Sep 12, 2012 - Spokane

We’ll be leaving Spokane on Thursday after a weeks stay. Spokane is another one of those non-tourist destinations that we seem to gravitate towards. After being on the Olympic Peninsula for two months, Spokane, at first, seemed like a huge city despite its population of 200,000. But we adjusted, grudgingly, to the faster pace. We visited Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane which was the site of the 1974 Expo. It was the first expo of its kind with an environmental theme rather than one focused on science and technology. This is rather...

Sep 9, 2012 - Visiting Grand Coulee Dam

With the Labor Day holiday weekend over and the kids back in school, we left Cashmere and continued our trip east to visit the Grand Coulee Dam. Part of the drive, through Highway 155, was extremely scenic. We drove through an area known as Dry Falls which, thousands of years ago, was a huge waterfall. Now, a 3-1/2 mile long basalt chasm exists. Part of the highway parallels a 27 mile man-made reservoir known as Banks Lake where water is pumped up from Grand Coulee Dam. Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest concrete structures in the...

Jul 15, 2012 - To Spokane Valley, WA

It is another travel day as we head east. We take Route 2 east. We see wheat. We see lots of wheat! Again, where are the apple trees? It is an easy ride. We stop just east of Spokane. It is an early day for us. We have lunch at a Mongolian Grill. Tomorrow we want to take the Buck Knife factory tour. There is not much more to report today. Campground: Spokane KOA

Jun 13, 2012 - Idaho and Montana

Got hitched up early this morning and took a ride out to see Jim and Susie Dysland before we headed to Montana. We went to lunch at a great Mexican restaurant. Then we showed them around the trailer, which took 5 minutes when we stopped to look at everything. Jim is a designer of the most beautiful pens and corks, all made from natural wood and gems. He was gracious enough to give us some. Great work, Jim…you are a master. We are looking forward to visiting with them again next summer. We took off for Montana, heading out about 1 p.m....

Jun 12, 2012 - Old friends

Today we met up with an old high school friend and his wife, Jim & Susie Dysland. I haven’t seen him since our 20th high school reunion in 1983. What fun to reminisce and get caught up on the years since. Oh, my gosh, it was like all those years had not gone by and we were talking as though it was just yesterday. They are such a great couple and we felt an immediate connection to them. Their home is amazing with many, many windows to take in the fabulous views of the mountainside. They have a natural walking path that moose, deer, quail,...

Jul 23, 2011 - Spokane Elks

Not too much narrative today. We pulled out of the Passport Park in Ellensburg and stopped up the road about 2 miles at the City Sanitary Plant to dump. Then we hit I-90 east and ended up in Spokane. It was an easy trip. One nice thing was that they (whoever THEY are) had put signs on the fences of what the crop in the fields were. Lots and lots of sweet corn - too much for retail market so we think it must go to a cannery. Even more hay, which our friend, Bruce says goes right to the coast and on a boat for Japan. The Elks Lodge sits on a...

Oct 5, 2009 - Spokane, WA

After our late departure from Thompson Falls, we made quick time over Thompson Pass, followed the Couer D'Alene River, then hit I-90 into Spokane. We found the world's LOUDEST campground - train tracks were approximately 100 yards away and the freight trains ran all night. Thank goodness for earplugs!

Jul 22, 2008 - Spokane Valley Washington

Pronounced Spokan, as we were told by a couple of people. We left West Glacier this morning and headed here with no problems. Cheryl, the co-pilot on our adventure uses a garmin, an atlas and a book called the "next exit" and a campground locator book. She has all of these sitting on her lap or on the dash and tells me where to go. Sometimes she does literally. Well today she plotted a route for us using secondary roads and it saved us over 150 miles along with some time/gas. The problem though it was out in the hills and no service...

Jul 10, 2008 - DAY 5 - Cascades Locks Oregon to Spokane, WA

TRAVEL DAY 5; TRIP DAY 5 - Thursday July 10, 2008. This morning we rose early or never slept due to the constant train traffic .....and traveled through the Columbia Gorge with the sun rising in front of us. It was amazing as we traveled from the craigs of the gorge into the plains of eastern Oregon. We left I-84 and traveled on I-82/US395 and I-90 into Spokane. Today we had strong winds that really challenged driving. As we approached Spokane Valley we could see what we thought we left in California - Thick Black Smoke! Fires everywhere...

Nov 24, 2007 - Aunt Kelly's -Spokane Valley, Washington

another great family day, me, Kelly, Jarrod and Taylor had a great day together....goofin around, checking out pictures, awesome dinner at SHOGUN's- Japanese Hibachi....very cool.....got to drink out of a Geisha and Jarrod drank out of the Buddha.:) Dinner was awesome....now we are kicking back in front of the fireplace:) Stay tuned...more to come....7 days left on this crazy vacation....

Oct 18, 2007 - HOME SWEET HOME

One last stop for a quick break at the $10,000 Bar. We arrived home about 2:30 this afternoon from Butte, Montana. A little rain and a touch of snow in Lookout Pass. 6,204 miles, safely traveled, has come to an end. I don't think that we could ever become full-timers. It is wonderful to get back home. What was the best? It would be hard to say. Each place has its own sights to see but we did really enjoy the Grand Ole Opry. I have to say - there isn't a prettier drive than from Billings, Montana to Spokane in the fall. The trees were at...