Day 8 - Off to Mt. Rainier

Date 6/27

Weather: Foggy and rainy

Expense
$15 food
$48 gas
$4 Spokane tour
$6 rain poncho
$15 campground
$88 today
$408 for the trip

Mileage: 521 today, 1,911 for the trip

Beer: 0 today, 10 for the trip

Pictures: homepage.mac.com/cenya/PhotoAlbum46.html

I started out early today. I got up gather what little I had around me and was ready. I left a thank you note to Eric, Jennifer, and George. I think people around here figured out something we have not. Small towns seem to be getting big town conveniences without big town headaches.

It was a scenic drive through Montana, Idaho, and Washington. I thought I was starting to get tough arse like truckers now since I’ve driven a large sum of miles. I got to see a number of deer today. Until now I have seen dead deer on the road, or behind bars in zoos, or in pictures. I saw stags, does, and fawns. Cool! Boy, can they jump those barbed wired fences! Wild lives are so majestic. Why would anyone want to trophy hunt? I understand if you must hunt for their meat than it is another. Well, I digress.

Well, I saw more Les Schwab Tire Centers. They are also in Washington. I felt they are following me. Hmmmm! Why don’t we have Les Schwab in Arizona? Is he too good for Arizona?

I stopped at Spokane intending to spend a whole afternoon. It was raining there. Oh, well. I got some information from the visitor center. I decided to check out Riverfront Walk, where a World’s Fair was held (in 1972?). There was a trolley tour for four dollars. It was interesting and I took some pictures but Mother Nature did not want me to stay in Spokane. I got annoyed with rain and left Spokane after little over two hours. It is a nice little town but not enough for me to stay.

I made another stop in Yakima. It seemed like a good place. I drove around town a little to figure out where I can stay. I stopped at Yakima Valley Community College for a quick thirty-minutes run. It felt good to be out there moving my legs.

I ate a salami and cheese sandwich, Oreos, and a nectarine for dinner at a near by park. It tasted fine but I decided to push on today. I drove to a campground near Mount Rainier for the night. I guess I was too tired to make it to the national park. I was happy to brush my teeth and wash up before hunkering down for a slumber.