Sunday April 27 Last Day on the Road

70763    331 miles   36*-46*    Raining   7:45 AM start  $3.89   11,938 miles Total

We rode secondary roads to Vantage, WA.  Rt 270 to WA 26.  Palouse then wheat fields turned to desert. The Columbia River at Vantage was very low.  I looked up why and read that there is a crack in the Wanapum Dam so the river has been lowered to relieve the pressure. Before long, we could see the Cascades in the distance. We turned off I-90 to WA 18, then I-5 and home.  

What a trip!! So many things we saw and did.  We're glad to be done sleeping in hotels and eating in restaurants for a while but it was worth it to have the opportunity to travel.

Other notes:

Church names we saw:

Peace Memorial Missionary

Old Scotts Hill AME

Union Bethel AME

Manhollow Missionary

Without Limits Christian

Palmetto Chapel

Love Faithaholics

The Potters House

Piney Woods Chapel

Heritage Baptist Church

Union Shiloh Baptist Church

Globe Landing Baptist Church

Angel Visit Baptist Church

Ebeneezer Baptist Church

Holy Mt Zion Temple of Deliverance

Little Zion

Riverside Drive

New Creek Gospel Hall

Message of Freedom Church

Beulah Baptist Church

Rolling Hills Baptist Church

Free Will Baptist Church

Lighthouse Baptist Church

Living Word Church

New Hope Community Church

Hi-Way Church of God

Believers Fellowship

Child Care Names:

Mustard Seed Kidz

Tiny Treasurers Academy

Open Arms

Small Wonders Child Care

Bright Ideas Child Care

Children's Village

Little People Daycare

Little Angels Daycare

Legacy Learning Center

Kiddie Carousel Academy

Castle of Care

Loading the truck one last time in Moscow, ID

Crossing into Eastern Washington out side of Moscow, ID

Peeking through the rainy windshield at one of the many different
kinds of barns we passed.

Rain had stopped as we approached the Columbia River Bridge
at Vantage, WA

Water lever was way down due to crack in the dam below the
I-90 bridge.  

Cascade Mountains coming into view under the
clouds.

The scotch broom weed is blooming along the roadsides.

Not far now!

Our mailbox in the rain.

The rhodies are staring to bloom in the yard.....

.....and the flowering cherry.

The weather at home was beautiful the next few days so we walked in
the woods at Rocky Creek Park.  We tried to get exercise on our trip
but it wasn't very consistent.

Saturday April 26 Bozeman, MT to Moscow, ID

70256   45* Blue sky a few miles down the road  8:53 AM

We drove I-90 W to Coeur d'Alene and then turned S on US 95 to Moscow, ID.  We have friends in Deary, ID who were celebrating a 50th birthday.  After we got a room in Moscow, we drove out to Deary for the birthday potluck.  The sun had come out making the evening scenery a beautiful contrast with bright blue sky, green fields and pines.  The temp began to drop with the sun so we gathered around the campfire to keep warm.  It was a wonderful way to spend our last evening on the road.

This pictures are also out of order.  :(

50th Birthday bonfire

Potluck birthday party for our friends in Deary, ID

2 cakes!

Bill, Cheryl's husband, leads the group in the "Happy Birthday Song"

After the rain storms, the clouds were spectacular

The Palouse is beautiful no matter what the weather.

Hail and slush while riding South on US 95

Lookout Pass 4600'

Rocky Mountains near Missoula

Mining outside Butte

Starbucks stop, of course!

Traffic on I-90

Friday April 25 Sturgis, SD to Bozeman, MT

69668    588 miles     Sunshine  52*-68*  8:16 AM    $4.07   20.1 mpg

We left Sturgis and headed West on I-90 along the edge of the Black Hills.  There is snow on the higher mountain tops.  At Sundance, WY, 4865' there are snow patches and antelope in the fields.  Near Pine Haven, I could see Devil's Tower in the distance. Oil derricks and an open pit coal mine in Wyodak. We continued up in elevation and there are more pine trees.  From Buffalo, we turned W on US 16 for Cody and the East entrance to Yellowstone which had been a stop on our honeymoon trip.  US 16 was an incredible drive over the Powder River Pass. We decided that road was a favorite of the whole trip. The temperature fell and we saw a couple of guys ice fishing in a small lake at the top, 9881'.  The trip down the other side was through Tensleep Canyon with rocks over 500 million years old. In Worland, we had a 360* view of the rock formations.  We passed the town of Emblem, population 10.  As we neared Cody, I checked the Yellowstone National Park website to be sure the roads we were traveling on were open.  The route signs in Cody didn't say anything about closures but the website said the road we were on wouldn't open till the first weekend in May so were changed the travel plan.  I found a few back roads that got us back on I-90 for Bozeman where our hotel room was new and comfy.

As before, the pictures are end of day to beginning of day due to unwanted phone update issues.  I went to Verizon and they said it was an LG problem.  Great...

Three more states to Port Orchard

We like the traffic situation here!

Red hills in the background.  This irrigation system had 8 arm sections.

More red hills in the distance

Rural cabin

We followed this horse trailer and dog over Powder River Pass.  The
dog must have had very strong paw nails to hang on in the corners.

A curve is coming up big time!

Loaf Mountain in the distance

Giant rural junk yard

Leaving South Dakota