As I travelled along the northern edge of our country, I have had the opportunity to reacquaint myself with my beloved Seattle Mariners. They SUCK this season and since I paid attention to them closely back in May/June their roster has completely changed. During my travels across North Dakota and Montana, the Mariners are playing their cross plains rivals, the Minnesota Twins. Therefore each night, I turn on the tv in Dickinson (aligned with the Twins) or Butte (rooting for the Mariners) and watch the game. The Mariners won both nights.
On Wednesday the 11th, I left North Dakota and trekked across eastern Montana. There is nothing more boring that having to drive across eastern Montana. There is nothing to comment on except the great meal I had in Billings. My friend Dean, a travelling salesman, covers Montana, so I called him and asked him where to eat in Billings. Q Cuisine, again like in Fargo, had amazing hip decor (like you'd find in SF or NYC) and it's sirloin with truffle sauce was excellent. I had a second wind after dinner and drove the three hours and spent the night in Butte.
Butte is, perhaps, the most economically depressed of all the Montana towns. It has a long mining history and is still reeling from some of the pollution caused by it.
Looking down into the Butte valley
Mining equipment right in the heart of Butte
Fifteen miles outside of Butte, stands the world famous Anaconda mine. This mine was active until 1980 and has the largest open pit mine in the world. The mine is known for its landmark tower, in which the Washington Monument can easily fit into.
The tower at Anaconda
After driving through scenic western Montana (not to be confused in anyway with eastern Montana), I drove through the 70 miles of the panhandle of Idaho and entered into my home state of Washington. Washington, like Montana, has a flat arid eastern portion and a mountainous, greener western portion.
The palouse of eastern Washington State
The agricultural productivity of eastern Washington is based on the amazing Grand Coulee Dam. The word coulee comes from French and is defined as "a deep gulch or ravine with sloping sides, often dry in the summer".
In 1933, FDR, signed a piece of legislation that began construction of this great gravity earthen dam to be built in the north central part of Washington state on the mighty Columbia river. It was to provide flood control, irrigation to the farmers and hydroelectic power. In 1942, it was put into service. Here is a great historical overview of the Grand Coulee Dam. It is still the largest hydroelectic dam in the United States and number 3 in the world.
The Grand Coulee Dam, a mile long
A view of the Grand Coulee Dam from the rear
The water in the river behind the dam stretches for 150 miles and is named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The 32nd President of the United States
Roosevelt Lake
For those of you who want to see eccentric America, here's something I saw as I was driving through the town of Electric City, WA. Yup, that's its name.
Windmill Garden
Lastly, as I drove out of the area, here's a parting shot of the coulee region of eastern Washington.
Shiprock
It is now time for a week with Mom and Dad...
On Wednesday the 11th, I left North Dakota and trekked across eastern Montana. There is nothing more boring that having to drive across eastern Montana. There is nothing to comment on except the great meal I had in Billings. My friend Dean, a travelling salesman, covers Montana, so I called him and asked him where to eat in Billings. Q Cuisine, again like in Fargo, had amazing hip decor (like you'd find in SF or NYC) and it's sirloin with truffle sauce was excellent. I had a second wind after dinner and drove the three hours and spent the night in Butte.
Butte is, perhaps, the most economically depressed of all the Montana towns. It has a long mining history and is still reeling from some of the pollution caused by it.
Fifteen miles outside of Butte, stands the world famous Anaconda mine. This mine was active until 1980 and has the largest open pit mine in the world. The mine is known for its landmark tower, in which the Washington Monument can easily fit into.
After driving through scenic western Montana (not to be confused in anyway with eastern Montana), I drove through the 70 miles of the panhandle of Idaho and entered into my home state of Washington. Washington, like Montana, has a flat arid eastern portion and a mountainous, greener western portion.
The agricultural productivity of eastern Washington is based on the amazing Grand Coulee Dam. The word coulee comes from French and is defined as "a deep gulch or ravine with sloping sides, often dry in the summer".
In 1933, FDR, signed a piece of legislation that began construction of this great gravity earthen dam to be built in the north central part of Washington state on the mighty Columbia river. It was to provide flood control, irrigation to the farmers and hydroelectic power. In 1942, it was put into service. Here is a great historical overview of the Grand Coulee Dam. It is still the largest hydroelectic dam in the United States and number 3 in the world.
The water in the river behind the dam stretches for 150 miles and is named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
For those of you who want to see eccentric America, here's something I saw as I was driving through the town of Electric City, WA. Yup, that's its name.
Lastly, as I drove out of the area, here's a parting shot of the coulee region of eastern Washington.
It is now time for a week with Mom and Dad...
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