The Ponderosa Motel, in Goldendale, is one of the most welcoming places in which I have taken a room, so far this trip.  Operated by a cheerful young couple, with help from a grandma, the place offers large, comfortable rooms, at bargain prices, with a real breakfast- no packaged goods at inflated prices.

I checked out the Goldendale Observatory, but as it didn’t open until 2 PM, I photo’d the grounds and went back to town to do laundry.

Goldendale has its share of nice little shops, many of which close at Noon on Saturday.  I did get a slice of Sheena’s apple pie, to go, before she and Shane went home for the weekend.

Yesterday and today, I had lunch at neighborhood bars.  In Wenatchee, that was The Igloo.  Here in Goldendale, it was The Top Hat.  Both had good food.  I was the one drinking iced tea. Leaving Goldendale, I passed through the stark beauty of the Columbia Plateau, which would surround me clear to Maupin and the Deschutes River.

Three miles south of Goldendale is the Maryhill Museum, which features Native American art, the works of Rodin, an exhibit on the Fin de Siecle American entertainer Loie Fuller, some decorative art exhibits and a hall devoted to Queen Marie of Romania, who ruled the country with her husband Ferdinand I, in the 1920’s and 30’s.

 Outside of the museum, one may enjoy fine views of the Columbia River Gorge.   Below, on the left, is John Day Dam.

I spent about two hours in the museum, which does not allow flash photography, and my camera has no shut-off on the flash.  No matter- I learned a great deal about each of the themes.  The museum itself was founded by Samuel Hill, a merchant from Illinois.  Maryhill is named for his wife, Mary. The Hills were good friends of Queen Marie and King Ferdinand, and the royals were key benefactors of the museum.  Queen Marie, a granddaughter of Britain’s Queen Victoria, was a member of the Baha’i Faith, and, though British by birth, thoroughly immersed herself in Romanian culture and language, becoming one of the country’s most revered rulers.  Being committed to world peace, she became fast friends with Sam and Mary Hill, who were Quakers. The Museum’s Native American collection is, naturally, emphatic on Columbia Plateau, Great Basin, and Northwest Coast art, but has items from all other regions of the U.S. and Canada. The Rodin collection features all three of the artist’s media:  Sculpture, paintings and sketches.  His concern with Dante’s Inferno is well-presented, as are his great works, such as The Thinker. A delightful section has two rooms devoted to chess pieces.  There are an amazing variety of chess sets, from all parts of the world. Finally, there are illustrations of six Grimm Fairy Tales, by the British artist, David Hockney. After leaving Maryhill, I focused on a couple of other areas along the Gorge- Horsethief Butte and the bridge to The Dalles, Oregon. Here are two views of Horsethief Butte- South Ridge, then North Ridge.

Leaving Washington State gave me mixed feelings, but I enjoy Oregon also, so on we went to The Dalles.  This is The Dalles-Dallesport  Bridge.

The Dalles has a fine frontier-themed museum, Fort Dalles.  It was closed when I arrived, but I took some photos of the buildings.  First is the Anderson House.

Next is the fort’s Headquarters.

Fifty miles west of The Dalles is Mt. Hood, seen far in the distance below.

My final photos of the day came into focus at Maupin, OR’s Deschutes River Park.  This is a major rafting center, and the white water looks fabulous.

I stopped for supper at a rest area about ten miles south of Maupin.  Finding all the restrooms clogged, three of us called the ODOT number.  Within ten minutes, two crews showed up and got on the task.  That’s not too shabby for a Saturday night.

Now, I am settled in at a KOA in Culver, OR, between Madras and Redmond.  Things keep going well on this “about face”.