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Escape to the West Hidden gems. Scenic drives. Local adventures.

🚗 Nevada has a forest where the trees are cars.And some of them are planted upside down.Welcome to the International Car...
10/11/2026

🚗 Nevada has a forest where the trees are cars.

And some of them are planted upside down.

Welcome to the International Car Forest of the Last Church in Goldfield, Nevada, one of the strangest roadside attractions along Highway 95.

More than 40 abandoned cars, trucks, vans and buses have been buried nose-first, stacked or balanced at ridiculous angles across the desert.

The project began with Goldfield resident Mark Rippie, who dreamed of creating the world's largest car forest. Artist Chad Sorg helped turn the collection into a sprawling outdoor art installation.

Today it's a constantly changing collection of murals, graffiti and automotive sculptures.

And yes, it's free to visit!

📍 LOCATION: Goldfield, Nevada, just off US Highway 95 on East Crystal Avenue, between Tonopah and Beatty.

🎟️ ADMISSION: Free. Donations appreciated.

🕒 HOURS: Open 24 hours, but daylight is best for exploring and photography.

🚗 ACCESS: Dirt roads lead into the exhibit. Parking is informal, with places to pull off and explore.

🐕 DOGS: Leashed dogs are welcome.

🚻 RESTROOMS: Portable restroom near the entrance.

👟 TERRAIN: Uneven dirt and gravel, no formal paved walking paths, and very little shade. Watch for rusty metal and desert wildlife.

📸 PHOTO TIP: Walk up to the higher ground for a view of the entire car forest with the mountains behind it.

One important note: Nevada tourism officials ask visitors to leave painting the vehicles to the artists rather than adding their own graffiti.

It's weird, wonderfully photogenic, and exactly the sort of unexpected stop that makes a road trip memorable.

And if you're wondering what an unused sewing machine and an ironing board have to do with a forest full of cars, head over to my Kim Roberts page. There's a story behind that.

Would you call this art or a junkyard with ambition?



Escape to the West Visit Nevada

Yes, you can grow lemons and limes outdoors on the Oregon Coast. 🍋 I do it just a short distance from the Pacific Ocean,...
10/11/2026

Yes, you can grow lemons and limes outdoors on the Oregon Coast. 🍋 I do it just a short distance from the Pacific Ocean, near the 45th parallel.

My secret? Wheels.

🪴 I grow my Meyer lemons and limes in pots on the patio. They enjoy our relatively mild coastal climate, and when temperatures drop below freezing, I simply wheel them onto the covered porch or into the garage.

Some established citrus varieties can tolerate temperatures down to about 20 degrees for short periods, but fruit and tender growth can be damaged well before that. I prefer not to test their limits.

And I don't bring them into the house. They tend to get buggy indoors, and I'd rather keep the bugs outside where they belong.

This morning, when the temperature dipped to 37 degrees, I decided to start my lemon harvest.

One lemon.

There are still half a dozen on my little Meyer lemon plant, so I'm hardly going into commercial production.

But that lemon inspired a new cookie recipe!

I had some lemon drop cocktail ri***ng sugar I'd never used, and decided to put it to work making lemon drop snickerdoodles.

🍪 LEMON DOODLES OR SNICKER DROPS...YOU CHOOSE!

Mix together in this order, stirring as you go:

• 1 cup salted butter, melted in the microwave
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Juice and zest from 2 lemons
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Use a cookie scoop to form balls of dough and roll them in lemon drop cocktail ri***ng sugar or regular granulated sugar.

Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 8–10 minutes.

They'll look really soft when you take them out of the oven. Take them out anyway! They'll firm up as they cool.

Let them cool completely. Then eat them. That's the easy part.

The results? Pretty darn good!

🍋 Do you grow citrus and have any tips to share?

Escape to the West Explore Lincoln City

What started as a little fruit stand in the middle of nowhere has become one of southeastern Washington's tastiest desti...
10/11/2026

What started as a little fruit stand in the middle of nowhere has become one of southeastern Washington's tastiest destinations!

Country Mercantile, just outside Pasco, has grown into a must-stop for food lovers, families, and anyone who appreciates a good roadside discovery.

And October is an especially fun time to visit!

🎃 HARVEST FESTIVAL
October 1–31, 2026

The annual festival includes a pumpkin patch, corn maze, tractor hayrides, giant bounce pillow, mini golf, straw bale maze, duck races, and plenty of fall photo opportunities.

🍫 THE FOOD
Inside, you'll find an epic selection of chocolates, gourmet foods, homemade tamales, incredible ice cream, and fresh local produce.

📍 WHERE
232 Crestloch Road, Pasco, Washington, just off Highway 395.

🎟️ FESTIVAL ADMISSION
Weekdays: $12.95 online / $14.95 at the gate
Weekends: $13.95 online / $16.95 at the gate

Children 2 and under are free. Seniors 65+ and military receive a $2 discount. Taxes are additional.

⏰ FESTIVAL HOURS
Monday–Friday: 3–7 PM
Saturday–Sunday: 9 AM–7 PM

Pumpkins are sold separately at 39¢ per pound. Carnival rides and certain activities cost extra.

It's remarkable how this little roadside fruit stand has grown while keeping its agricultural roots.

And judging by the pumpkins, fall has arrived in a big way!

Have you visited Country Mercantile? What's your favorite treat?



Kim Roberts Escape to the West

⛏️ How did the “Richest Hill on Earth” become an anti-bird sanctuary?📍 Berkeley Pit | Butte, Montana⛏️ 1955 — Open-pit c...
10/10/2026

⛏️ How did the “Richest Hill on Earth” become an anti-bird sanctuary?

📍 Berkeley Pit | Butte, Montana

⛏️ 1955 — Open-pit copper mining begins at the Berkeley Pit.

🛑 1982 — Mining ends and the groundwater pumps are shut off. The enormous pit begins filling with water.

📏 1 MILE LONG • ½ MILE WIDE • 1,780 FEET DEEP — That's one enormous hole in the ground!

💧 50+ BILLION GALLONS — The pit contains acidic water loaded with dissolved metals.

🚰 2019 — Pumping and treatment begin to keep the water below a critical level and protect surrounding groundwater.

🦆 365 DAYS A YEAR — A dedicated crew uses propane cannons, fireworks, lasers and drones to discourage birds from landing.

🎯 99.8% — Reported success rate since 2018 at keeping waterfowl out of the toxic water.

👀 VISITING — The Berkeley Pit viewing stand offers a remarkable look at Butte's mining history and ongoing environmental cleanup.

Kim Roberts Escape to the West Visit Montana

When you Escape to the West you may want to have ribs. 🐷 BABY BACKS vs. ST. LOUIS RIBSWhat's the difference, and which s...
10/09/2026

When you Escape to the West you may want to have ribs.

🐷 BABY BACKS vs. ST. LOUIS RIBS

What's the difference, and which should you order?

🐷 BABY BACK RIBS

Cut from the upper rib cage near the backbone. They're shorter, curved, leaner and generally more tender.

🐷 ST. LOUIS-STYLE RIBS

Cut from the belly side of the rib cage. They're flatter, fattier and have a richer flavor. They're actually spare ribs trimmed into a neat rectangle.

🔥 THE SHORT VERSION

Baby backs = leaner and tender

St. Louis = richer and meatier

Both can be smoked, grilled or sauced. It's the cut of meat that makes the difference, not the cooking method.

📍 TWO PLACES WORTH TRYING

🐷 Longhorn Barbecue — Spokane, Washington

My favorite St. Louis ribs.

🐷 Saltgrass Steak House — Laughlin, Nevada

My favorite baby back ribs.

These recommendations come after years of very serious BBQ research. Some of it even required entire vacations.

Now it's your turn. Are you ordering baby backs or St. Louis ribs?

Saltgrass Steak House Longhorn Barbecue

🐟 FISH LADDERS, GIANT LOCKS & A BOATLOAD OF SALMON!Little Goose Dam on Washington's Snake River is more than a hydroelec...
10/09/2026

🐟 FISH LADDERS, GIANT LOCKS & A BOATLOAD OF SALMON!

Little Goose Dam on Washington's Snake River is more than a hydroelectric dam. It's a fascinating place to watch river transportation, learn about salmon migration and see some impressive engineering.

We visited this spring and happened to catch a barge carrying young salmon and steelhead through the navigation locks!

🚢 THE FISH BARGES

Each spring, juvenile salmon and steelhead migrate downstream toward the Pacific Ocean. Some are collected at Snake River dams and transported by specially equipped barges.

Their destination? The Columbia River below Bonneville Dam, where they're released to continue their journey to the ocean.

🐟 THE FISH LADDER

Adult salmon and steelhead returning upstream have a different route.

A series of stepped pools allows fish to swim upward around the dam, resting between sections. It's essentially a staircase for fish!

🚢 THE NAVIGATION LOCK

Commercial barges travel through an enormous lock that raises or lowers vessels approximately 100 feet, depending on river levels.

Watching those massive gates operate is an experience in itself.

💦 THE DAM

Completed in 1970, Little Goose Dam produces hydroelectric power, supports commercial navigation and includes facilities for migrating fish.

📍 PLAN YOUR VISIT

• Location: Snake River near Starbuck, Washington

• Admission: No charge for publicly accessible areas

• What to see: Dam viewpoints, navigation lock, fish passage facilities and river scenery

• Best time for fish activity: Spring and summer, although migration timing varies by species

• Photography: Bring your camera! The surrounding basalt hills and river views are spectacular.

• Access: Public access and tours can vary with security and operating conditions. Check with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before visiting.

We came for a look at the dam and got a front-row seat to a very unusual fish delivery!

Have you ever watched a vessel pass through a navigation lock?



You can see the video Kim Roberts .

Escape to the West State of Washington Tourism

👻 Most ghost towns let you look through the windows. Bannack, Montana, lets you walk through the doors.More than 50 hist...
10/09/2026

👻 Most ghost towns let you look through the windows. Bannack, Montana, lets you walk through the doors.

More than 50 historic buildings remain in this former gold-rush town, and visitors can explore many of them from the inside.

Peeling wallpaper, old staircases, abandoned classrooms and weathered storefronts make Bannack feel less like a museum and more like a town whose residents simply walked away.

And that's only the beginning of its story.

🏚️ THE TOWN

Gold was discovered along Grasshopper Creek in 1862. Thousands came looking for it, and Bannack eventually became Montana Territory's first capital.

🏨 WHAT YOU’LL SEE

Hotel Meade, the schoolhouse and Masonic Lodge, Methodist Church, cabins, businesses and other remnants of the mining town still line the old streets.

🪙 THE GOLD

Bannack was born during the Civil War. A ranger told us that gold from Bannack made its way east and was used by Abraham Lincoln to help fund the Union war effort.

♿ ACCESSIBILITY

Wooden boardwalks make portions of town easier to navigate, although they're bumpy. The broad dirt street may actually work better for some wheelchairs.

Many historic buildings have steps, thresholds and narrow entrances.

🐕 DOGS

Welcome on leash.

💵 ADMISSION

We were told at the park that vehicles with Montana plates enter free. Nonresidents pay a day-use fee.

📍 WHERE

Bannack State Park, about 25 miles southwest of Dillon, Montana.

📸 DON'T MISS

Bannack isn't a recreation of an Old West town. It's the town they left behind.

I explored Bannack with a friend who uses a wheelchair, and it gave me an entirely different perspective on this old town.

Head over to my Kim Roberts page for that story.

Have you ever explored a ghost town where you could actually go inside the buildings?



Escape to the West Visit Montana

My parents are buried at Tahoma National Cemetery, so maybe that’s part of why cemeteries have never felt creepy to me. ...
10/08/2026

My parents are buried at Tahoma National Cemetery, so maybe that’s part of why cemeteries have never felt creepy to me. They’re often quiet, lush and filled with history.

One of my favorites is the old pioneer cemetery near Markham, Washington, tucked into the Johns River Wildlife Area along Highway 105.

Of course, I may have a slightly unusual relationship with this particular cemetery. Years ago, I went there with friends on Halloween.

In the dark.

Wearing ballgowns.

For a photo shoot.

And because every nighttime cemetery photo shoot in formalwear needs appropriate music, I carried a boom box so I could play “Monster Mash.”

As one does.

The cemetery dates to the 1880s and holds roughly 20 graves from some of Grays Harbor’s early pioneer families. Before there was a road, people traveled there by boat at high tide for burials—and sometimes had to wait for the tide to return before they could leave.

Today, getting there requires a hike through the Johns River Wildlife Area.

📍 Markham, Washington
🥾 Roughly 3.2–4 miles round trip
🌲 Wetlands, forest and some uphill terrain
🚗 Small gravel parking area off Highway 105 near the Ocean Spray cranberry plant
🎟️ Discover Pass required
🚻 No restrooms
✂️ TIP: I always carry pruners there to help keep it clear.

It’s peaceful, beautiful and just remote enough to feel like you’ve discovered something.

Ballgown and boom box optional.

What’s your favorite cemetery?

📷 Photo credit: Marcy Merrill

Kim Roberts Escape to the West

Imagine building a dam so enormous that it creates a lake stretching more than 100 miles into the desert.That's Lake Mea...
10/08/2026

Imagine building a dam so enormous that it creates a lake stretching more than 100 miles into the desert.

That's Lake Mead.

When construction began on Hoover Dam in 1931, thousands of workers descended on the Nevada desert during the Great Depression. Boulder City was established to house them.

The dam was completed in 1935, two years ahead of schedule, and Lake Mead began filling behind it.

Named for Elwood Mead, a commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, the reservoir became the largest in the United States by water capacity.

Today, Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers much more than a view of the famous dam.

You can explore desert hiking trails, take scenic drives, fish, boat, kayak or visit historic sites. The contrast between brilliant blue water and rugged desert mountains makes it a photographer's playground.

Planning a visit?

📍 About 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, near Boulder City, Nevada.

🚗 Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, valid for seven consecutive days. National parks passes are accepted.

🕒 The recreation area is open year-round, 24 hours a day, although individual facilities have different schedules.

🚤 Boating and kayaking are popular, but check current launch ramp conditions before arriving.

🥾 Historic Railroad Trail offers an easy walk through five enormous tunnels once used to transport construction supplies to Hoover Dam.

🌡️ Fall, winter and spring are generally the most comfortable seasons for hiking. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F.

And yes, the famous white bathtub ring around the reservoir shows just how far the water has fallen.

Have you visited Lake Mead or toured Hoover Dam?



Escape to the West Visit Nevada

🍄 There’s fungus among us. And for one weekend in October, Yachats celebrates it.The Yachats Mushroom Festival returns O...
10/07/2026

🍄 There’s fungus among us. And for one weekend in October, Yachats celebrates it.

The Yachats Mushroom Festival returns October 16–18 with three days devoted to the strange, beautiful and surprisingly complicated world growing on the forest floor.

🍄 WHAT YOU’LL FIND

Guided mushroom walks take visitors into the coastal forest to learn how to spot and identify different species.

There are also free educational talks, workshops, a mushroom exhibition and identification hall, and an All Things Mushroom Fair featuring fresh fungi, foods, art and mushroom-related products.

You can even bring mushrooms you’ve found to the identification hall and have experts take a look.

🐕 AND THEN THERE ARE THE TRUFFLE DOGS

This year’s Friday keynote focuses on truffles and the dogs trained to find them.

There’s even a truffle-dog walk at Marys Peak near Philomath on Friday afternoon.

📍 YACHATS, OREGON
📅 October 16–18, 2026
🎟️ Many festival activities are free; guided walks and some special events require tickets
🥾 Guided mushroom walks are $10 and range from beginner to advanced
🐕 Dogs are not allowed on the guided mushroom walks
🚗 Some walk locations have limited parking; Cape Perpetua parking is $5

Whether you know a chanterelle from a chicken of the woods—or just know mushrooms belong on pizza—this is a pretty entertaining way to learn what’s hiding in the Oregon Coast forest.

My personal mushroom musings are at Kim Roberts. Suffice to say, I won't be sampling.

Would you go mushroom hunting if you had an expert leading the way?



Escape to the West Visit Yachats Oregon Coast

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