Wallace Falls

A couple of miles north of Gold Bar (on the US 2) is Wallace Falls State Park. It's pretty popular, even on week days so get there early.

Hiking up to the falls themselves is largely upward (at least the lower sections) - I always prefer that to up and down since it means on the way back it's most downhill :)

Before you reach the falls themselves, you'll come across some 'min falls' and rapids.

Depending on how long you have, you can take in just the lower falls, or go right to the top, or even on to Wallace lake itself.

On a clear day, you can also see the mountains and maybe some wildlife.

China? Forget it...

I've been visiting China since 2005 (well, since 1976 if you count my first trip to Hong Kong). I was hoping to get back to Shanghai next month for a quick business trip.

This involves a visa (though most westerners can still visit Hong Kong without one) but normally that's not a big deal - simple one page form and occasionally you need a letter from whomever you are visiting.

Not this time. There's a little event going on in Beijing soon called the Olympics and it's clearly making the bureaucrats sit up and make things interesting for the rest of us.

The rules have been changing daily, but here's the latest list I got:

• A letter from the company being visited
• A letter from the company sending you proving you have money
• A letter from the Chinese government inviting you
• Booked flights (yes you need these before you can apply for a visa)
• Completed visa form (which now rivals the US one)
• Copies of previous visas
• Passport, photos etc.
• Copies of all the above
• $130 plus any other fees like courier charges

The sticking point right now is the government letter as no one seems quite sure how you get it and what's more, get the wrong one and the Chinese consulate may not accept it! Given it takes about 20 days turnaround, that's a bit of a problem.

So I'll be waiting for the Olympics to end which will hopefully result in relaxing the rules...

The good news for anyone visiting as a tourist is that it's much simpler, which I can't say I understand, but that's not a new experience when dealing with Chinese bureaucracy :)

Want some extra airmiles?

I've always thought North West Airlines is pretty generous with airmiles - bonuses and promotions can add on quite a chunk to the base mileage. On the other hand the redemption rates are a little higher in some cases.

Right now though they have a promotion to earn more miles without even flying.

http://www.nwa.com/offers/milestogo/

In particular, play a game every day and you could make 5000 miles by the end of July!

Fall City

The final stop on the tour is Fall City. To get here from Snoqualmie, just head north on the 202, past the falls and do a left at the roundabout with the 203 (though obviously being a roundabout, go right around the middle :)). Take a break by the river - it's a small place so wont take long.

On the bend is the Colonial Inn which served as the Roadhouse.

From here you can either head to the 90 through Preston, or take the 202 to Redmond (Redmond-Fall City Road).

So that's it - the Twin Peaks tour, there is more to see for the real fans, but you'll need to search on the web for that :)

Discover Snoqualmie

Just north of North Bend (and south of Snoqualmie Falls) is the city of Snoqualmie. There's more here than meets the eye... The obvious is the great log which again features in the show's title sequence (without shelter).

It's clear it's become a little touristy as the main street is littered with cafes and restaurants that exceed its size. Snoqualmie is also home to the Northwest Railway Museum.

On weekends, a reconditioned train runs up to North Bend, then down to the falls (though sadly there isn't a good view of the falls themselves - just the top and the lodge and downstream). If you're at the falls, you can just make out the train up in the hills if you're there at the right time.

 

You might recall the old carriages and railway line from the Twin Peaks pilot.

North Bend

Where North Bend Way meets the 202 (Bendigo Boulevard) you have a few options. You can stop for some real Twin Peaks Cherry Pie at Twede's (also known as the Double R Diner in the show).

Or if you want to shop, head south on Bendigo (towards the I90) to the factory stores. Heading north on Bendigo, you can take in a movie at the theater.

... or continue heading north on the 202 (note it takes a 90 degree left after half a mile) through Snoqualmie.

The 'real' twin peaks

After stopping at the falls, head south again, but turn left right before the bridge on to Mill Pond Road.

At the stop sign by the one lane bridge, go left, then right on to Reinig. You are now on the road into Twin Peaks itself! Just after the river comes close to the road on the right, you should see the twin peaks in front of you (actually Mt Si). This is the famous spot that had the 'Welcome to Twin Peaks' sign. Today it looks a little like this.

Well, OK, the sign isn't there anymore...

From here, follow the road on past the three forks park, then do a right at the stop sign. If you follow this windy road, it takes you into North Bend. Take a right on to North Bend Way - effectively the high street.

Twin Peaks Tour

If you find yourself in Seattle or Redmond with a few hours to spare, consider the Twin Peaks Tour - assuming you're old enough to remember Twin Peaks :)

Although the story set Twin Peaks near the Canadian border in northern Washington, most of the external shots were of east King County.

Technically the 'tour' starts in Carnation which wasn't heavily used, though the Sheriff Station can allegedly be found here (meaning I haven't spotted it yet :)).

From Carnation, head south on the 203 to Fall City then south over the roundabout to Snoqualmie Falls.

The Falls are at their best (if you don't mind getting sprayed a bit) a day or so after a heavy rain or snow melt. Get there early or on a weekday as they're very popular.

For a quick visit, you can take in the scene from the viewing platform. If you've more time, then stop for a coffee or a picnic, or, if feeling energetic head down to the river below. A boardwalk will then take you to the bottom of the falls for a different view.

On heavier days it's more like this, though on some days, it's so heavy you can't see due to the spray.

The falls featured at the start of every show, while the hotel above - the Salish Lodge - was used as the exterior for the Great Northern.

Olympia

I5 isn't all bad. About 100 miles from the start of the road in Washington is the state capital, Olympia. The capitol buildings are most impressive and now fully restored following the Nisqually Earthquake.

The road home

Finally it was time to leave Oregon behind and head back over the river. With the weather stating to turn, heading west from the Bridge of the Gods, we soon came upon Cape Horn.

From here there is a choice - the default up the I5 or taking the back-roads between St Helens and Adams. Sadly snow had yet again blocked our path.

So, we headed west round Vancouver, then north up the I5...

Bonneville Dam

Just west of Cascade Locks, off the 84 is the Bonneville Dam. This complex beast provides hydro power; locks to let shipping upstream; spill water to calm the rapids and fish ladders!

Open to the public, but make sure you stop at security - they may want to search your vehicle for fishing rods...

Sunset

On the north side of the river opposite Cascade Locks are Table Mountain and Greenleaf Peak. Table Mountain being the one which partially collapsed during the Bonneville Slide. As the sun goes down behind them, some interesting sunsets can arise...

On a cloudless night, it's more like this...

As the sun finally disappears behind the peaks, attention turns back to the river and the bridge.

This last shot of the bridge being on a 15 second time lapse exposure.

Best view in the gorge?

One of the most impressive views can be found at the Portland Women's Forum Scenic Viewpoint. This is a little further west than Vista House and so many pictures will pick out the iconic building too...

Some of the Oregon picture books feature this view at night when the Vista House is lit up.

Not far from here, you will find E Larch Mountain Road. This, not surprisingly, leads up to Larch Mountain. Unfortunately the road was closed due to snow (yes, at the end of May) so we couldn't check out the rumored wonderful panorama.

Vista House

Drive a few more miles west on the historic highway and you will come upon Vista House. Was there ever a more apt name? Views east along the gorge and west to Portland itself on a good day.

The building is interesting too - there's also a gift shop and small cafe in the basement.

Water water everywhere

Just west of Cascade Locks the historic highway begins again.

This section is marked by its waterfalls. The first you'll see is Horsetail falls - you can't miss it as it backs right on to the road.

Other falls are set back from the road, accessed via numerous trails - the key is to arrive early (set out before 9am). The 'star' of the area is Multnomah Falls which claims to be the second highest year round falls at a drop of 620 feet.

Technically, it's a double waterfall with an ornate bridge over the lower one.

The walk to the top is about a mile, climbing about 700 feet before dropping slightly. From there you can carry on to Larch Mountain (about another 6 miles) or look down at those below...

Obviously being this high up provides some good views of the gorge, though partially obscured by trees.

If you look and listen carefully, you might also find some wildlife like the Pika.

And when you're done with the walk, take in some lunch at the Lodge...