Sometimes on the road there is a gem of discovery along the way. Stop at Baldock Rest Area in Oregon along southbound I-5 between Portland and Salem for a hidden “Grove of the States” trail, with a tree representing every state. It is a meandering delightful walk along a short path through the trees. What a perfect rejuvenating travel experience, especially on a long haul.
Around the back is more parking and a colorful flower garden too. It would be wonderful if every rest stop could have a place to walk and a special feature like this one for truckers and travelers alike. It is restful, educational, and especially nice in the spring, when the trees are blooming. Travel through Oregon along I-5 is greatly enhanced by large and beautiful trees along the way. Oregon has some of my favorite rest stops.
DIRECTIONS:
From the north – Portland, OR
Take I-5 southbound 17 miles
(Between milepost 281-282)
Signs mark the exit for the Rest Area
From the south – Salem OR
Take I-5 north for 28 miles
Exit 282 at Canby and cross over the bridge
Get on I-5 south back towards Salem
Baldock Rest Area is 1/4 mile
If you are not driving on the west coast and would like to see the trees of every state too, it appears that the east coast has a large National Arboretum that was established by Congress in 1927. It contains a sample of each state tree. Each of the 50 states has a designated official tree and a flower displayed there. Interestingly, many of the state flowers are actually trees too.
The National Arboretum is located in the northeast section of Washington, DC, approximately ten minutes from the Capitol Building. There are two entrances: one at 3501 New York Avenue, NE, and the other at 24th & R Streets, NE, off of Bladensburg Road. Free parking is available in large lots located near the Grove of State Trees, by the R Street entrance, and at the New York Avenue entrance as well.
I don’t suppose there is parking for a big-rig, but maybe if they have bus parking- you could call and ask. I think I was near there when I was lost in DC. It seems like a hard place to get around in; maybe you east coast drivers could comment about that. I always seem to get lost, and last time I was there I was sure someone would call the police about a large semi-truck wandering around near the capitol building. Not fun!
The arboretum takes up 446 acres with 9.5 miles of winding roadways that about half a million people stop to visit each year. They say you can tour it by car, bus, or bicycle or ride the tram. The tram is professionally driven with a 35-minute taped tour highlights all of the U.S. National Arboretum’s gardens, collections and natural foliage areas. During the non-stop ride, passengers hear the narration about the Arboretum, its history, mission, and collections. It sounds like a tree lover’s delight.
If you liked that post, then try these...
No comments:
Post a Comment