Test run to Hood River

Memorial Day weekend we took the vehicle (the current name is Pearlita), Queso and ourselves for a couple nights of camping near Hood River. While there we were able to connect with Ben Perri who took us on a couple of hikes and had great recommendations for where to go and gave us some invaluable advise for our upcoming adventure. Ben took a similar tour around the country a couple years ago with the focus being on visiting National Parks. The photos he takes are amazing and can be found here.

The trip and the things we forgot (camping stove among other things) helped motivate us to create more organized lists. For as long as we’ve lived in Seattle, this was the first time driving out along the Columbia River, originally known as "Nch'i-Wana," the "Great River" by the Sahaptin, and every moment was breathtaking. The whole experience sparked even more excitement for out upcoming journey.

Four indigenous nations in the area continue to maintain their way of life and are involved in restoration efforts of the Great River.

It was amazing to see the stark contrast between the trees which were charred by the fires that have passed through the area and the incredible amount of new growth and healing that is happening. We were fortunate to catch some spring blossoms and cool ourselves in fresh streams.

Check out the Machen a Mano instagram account for videos of the trip. (Cause I haven’t figured out how to upload them here yet. Yay learning!)