Road Trip - Mt. Vernon to Portland 05-26-18

Back on I-5 for the long drive to SCalifornia.  You are probably tired of hearing about the traffic, but today was the worst if one was traveling north, it looked like one long parking lot.  Fortunately, I was going south, but there were still stretches of bumper to bumper traffic and frequent dead stops.  One thing about the drivers here, they don't do the kamikaze stuff that is so common on the freeways in SCalifornia.  Nobody zipped in and out of lanes, trying to get ahead of everyone else.  And nobody passed on the shoulder that I saw.  The day was gloomy and clouds low, but not a drop of rain. However, the pictures are not very clear - I'm already missing those bright blue skies along Hwy 395.  I stopped for gas at Arlington and for a Starbuck's at Tumwater.  Just accidentally on the same block as Ruby Street Quiltworks, a VERY nice quilt shop, that I visited on a trip about eight years ago, with a large and varied inventory.  I spent an hour and I'm not going to tell you what the "toll" was.  I did get carried away.  But mostly I drove at speeds from 20mph to 75mph for about six hours to stay at Comfort Inn near the Portland airport.  I've a date for breakfast with two Portland friends I haven't seen for too long.  

The rhododendrons are just at their peak and are loaded.  These pictures are all in Mabel's neighborhood.  

I don't remember the bright red ones from my childhood, but I guess they were there. 

But I do remember these trees with the bright yellow leaves, but not their name.

This is the dogwood I am familiar with, the petals have a rounded edge with a little dip in the center of each petal.   A later image will show one that is new to me. 

The Skagit Valley, famous for growing tulips also grows veggies and forage crops.  It is a very flat countryside with stands of dark conifers for contrast. 

Dark sky, dark forest, a farm house tucked into the edge of the trees. 

Ah-h-h, here is Seattle from the southbound lanes of I-5, with the Space Needle on the right. 

 Overpasses, some under construction.  But look at the backed up traffic in the northbound lanes, curving up around the hill. 

This one is out of order, I think it was near Tacoma.  The back up on the northbound lanes extends to the right side of the picture. 

Boxcars, flatcars, RR overpasses seem to be the prime graffiti locations. 

 This old Rainier beer facility has been re-invented as something else - an entertainment center, maybe.  It is right against I-5.

Miles and miles of this view, creeping along.  The "motto" is:

 "Your Hometown, National Carrier".  

The southbound view of Tacoma Dome.

This type of dogwood is new to me.  Very pointed petals. 

Those I saw were more a bush than a tree. 

Down the route of the Columbia River which is to the right behind the trees. 

Near Kalama it is very close to the highway and currently very full of water from mountain snow melt. 

Too much traffic for picture taking going over the river and into Oregon where the road construction starts on the south side of the river.  So glad to be off the road tonight.   But I am going to have to wear my earplugs. 

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