For the first time in over a year, I slept in a bed that was not mine. I went to Portland on Sunday afternoon, spent some time with a friend there and then stayed in a hotel there. On Monday, I went to visit a friend in Walla Walla and stayed in another hotel. Probably do to my purchasing preference location on the price/rating curve, I ended up at a Comfort Inn both nights.
The drive to Portland was uneventful as it was the first Seattle mistrainfall of the coming winter. Seattle mist makes everything wet without much by way of measurable precipitation. It is how Seattle built its reputation for being a really rainy place even though we average less rainfall than, say, New York City (38 vs. 47 inches respectively).
By the time I got to Portland 150 miles south of Seattle, the sky was clear. I had a good time talking with my friend that night and then got some sleep. I did write a short gratitude list on paper being grateful for good roads, a reliable car, good gas mileage and more. T
he good gas mileage part was significant this trip since I started my trip with a short half-tank of gas. My guess was I would have to stop to get gas within 100 miles. As the trip progressed, I could see that my chances of a non-stop trip to Portland were going from no-way to maybe. When I got to Kelso, the rain had stopped and that was already a bonus. When I got to Vancouver, WA, I still had enough gas to ensure making it over the Columbia river bridge into Portland. I was quite pleased. In Oregon, they don't have self-service gas. That meant I did not have to get my wheelchair out to pump my own gas. I was unseemingly pleased with my car and its gas mileage!
On Monday, I drove up the Columbia river gorge on a perfect day for a drive. I stopped at the Maryhill Museum in the middle of nowhere. It had a fantastic display of Rodin sculptures, artifacts from Queen Victoria of Romania, over 100 different elaborate chess sets and a great display of Native American tools and art. There was also a Charles Russell painting The Buffalo Hunt. It was an impressive piece of art.
I visited a Stonehenge replica overlooking the Columbia river and then drove to Pendleton. I stopped at the Pendleton Mill wool textile factory and went on a fast spendy shopping spree. My favorite coat ever was a Pendleton. I got another in the same style although instead of the original gray, the new coat has a Indian blanket sort of motif on the torso. I also bought a colorful blanket to use as a wall hanging and a jean-vest for my friend in Walla Walla with a wool print on the back of the vest. Joy liked her new vest.
Today I drove home via Yakima. In Yakima, I had lunch with Sarah. It was the first time I had seen Sarah in two years. The drive home was pleasant and uneventful. Passed a bunch of trucks on the interstate, had to slowdown a couple of times for road construction projects and made good time overall.
I am grateful for many things that helped make my lap around SE Washington a pleasant trip. Good friends, good weather, good roads, a good car, a good credit card(!) , good food and a clean functional hotel room.
Wow! Nice trip!
ReplyDelete