High on my list of things to do was a visit to what appeared to be the busiest restaurant in Newport, WA, Audrey's. As Jon pointed out to me, part of their popularity must be the parking spaces large enough to park their extended crew cab, full bed, 4x4s. Mine included. The reality, though, was that there just weren't any spaces marked so people parked wherever they could fit. And there was some pretty darn good food inside. The Little League World Series was playing on the television and the chili-burger and fries were so big I could only eat half! The next morning I went back and had much better luck downing a chicken fried steak, eggs, and potatoes. I felt vindicated!
I did a little decorating of my trailer. Thought it would be fun to start tracking where I've been as I wander around the country. There are only four or five states that I've never been in, but I expect to visit all of them in the coming few years. Periodically I'll post a new map with updates as I travel. I'm also posting the stickers from National Parks that I visit along the way. So far, that only includes Glacier, but I know I'll visit more. I'm hoping to actually camp in some of them this time.
The end of the week turned rainy and the wind buffeted my little home. I had to take a picture before the wind came up and then pulled in the awning. I didn't want the trailer to turn into a box-kite overnight. It was spectacular watching the lightning flash above my skylights.
I waited to leave Monday morning until the fog had burned off. My cheap, crappy, little Styrofoam ice chest that wasn't worth a lick anyway, took off in the wind and landed in the field. I never found the lid and I searched quite a ways out for it. Later, I bought a nice small ice chest that fits perfectly behind my driver's seat in the truck and keeps things cold.
After breaking camp on Monday, I headed South to Post Falls and bought myself a good Buck camp knife at the Buck Knife factory store. My flimsy little pocket knife is nice if I need to open a box, but just isn't much of a utility knife. Now I have one. I also stopped at Cabela's just before I crossed into Washington for the trek eastward. The inflatable mattress that plugs into a 120v outlet went back as did the mirror extensions for the truck. Apparently, they changed the design of the F150 mirrors and the kit no longer fits. But then I was off across the State of Washington on I-90. This isn't my favorite way to travel, but I mitigated the problems by stopping at each of the five rest areas along the way to have a cup of coffee.
I've crossed the Columbia River four times on this trip, I think. I get confused as to where it goes sometimes. But it's always an amazing sight to me to crest the rise coming into the gorge on I-90. I stopped at the scenic overlook to just appreciate this astounding view. It's also another of those areas that you learn a bit about the people who once called it home. In this case, it's the Wanapum Indians. They never had a war with the United States and therefore never signed a treaty. Apparently, in U.S. policies, it is okay to completely overrun a native people if they don't put up a fight. As a result, the Wanapum have virtually disappeared. They are commemorated with a plaque near the river.
Now I have to take a different tack on this subject. Like all liberals, I lament the loss of a native culture, decry the mistreatment by the white blight that marched across the country claiming all as its own, and want to see all people treated fairly. Yet, I look at the unending strife between people who defended their lands and wonder if perhaps the full integration of one people with another isn't the right way to go. Whether it is Croatians and Serbs or Europeans and Native Americans, or Laotians and Cambodians, I believe that the preservation of national and racial identities has outlived its usefulness. We're not going to get people to stop hating each other until the parents have held their noses and bred across the boundaries. We need to stop identifying our cultures, religions, and national boundaries as worth fighting over. </End of Rant>
All the times that I've crossed the State of Washington, I'd never taken the time to stop at the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park just north of Vantage. This time I did. Wow! There are 27 different species of trees preserved here as a result of both volcanic and glacial action. They are fascinating and the interpretive center is great at showing the differences and explaining the process. Apparently there are a dozen petrified forest monuments at various places in the U.S. I'm looking forward to visiting the National Park when I'm down in Arizona.
I camped at Wanapum State Park Campground just five miles south of the petrified forest on the shores of Wanapum reservoir. The campground is center in this photo with Wanapum Dam in the upper left. Saw several different birds in this area, including eagles and some black and white bird that I didn't recognize.
There's my little home behind the tree in the foreground. It's a beautiful little park with a gorgeous beach. The wind picked up again with a little rain Monday night, so I pulled in the awning again and was tucked nice and cozy in the trailer for the night.
Of course, it did not escape my attention that others share the campground and the park. I always carried a walking stick with me when I went out for a hike, but didn't see any of the other denizens of this area.
And then Tuesday morning, I headed for Bellevue. But that's another day.
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