We spent some time this morning planning the next couple of days, since rain is in the forecast and we want to see Mt. St. Helens. So, after working out the plans, we jeeped about 60 miles north, past Seattle, to Everett, Washington, and the Boeing assembly plant. This is where they assemble their largest airplanes. The plant tour does not allow cameras or cell phones or any electronic device. So there are not any pictures from inside the plant. Below is the assembly building. Each of the six large doors are at the end of six assembly lines. The building is so large that Disneyland (including the Matterhorn) would fit in there plus 12 acres of parking. Below is a panorama of the far side of the runway. The assembly building is on the left. Click on the photo for larger image. There were big planes all over the place. There was a gallery of exhibits. This is an engine. (the one on the left). 'Come fly with me'. Where are the cup holders? On our long jeep ride back to our campground, we did get a glimpse of Mt. Ranier, one of the highest mountains in the lower 48 states. This day turned out to be nice and sunny and fairly warm. The next day turned out to be raining all day. This was the day to visit Mt. St. Helens, the site of the great volcanic eruption of 1980. There was a movie in the visitor center which depicted the eruption. There had been rumblings for about a month, so people had been watching with cameras and captured the entire event. It basically exploded and sent a plume of ash about 50,000 feet into the air. The blast leveled entire forests, breaking all the great trees off at ground level. Rivers of mud and trees wiped out everything in it's path. Anyway, from the Visitor Center we jeeped the 30 miles up toward the mountain and encountered this: This is the best view we could get on this day. (there were even some other fools up there) That has to be a magnificent view on a clear day. Anyway it was cold and rainy all the way down the mountain, and on into Vancouver, Washington. After we parked at the Clark County Fairgrounds, the sun finally came out. Vancouver, Washington is just across the river from Portland, Oregon. You may recall that we came to Portland before for an important experience that didn't happen. Well, we revised our plan to come back here, because tomorrow we expect it to finally happen. The ladies may not be too interested, but the guys might be. To Chuck, it is HUGE. Stay tuned.
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Who Are We?
Chuck and Mary Lou have been traveling in their RV since 2002 and have lately been taking longer, extended trips. This is our way to share our experiences. Trip Reports
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