Moses Lake Temple

 This is the country where I was born and lived the first six years of my life.  We went to stake conference in Moses Lake as we lived a half hour away in Othello.  The temple is right off the freeway.  

Crossing the Columb ia river a half hour from Moses Lake on the I-90

Grand Coulee Dam: Visited Friday March 20, 2020

Grand Coulee dam is not impressive interms of height; but it makes up for it in width.  This dam is blocking the Columbia River and turning the flow of the river into hydroelectric power.  As such it is a massive structure of concrete and creates electricity for over 4 million homes.  Because of the virus scare I had the dam almost to myself.  However the Visitor Center was closed.

Visitor Center

The stats

above the dam

The dam also represents a massive water reclamation project with a series of canals and dams.  Just below the dam is Bank Lake which is also a dam.  Then there are a couple more reservoirs including Pot Hole Reservoir above Othello.  This series of dams and canals is what brought water to the Columbia Basin and prompted my family to move to Othello to raise potatoes.

The Columbia River

I crossed the river at least four times in my journeys.  The first was in Portland, just before the river turns north to follow the freeway before it turns again and enters the Pacifice.  Then three times traveling to and from Othello.  I almost crossed again at grand Coulee but turned around just before the bridge. 

Before Othello on the 90

At Hanford

Following the Columbia after crossing into Oregon

Hanford Reach National Monument and Nuclear Site

As a National Monument, this place is pretty lame.  It includes however the original nuclear reactor, as well as the Columbia River.  It is suppose to be a wildlife refuge.  That it must be because I didn't see many animals except birds.  It is very difficult to access with the Hanford Site being fenced off.  There are no good roads along the river to allow access.  Brochures talked of elk and osprey. 

This was declared a National Monument by President Clinton.  It is one of those sites that may be undeclared, or reduced.  Better make this a National Historical Site. One thing I didn't realize for sure was how close the nuclear reactors are to Othello.  As the bird flies the B Reactor is only about 20 miles from Othello.