Dan's Diary: Seattle & Portland
CBS News producer Daniel Baruch writes about his latest travels as he drives one of two Early Show Winnebagos across the country for the "Great American Vacation" giveaway.
Seattle, Wash.
Let me start by admitting I've got a thing for Chinese food. When I was an infant my developing diet went something like this: mother's milk, baby food, General Tso's chicken. After The Early Show's "Great American Vacation" giveaway Wednesday, June 28, in Billings, Mont., the craving hit me.
I opened my map and thought, "What's close and won't disappoint? Seattle sounds good."
That was the longest drive of the summer thus far — in terms of holding out for a meal. I'll tell you, dining in Seattle's Chinatown was worth the trip. Pull out your maps, my friends, and see how I earn my wontons and egg rolls. It's at least seven or eight of those little scale measurements and each one of those is like 100 miles.
I wasn't in Seattle just for the cuisine; I also visited Seafair, a little shindig that attracts about a million people over the course of the summer.
View my photos!I arrived in Seattle on Saturday, July 1, in time to attend the opening event, the Milk Carton Derby. This event pits homemade rafts and boats made of, you guessed it, milk cartons, against one another in races for prizes, glory and bragging rights.
Some of these floating creations were far more creative than seaworthy. Out on the clear waters of Green Lake, the participants proved their mettle in a series of comedic heats that all ended in cheers and guffaws. I couldn't tell you who won; I don't think it really mattered.
I explored the city a bit more my second day and found Kerry Park, which provided a postcard-perfect view of Seattle and some 14,441-foot anthill called Mount Rainier. I later wound my way down to Pike Street where I parked right in front of the Pike Place Market.
The Winnebago was quite the celebrity, I tell you. While Winny was tied up, I walked the streets for hours (no, not like that) and discovered I didn't want to leave. Seattle is my kind of city: forward thinking, clean, gorgeous. It's so deeply interwoven with the bays, waterways and mountains that it looks as though its location was a happy accident. Unlike some cities that are a blight on the landscape, Seattle grew into its surroundings so effortlessly it actually compliments the natural beauty. After a super tasty plate of General Tso's in Chinatown, it was time to move on. Goodbye Washington, hello Oregon.
I arrived in Vancouver, Wash., on Tuesday, July 4, early enough to avoid the normal holiday mob that turns the streets into parking lots. I parked, waited, waited some more and began to forget what I was waiting for until the first sizzling rocket shot skyward.
That first blast still puts a goofy grin on my face. The Fort Vancouver fireworks display was nothing short of phenomenal. I've never been to the fiasco on the Hudson River in New York City, but this was by far the most spectacular display I've ever seen. Afterwards, it took about an hour and a half to travel 8 miles to my hotel on the other side of the Columbia River in Portland. It was worth it.
Although already in Portland, the next day I had to travel back east to intercept Dave Price and crew for some photos and sightseeing in the Columbia River Gorge area. The first stop was Bonneville Dam, a massive piece of engineering that provides power to hundreds of thousands of homes. Although it was impressive, our second stop really floored us.
Watch as Dave Price visits the impressive and
Tucked in a nook of the mountain side, nestled in the embrace of redwoods, ferns and a cornucopia of moist greenery was Multnomah Falls. The trails and paths that take you to the edge of the 620-foot falls are nothing short of magical. It's a woodland wonderland. Raise the thermostat about 30 degrees, keep the humidity right there and toss in some monkey howls and "Bam!" you're lost in the Amazon.
Portland, Ore.
Eventually, I had to head back to reality and Portland. I knew the location of our next "Great American Vacation" giveaway, so I decided to scope it out.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, or OMSI, ranks as one of the top 10 science museums, has hundreds of interactive exhibits, a planetarium, a retired submarine, a five-story Omnimax Dome Theater and a time machine. (Well, it doesn't have a time machine, but it's chock full of science that's for sure.)
I felt a little weird going through OMSI alone. The place was filled with parents, kids and a lone, scruffy 20-something playing with robots, magnets and puzzles. Can you say all eyes on Dan?
One place I didn't stick out was in the Omnimax Theater, where I saw a certain popular superhero return to the big screen — and I mean BIG screen. At closing time, I considered parking out back for the night. I had to be back to setup at OMSI around 1 a.m. for the next vacation giveaway.
Instead, I headed to Chinatown and got some General Tso's chicken. I couldn't help myself.The next morning was frigid, but the chill kept me peppy for the giveaway. OMSI supplied a few scientists of their own to provide some entertainment for the pre-dawn crowd. I love OMSI. Dave even managed to get mixed up in some messy business with a young fan. Lab coats and goggles and bubbling beakers … fun stuff.
checks out the museum.On a slightly more serious note, later on, Dave drew a couple of young men out of the crowd who had recently returned from active duty in the Marines. A few sentiments of genuine appreciation unexpectedly turned into a trip to the Florida Keys.
Maryann Sackett nominated her son, Daniel, and his lifelong friends Matthew McDonnell, Shawn Brennan and Johnny Garland for a "Great American Vacation" for good reason. Friends since childhood, these four young men enlisted together not knowing if they'd ever be reunited. Now that they've all returned from active duty, a getaway awaits.
They'll be spending five days and fours nights fishing, eating and lounging at the Tranquility Bay Resort in Marathon, Fla. If only every soldier returned to find a much deserved vacation waiting for them. At least these four soldiers can take a load off. It was a feel-good moment.
with two of the vacation recipientsMaybe I was inspired by the vacation, but I decided it would be a sacrilege to travel all this way and not go to the beach.
I took a slightly circuitous route to the Oregon coast and eventually found myself in Lincoln City, Ore., aka the Kite Capital of the World, a beach town if there ever was. It was just what I hoped for — green mountains surging towards the sea along a broken coast of rocks and trees peppered with ocean-front cafés and restaurants.
I stopped at "D" River Beach in the middle of town. It's named after the "D" River, which according to Oregon, is the shortest river in the world at 120 feet long, connecting Devils Lake into the rambunctious Pacific Ocean. Who am I to argue?
Apparently Lincoln City's claim was also sincere. The beach was home to no fewer than a dozen kites ranging in size from a T-shirt to a Cessna. Kites aside, once again Winny was the star and after doing most of the talking I took a nap in the sand. The only thing that could have made the day better was another order of General Tso's. What can I say? I have a problem.
My next stop is Denver on July 14, via Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City and Cheyenne, Wyo. I wonder if I can make it to San Francisco's Chinatown and get back to Denver by Friday … probably not. See you soon America.
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