 |
At the river park in Spokane
|
Back home in Murphys after 20 days on the road, we are amazed at how easy it really was to travel 3,000 miles in our 2002 VW camper. And we saw some of the most beautiful parts of the country, particularly along the upper west coasts.
Our goal was simple: go to Spokane, Washington, and visit with our son. We took advantage of the route, and the country on the way up and back.
We went through five states -- California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. We spent 14 nights in campgrounds, and six in motels. The camping was all five star experience, and the motels not that interesting (but we had hot showers and laundry facilities).
We ate what we wanted, when we wanted, including a lot of clam chowder and very little fast food. I lost one pound and Pat may have gained one.
We spent some quality time with both our grown children, Zack and Ruth, and saw several old friends.
Yes, gas was expensive, ranging from a low of $4.99 to $6.99 a gallon. Touristy areas and big cities cost more than small towns and places along the highway. Everybody complains.
The bills have not all come in but because we camped most of the time, and ate at good small town cafes instead of 5-star spots, it was reasonable.
We would do it again.
Here's how it went:
 |
Ebbetts Pass/Hermit Valley with some snow remaining
|
DAY ONE
We left Murphys after lunch, drove across Ebbetts Pass which had just been cleared of snow the previous week, and headed north through Nevada. We've been there many times, and the high spot remains seeing herds of wild horses out on the hills, and passing through Fernley, Nevada, home town of my late friend and a great journalist Frank McCullough. Frank was one of the best bosses I ever had. No matter what you faced, he had been there and done that and offered gentle counsel. He started in Fernley, and went on to play professional baseball, joined the Marines, got more education and became a star covering the Vietnam War, and senior editor of the three biggest newspapers in California.
We flew right past Fernley.
We had set our first night goal as Winnemucca, but came up short in Lovelock. We checked out an RV Park, which turned out to be a shabby unattended spot for seasonal workers, so opted for the town's biggest motel. The highlight was me winning $25 on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine. The low-light was the dog that barked outside the room all night long. A bed. Two stars at best. Moving on.
DAY TWO
Because we were not in a hurry, we stopped the next morning at The Grill in Winnemucca for a massive breakfast, and then drove north through the rolling farmlands of Eastern Oregon, with a quick look at the area where Lewis and Clark explored along the Columbia River.
 |
The Columbia below the Tri-Cities
|
 |
Eastern Washington in the Spring is Green
|
The destination for our second night was Boise, Idaho, where our friends Anne and Alan Christie have retired. We were neighbors in Modesto in the 80s, and they were the people who fed us our first Thanksgiving dinner in California and introduced us to hot tubs. Alan and a friend taught me to drink beer in the hot tub and toss the empties into the trash can.
Our children attended school together, and we all camped and skied and hiked in the Sierra.They were the people you never forget: they made us welcome in a new home.
 |
Downtown Boise believes in art
|
We stayed at a Red Lion near the Boise airport. A good place, but noisy due to the Interstate outside the window.
We visited their home, under renovation, and shared a meal and a tour that included seeing their daughter Andrea for the first time in at least 20 years.
 |
| Reunion time with Christies |
 |
Daughter Andrea at her work
|
A quick look affirmed what they told us: Boise is a beautiful town, worth a longer stay.
But we pushed on to a spot the Christies told us about, a campground/RV Park near the town of Lagrande, located at the foot of a hill beside a natural hot spring. Trees. Grass. Plenty of room and the bonus of a the hot springs pools on the property.
 |
103 degrees and happy
|
We remembered our bathing suits, and jumped in for a long soak.
 |
Plenty of space, cool night and a few raindrops
|
It looked like rain but the folks there said if anything we might get some snow.
It was a good, chilly night.
DAY THREE
 |
Morning in the VW Eurovan
|
A Friday: A quick drive north and we arrived in Spokane in mid-afternoon, called Zack, and checked into the airport Best Western Motel. (All the downtown hotels were filled with people who came from all over to see/hear "Hamilton" playing at the big theater downtown.)
The motel was a good choice: quiet and less than 10 minutes from Zack's house.
We ate nearby, had a good long visit, and got ready to see the town on Saturday with him as our tour guide.
 |
Zack's home
|
DAY FOUR
Pat and took off early to see the famous river parks in downtown Spokane. The town is essentially split by the river and its rapids, and they have taken advantage of it and created parks that are easy to access. One part is dedicated to families with children, and has ever imaginable swing and toy to play on, and it was packed with young families.
Another section uses the old river bridge as a walkway, and you can stand right over the rapids and look down on the cascade.
Zack then took us around the town, showing us the artsy section, the heart of town and then a drive through the rich neigborhoods. When we got hungry he flipped out his phone and found a delightful small cafe, the South Hill Grill, with a line of people waiting to get in. Pat interviewed the locals while waiting and had the best meal of the entire tip. Her's included roasted avocados, he had Sushi rolls. I just recall mine was really good. More visiting back at the hotel and we called it a night.
 |
Zack
|
DAY FIVE
On Sunday we went for a long drive in the country, traveling south of Spokane to the college town of Pullman, to see an old friend of Zack's who moved there in the past year.
The drive down was through rolling farm country, with everything an incredible shade of bright green. The scenic beauty of the farmlands in eastern Washington and Oregon is stunning.
At Pullman we picked up Brett and checked out the town, including a thrift store they both like, and had coffee on the patio by the creek before heading back to Spokane.
For dinner Zack suggested Frank's Diner, a popular restaurant built into railroad cars. We sat at the counter and watched the cooks do their magic. I had something called Meatloaf Benedict, Zack had a big steak and Pat had French Toast on cranberry orange bread. All the food was excellent.
DAY SIX
It was Monday and Zack had to go back to work, so we made a decision to head for the coast to enjoy the cool weather and fantastic beaches. (We had planned to come back through Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to see my niece, but she was tied up and we promised to come back another time.)
 |
Looking for Woody
|
The route we chose followed the Lewis and Clark Trail along the Columbia River. The river is legendary, partly because the WPA hired a song writer named Woody Guthrie to write about it as a way to promote the recovery from the Depression. He captured the moment in his lyrics:
At Bonneville now there are ships in the locks
The waters have risen and cleared all the rocks
Shiploads of plenty will steam past the docks
So roll on, Columbia, roll on
And on up the river is Grand Coulee Dam
The mightiest thing ever built by a man
To run the great factories and water the land
So roll on, Columbia, roll on
 |
The Bonneville Dam today
|
We stayed at an Oregon state park alongside the river, actually tucked in between the Interstate and the railroad track. The good news was that the railroad. while busy, was in a cut below us and the sound of the trains was soothing. The highway was a bit loud, but more than made up for it in the beauty of the campground: oak trees and grass and flowers, spread out with views of the Columbia rolling buy on downstream to Bonneville and Portland. Here's a couple of views from the campground.
The view from the campground to the east
Pat enjoying the green all around
 |
Uninvited guest at the table
|
The next stop of the journey took us to the Northern Coast of Oregon, a place we'd never stayed before, a detour to visit friends is a town named Scapoose, and a wonderful week down the coasts of Oregon and California until we joined our daughter and son-in-law and extended family.
That, with lost of beach pictures, will be in Part Two of the Great Northwest.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
