Washington: Mt. St. Helen's and a Lilac Garden!

This past Monday my Mom and her partner and I had a great time being tourists in Washington. We visited Mt. St. Helen's, about 3 hours (but only 50 miles) from Portland.

This grand volcano blew in 1980, and although the animals and plants and trees are returning, the devastation is still remarkable. Immediately after the eruption, nearby mountain rivers were choked with ash and pumice, some of which is carried all the way to the ocean. In 2003 the volcano spewed ash and steam again, and continues to smoke today. We hiked the hummocks (piles of ash and rock) at the base of the volcano and spotted a tiny frog on the trail; frogs are always a good indicator of the health of the land!

On the drive home we stopped in Woodland, Washington at Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens for a wonderful springtime treat. Below you can see lilac, monkey tree, camelia, magnolia, lavender and a white flowering tree I can't recall the name of (beginning with V -- does someone know?).