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16th Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts in Port Angeles (May 22-25, 2009)

May 9, 2009 is National Train Day and the 10th Anniversary of the Amtrak Cascades line. See my Examiner.com article, National Train Day & the 10th Anniversary of Amtrak Cascades (May 9, 2009), for a brief description, as well as links to more official and detailed information and some related articles.

The Amtrak Cascades celebration takes place at the King Street Station in downtown Seattle, on May 9, 2009 (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM). There is no charge for admission, and JP Patches is scheduled to appear.

Official websites:
10th Anniversary of Amtrak Cascades
National Train Day

This past December, my sister started writing short articles as the Denver Pet Health Examiner. Knowing I have a penchant for writing (and wanting to take advantage of their new referral program), she sent me some links about becoming an Examiner.com writer. After perusing the information, I decided it could be a fun endeavor … and if nothing else would help me get back into the habit of writing. So I filled out an application and was accepted for the position of Seattle Day Trips Examiner. As an independent contractor, I am given a lot of leeway to choose the specific subjects for my articles. I was not even given a scope guideline for the category, but my goal is to provide Seattle-ites with some ideas for things to do when they only have a day to play.

Note:
Examiner.com is looking for more writers for a variety topics. (You can even suggest your own!) If you apply and let them know I referred you, I will be forever grateful. To do it, find “I was referred by an Examiner” at the bottom of the application, click on Find your Examiner, and enter my name, title, or number (6534). Feel free to email me via my Examiner intro or bio with questions.

With all the news coverage of flooding over the past few days, I could not resist driving out to the Falls at lunch to see just how mighty the Snoqualmie was flowing.

The main viewing area looked entirely inhospitable as it was being pelted with rain – which was not actually rain, but spray from the Falls. I had experienced spray there before, but not too that extent. It was so bad that the Falls were not visible at all from the lower viewing areas. Venturing uphill towards the Salish Lodge afforded a very nice vista, though!

I did the Puyallup this year. I took my friend Kristina – it was her first time, and I hadn’t been in years.

We ate yummy BBQ sandwiches and corn on the cob, walked through a few animal-laden barns (and saw really amazing and somewhat freaky rabbits), went on some awesome rides, had deliciously cold and flavorful shaved ice, got funny black-and-white photos, sat in crazy foot massage chairs, ate huge tasty BBQ’ed turkey legs, and got me a scrumptious scone …

In order to get Kristina to come, I had to promise to go on rides. So we rode the Big Sling, the Zipper, the Lolli Swings, the Matterhorn, and the Extreme Scream. You really cannot help but scream on that last one – it’s a good ride, but the Big Sling was definitely my favorite.

I was surprised at how un-crowded it was on such a sunny Saturday afternoon. I’m not saying we didn’t have to wait in any lines, but I actually expected it to be worse. It was a ton of fun, and having gone to a hopping concert the night before, we were thoroughly exhausted by the time we left. The Fair is definitely worth doing every year, and I have to remember not to miss it again!

The Puyallup Fair:
“The Puyallup Fair (officially known as the Western Washington Fair) is the largest single attraction held annually in the state of Washington. The Fair continually ranks in the top ten largest fairs in the world. [...] Situated south of Seattle and east of Tacoma in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier, the Fair & Events Center comprises 169+ acres …”

My original plan for Saturday morning was diverted, so I decided to go for a morning ride.

My usual route from Maple Valley is to head south on the Issaquah Hobart Rd (there known as 276th Ave SE), which eventually turns into Landsburg Rd NE and comes to a four-way stop next to a small convenience store. From there I either continue straight onto SE Ravendsdale Wy or take a right onto SE Kent-Kangley Rd. This time I decided to go left, towards Kanaskat, and as soon as I saw a sign to a state park, my destination was no longer unknown.

I began to think to myself that I had never been so excited about parks until I started exploring areas on my motorcycle. They were now little gems amongst the vast miles of pavement and throngs of housing developments I was so accustomed to seeing every day. Having just recently been to the Green River Gorge Bridge (which was not far away), I was hoping for something as soothing.

It is difficult to tell what a park is going to be like until you are actually in it, and in I went, going 25 MPH … and then 15 MPH. I passed the campground entrance, some signs featuring a kayaker, and a large covered picnic structure where some people were setting up for what looked it was going to be a large BBQ. When I got to the end of the road, I parked and walked down an unmarked trail.

Shortly, the trail came to a “T” and I could see the river peeking through the branches of trees. I walked out onto the rocky dry edges of the riverbed and found one other soul, standing in the water fly casting. It was a refreshingly beautiful sight, and I hoped that as I went around to get closer to the river I was not intruding on his solitude.

All I could hear was water rushing over stones and the sounds of small boulders and rocks shifting as I walked across them. Bright sunlight played through the trees and bounced off the water, and what was green appeared as green as just about anything could possibly be.

Kanaskat-Palmer State Park
32101 Kanaskat-Cumberland Rd
Ravensdale WA 98051
360.902.8844

“Kanaskat-Palmer State Park is a 320-acre camping park on a small, low plateau in a natural forest setting. The park has two miles of shorelines on the Green River. Boat and raft launching is by hand only. River rafting and kayaking down the Green River Gorge is for expert-level enthusiasts only. Shoreline activities include nature appreciation, trout fishing and picnicking.”

Late Labor Day afternoon I decided it was finally warm enough to go for a motorcycle ride. I wanted to head towards the sun shining in the east, but I did not want to end up driving through the holiday traffic I would likely find around Issaquah … so west I went.

I headed out to Black Diamond and decided to check out the Green Valley Gorge. I had seen the sign to turn left on the way to Enumclaw many a time, but I had yet to venture out there. As I started down the road, the large yellow sign that warned, “MOTORCYCLES USE EXTREME CAUTION” was a little disconcerting, so I proceeded warily. The “rough road” promised was almost disappointing. I did hit a couple of dips camouflaged by the shade of trees that launched me (half-intentionally) off of my seat, but I did not come across anything that really could not be avoided. It was a pretty cold ride, though – even at 45 MPH, and I was very happy to have worn my “new” chaps.

At some point the road began to slow and curve … and I noticed a smile growing on my face. Then I came to a stoplight in front of a one-lane bridge. While stopped, I “admired” the closed Resort building to my right that looked like it had been shut down for years. Then my eyes drew downward, and sitting not 10 feet away from me was a peacock. He stood perfectly still with his feathers down, and I wondered if he hoped I could not see him. It was then that I realized I had forgotten to grab my little camera before I left.

The light turned green and I drove slowly across the Franklin Bridge over the breathtaking Green River Gorge. I vowed to return soon to stop and enjoy it on foot … with my camera, of course. On the way back, I went all the way down US 169 to Renton, where I turned around before hitting I-405 and headed back to Maple Valley via Cedar Grove Rd.

I kept my promise on Wednesday after work, heading out to Enumclaw to gas up and back through the Green River Gorge again. This time I stopped to take photos and enjoy the solace of hearing nothing but water running far beneath the bridge. It is an incredibly green and inspiring place with only a few cars passing through every so often, and it is definitely worth a side trip if you are ever in the area.

The Franklin or Green River Gorge Bridge is about 4 miles off of US 169. A loop starting and ending at US 169 at Lawson St in Black Diamond is 12.4 miles. The loop as I did it heads south on US 169 and exits left/east onto Enumclaw-Franklin Rd SE, follows the road over the bridge , and continues back to the highway (via the SE Green River Gorge Rd and Lawson St). It is any easy loop with little traffic … and little chance to get lost.

Motorcycle mileage (as precisely as possible on Google Maps):
09/03/08: _34.3 mi – Maple Valley; Green River Gorge
09/01/08: _51.5 mi – Maple Valley; Green River Gorge; Renton
08/23/08: 132.0 mi – Maple Valley; Sunrise Point (Mount Rainier)
08/17/08: _45.8 mi – Maple Valley; Mud Mountain Dam