This is the final leg of our 7-state LOOP
We depart Glacier NP and begin our homeward journey with a few more stops along the way.
We dropped down to I-90 and skirted across the tip of ID, through Couer d'Alene and into Spokane on our way to Mt. Hood, OR.
We had not been to western Washington before so we spent the night along the Spokane River before meandering our way southwest.
We made a wonderful stop in the neat little town of Ritzville, WA. As we drove through town, we stopped to snap a pic of this wonderful rendering of our flag. You may notice, upon close inspection, that the "stars" are license plates from each state, in the order of their statehood dates.
While snapping some photos, the artist, John Marshall, came out and we had the most refreshing conversation between a rural conservative and urban progressives that we have had in a very long time. This is how it should be in our America! John joked that his twin daughters, who now live in the San Francisco Bay Area, are "leaning left". ☺
I highly recommend stopping in this artistic farming community if you are ever in the area. Note the little rest stop he created with tractor seats along the "story walk" that traverses from the grain elevators along the railroad tracks, to the fairgrounds. Inspiring!
Thank you, John, for your art and the wonderful conversation! #ritzville
Can't drive thru WA and not stop for apples! So we stopped at a mercantile and got a new variety called Cosmic Crisps. They were a cosmic addition to our lunch in Kennewick, WA on the Columbia River, at the confluence of the Snake River. Preparations were being made for the weekend's huge Tri-Cities Water Follies and Airshow.
Mount St. Helens is most famous for its major eruption on May 18, 1980, the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in U.S. history.
Can't help but notice the flat top...
We crossed the Columbia River, over the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge, into Oregon to continue a very blustery drive along the Gorge. We arrived at our next "front porch" on day 14 of this epic journey. We decided to luxuriate at the Mt. Hood B&B after 14 days on the "road". The place is stunningly beautiful, the breakfasts are delicious and generous, and the hosts are fabulous. Naturally, we did some hiking in the Mt. Hood National Forest and some touring of the local attractions, including orchards and lavender farms.
Alas, it was time to return to our home base in the San Francisco Bay Area. Unfortunately, fires continue to rage as we pass through Bend, OR and down past Mt. Shasta on our way home. Sadly, due to the severe, multi-year drought, Lake Shasta itself is at near-record low levels.
This was an absolutely epic journey and we only scratched the surface of all the amazing places to go and sites to see in our vast and wild western states!
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