This was the picture on the wall in our room in the Wildhorse Casino complex. Eric always wanted to be and Indian! BTW Indian is the correct term here in the United States or American Indian or Indigenous American unlike Canada where they are now Indigenous people or First Nations. Eric says he's the second from the right as he's the tallest one. 😁
We both slept well for a change and it was quiet as a mouse over night. Up at 5:45 for coffee, muffins and fruit and on the road by 7am. A long day ahead especially with border crossing.
Pendleton...it looks like munchkin town from the Wizard of Oz!
Heading north.
A grain silo?
Up ahead exit 188 where we'll get off and you the back ways route along S. Edwards country road. I discovered this back when we started RVing and it's much easier than going up through the Tri Cities and much prettier along the east side of the mighty Columbia River.
It is just lovely here.
We join up with the highway and head north. One of the joining roads was " Punkin Centre" funny!
The velvet hills and the Columbia on the left. It was windy and it looked like the ocean.
Very picturesque!
Now that's some oddball hill!
Left....not right to Walla walla where those special sweet onions come from.
That's one big river.
The bridge just before we join up with 395 north.
We wound our way up small highways.
We picked up diesel in Moses Lake and it was $4.99. Farther down the road in a much smaller town it was $4.25...in Bridgeport.
Wide open and beautiful here and we had our only close call on the journey north so far. A big farm truck was turning left ahead of us in the left turn lane and a car was waiting at the cross road. He started to pull out and I thought he was heading south but he pulled out right in front of us. Eric took evasive action and laid on the horn. We just about broad sided him...I guess he didn't even look and we were doing 50 miles an hour. A close call.
Farther north and we're coming into Soap Lake...another old haunt where we RV'd and rode the Harley.
Soap Lake.
On the left the Smokium RV resort and Teepee rentals.
Heading up to Dry Falls along the small lakes.
Local vegetation.
Road work ahead.
Blue Lake or Park Lake as we climb. All the little string of lakes usually have small boats full of fishermen and...ducks.
Up past Dry Falls and I wasn't taking as many pictures as we got farther north as it was kind of dreary.
We're on highway 17.
At Bridgport you cross the Columbia and the Chief Joseph dam.
Many many orchards and some of the trees are flowering but it wasn't very green here.
The boxes are standing ready for the fruit.
Left to Wenatchee or right to the Canadian border.
Pine trees start to appear.
The 12 tribes fuel stop and we have lunch and a bathroom break.
The Okanogan River now on our right.
Coming into Omak another small farming town before the border.
Oroville 16 miles and the Canadian border 22.
There is another small grocery store just before the border but....I didn't stop.
Funny how crossing the border always makes you feel like a criminal.
A huge toyhauler type trailer ahead of us and....he got pulled over and they went inside. Maybe they declared something and had to pay duty or taxes on it.
The border guard asked all sorts of questions that we answered no to and I only lied a little bit!! Everything is about paying taxes and it doesn't matter what it is. Ridiculous to us.
The Arrowleaf balsamroot are in flower. The Okanagan sunflower. Part of the aster family.
Osoyoos Lake
Here we head down through West Kelowna.
Traffic coming out of downtown Kelowna is worse than going in. Down ahead Okanagan Lake.
At this point we were on our way into town to drop off the motorcycle for warranty repairs. Everything on the bike is computer operated which is now the norm but not in Eric's mind a good thing. We dropped it off and I impressed upon them that we didn't want to get stuck in Kelowna for too long. Then off to Casa Tycho where we'll stay with Linda and Ian and visit, shop and then head home.
This morning Linda and I were off to our favorite clothing store " His and Hers" Sad times for us as the owner wants to sell the store and hopefully someone will buy it or it will close permanently. I've been shopping there on our way south and north for the last 15 years and there is no other store like it. Quality, unusual clothes sold by a knowledgeable staff who are honest about their opinions. Hard to find anywhere. Fingers crossed as the store is always busy no matter when you go.
