Saturday, 25 August. Still in Yakima, but we have only two more
days in our old stomping grounds. We're
having some minor work done on the motorhome early on Monday, the 27th, and
then we head into the Cascade Mts and the small town of Wenatchee to visit
Lynette's family for a couple weeks.
Every year Wenatchee and the Yakima Valley both strive to earn the title
of the "Apple Capital of the World."
While the Yakima Valley grows a ton of apples (and pears and
peaches and cherries – and of course, the grapes to produce the wonderful wines
found here), I think Wenatchee has been winning the “apple" label for the
past few years. Anyway, we took
advantage of some absolutely beautiful weather in the Yakima Valley today and
decided to drive up into the Cascade Mts via Chinook Pass (Hiway 410) with my
sister, Carolyn, and her husband, Steve.
Our destination was a long-time family favorite eating place - at least
one of my Dad's and one of my favorites - on Chinook Pass that’s nestled among
tall pine trees along the banks of the Naches River: Whistlin' Jack's Lodge andRestaurant ,
a quaint mountain retreat in an idyllic paradise-like setting .
The 45-minute drive to WJ's from Yakima is
worth it just for the beautiful scenery as we followed the Naches River deeper
into the Cascade Mts. Naches, by the way, means "plenty of water",
very accurately describing the river as it flows from the Cascades to the
fertile Yakima Valley, giving life to this rich agricultural region. Years ago, the Yakama Indians camped along the
edge of the Naches fishing and resting – for the Indians, it was a place to
renew their spiritual needs. The rush of
the river creates a wonderful backdrop for anyone wishing to stop, rest,
refresh - and perhaps partake of some wonderful WJ eats and drinks. Built in 1931, the WJ Lodge has transcended
the decades by offering sincere and efficient service, excellent culinary
delights (especially robust and yummy breakfasts), as well as clean,
comfortable and cozy lodging. Oh, a
tidbit of trivia: The name "Whistlin' Jack" actually refers to the
large hoary marmot inhabiting the rocky areas of the Cascade Mts near Chinook
Pass. These creatures are very family oriented and rely solely on roots and
berries for their diet. The marmot was named Whistlin' Jack because of its
high-pitched whistle heard at dawn and sunset. The whistle signified a warning
to other marmots in the areas of impending danger from eagles, their natural
enemies. As the years passed, the marmot's whistle migrated down to logging
camps, and was often heard on the lips of a lumberjack. Legend or fact, the
lodge was named Whistlin' Jack, and today still remains the recipient of that
ancient lore.
Another tidbit of trivia
for anyone sightseeing in this area: Mt. Rainier National Park is just 27 miles
west of WJ Lodge - a definite must-see.
The Chinook Pass area receives a lot of snow during the winter months,
but the road crews try to keep the pass open as long as the can, usually until
sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
By springtime, the crews again try to open the pass by Memorial
Day. Sometimes they do, and sometimes
it's June/July.
The following pix include Carolyn and hubby, Steve, posing with the "bear"; Lynette & I on the picturesque grounds of WJ's; and then us with the infamous "bear" again.
Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely drive along the
Naches River on our way up to WJ's, where we had a delicious late lunch. Afterwards we toured the grounds surrounding
the lodge and the banks along the Naches River, enjoying the scenery and taking
a bunch of photos, including the carved wooden bear, who seems to have "aged" a wee bit over the years. Our family has been taking our photos with this bear for many, many years. What a hoot! I hope the ones
you see here do this wonderful nature scene surrounding the WJ Lodge and Restaurant all the justice it deserves.
Carolyn and "Garden Girl" - her own creation - in her wonderful garden!
We ended the day's outing back at Steve & Carolyn's place where Sis graciously allowed me to pick some more of those delicious blueberries from her garden. And what a garden it is! I think Carolyn can grow just about anything, but these blueberries of hers are terrific over cereal. Thanks, Sis!
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