Day 11 2016

May 25, 2016

Day 11 2016

Welcome to Washington! We made it!! We have now been to all of the Lower 48 states!

It took us five years, a few (or sometimes several :) states at a time. When Harvey first introduced the idea, probably about two years before we started the trips, I thought he was crazy (just being honest here). I did not like the idea. Remember, I am a homebody. I am a NC girl through and through. The idea of packing up all five kids and traveling across the country stressed me out. There were a few places I wanted to see, sure, but it was fine if I did not. Now? With gained perspective and having been to all 48, I am so thankful. It has been a huge learning experience for all of us on so many levels. From education of landscapes & state histories, to packing/working together, getting along, appreciating each other & our home, meeting new & interesting people in different walks of life...these trips have been an experience we will all never forget.

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After coming into the state, we spent most of our day at Mount St. Helens. It was fascinating, sobering, and definitely an educational experience. I think Harvey and I were in the fifth grade (May 1980) when Mount St. Helens had its big eruption. Just seeing the damage it did to the area was crazy. There are still stumps and downed trees on parts of its landscape! We met a woman who had been there to visit 12 years after its eruption, and she said at that time it was still pretty barren with no green or color. When we visited, there was a lot of new growth with trees, wild flowers, & some wildlife. One thing discovered with Mount St. Helens is that not all volcanoes are the same. Volcanoes can erupt differently. I assumed all volcanoes were like the ones in Hawaii where red lava spewed everywhere. This is not so! So much damage was done by the sludge, mud, & landslides, as well as from the trees uprooted and the very deep covering of volcanic ash.

We saw a couple of good movies about the eruption, heard a fascinating Park Ranger talk, and also experienced some great hands on displays. Another place I would recommend among sites we have seen, even though it was cold and had a good bit of cloud coverage on the day we visited.

Elizabeth learning about seismographs.

What one of many tree stumps looks like after all these years. There are all hillsides just dotted with stumps such as this one. But then other areas are green and lush and look like there was a volcanic eruption!