Thoughts and Facts Every small town in Idaho has a Mormon temple. Every couple has at least 4 kids tagging behind them. Breakfast buffets in Idaho hotels are like a preschool class at recess. Eruption intervals of Old Faithful have varied from 40 minutes to 126 minutes. There is a petrified forest in Yellowstone. It contains well preserved standing trees and ancient plants. These plants were buried by volcanic eruptions and then petrified. The wood does not actually change into stone, but is replaced by stone over a period of 200 million years. Most common specimens are composed of agate. How mud pots are made: hydrogen sulfide gas is present deep within the earth. Micro organisms use this gas as an energy source, converting it to sulphuric acid. The sulfuric acid actually breaks down rock to wet clay and mud. Hydrogen sulfide, steam and carbon dioxide, (among other gases) explode through the layers of mud. Osprey pairs build huge nests that are about 5 feet in diameter. They lay 2-4 tan coloured eggs with brown specks that hatch in 6-8 weeks. It's a law in Oregon that you are not allowed to pump your own gas. Apparently it's a job creation program by the Oregon government. There's no sales tax in Oregon. Just under 1/2 of the state of Oregon is forested. There are 9 federally recognized native Indian tribes in Oregon. Oregon grows 99% of the entire U.S. commercial hazelnut crop. Oregon has 13 national forests and 230 state parks. The water temperature of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon coast is 48 F. Oregon has 13 hot springs, caves, waterfalls and sand dunes. Most of the coast is sparsely populated due to the mountains bordering the coastline. They grow artichokes in Oregon and make all manner of foodstuffs from them. It's particularly satisfying to drive in the carpool lane in Washington. In some places, the speed limit for the carpool lane is 15 miles an hour faster than all the other lanes. In some places it's actually 45 miles an hour faster because the other lanes are at a dead stop because of heavy congestion. Just when you think, wow, I like Vancouver, the next morning it's grey, overcast and raining off and on and then you think, what the hell was I thinking? The tops of the rocks along the Sunshine Coast are covered in green moss and then lichen type growth. The all look like they're wearing hats. Super sweet. The population of Kamloops is 85,000. There average max temp is 21 and average low temp is -4.2. The city has some unique restaurants, from Taiwanese cuisine to German bakeries. Dave would make a great hoarder. What was the best part of the trip? The crystal prism and sapphire pool at Yellowstone and the Oregon sand dunes. What was the biggest surprise? Twin Falls, Idaho with its huge canyons and historic bridges. Kilometres added to the odometer: 6500