The second day in the USA was devoted to take reference marks on the road where traffic is intense especially at the approach of the cities. I had to drive on the right hand after having to do it on the left hand during several years. Seeing a shop of motor homes I left Interstate Road to visit it in looking for campsite guides in the USA. Finally I made a detour to Redmond, Microsoft city, not to acquire software but to take cash at the HSBC bank, “The World Local Bank” (free publicity). I finished the day in Renton at a Wallmart to identify the foodstuffs to buy. American behaviour is different from this of Australians. I should adapt myself. I found a bivouac in a street attended by truck drivers.

The next day there was not change of weather, cold, rain and fog. I traversed 310 km by leaving Interstate Hwy 5 at Olympia for scondary roads in the deep WA with green landscapes planted with conifer. I crossed the border betweenf WA and OR by the longest bridge in the world, dixit the Lp -The Astoria-Megler Bridge, 4,1 mile long mile- The descent towards Astoria is impressive, alas in the fog. I looked for the Visitor Center, but closed. I went to the camp-site Lewis & Clarke RV where I found a sad ground, without shower nor hot water but with a Wifi connection, the whole at the exorbitant price of $35 a night. Despite everything I remained there two nights, there were sights to see, according to Lp!

Main street 
47°F 
Raymond 
05/02/2011 

Astoria-Megler Bridge 
55mph 
Border WA/OR 
05/02/2011 

Sunday morning around 10 a.m. the fog rose letting hope for a short visibility. With my truck I climbed the hill where one of sights of the area is I want to name Astoria Column painted with mural of the history from 1792 to 1818. On foot I climbed 164 steps to reach the top culminating at … of course in feet 125 feet. I must be accustomed. Moreover in US nothing is not saved to the tourists, original cost $27,.133. 96 in 1926 then a first restoration $1 million in 1995 etc From the top the Astoria-Melger Bridge is much less impressive.

Astoria-Megler Bridge 
Astoria 
06/02/2011 

Astoria Column
Astoria 
06/02/2011 

Astoria Column 
Astoria 
06/02/2011 

I went down towards the city to visit the very infamous, locally, Columbia River Maritime Museum. A booklet indicates that it is one of best of the state. It presents the history of the river and the many shipwrecks caused by human errors, by engine damages and by the hellish conditions of crossing of the bar of the estuary. I traversed the various rooms with much pleasure so much the exposed objects were interesting and were well emphasized with interactive videos. I then wished to go to Lewis & Clark National Historical Park, but by leaving the museum in the early afternoon I was attacked by a violent wind accompanying a shingling drizzle. I returned to the campground.

Maritime Museum
Astoria 
06/02/2011 

Maritime Museum 
Astoria 
06/02/2011 

Maritime Museum
Astoria 
06/02/2011 

The target of Monday February 07 was to reach Portland by Hwy 101 and 26 with a pass at more than 1000 feet. Of course the way occurred in the rain. In the south-west Portland suburbs, divided into quadrant, I traversed three shopes to try to find a Cd City Navigator North America by Garmin. The employee of the third understood my request and print by Google the access road to the fourth where I will be certain to find it. Indeed there was one, it was my day of chance. In the early afternoon I moved towards a Walmart Supercenter in north-east suburbs to do shopping for one month because in Oregon it does not have there a tax on purchases. On the carpark I installed Cd by Garmin on my computer but one needed an Internet connection with the connection of the GPS to unlocked the maps! There still I traversed several gravers in the shopping center by asking a wireless connection, anything. I warned a motel to which I made my request with the air which it is appropriate for a foreigner. The receptionist after reflection gave me his agreement. Thus I unlocked the maps and installed those of the US West coast on the GPS. Finally I was equipped to visit the country.

The following day I left with my truck to visit Portland. In Park Avenue in downtown I opportunely found a young woman who gave me her carpark ticket. I benefited from it to make the use of a parking meters with a bank card explained. I strolled up to the beginning of afternoon after having visit the Visitor Center where I was accommodated with much kindness. Here & there some buildings of the 19th century remain in the middle of modern buildings. Policemen with horses had carried out an arrest, their work completed I asked for the authorization of taking a picture which was granted with much pleasure. By walking I could note that American Way of Life left much excluded on pave. Portland is the economic capital of Oregon with more than a half million of inhabitants located at the edge of Columbia River at its junction with Willamette River. I returned to the Walmart carpark at the Exit 16 of the Hwy 84. I learned that the classification of Exits makes it possible to calculate the distance covered knowing the N° of entry Exit on Hwy and N° of Exit off, Exit 1 is at the origin of Hwy and they are spaced by one mile. Thus Exit 16 is at 16 miles of the junction of the Hwy 84 with the Hwy 5 at the edge of Willamette River.

Fountain 
Portland 
08/02/2011 

Flying fish
Portland 
08/02/2011 

Pioneer Court House 
Portland 
08/02/2011 

Bank House
Portland 
08/02/2011 

Chinese sculpture 
Portland 
08/02/2011 

Chinese sculpture
Portland 
07/02/2011 

Policewomen 
Portland 
08/02/2011 

Portland Building
Portland 
08/02/2011 

William S. Ladd Carriage House 
Portland 
08/02/2011 

American Way of Life
Portland 
08/02/2011 

In a short driving day which started after a very cold night, 1,5°C outside, I traversed part of the “Historic Columbia River Hwy 30” whose construction was completed in 1912. It meanders in the north of the Cascade Range by overhanging the river without never seeing it. The first sight was “Vista House” offering a lookout from its observatory, alas closed in winter and which more it was in the morning fog.

Vista House 
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
09/02/2011 

Further away “Multnomah Falls” is the second highest in the USA. The informational panel notices more than two million visitors per annum. A picture of the beginning of last century attests its reputation.

Multnomah Falls
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
09/02/2011 

Vista House 
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
09/02/2011 

Multnomah Falls
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
09/02/2011 

At Cascade Locks the “Bridge of The Gods” would have replaced a natural stone bridge according to a native American legend. The historic Hwy took sometimes the modern Hwy 84 where I vainly looked for a bivouac which I found on the rest area Viento sensibly closed in winter.

The Bridge of The Gods 
Cascade Locks 
09/02/2011 

The last day on the road followed by Lewis & Clark's expedition in 1803 from Louisiana, lately bought to France, to Oregon began with an access ramp to Hwy 84 covered with white frost. Two stops made it possible to see the mighty river which cut its stream in the Cascades Range. I stopped on a truck carpark at Exit 104.

Icy ramp to Hwy 84 
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
10/02/2011 

Columbia River at Michell Lookout
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
10/02/2011 

Hood River 
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
10/02/2011 

Columbia River at Rovena Crest
Historic Columbia River Hwy 
10/02/2011 

Finally the next day I found the access to the edge of the Columbia River. I stayed two nights there. On Sunday morning I warned a campground at the foot of a mountain equipped with a WiFi connection to publish my site, I settled for a day