These road trips are so interesting because they take on a certain rhythm which inevitably changes as the miles add up and the daylight dwindles. I always start out with such excitement and a glee to be in a hotel room again and then after about the 5th night Hank and I both get tired of the smell of hotel rooms.
We have been moving across the west and have visited various town including a Bavarian Village at the base of the Cascades - Leavenworth, WA. We began the drive out of Wenatchee yesterday with a stop at the "Christmas Capital of the US", and I think everyone else in the Northwest had the same idea. Both Hank and I only made it about an hour before the crowds got to us, however, we could not leave unscathed. A vicious lap dog got a chunk of Hank;s ear fur and Hank got a chunk of a Danish Pretzel Christmas ornament which was on the lower branches within his reach. Too bad it didn't have any mustard! We then decided to head toward Pendleton, Oregon. I have always wanted to visit this town and will eventually go back during teh Pendleton Roundup. Pendleton is truly a western town is the Bonanza ilk and it is considered one of the 10 best "Western Towns". Lots of cowboys and a few Indians and many, many cowboy hats. I believe I was the only one in the restaurant last night without a hat. If I did not have a 10 hour drive today I would have stayed and down the Underground Tunnel tour. On the National Historic Register are tehse underground tunnels in Pendleton where drinking and carousing took place way back when. Mmmmm....Who knew?!
We left Pendleton bright and early - actually dark and early and headed south on I-84 through some nasty, nasty wind and fog. Sexy Sally (the bike ) has icicles hanging off of her handlebars - literally! It was a very long drive - 10 hours and we followed the Oregon Trail, not quite in Lewis and Clark fashion. Stopped for a few minutes in Baker City which is part of the Oregon Trail and then kept driving. I am stopping at Cracker Barrels and Pilot Truck Stops because I have NO Christmas shopping done, so this is where I am shopping. If you want anything, let me know! The drive between Boise and Salt Lake City was really not fun this evening. Very windy, very icy and VERY FOGGY! Thank God I had a book on tape - My Life in France by Julia Child. We got to Salt Lake after 11 hours on the road, ready to relax in our hotel room and we arrived to a hotel full of 200 high school students who are spending a week skiing with no parents and no chaperones! I did not know clothes could be so skimpy and I forgot what skunky pot smelled like until I was met by the smell wafting under my door. Thank goodness for earplugs and an early wakeup call. Tomorrow we are driving 5 hours south to St. George, Utah and will be staying in a place much more peaceful than the downtown Salt Lake Red Lion. http://www.greenvalleyspa.com/ So looking forward to the Green Valley Spa - may just spend Christmas there. Hank is taking up the king size bed again so I will sleep in the chair. Until next time...
Brenda
We have been moving across the west and have visited various town including a Bavarian Village at the base of the Cascades - Leavenworth, WA. We began the drive out of Wenatchee yesterday with a stop at the "Christmas Capital of the US", and I think everyone else in the Northwest had the same idea. Both Hank and I only made it about an hour before the crowds got to us, however, we could not leave unscathed. A vicious lap dog got a chunk of Hank;s ear fur and Hank got a chunk of a Danish Pretzel Christmas ornament which was on the lower branches within his reach. Too bad it didn't have any mustard! We then decided to head toward Pendleton, Oregon. I have always wanted to visit this town and will eventually go back during teh Pendleton Roundup. Pendleton is truly a western town is the Bonanza ilk and it is considered one of the 10 best "Western Towns". Lots of cowboys and a few Indians and many, many cowboy hats. I believe I was the only one in the restaurant last night without a hat. If I did not have a 10 hour drive today I would have stayed and down the Underground Tunnel tour. On the National Historic Register are tehse underground tunnels in Pendleton where drinking and carousing took place way back when. Mmmmm....Who knew?!
We left Pendleton bright and early - actually dark and early and headed south on I-84 through some nasty, nasty wind and fog. Sexy Sally (the bike ) has icicles hanging off of her handlebars - literally! It was a very long drive - 10 hours and we followed the Oregon Trail, not quite in Lewis and Clark fashion. Stopped for a few minutes in Baker City which is part of the Oregon Trail and then kept driving. I am stopping at Cracker Barrels and Pilot Truck Stops because I have NO Christmas shopping done, so this is where I am shopping. If you want anything, let me know! The drive between Boise and Salt Lake City was really not fun this evening. Very windy, very icy and VERY FOGGY! Thank God I had a book on tape - My Life in France by Julia Child. We got to Salt Lake after 11 hours on the road, ready to relax in our hotel room and we arrived to a hotel full of 200 high school students who are spending a week skiing with no parents and no chaperones! I did not know clothes could be so skimpy and I forgot what skunky pot smelled like until I was met by the smell wafting under my door. Thank goodness for earplugs and an early wakeup call. Tomorrow we are driving 5 hours south to St. George, Utah and will be staying in a place much more peaceful than the downtown Salt Lake Red Lion. http://www.greenvalleyspa.com/ So looking forward to the Green Valley Spa - may just spend Christmas there. Hank is taking up the king size bed again so I will sleep in the chair. Until next time...
Brenda
Labels: Wild Wild West
posted by Brenda at 8:39 PM
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