Trip 2013: Trip 2013 Peshastin,Leavenworth, and Wenatchee Washington

For the past two weeks we have had a relaxing time at my Mom's. After leaving Salem,OR we arrived in Peshastin,WA it is a small community that has only one employer Blue Bird which is a apple processing and storage facility. Within five miles from there is a quaint town called Leavenworth which is in the design of an european village, all the buildings have lots of fret work and colorful pictures, designs and flowers, lots of flowers everywhere. Another town not too far from Peshastin is Cashmere which has another apple packing and storage plant, and the most delicious candy called Aplets & Cotlets which are only produced by the Liberty Orchards. About another ten miles from there is the city of Wenatchee and of course it has many apple and pear processing facilities. Not too far from the city is the Rocky Reach Dam which produces electric power for some of the surrounding area. The dam is on the Columbia river and is part of the hydro electric power producing system. The Grand Coulee Dam is the first dam that starts the gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy production. It is the largest electric power-producing facility in the United States and one of the largest concrete structures in the world. Rocky Reach Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the U.S. state of Washington owned and operated by Chelan County Public Utility District. It has 11 generators rated in total 1300 MW. The project is on the Columbia River in north central Washington state about seven miles (11 km) upstream from the city of Wenatchee. The dam is 473 miles (761 km) above the mouth of the Columbia. The reservoir impounded by the dam is Lake Entiat. The project provides energy for more than 7 million people throughout the Pacific Northwest. Rocky Reach is nationally recognized for efforts to protect the environment. A first-of-its-kind juvenile fish bypass system was completed in 2003 to help young salmon and steelhead on their way to the ocean. A major powerhouse upgrade started in 1995 includes new turbines that are more fish friendly. Improvements to turbines and generators are also designed to improve efficiency and reliability. These dams are part of eleven dams that wind there way through Washington to Oregon and to the Pacific Ocean.The Wenatchee Valley and the surrounding cities provide apples, pears and cherries to all parts of the world. And of course back to the ranch for a family get together, lots of food, drink and fun.