NJ Day 1: Apr. 17, 2019 - On the Road Again

We are out of Seattle! We have begun our new life. We can't decide whether "foot-loose" or "gallivanting" is the better term to capture how we feel. Either way, we awake to our first full day unencumbered by being bound to a residence. Yes, there's a little apprehension there along with the sense of relief.

Oddly, I am feeling relief after months of preparation while Amy is feeling a little more of a sense of loss. We'll need to talk through these feelings as we head east.

And east is where we head. Our first day's destination is Lewiston, ID. The first formal "site" we will experience will be tomorrow: the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. It starts in Lewiston, follows US 12 through the mountains and ends in Missoula, MT. Our only job today is to get to the starting point.

To start, we enter the magnificent Columbia River Gorge, taking I-84 on the south bank. We have done this road a number of times. It has never seemed quite so green. We look forward to revisiting the many stops here on day trips once we settle into Portland. For now, we want to go as far as we can as quickly as we can.

After enjoying all the beautiful forest scenery, we pass The Dalles and enter a more arid environment.

I-84 East of The Dalles

We turn north at Hermiston and enter Washington State via US 730. Starting at Umatilla, we drive on the first stretch of road that we've never seen before. At Wallula Junction, the new road is done and we turn right and are back on roads we have taken before. We continue on to Walla Walla, where we are ready for lunch.

We started at 9:00 AM and it's now 12:30. This is a good distance for a couple of day visit. And with all of the wineries we pass, it is quickly moving up our priority list for such trips. The number of tasting rooms seems greater than the number of restaurants. We settle on the Walla Walla Bread Company in the middle of downtown. Amy has the roasted vegetable and goat cheese sandwich and I have the Tomato Soup & Half Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Delicious.

Returning to the car and the drive east, I decide to pullover after two blocks to see if we are near Whitman College, which we have never seen. Funny thing: as I pull over to consult the Nav System's map, I notice a building across the street is part of Whitman College. The college is just east of the downtown! And a lovely campus it is. As we drive through the campus we see a couple of groups of young people. Perhaps they are doing campus visits? A little further along the road, we have to stop to let two ducks waddle across the pavement.

Back on the road, we enjoy the Palouse. I remember driving this road, US 12, in the other direction coming home from the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. This is rural Washington at its very best. Every political sign we see features Trump and/or MAGA.

After two more hours of driving, we descend into the valley of the Snake River west of Lewiston. The river is beautiful. We approach more dense buildings. Something I never realized before: there are actually twin cities here: west of the Snake is Washington and the burg of Clarkston. east of the Snake is Idaho and Lewiston. Get it?

Lewiston is far larger, perhaps 4 times as big. Its downtown, wherein we will stay (Red Lion Inn) is undergoing a lot of construction. Detours take us off the path selected by the Nav System. But we can see the Red Lion and easily settle into our home for the day.

The Snake River from our Hotel Room

We relax for a bit before deciding to head out to dinner. There is some confusion about what time it is. There is a finger of Mountain Time Zone extending north and west almost to Lewiston, but we are still on Pacific Time here. But talk of dinner has made us hungry and head down the hill to The Mystic Cafe. It's an interesting place with an interesting menu. We share the Polenta Fries (Yum!). Amy has the Roast Chicken and I have an order of Chicken Quesadillas and the Stuffed Mashed Potato Balls. We are both sated and we have to decline dessert.

We head back to our Hotel to retire. We are both beginning to feel the stress of the recent past starting to melt away. Our thoughts are now on being a little more efficient with packing and knowing where, exactly, the possessions we have brought are in our bags. We are heading for our new normal.