Lowden: quiet until Saturday

This Indian Scout sold for $32,000.

Lowden, Washington, is a quiet little community, more or less a wide spot in the road as you drive Highway 12 between the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla. It has a couple of top-notch wineries and a grain elevator, and is best known as being near the site of a famous battle between Indians and the cavalry back in 1865.

It's not an incorporated city; probably under 200 people, but all that changed for a few hours on Saturday, June 22, when m hundreds of people, amounting to many times the community's population, descended upon Lowden for an auction of equipment and vehicles owned by the late Ted Small. This wasn't just any farm auction, however. Included aamng the old and antique tractors and Caterpillars were five rare vintage Indian motorcycles and more than a dozen antique and classic cars. These were the vehicles that drew the crowds. While people were somewhat spread out for sales of the tractors et al, they were almost wall to wall  when it came time to auction off the motorcycles and cars.

While it was wildly rumored that late-night talk show host Jay Leno would be an hand to buy vehicles for h is garage, he never showed. Reportedly, some of his staff flew into Walla Walla Airport on his Learjet that morning.

This rare engine sold quickly for $200,000.

Of the five motorcycles, a 1941 Indian 441 went for the most money, $50,000, while a 1940 Indian Scout sold for the least, $32,000. A 1910 Auburn touring car brought $97,000, the most paid for any of the cars, but the highest selling big item was an 1896 Golden Gate gas engine, of which less than 10 were made. A local wheat farmer bought it for $200,000 on the fourth bid.

The crowds began clearing out after the last auto was auctioned off, though only just over a third of the items to be sold had been sold by that time. By the end of the day, Lowden had returned to normal.

Washington falls on best list

A waterfalls in Olympic National Park in Washington is on a list of the eight best waterfalls in U.S. national parks. The list, prepared by CNN, says Marymere Falls is easy to find and get to from Highway 101, the Pacific Coast Highway that ends at the border with Mexico.

The news service says the 90-foot high  falls is about a one-mike hike over a relatively flat trail from the highway.

Also on the list were Bird Woman Falls in Glacier National Park in northern Montana and Horseshoe Falls at Yosemite National Park in California. Noticeably missing from the list was Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park.

The Gorge at George

Another Pacific Northwest place has earned a place on a list of bests. This time it's the Gorge Amphitheatre that was named to CNN's list of "8 amazing outdoor music venues" around the world.

The amphitheatre overlooks the Columbia River near the town of George, Washington. Great views of the Cascade Mountains to the west can be seen across the river. CNN notes the Gorge's scenic beauty is one reason why it was picked for the list.

The Gorge has been a popular outdoor music concert "hall" for many years now, hosting some of the biggest stars in the music world.

Other music venues on the list included outdoor theatres in Germany and Scotland, as well as elsewhere in the United States.

Gearhart, Oregon: Nice beach town

A recent CNN article listed Gearhart, Oregon, as one of the top beach towns in the United States. It's on the northern Oregon coast between Cannon Beach and Seaside.

We prefer the central and southern Oregon coasts because they're prettier, so I can't comment too much on it, though we have occasionally driven through the town. I do remember my mother, who grew up in Portland, talking about it as her family went there a lot when she was a child. According to the article, Gearhart is still popular with Portlanders who like to drive on the beach at night, drink wine and look at stars.

Beach towns from Hawaii to Maine and Florida also were named to the list.

Charbonneau Park Offers Riverside Camping Near Pasco, Washington

Camping in Charbonneau Park

Charbonneau Park and Campground, with 54 sites located on the Snake River, is an oasis of shade in the high desert land that is southeastern Washington.

The campground and marina sit on the south side of Lake Sacajawea, a reservoir that was formed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed Ice Harbor Dam a couple of miles down river. The corps operates this campground just as it does its sister campground, Hood Park, a few miles to the west.

Charbonneau Park RV Camping

Charbonneau Park offers 37 RV and tent sites with 50 amp electricity; 14 of the sites are located along the water.  It also has 15 full hook-up sites with electricity, water and sewer; two of these sites are handicap accessible. All of the campsites can be reserved in advance through the federal government’s campground reservation system.

The sites have paved pads and each one comes with a picnic table and fire pit/grill. The campground also has playgrounds for children, flush toilets with hot showers, potable water and dump stations.
A boat launch and marina are nearby. The marina sells gasoline for boats during the summer months. The boat launch is open year round.

The Corps of Engineers charges nightly fees for camping from May 1 through September 30. Dry camping is available for free the rest of the year.

Day Use

Charbonneau Park also has a day use section with a picnic shelter for large groups. The shelter can be reserved in advance; otherwise, it is available on a first-come first-serve basis, the corps says.
The park is very popular with residents of the nearby Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, who flock there by the hundreds for picnicking, swimming and boating on hot summer weekends.

Charbonneau History

Charbonneau Park is named after Toussaint Charbonneau, the French-Canadian husband of Sacajawea, the Shoshone Indian guide who interpreted for the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery as it traveled to the Pacific Ocean.

On their journey to and from the ocean, the explorers spent several days camped a few miles downstream at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers. Their campground is now the site of Sacajawea State Park.

How to Find Charbonneau Park

Charbonneau Park is located at 642 Campground Road in rural Burbank, a small community on
Highway 124. Turn on Highway 12 just south of the Snake River Bridge and go 8.3 miles to the Ice Harbor Dam intersection. Turn right on Safe Harbor Road just before you get to the dam. The park is located a couple of miles down this road.

A visit to Reininger Winery, Walla Walla

Reininger Winery

Reininger Winery, located in rural Walla Walla, Washington is an award-winning winery that is truly a family affair as siblings and spouses are involved.

The winery, located west of Walla Walla on Old Highway 12, was started in 1997 by Chuck Reininger, a former mountain-climbing guide from Puget Sound, and his wife Tracy. Reininger was familiar with Walla Walla and its wineries, as he used to help with the crush at Waterbrook, another Walla Walla winery. Plus Tracy Tucker was from Walla Walla, so a few years later it was natural that her brothers and their wives, Jay and Cyndi Tucker, and Kelly and Anne Tucker joined the operation. Terry and Ronnie Tucker have since joined the operation.

Reininger’s First Winery Located at Historic Airport

Like many fledgling Walla Walla wineries, Reininger’s first winery was located in the industrial complex at the Walla Walla Regional Airport. The airport served as an Army Air Corps training airfield during World War II. The buildings that housed the Army air base are still in use today by restaurants, aviation businesses and more than 20 wineries.

An old Army entertainment center served as the winery’s first home from 1997 to 2003 when it moved to its present location which involved renovating two old potato sheds into  a winery, complete with tasting room.

Reininger Winery Adds Second Label

In 2004, Reininger added another label, Helix. While Reininger label wines are made from grapes grown in the Walla Walla Valley, Helix uses grapes grown in vineyards located in the larger Columbia Valley. The name of this label also links back to Tucker family history, since their grandparents had a farm in Helix, Oregon, which is near Pendleton.

Just as the parent label does, Helix’s line up of wines is heavy on reds, such as Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Both Reininger and Helix bottlings are limited to a few hundred cases of each wine. Bottlings range from 303 cases of the 2009 Helix Rose to 805 cases of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Reininger Wines Win Numerous Awards

Chuck Reininger says on his website his goal is to create premium red wines, and the awards his wines have won prove he’s achieved his goal. The 2007 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley was a gold medal winner at the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition which lays claim to being the largest competition of American wines. The 2011 competition involved more than 5,000 wines created by wineries in 23 states. Syrah under both labels have won accolades from Wine Spectator magazine.

More evidence of the popularity of Reininger and Helix wines is shown through the winery’s wine club: it’s full up, but wine aficionados can ask to be wait-listed for an opening. A note on the winery’s website explains, “We have reached the tipping point where we can no longer assure new members consistent access to our most popular wines unless we limit and control the size of our wine club.”

Reininger Winery Located in Rural Walla Walla

Reininger is located at 5858 West Old Highway 12 just west of Walla Walla.  The tasting room is open daily.

Lolo Pass Highway Traces Lewis & Clark Route

The Clearwater River over Lolo Pass

U.S. Highway 12, which goes through Lolo Pass, follows the route of the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery through northern Idaho.

Because of this, Highway 12, which ends in neighboring Washington State, is sometimes called the Lewis &Clark Highway. The 175-mile stretch through northcentral Idaho is also known as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. Lolo Pass, toward the eastern end of the route, is the highest point along the way with an elevation of more than 5,000 feet.

Route Follows Lewis and Clark Trail

The route is very scenic as the highway follows the Lochsa and Clearwater rivers the two explorers came down in 1805 as they traveled from Missouri, seeking out a route to the Pacific Ocean. The mission was ordered by President Thomas Jefferson who, two years earlier, had completed the Louisiana Purchase of what is now the western United States.

Their journey through Idaho starts about 12 miles south of present-day Missoula, Montana, and ends at Lewiston, on the border with Washington, where the Clearwater River pours into the Snake River.

Lewis and Clark took 11 days to make the trip from the road’s start to Kamiah, where they spent six weeks building the canoes that would take them westward. Modern travelers can drive this section in just a few hours. Though the route isn’t very long, it’s filled with twists and turns that defy high speeds. Indeed, travelers in a hurry to get from Montana to Washington should stick to Interstate 90 to the north to cross the Idaho Panhandle.

Highway 12 is close to the route the two explorers took, but for those who require a more authentic route, Forest Road 500 is available through the Clearwater National Forest. Because the unpaved road isn’t in that great of condition, Forest Service officials say only vehicles which have high clearance should attempt this route. Trailers are not allowed on it. The sites where the expedition camped are still used by hike-in campers today.

Indians Were There First

Before Lewis and Clark arrived on the scene, the trail was used by the Nez Perce Indians. The tribe called it "Khusahna Ishikit" which translates as “buffalo trail.” The Nez Perce taught expedition members how to make canoes for the final legs of their journey. The expedition camped with the tribe for six weeks on their return journey.

Just over 70 years later, the trail became famous again, though not for happy reasons. In 1877, Nez Perce Chief Joseph led his band on a tragic march through Idaho and Montana, almost to the border with Canada, when he uttered his famous “I will fight no more forever” speech.

Modern Travelers on the Highway

Highway 12 through Idaho was completed in 1960. It is a road is to be traveled at a slow pace to savor the scenic beauty of the Bitterroot Mountains. Rushing it is not advised because of the 67 curves on one 99-mile stretch of the road. It is these curves that make the road a favorite with motorcycle riders.

Motorists should make sure they have sufficient fuel for the trip, as there are no gas stations Kooskia, Idaho, and Lolo, Montana.

The Lolo Pass Visitor Center is open most of the year. In the winter months, it sells parking permits to cross-country skiers and snowmachiners.