We left Lewisville, Idaho, yesterday morning, deciding to take back roads for the better half of eastern Washington. We took Route 12 (still the Lewis and Clark trail) to Route 261 to Route 26. It was incredible to see the amount of crop farmland, coupled with wind farms. At many points, wind turbines stretched as far as the eye could see. We also noted the number of irrigation systems dotting the landscape. Empathetic to the drought situation plaguing 37 states right now, it spawned a great conversation about water conservation. To further illustrate the issue, we passed a small brush fire on our way.
After driving for hours without civilization in sight, Phill got very excited when he saw the sign for Starbuck. Not exactly what he had in mind.
It was 85 degrees in Lewisville when we left (at 7:30 am). As we gained altitude, the clouds rolled in, the moisture in the air increased, and the temperature plummeted. At one point I looked down to notice the car thermometer read 55. It's hard for me to accept that degree change in July!
Our first stop in Seattle was to drop the Toyota off at the shipping company and wish her farewell for her maiden voyage. The car will be loaded onto a semi which will deliver her to the ship on Monday morning. She sets sail on Tuesday. She's been a great little car for us...probably enduring more dirt roads and mountain climbs than ever imagined. It felt good to turn over the keys, knowing that Kati is going to benefit greatly from finally having her own car back in Alaska.
With our mission of delivering the car in one piece accomplished, we actually felt a little deflated. We sat in the parking lot of the shipping company for awhile, reminiscing over all the miles and memories. But now what? As we sat in our new Chevy Malibu rental car, the trip took on a foreign feel. Our escort these last 5,000 miles had now left us.
Well, all this commiserating lasted about 10 minutes. We had two great states to see and 48 hours to do it in. Here we go!
First on the list: DINNER! And boy did we find a gem of a place in Tacoma. I've decided I will stuff myself silly with seafood until that plane takes off on Sunday night. Skeptical at first when we drove up, my suspicions were quickly laid to rest at this amazing sushi place. We decided on the "all you can eat" option, thinking we'd get to try a number of their intriguing rolls. Never have I seen such big rolls in my life (and I've eaten a LOT of sushi), nor tasted ones that were so delicious. We didn't even make it through three whole rolls.
With stomachs stuffed, Phill wanted to take a trip down memory lane. We drove over to McChord Air Force Base, where his family was stationed when he was in the first and second grades. We saw his old house and his old elementary school. He pointed out the principal's office, recounting the number of visits he made there. This was the playground where he and Bryce flipped Lori's skirt to reveal her yellow polka dotted underwear. Yes, my husband was quite mischievous in his younger years. He could remember all the neighborhood trees that he used to climb, as well as his favorite fishing hole where he, his brother, and his dad spent a lot of time. It was neat to sit beside him as we drove and he recounted all the memories.
From there, we hopped on the interstate and dashed towards Portland. Crazy, I know. But we were so close. And in retrospect, we're glad we did. We fell in love with Portland...
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