exist all the way from N. Washington to Southern California. Here in Vancouver it's almost apocalyptic outside... with the 10,000 acre Eagle Creek fire only 30 or 40 miles away... an eery orange glow is cast over everything, ash is falling like snow and the smell of smoke is everywhere. And coupled with extreme heat expected to reach 100 degrees again today, we are staying inside in the A/C and hoping it subsides soon. A small chance of light rain later this week, but we need several days of downpour to help much. Meanwhile Category 5 Hurricane Irma is bearing down on Florida (with Josè & Maria not far behind). After the Harvey floods in Texas, it is beginning to feel like the biblical Apocalypse.

In the U.S. we have been experiencing the unprecedented catastrophic flooding of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the largest hurricane ever formed in the Atlantic hammering Florida as Hurricane Irma with the unprecedented situation of Cat 4 Hurricane Jose hot on its heels pummeling the Caribbean, and in our neck of the woods one of the worst wildfire seasons on the heels of unprecedented drought and heat. And what do we hear from politicians? "Our thoughts and prayers are with them." Thanks but no thanks... it is time to get real! Hopefully this year is a real wakeup call.

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria are such huge stories, they totally eclipse our own little adventures. Do you know how hurricanes are formed? Where they come from? Click on the image at the left to see a very interesting brief illustrated video from Tech Insider that explains how they originate in the African Easterly Jet Stream which blows east to west across Saharan Africa.

August 28-Sept 1 - MG trip to Eugene, Oregon

We drove down to Eugene, Oregon for 3 nights, towing the MG in its trailer. We also took the bicycles along and of course the dog. We reserved a lovely three room suite at the Valley River Inn in Eugene. On Wednesday we rolled the MG out of its trailer, loaded the dog and drove out to Fernridge Lake, a place we have spent many happy hours in our motorhomes sailing our Catalina sailboat. Then we took a pleasant cruise out highway 126 to the charming seaside town of Florence at the Oregon Coast. We had lunch at the ICM Restaurant, one of our favorite spots where we have visited before.

The ICM Restaurant (International C-Food Marketing) has great clam chowder and Corey gets to join us at riverside tables out on the deck. The sign at the entrance reads "Dogs are Welcome!" That's my kinda place, sez Corey! Mmmmmm... clam chowder bowls to lick clean! Awesome!

We enjoyed our drive to the Oregon coast and around the Eugene area. This is the joy of being able to load the MG in its portable garage and take it to more distant locales to which we probably would not drive the MG by itself. This arrangement will permit greater enjoyment of MG backroads cruising while also enjoying maximum travel comfort on the highway in our Chevy Suburban, and at the same time reducing depreciation and mileage on the MG.

If you have never ridden in an MGB you owe it to yourself to take one for a test drive sometime. They are not the fastest car on the road, that's for sure, but pound for pound and dollar for dollar, they are definitely one of the most fun. Click on the image at the left to take a virtual test drive in a 1977 MGB (very similar to our own 1980 model roadster) as posted on youtube. (I removed the useless sunvisors on my car as they really only serve to block part of the view ahead.)

On Thursday we took the bicycles, hooked up Corey's Doggyride cart, and took a ride on the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail along the Willamette River. This great bike trail runs 20 miles up and down both sides of the river in the middle of Eugene and is one of the premier features of life here in Eugene. Then we had a delicious lunch at SweetWaters on the River, Valley River Inn's marvelous riverside restaurant. After lunch and a short nap, we went for a swim this afternoon in the beautiful outdoor pool. Then we went back to our suite to watch the latest news on Hurricane Harvey which has wreaked such destruction on South Texas. Our properties there near San Antonio and Austin dodged a bullet, but poor Houston. What a mess!

For dinner we went out for a delicious meal at one of our favorite spots in Eugene, Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet where we enjoyed some delicious traditional Indian dishes. We always try to come here for a meal when visiting Eugene. There's just nothing like it in our area. The delicious food is a great way to fuel up for the drive back home tomorrow. It has been a very successful second test run with our new MG hauler trailer. Next run will be to Bend, Oregon in late September, weather permitting.

August 25-26 - Sailing on the Columbia

Back from our trip to the coast, the winds were good for sailing Friday and Saturday, so we drove the 7 minutes down to our marina and took the Anne Marie out for a few hours late afternoon both days. There were quite a few other sailboats out enjoying the favorable conditions on the Columbia River. Winds were 10-14 and we kept the jib partially furled for some relaxed sailing. [Update: September sailing was pretty poor due to the low fall winds and smoky conditions from the forest fires, so on Oct 4, we hauled the boat out, took it in for fresh bottom paint and then we will put her in storage until spring.]

August 21-24 - Long Beach, WA Kite Festival

After the madness from Eclipse Mania subsided we took off for Long Beach WA, about 2.5 hours north of Vancouver. The Annual Kite Festival is on this week and should be fun. I have a performance sport kite which we'll try flying... and we're bringing bicycles for the renowned Discovery Trail which runs all along the peninsula. We also brought along Corey's doggy-ride cart. We've booked a room at the Chautauqua Lodge for three nites. No MG or kayak this trip because this is mostly about kites and bikes!

We arrived in Long Beach about 4:00 pm, parked in the lot at the Chautauqua Lodge located right on the Discovery Trail which runs for 8 miles all along the ocean in Long Beach. We went for a short walk to stretch our legs and let Corey explore a little bit. This was a major attraction for coming here... to ride bikes along the Discovery Trail. Then we loaded our gear into our third floor accommodations using the elevators, and settled in for the evening.

We have a living room with cable TV, looking out at the ocean, a separate bedroom, two bathrooms and a small kitchenette.... perfect for our three night stay. We also had a pretty nice view from our balcony... across the dunes and out to the ocean. And between us and the beach there's a paved trail leading right out to the Discovery Trail for bicycle riding.

To be sure that Corey felt right at home in our Lodge accommodations, we brought along his li'l bed complete with his bed sheets which he always likes to paw at and bunch up into a ball to really make himself comfy.

First day in the morning after breakfast we drove out to the Wilapa Bay Wildlife Refuge, a.k.a. bird refueling station and sanctuary for wildlife. The tide was way out and we strolled along the deserted shoreline of Wilapa Bay for a while with Corey who was enjoying all the wild smells. After lunch back at the lodge, we saddled up the bikes, connected Corey's doggy-ride cart, loaded him in and rode along the bikepath down to the kite festival grounds a couple miles down the beach.

We took our own kite with us but decided against flying it with the hundreds of more experienced kiters. Maybe we'll give it a shot on a deserted stretch of beach tomorrow. We watched in amazement at some of the competitions of the many different types of kites. Then a group from Victoria B.C. called Island Quad gave an awe inspiring demo of synchronized Revolution kite flying with four quad line performance kites. There are a couple videos on youtube that show their amazing talent, although it is far more impressive in person.

Oh Deer! Chautauqua Lodge is located in a fairly undeveloped part of Long Beach... lots of woods and open space for the wildlife to roam. Local residents told us they have seen deer, coyote, and even bears. This morning when Libby took Corey down for a morning walk, they spotted a couple deer grazing right near the Lodge. Corey just stared in wonderment while the deer just observed him with relative indifference. For our final afternoon here, we drove down to where we could drive out on the beach and tried flying the kite. But winds had shifted to the NW today instead of the prevailing SW and were too weak to do much. So instead we went for another bike ride on the Discovery Trail, watched the kite festival for a bit, and then went out to dinner for Thai food. Back home tomorrow to prepare for a trip to Eugene hauling the MG again.

August 21 - Eclipse mania

Well, Oregon has been invaded by sun worshippers from all over the country, here to witness the Total Eclipse of the Sun which occurred at 10:19 this morning. Not sure why anyone in our area would fight traffic to all the so-called 'event sites'. The sun was 99% eclipsed right here at our home. We experienced "Maximum Eclipse" a.k.a. 'The Totality' as I write this. Though we have clear skies and total sun today, it did get dim outside. But we're totally nonplussed by the whole thing. We have no eclipse glasses and only stepped outside for a couple minutes. As I look out the window it's about like looking thru tinted windows... and then it was over. Ho-hum.

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August 15-17 - Cathlamet WA and Cruising the Astoria Loop

We took off on our first shakedown cruise with the car hauler trailer and the MG on board, a nice little drive up to Cathlamet, WA, a charming little town which dates back to 1846, located about 1.5 hours from home near the mouth of the Columbia River. We checked into a nice little B&B on Puget Island just over the bridge from Cathlamet. Here we unloaded the MG, parked the trailer and prepared for tomorrow's midweek backroads tour.

We headed out from Cathlamet mid morning and drove north on the loop out to Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River where it flows into the Ocean. Astoria is a quaint little port town and fishing center. Boats are clearly the main focus here... we photographed the MG looking for all the world like a Matchbox car beside the Columbia River Pilot ship ''Peacock'' where it sits in a large parking lot near the Columbia River Maritime Museum. We couldn't visit the museum this trip because we had Corey with us and cannot leave him unattended in the MG.

We took a side trip over to the Fort Clatsop National Memorial where we hiked through the wetlands along the Netul Trail which was the winter camp along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Corey greatly enjoyed the walk as well along the wooded trail which meanders alongside the Lewis and Clark River. This was an area where our middle son Drew had worked as a research assistant cataloging tidal information and sediment accumulation as part of a Ph'D program he was helping out with.

After lunch in Astoria we continued our loop out of Astoria down Route 30 to Westport, Oregon where we caught the Westport Ferry back over to Puget Island. This cute little ferry can carry about 30 cars and operates every hour from 5 am until 10:15 pm 365 days a year.

On Thursday morning, we got up early and had morning coffee and toast while I checked my email sitting on the sofa in our charming little cottage. Corey was relaxing as he prepares for the drive home. We loaded the MG back into our trailer, hooked up the Suburban, adjusted the tension on our weight distribution hitch, and headed back home to Vancouver, concluding a highly successful 3 day shakedown cruise. We have another short trip planned the end of the month, four days this time.

August 11 - Setting up the new trailer for our first trip

To roadtest our new Interstate Car Hauler Trailer, we have arranged our first trip as a short one to a nice little B&B in Cathlamet, WA about 1.5 hours from home near the mouth of the Columbia River. In preparation we took the trailer and the MG to some truck scales near home and weighed the loaded trailer (5800 lbs) to determine the car position for the proper tongue weight of around 600 lbs. I bought some tie downs to secure the MG inside the trailer and installed some wheel chocks to further prevent any forward motion of the MG inside the trailer.

After reading up about car hauling on the forums we opted for safety, and I installed a weight distribution kit with anti-sway. After much study and talking to the dealer, I bought an Andersen 3380 WD hitch kit from Amazon Prime for $500 and installed it today as pictured below. This versatile piece of equipment can also be utilized for any other heavy duty towing up to 14,000 lbs GTWR that we do in the future with any new vehicle we might purchase.

After studying the instructions and watching several online instructional videos, with the trailer attached to the car in front of the driveway, I tackled the installation. This actually went pretty smoothly and took about an hour or so. The results were quite professional. We also fitted the trailer with new heavy duty tires, polished alloy wheels, new wheel bearings, so it is fully road ready. Then I took the trailer back to storage and will pick it up Tuesday morning to start our little trip.

August 1 - Our new enclosed car hauler trailer

We made the leap and bought a 2005 Interstate Cargo Trailers 20' Pro Series Enclosed Car Hauler off Craigslist. This top of the line car hauler is fitted with top of the line Dexter axles, a beavertail, interior LED lights and is in beautiful condition, a good match for our immaculate MGB. We want to be able to tour scenic areas on winding back roads in our MGB roadster. But we don't want to drive the MG on long road trips to get there... after all, it is 37 years old and we want to preserve the low mileage. Taking the dog along on long trips is difficult in the MG... and it's also tough to pack much luggage. Enter our new Car Hauler!

We plan to tow this trailer behind our Chevy Suburban to haul the MG, bikes and other toys to remote cruising and touring locations and road trips, as well as to car shows which abound in Oregon and Washington in the summer months. Speaking of car shows, a local favorite of ours is the All British Field Meet. The ABFM, now in its 41st year, is held each summer on Labor Day at the Portland International Raceway and features some of the finest Triumphs, Jaguars, Austin Healeys, MG's and other classic British marques to be found anywhere in the country.

July 13 - Kayaking amidst the wildlife

Today we kayaked over on Lacamas Lake again. I do not intend to make an entry here every time we take the kayak out, or take the sailboat out, or drive the MG. Only for noteworthy excursions. Well this excursion was noteworthy. The lake was pretty quiet - a few kids paddling around near the dock. We put in at the launch ramp and then paddled up the lake a bit. As we were paddling in and around the lily pads we came upon this young deer calmly grazing in the tall grass on this little peninsula. We also captured him briefly on video. It is generally wooded and wild around this little lake, and in a nice quiet kayak, there's no telling what you may come across. And all just a few miles from home!

Just above the spot where we were visiting with the deer a mature bald eagle soared in and landed near the lake's edge atop a tall fir. We stayed there about 15 minutes and watched as the eagle hung out with us the entire time, scanning the lake for an afternoon snack, I imagine. The iPhone is sadly inadequate to really capture a distant shot like this very well, but at least it shows there was an eagle sitting there. Such a majestic creature. It is always a thrill to be able to quietly observe an eagle in the wild up fairly close like this.

July 8 - MG Club run to Clatskanie

This morning I drove over to Commonwealth Classics in Vancouver for the monthly Classics & Coffee Brunch to chat with other classic British car enthusiasts. Among the more than 30 classic cars in attendance, there were several of my all-time favorite roadsters from the 1960's... three really fine classic Austin Healey 3000's. From there the MG Club hosted a club run to Clatskanie, Oregon heading across St John's Bridge over the backroads including Skyline Drive, Scappoose-Vernonia Highway and Highway 47... a marvelous 70 mile drive. Our destination was Hump's Restaurant in Clatskanie, Oregon for lunch.

We arrived close to 1:00 at Hump's Restaurant in Clatskanie, Oregon for lunch. We were happy to find that the place was not very crowded for such a beautiful Saturday afternoon in this picturesque setting on the Clatskanie River. Our 10 MG's and related sportscars monopolized the parking lot in front of the restaurant. That's mine at the left. I had a delicious Reuben sandwich, one I will definitely go back for again.

The day's prize for the most unique sports car of the day was this Morgan 3 Wheeler. I never saw one like this before. Two wheels up front and one in the back, powered by a transverse mounted 2000cc S&S V-twin engine at the very front. It is often called the Morgan Cycle Car, and it is indeed part car, part motorcycle.

Made in Malvern, England, the Morgan 3 Wheeler has actually been around for more than 100 years... just not many make it to the U.S. The Morgan Cycle Car's interior accommodates two small people in a very cozy seating arrangement.

July 2 - Sailing on Independence Day weekend

Typically we might avoid sailing on crowded holiday weekends, but this was an opportunity to go out with our youngest son Patrick, who lives and works in Portland. Pat loves sailing but working full time as a transportation engineer in Portland means his recreation time is limited at this early stage of his career. We had a good time... crowds were not too intense... and winds cooperated nicely with winds 10-12 most of the time in the late afternoon. Corey had a good time as well.

Mom always enjoys sailing with her youngest. We all enjoyed pleasant summer temps and steady breezes out on the Columbia River near home.

Here's Pat up on the bow with a boat hook as we motor back into Steamboat Landing Marina. That's Mt Hood just peeking through between the white mast stays.

June 22 - Kayaking at Lacamas Lake

Today we took advantage of some very pleasant early summer weather, heading over to Lacamas Lake to launch our new Wilderness Tandem Kayak. We took an MG ride over there early afternoon to take Corey for a walk and then went back about 5:00, towing our Kayak trailer with the Suburban. Lacamas has a nice little boat launch to put in, and lots of pretty shoreline to paddle along.

We took a picnic dinner with us in the kayak and joined our friends Dan and Sheri with their kayaks, for dining alfresco. [UPDATE: We enjoyed our new kayak briefly, but after my two knee surgeries, it was just too difficult to get in and out of it, so we sold it in 2018 with the Malone kayak trailer, and relegated kayaking to the historical past.]

June 20, 21 - The Summer Solstice and the first day of summer

June 20 was a very pleasant day in the Pacific Northwest with a high of around 75. A great way to welcome in summer! Compare that to 120 in the shade in Phoenix today. No thank you! It was pretty windy today so we took Anne Marie out for a sail for a few hours. Winds gusting above 15 at times. Corey went along... This was his first day sailing in a year and he was totally relaxed as usual. Like he's been sailing all his life! That's his favorite spot back in the stern of the boat, at least until Libby goes down below into the cabin. Corey knows that's where treats are kept so he emerges from his 'cave' for 'inflight snacks.'

We were back out on the Columbia River again today, Weds June 21. Winds again were 10-15 with sunny skies and pleasant temps. We left Corey home today, so it was just the two of us. And what a view gazing eastward!

And here we are about 6:30 pm making our way back to the marina at Steamboat Landing as Mt Hood smiles down at us after another perfect afternoon.

June 14 - Cruise to historic downtown Camas for lunch

We came through here on May 7 on an afternoon cruise and agreed we would have to come back here for lunch. The downtown historic district of the city of Camas, WA, which neighbors Vancouver where we live, has a picturesque little downtown area, designed to attract tourists with treelined streets, cute shops, restaurants and brew pubs.

We stopped for lunch at Cafe Natalia. I had a delicious Reuben sandwich, one of my favorites, and Libby had a bacon sandwich. She gave me a taste of the bacon. OMG! The *best* bacon I've ever had anywhere.

Cafe Natalia's bacon sandwich deserves a photo. Oscar Meyer, eat your heart out!

There's also a Farmer's Market every Wednesday afternoon in downtown Camas, so we walked through it and picked up some delicious sourdough bread and some absolutely gorgeous cherries... Rainer cherries and Bing cherries. 'Tis the season!

June 5 - Sailing the Columbia - Our return to sailing our beloved river

The northwest is not only a great place for sportscar driving on back roads, it is a great sailing venue as well. We rigged and launched our Catalina 22 sailboat a week ago and secured her in her berth at Steamboat Landing Marina on the magnificent Columbia River, just a few miles from our Vancouver home. It is a very nice quiet marina, well appointed with dock boxes, electric and water at every dock... and very reasonable in price!

Today was a very pleasant late spring day on the river. We went out late afternoon for a couple hours and enjoyed 10-12 mph breezes from the west for the first hour or so until it began tapering down. The current is so strong right now that you almost feel like you are sailing sideways when sailing downriver. Even sailing wing and wing with a steady tailwind, it was tough to make more than about 2 mph on the GPS, when our normal top speed under power is 7.5 mph. One of the sensational aspects of sailing on our section of the Columbia River is the open view of a snow-capped Mt Hood to the east. We look forward to many great sailing days on the Columbia this summer.

June 3 - Hockinson Fun Days car show and parade

And now for something totally different, we drove about half an hour north to the tiny rural community of Hockinson, a community of Brush Prairie, WA. I had seen a post about the 'Hockinson Fun Days' festival in the MG Club Newsletter and it was a pleasant cool Saturday so we decided to take the MG for a little run and enter her in her first car show since we acquired it. Ok so this was not the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but close to home and a chance to experience a little home town color. That is our little white MGB center of the photo at the rear... parked next to a few other MG's. Also showing their stuff in the car show were Triumphs, and a variety of American classics including the '57 Ford T-bird in the foreground.

About 8 MG's turned out for the show... several MGA's and several MGB's. I parked next to a black 1962 MGA, very similar to my first car which was a 1959 MGA. I only have one surviving original photo of me in that car

The parade started at noon and as is typical of these events, featured marching bands, little league teams, scouting groups, equestrian groups with their horses in full parade gear, classic cars including the Ford Model A Club of Portland, and several large floats including this beautiful replica of a Steam Locomotive on a truck chassis. All in all, a fun event for families - the kids all seemed to be having a great time.

May 9 - Visit to Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Today was another gorgeous spring day with temperatures climbing into the upper 70's once again. Since we drove down into Oregon for a morning doctor followup visit, we also paid a visit to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in SE Portland this afternoon.

Dogs are welcome at the Rhodie Garden. We took Corey and he enjoyed the walk and all the new smells! Here's Libby and Corey by the entrance to the Gardens.

The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden has more than 2000 species of rhododendrons, azaleas and other plant species. It covers some five acres and includes a large lake and some smaller ponds and water features.

Here's my very own flower girl posing by a particularly luxuriant overhead display of rhodies.

Here's a collage of 6 beautiful rhodies cropped from closeup photos we took today.

Here's one more photo of Libby and Corey stopped in front of lovely display of rhodies and azaleas. All in all a beautiful way to spend an afternoon in downtown Portland... one more reason we love living in this area.

May 7 - Sunday cruise to nearby Lacamas Lake

It was an absolutely gorgeous Sunday afternoon in May... clear blue skies and temps reaching into the upper 60's. We jumped in the MG, packed Corey aboard and headed for a little local loop over to Lacamas Lake in neighboring Camas. Corey is the veteran traveler and very happy to slip into the little nook between and behind the two seats as we cruise through the backroads.... especially if the goal is a walk in the park!

Lacamas Lake is a very nice clean little 300 acre lake just 5 miles or so from our home... and one of our favorite features of living in this part of Vancouver. Shortly after we moved here, I created a Lacamas Lake photo gallery . We have sailed my little model sailboat here and have kayaked here. The cool shaded Heritage Trail along the lakeside is a popular spot to stroll, jog and walk your dog.

May 3 - Backroads cruise out to Beacon Rock State Park and Bonnevile Dam, Washington

Today was the warmest day of the year - with temps reaching above 80 degrees, blue skies and lots of sunshine. Perfect day for a cruise out winding Hwy 14 along the Columbia River to Beacon Rock State Park. We didn't stay too long as we forgot to bring along our new Discover Pass which is required for Washington State Park admissions.

This is another nice photo in the same spot but looking out across this little finger of the Columbia with the majestic mountains of the Columbia River Gorge in the background. That is a public state park boat launch ramp in the background. This blog will feature many more spectacular Gorge photos in the coming months. As I said, we didn't stay long, but it was lovely drive and from there we drove on to Bonneville Dam for a picnic.

Bonneville Dam is a magnificent hydroelectric dam along the mighty Columbia River, just 40 miles east of our home in Vancouver, WA. At the time of its construction in the 1930s it was the largest water impoundment project of its type in the nation, able to withstand flooding on an unprecedented scale. Electrical power generated at Bonneville is distributed throughout the west by the Bonneville Power Administration. With all the rain this spring, the river is very high and the Dam is wide open, offering quite a sight as water pours through the spillways. Visible ahead of our MG is the spillway at the Second Powerhouse.

On the ride home we took the turnoff up Salmon Falls Road and wound out way up to Washougal River Road which meanders for 15 miles or so all along the beautiful Washougal River. Here is the Google Map of our route. There's plenty of water in the Washougal River as well this spring so the rapids are quite impressive. We wound our way around back down to the city of Camas which borders Vancouver to the east.

We cruised through the charming downtown historic district of Camas, Washington which is just 7 miles from our home in neighboring Vancouver. Lots of great coffeeshops, bars, restaurants, galleries and cute shops here to wile away an afternoon. It was late afternoon so we cruised through downtown, and decided we'll come back for lunch another day soon.

April 21 - Warm spring day backroads cruise up to Woodland, Washington

This morning we awoke to the warmest nicest day in the Pacific Northwest since last fall... temps were forecast to. and did reach 70 degrees with clear blue skies and lots of sunshine. We headed over to Commonwealth Classics, our own local MG and classic British sportscar specialty repair shop in Vancouver located just 15 minutes from our home. My brake lights have not been working since I bought it, and being a safety issue, I wanted to get it resolved. Fortunately they found the small wiring problem quickly and fixed it, and we were on our way for an afternoon run up to Woodland where a Tulip Festival is underway.

We left Vancouver and headed north up some marvelous twisty backroads to Woodland. We passed through some scenic hilly farm country. When you're driving a sports car and you come upon a road sign like this, you naturally respond with glee!

Along the way we were treated to some sensational views of Mt. St. Helens. This volcano was famous for its powerful eruption back in 1980; it is also spectacular in its snow capped splendor on a clear spring day.

The Tulip Festival in Woodland runs a distant second to the one in Woodburn for area tulip festivals. But since the Woodburn fest was too crowded on Easter weekend when we tried to visit, we settled for a visit to Woodland to tiptoe through the tulips.

April 16 - Birthday cruise to Mt Angel, Oregon and the Mt Angel Sausage Company restaurant.

Today was forecast to be the warmest day yet of the spring season. Perfect day to celebrate Easter and my birthday. Libby and I hopped into the MG and headed out, taking back roads to get down to Woodburn, Oregon for the Tulip Fest held at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. We stopped at a scenic waterfall display near our home to get some beauty shots of the MG, like the one at the left. I have also started a photo album strictly for large MG photos.

This photogenic location was worth several different angles of our new toy... here's one from a rear perspective that looks like it might have been used for a sexy magazine ad for the MG Marque. MG's were very popular during the Golden Age of the Automobile with many fanciful adverts in the magazines. The MG Car Company Limited in England built classic MG's for 60 years from 1920 to 1980, and the MGB model 'motorcar' from 1963 - 1980. Here's the original 1980 MGB Brochure, last year for the beloved B. MG Motor UK still builds cars under the MG name, but the age of the British roadster as the quintessential sportscar is over.

After the photo session we hit the road. Cruising the back roads east and southeast of Portland, we arrived at the Tulip Fest about 90 minutes later. It seems everyone else in Portland had the same idea for Easter Sunday. Standing in long lines with crowds of people was not how I wanted to spend my birthday, so instead we passed it by and went on to the nearby town of Mt. Angel. This quaint little German community hosts an Oktoberfest each year... we attended some years back and hope to go again this year. The town also boasts some excellent German pubs and restaurants, We stopped at the Mt. Angel Sausage Company for lunch.

Since I was driving we had to limit our alcohol intake... so we shared a 'flug' of 7 different beers on tap, each served in a 3 ounce glass. Sometimes referred to as a 'flight', varieties included IPA, Dunkel, Lager and more. Great way to taste the variety of great German beer they offer, without overindulging.

On the way home we were dazzled by all the fruit trees and ornamental fruit trees in blossom. Oregon and Washington are famous for their apples, cherries and pears and the springtime display is just magnificent up here. I believe these are ornamental apple trees in the background.

We headed home after lunch and as we crossed the Columbia River once more into Washington, Mt Hood was magnificent in all its snow-capped majesty. Even though it was clouding up, Mt Hood still shines through in all its glory. This photo is taken right by the exit off Highway 14 near our home. That's Libby in the passenger seat as I jumped out to snap the photo. Note: the personalized tag "MGB XTC" - MGB Ecstacy!

April 15 - Our First MG tour with the Columbia Gorge MG Club

For our first day of touring in our sharp little white MGB Roadster, the weather gods graced us with a beautiful sunny day, something we haven't seen a lot of this year. At the left is our new baby, parked in front of our Vancouver home, early Saturday morning before meeting up with the Columbia Gorge MG Club. With temps forecast to reach into the 60's, we dropped the top on the car, donned light jackets and headed out to join our new MG friends for a back country tour.

Today we met about a dozen other members of the Columbia Gorge MG Club about 10:15 am at the Lewis & Clark State Recreation Site in Troutdale. We left from there and headed south over hilly winding back roads towards Bull Run and Ten Eyck Road stopping at Calamity Janes Restaurant for lunch in Sandy, Oregon. Parked out front of the restaurant are a number of the MG's on the tour including a sharp little red roadster on the run, which reminded me of previous red MGB which I had for 23 years. Also pictured in the photo are several MGB GT's in the foreground flanking our little white roadster. That's me standing in front of my new baby.

After a delicious lunch at Calamity Janes Restaurant, we continued the tour over winding back roads to Estacada and the Bent Shovel Brewery. Here we tasted some delicious microbrews and sat around and told stories which spanned the hundreds of years of MG ownership represented by all the long time MG owners in the membership. At the right is member Peggy Oliver who did a wonderful job organizing this run. There were a few of the dozen MG's in attendance.

The Bent Shovel Brewery is out in the country near Estacada, Oregon. The Club member MG's were a pretty sight in their parking lot. This photo with our white MGB was featured in the April newsletter.

Not everyone who attended the luncheon continued on for the afternoon to reach the Bent Shovel Brewery. Here are some of the other members who joined us to taste some of the wonderful microbrews. Libby took the photo so she is not in the shot.

We handed out some of our new business cards to friends... design by Joe & Libby... printed at Vistaprint. Nice way to make new friends and give them a way to get in touch!

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