Happy Chinese new year 2025
Somkiat Petchsrisom
Dear Friends,
Happy Chinese new year.
There are so many distraction since back to town from Winter break. Can not imagine January about to be gone.
I was in The Pacific NW for 5 weeks this past Summer & 4 weeks this falls to check out weather condition & seasonal changes. Especially wet & cold in Falls that people talk a lot about. For me are not that bad, manageable by proper outfit & positive can do attitudes. I call these trip a Volcanoes exploration from Oregon, Washington, Vancouver & Whisler Blackcomb Ski area in Canada. I was in these area many times but did not look too closely & stayed this long. So I, my son Keith & my daughter Jade met in Portland & we rent a car for our road trip going North. My daughter have a short time off ~ 10 days, so we spent our time around Portland area & explore food cultures while she’s around. Then after that we two went North camping out all the way. We camp in the woods in NP, hike & swim bath in freezing glacier melt lakes the whole trip. We went off grid only in town for re-supply time to time. It was fantastic & get to know the area much better on foot.
In Portland, OR. The famous Columbia river gorge & Mt Hood area are full of wonderful surprises & will go back many more times. It has almost every things Natures have to offers. Despite the Mountain not as big as in AK & CO, but the volcanoes peak are high w/ snow cap year round & Winter outdoor sport. The Columbia river a great place for all fresh water sports while the many small mt w/ so many water falls. Not to mention the ocean beach w/ rain forests on the West coast & the dessert in the East. Beside it’s a bicycle friendly all over the city. Bike lane & trail are plenty. It’s an out-door friendly town, very good in human scale, walkable & transit oriented. Plus it has the famous late Post modernist Micheal Grave architect work, the Portland building in downtown.
In WA, the famous Mt Ranier, Mt St Helen, Mt Baker, Olympic NP & Bellingham at the North border. We skip Seatle to avoid city tourist crowd plus we have been there many times. But still manage for a brief stop in downtown to look at the new Seatle central public library by Rem Koolhaas & the Amazon spheres by NBBJ. The Mt camp & hikes are great.
We cross the border to CAN north of Bellingham in to Vancouver which is invades by Chinese Developments but Chinese food are great. Like LA+SF on steroid. We were planning to go into Jasper & Banff of CAN NP in BC but there were so many wildfires w/ so much smoke in the air as we approached. So we stay close to the coast as the ocean wind keep the smoke away. This is the 2nd time missing trips in the back wood of CAN. Summer 2023 wild fire in the Manitoba NE of CAN, I have to canceled the trip there & Suffer the brutal heat wave in TX. In the process camping out on my back yard, a little kitten adopted me & now is my buddy. He can come & go freely as he please no obligation & not interfere w/ my travel time off, not all are lost.
Mostly in CAN everything are big, vast & untamed like TX but not flat & cold. They also take advantages of American visitors. The scenic drive along the coast is great but dangerous. The Vancouver Island is the size of a beautiful small country. The ferry island’s jumping services around WA & CAN are conveniences even for cars. Many time save a lot of driving on land. Can cross the Salish Sea from port Angeles North of Olympic NP to have afternoon tea in Victoria CAN in no time. Then go North to explore Pacific rim NP from there.
Bellingham is a small beautiful town in the bay East of the Sanjuan islands & a gate way to AK. I catch AK ferry to the inside passage here twice but never look close of the town. This area is as pretty as in AK but more people w/ communities but not as wild, no grizzly bear here mostly black bear. Wild life retreat to deep woods, away from human invasion. Summer Sunset here are beautiful but long cold gray winter are not so. The big contrast is that just a short drive across the border North in Vancouver, there’s a big city where everything conveniences are available. People here in the Pacific NW are very pale, blonde & tall compare to the South Central but they can eat very spicy food, do not know why.
W/these, there still many more detail that I miss & will go back soon for more. After doing manmade architecture all my life. Not many manmade can surprise me more than the great Natures. It’s keep our body, minds & spirit clear, I take these anytime.
Best & Keep in touch,
Som Petchsrisom, AIA
Principal
sak vilas
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