Today was a genealogy/history field trip.   We went to Darrington, WA (state) where my grandparents farmed starting in 1925,   This is the view from the back door of the room I stayed in

And this is from the front of the building.    The scenery is stunningly gorgeous and beautiful still as few people live in the area.   It is nestled in the Cascades and for that reason gets more than its share of rain and cool weather.

We were able to visit the fields that my grandparents farmed as well as we were invited into the house that sits there now.   It is 4 times the size of the original house, which they remodeled as they added onto it.   There are people still living in the area today whose parents were friends of my relatives and their names were know.   I think it helped to have my 90 year old second cousin along as she was raised there and she remembered the names and who lived where.   It was all very interesting.

 The farmer who lives there today purchased not only my  grandfather’s farm, but grandpa’s brother’s farm as well and now has 700 acres which they farm as a family.   Both his 25 year old daughter and his 27  old son and their partners share in the farming.   They raise hay and 250 head of beef cattle.   It is such a pleasure to see young people still interested in saving the farms.

The small town is a destination place – not a place on the way to somewhere else.   And the economy has been hard on it.   We found the one small motet, a couple small coffee kiosks, but no place to eat.  Oh, and a small IGA grocery store.    I wonder how much longer it will stay small with the beautiful landscape it has

We visited this beautiful area nearby where the park service has moved this house.

And here is a canoe alongside the house so you can see the mode of travel on the river.

I will leave you with another photo of the area and be back with a different trip tomorrow.