Hung out with my buddy Andy and his in-laws in Missoula on Tuesday. I met his wife Katie's awesome family and got to see their daughter MacKenzie now 1 year old... Time flies. We also went out to The Rhinoceros Bar and enjoyed some Missoula nightlife... Good times. I was out way later that I'd hoped to be, but it was all good. I had a good time with Andy and the in-laws.
I was on the road before sunrise on Wednesday August 4 and had amazing scenery through the Lolo and Clearwater National Forests along US Route 12. The picture above is the Lochsa River in Idaho. US-12 featured one of my favorite road signs... "Winding Road Next 99 Miles". It was the first time I'd wished I'd gotten a car with better handling than the tanky Mercury Mountaineer. No complaints. I rolled through the Nez Perce Indian Reservation which was more desert and rolling dry hills as I approached the Washington border.
Crossing into Washington state on US-12 was not as I expected. For some reason I envisioned tall evergreens everywhere... not the case. It was farmland and dairy cows as far as I could see. It reminded me of the drive down I-5 in California near Coalinga. Stinky cows, haze and lots of rolling beige horizon. Next, if you have a chance to visit Walla Walla, Washington, pass on that. I'd recommend going up past Yakima to the town of George... just for the coolness of the name when you say it out loud with the state name. Oh, and it gets better... George, WA was named and incorporated on July 4 (no less) in 1957 by a gentleman named... wait for it... Charlie Brown.
I cruised through the Snoqualmie National Forest and saw some amazing volcanic and glacial relationship drama. The waterfall at right is an example. I was able to catch a glimpse of Mt. Rainier as well but it was socked in clouds, so I decided to camp myself at La Wis Wis Campground in the Gifford Pinchot National forest in Packwood, WA... no snickering please. This way I could get up early and try again for a better view of the most prominent peak in the lower 48. The view in the morning? Worse.
I bolted down to Portland, OR in the morning and picked up my friends Karen, Mojo and Jeremy at the airport. We were headed to my friends Nick and Amber's wedding. We met the wedding party, family and friends on Thursday and played golf with the boys on Friday. The ceremony on Saturday August 7, was at McMenamin's Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, OR. It was a fantastic wedding and it was great to meet all kinds of great new people. Thankfully I got the OC contingent to the airport early on Sunday which allowed me to get a good jump on my next scenic road trip adventure... the Oregon Coast. Mr. and Mrs. Spady... Congrats! I love you guys!
-natedog
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