The Final Drive Home

We arrived at home safe and sound.  Twenty-two days of travel, 6041 kilometres driven, and eight states visited.  There were lots of boxes ticked on the “must see/do list”, lots of fun physical activities, quality time with friends, and lots of beautiful scenery to enjoy.

The day before yesterday we woke up in Butte, Montana to sunshine and crisp, white, snow-covered hills.  We enjoyed a full breakfast in the hotel and gassed up before joining I90 West for the trip through the mountains to Idaho and eventually Washington State, with Leavenworth as our destination.

Woke to a Light Blanket of Snow in Butte, Montana

Montana is truly “big sky” country and the vast expanses of ranch land are truly remarkable to view on a clear day.  As we neared the Montana – Idaho border we left the ranch lands and began to climb the Bitterroot Mountain range.  As we neared the summit the skies closed in and it began to snow.  Idaho is only 80 kilometres wide at this point but the cold, dark weather stayed with us until we began to descend into Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane Valley on the border between Idaho and Washington states.  Once we arrived in Spokane, the skies cleared and the temperatures rose.

Yes ... Those are Snow Flakes

Rain and Snow In the Bitterroot Mountains

Much Warmer & Sunnier in Washington

We switched highway routes in Spokane.  We left the quicker, southern route of the I90 through Snoqualmie Pass to the slower, more northerly, Highway 2, eventually leading to the Steven’s Pass. 

We had a few tense moments after leaving the interstate 90.  I hadn’t been monitoring the gas gauge and when I looked down at the on board fuel estimator, it estimated we had 29 kilometres of fuel left in the tank.  The problem was the next town was 50 kilometres away and there was nothing but rolling farm lands in all direction.  We slowed our speed to conserve gas and were relieved when we rolled into the one street and two gas stations town of Reardan.

After gassing up, Deborah took her turn at the wheel.  For the next 160 kilometres we cruised through nothing but huge tracts of cultivated land and the very occasional farmhouse.  Every once and a while we saw huge tractors dragging plows or planters across fields. 

Deborah's Turn At the Wheel

Easter Washington - Kind of Beautiful In Its Sparseness

Lonely Old School House

We crossed over the Columbia River, just south of the Grand Coulee Dam before arriving in Waterville.  Waterville is a very quaint farming town right out of an earlier time.  Locals play up the small town quaintness with lots of antique stores and vintage trucks, tractors and automobiles present.  We stopped for a short break and then were back on the road for the descent into the orchard country of the Wenatchee River Valley.

Lots of Old Stuff Like This in Waterville

We arrived in Leavenworth around 5:30 pm.  Leavenworth is located at the eastern terminus of the Stevens Pass through the Wenatchee Mountains that separate Washington’s interior plateau from the coast.  Like many of the small towns in this area, Leavenworth was in a state of decline many years ago and in decay with the loss of the old mining/logging industries.  The people of the area got together to save their town by reinventing themselves as a German Alpine town right out of Bavaria.  The buildings were repurposed, redesigned, and can easily pass as being authentically German.  It is a great place for a visit, hiking, and dinning.

Descending Into the Wenatchee Valley

Apple Orchards in Bloom

Views From Our Balcony at Alpine Inn

Dinner in Leavenworth

We stayed at the Alpine Inn on the Wenatchee River and dinned on Wiener Schnitzel, Goulash, wine and beer.  I don’t know if the innkeeper was German but she certainly acted German when she called us in our room at 9:03 when we hadn’t yet arrived for our 9 am complimentary breakfast.  I don’t know of many places outside of the real Germany that that might have occurred.

The next morning we wandered the town, shopped, and took some pictures.  We left around noon for the final drive home.

Leavenworth, Germany (USA)

It is a great drive along the Skykomish River with steep mountains walls soaring on both sides.  Once again, the temperature began to plummet as we climbed to the 4000 feet summit of the pass.  Spring is a long way away at the summit.  Huge amounts of snow were clearly evident at the summit’s ski area.   As we descended out of the mountains near Monroe, it was good to see the new green on the trees and smell the ocean scent in the air.

Stevens Pass Drive

The Summit

It Won't Be Spring Up Here For Awhile

Great To Be Back On the Coast

We left the Highway 2 and joined the I5 North for home.  We had one final stop in Bellingham to grocery shop and had dinner and a wander in Old Fairhaven on the Bay.

We arrived home at 9:30 pm, tired but happy to be there.

Travelling Can Be Tough On a Dog

The Surgery Was A Success!

That’s it for now.  Until we travel again.  What’s that … hiking 200 kilometres of the Camino Trail from Portugal to Spain in September… count us in!

Heading North - Yellowstone National Park

We left Las Vegas for points north at 12:30 pm.  We were late getting away due to: sleeping in until 9, cleaning the condo until 11, and two members of our party insisted on hitting the casino one last time.

Bdog and His Caregiver Insisted On One More Go.

We left LV on highway 15 North.  It took us northeast through the desert and we soon entered northwest Arizona.  We passed by Zion National Park.  Zion is something we have heard lots about and want to make it a destination one day but this wasn’t the day.  Our goal was to work our way towards Yellowstone National Park and the iconic Old Faithful geyser. 

The landscape change dramatically as we entered Arizona.  Gone was the flat desert as we climbed through some narrow canyons and entered red rock country.  We were not in Arizona for long before we cut the diagonal and entered Utah, home of the Mormons.  Every little place seemed to have at least one tabernacle with its single soaring spire.  Also notably absent were any kinds of signage involving liquor or cigarettes.

Arizona

Mostly Sparse Population & Great Looking Farms

Every Utah Town Had At Least One

The highway speed limit in Utah is 80 MPH so with a little fudge factor applied; we cruised along safely at 85 MPH (or 136 KMH per hour).  Traffic was light and the freeway good.  After a few hours of empty spaces, we entered the megalopolis of the Salt Lake City area.  Most of the people in Utah must live in this section that starts in Provo and ends in Ogden.  According to local information there are 2.9 million folks squeezed into the valley and along the Great Salt Lake.  We had been warned and were concerned about hitting this 80-kilometre urban section during rush hour.  To our relief and surprise we switched to Mountain Time and due to arriving later, missed the evening rush.  We stopped for the night in Tremonton, Utah.  We had left LV just after Noon in sun and 33 C, and arrived in Tremonton in rain and 6 C.  It was quite a shock to the system.

Great Cruising Speed

Snow Was Never Far Away

No Cigarettes or Booze But Lots of Gun Ads

Salt Lake City From Freeway

We were up at the crack of 9 am the next day for the final push to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  Interestingly the quickest way from Utah to Wyoming was through Idaho and Montana even though Wyoming is directly north of Utah.  We stuck with 15 North through Pocatello and Idaho Falls before crossing into Montana and then south to Wyoming, arriving at the West entrance to Yellowstone at 3 pm.  

First Through Idaho on 15N

Then Across Through Montana

Freeways are 80 MPH but Tractors Do What They Want In Montana

Headed Into A Storm

And Then It Got Ugly

We Arrived In Sunshine!

Just Past the Park Entrance - Into Wyoming

The park amenities don’t open until May but the park still charges $25 to get in.  The ranger, trying to give us a break, asked if I was 62.  When I said I was exactly 62 she smiled but then hesitated and wanted me to confirm I was an American.  I reluctantly said “no”.  She tried again and asked if I was a “dual citizen”?  Again, I said no.  She asked if I “could be”.  Resigned to disappointing her, I said no and paid the fee.

The Locals Were There To Greet Us

I was in Yellowstone 46 years ago as a sixteen year old travelling with friend Harvey and his parents.  There have been lots of changes in the park.  A forest fire about 15 years ago was left to burn great swaths of the park.  The controversy then was whether to fight the fire but the park is a nature reserve and nature was allowed to do what it wanted.  What has not changed is the Old Faithful geyser.  It appeared the same but with updated and better viewing areas.  This was Deborah's first visit to Yellowstone.

Lots Of Snow

Old Faithful Getting Started

Everybody Readied Their Cameras

Over The 5 Minutes  We Were Told It Hits 100 Feet

Ticked That Box

We arrived at Old Faithful at 3:30 and just missed the show.  Old Faithful faithfully erupts every 90 minutes so we spent time in the interpretive centre and having tea in the General Store.  We also had a look at the grand old lodge I stayed at with Harvey and his parents, Ike and Anne back in 1968.  It was yet to open for the season but I can remember the experience in great detail.  It was quite a change for a young person used to sleeping in a tent when travelling with his family.

We drove through the many roads and left the park after numerous stops to take pictures.  Spring has not yet sprung in places this far north (and on the wrong side of the Rockies).  There was lots of snow but the roads were bare.  Yellowstone is a place to return to and take advantage of the many hiking trails throughout when the snow has left the ground.  Old Faithful is not the only geyser, just the most famous.  The geyser fields produce a unique ecosystem and in at the height of the winter the warming effect of the geysers allows for grazing opportunities for the many bison roaming the park.  Deborah managed to get some great pictures.

Geyser Field

Bison Can Graze Year Around

We have been having a few problems with our on-board navigator Nancy.  We think she has some mental challenges.  At one point during the park drive she had us flying over tree tops when I can assure you we were driving on the road.

Nancy Has A Problem

 We were also informed at the Interpretive Centre that there are nearly 100,000 earthquakes a year in the park.  This helps keep the geysers flowing.  As well, we learned that there is an average of one bear attack on humans every year and that there were two people killed by bears in 2011.  Several of the roads were closed to traffic due to bears waking from their hibernations.

Bdog Had Not Heard of the Bear Attacks

After leaving the park about 6 pm, we reentered Montana and headed west on highway 90. Our goal was to stay in Bozeman but we arrived there in daylight and decided to push on to Butte. We began to regret our decision half way through as we climbed into the mountains and met a blizzard.  Temperatures dropped to 0 and seeing was difficult.  Our speed dropped to a crawl and we finally arrived at Butte with strained eyes, nerves, and a little bit of the relationship.

Montana - Big Sky Country

We closed our eyes and went to sleep that night with snow falling heavily outside.