Jackpot, NV to Pendleton, OR

Well I did the write up on the blog on Tuesday night so I could post it yesterday morning and ....nada!  Photos there but....no script.  So....I get to do it again.  Here is the sign for the casino hotel and no....we didn't go down for breakfast after the horrible meal the night before.  Muffins and fruit and on the road.  It was a " balmy " 2C when we left so ....nothing in the cooler thawed out!

Beautiful morning with no wind but spring isn't here yet. 

Here we take old Highway 30 along the Snake river and through some pretty little towns. 

We're in Buhl where we routinely stop for fuel and if need be another of my favorite little country grocery stores.  As soon as we arrived we both felt better after the fiasco at dinner the night before.  I'd also advised the front desk that the chairs in the room were not safe as they were falling apart.  An enebriated older person could seriously hurt themselves if it collapsed. 

Ridley's grocery store...another winner in my book.  We just might stay here next season.  We stayed in 2020 on our way home during the great covid early migration home.  

So picturesque.   The trees were leafing out and the blossoms were blooming!

Lovely classic old building. 

As we get down close to the Snake river the boulders appear...no hay is getting cut here. 

Heading up out of the canyon and the Snake River is below.  We'll follow it all the way into Oregon. 

Now we're in Filer and...more old buildings.

A country road. 

Up to I 84. 

I 84 heading west to Boise and it's a lovely day with no wind.  Lots of wind turbines up here but...they were quiet on Tuesday. 

Over the Snake River.

How many names does one highway need?

Coming into Boise and the traffic isn't too bad. We hold the middle lanes while the rest bob and weave and we all end up at the same place at the same time!

We whistled right through and when we got to Meridian I waved at another favorite grocery store " Winco" a big box store with small town flavour.  We used to stay in the Meridian RV park and it was close by.  Everyone needs some small obsession right?  Grocery stores aren't a bad one....

A pretty day and a little greener here. 

Aren't these winding irrigation canals interesting and in the background the ever present Snake River. 

We've come up and down and looking back is Catfish Junction where we used to stop in the RV.  Yes...there are catfish in this water  once again the Snake Rive.

Looking a bit low here. 

We've stopped at the this rest stop for lunch many times.  Reminds us of the principal in the Archie comics....Mr. Weatherby. 

It's a down and up ride through here. 

Up ahead Baker City and then La Grande before we head up and over Cabbage Hill and down to Pendleton.  

The mountains are gorgeous and it's sunny here. 

Baker City area and they are getting the fields ready for planting.  

A little farm house in a big green field. 

Up and over from Baker City to La Grande.  

We stopped for fuel in La Grande and it was getting close to $5 a gallon.  More expensive than Arizona, Nevada and Idaho. 

Thirty some odd miles to Pendleton over Cabbage Hill. Our friend John used to call it the $20 hill...probably the $40 dollar hill now!  It can be really nasty if the weather is bad.  But Tuesday was a good day. 

Guess who...Mr. Snake.

Looks kind of smoky down in the Pendleton valley. 

More up and down through here and the trucks are going slow in low gear. 

The last leg down. 

Nice and greeen. 

The Wild Horse Casino and hotel/motel.  I wasn't on the ball and didn't reserve far enough ahead to get one of the tower rooms.  Tuesdays are seniors day and the rooms are ridiculously cheap.  We did get a courtyard room which is older but at $38 US who's complaining.  Next time I'll book earlier.  I found out about this by accident last spring and now I figure out our travel to land here on a " Tuesday!" 

We went over to the food court for dinner and Eric had Pad Thai and I had Wonton soup with extra shrimp and noodles.  We split a water and the bill was more than the room....hilarious.  We were a bit worried about the dog across the hall as it was barking but it settled down and we had a quiet night.  A good stop and...the casino is smoke free which is nice even though we don't gamble.