I finished reading this great book that I had downloaded from the Guelph Public Library – Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. It is centered on a group of people who worked at a CBC radio station in Yellowknife in the early seventies. I really enjoyed it – maybe cuz I’ve been to Yellowknife and recognized a lot of the places it mentions but also because it is really well written. I was sad to finish it. But I have also had an audiobook on the go while I’ve been driving that I have really enjoyed – The Theory of Death by Faye Kellerman. I just love that I can borrow these books as I travel.
So we were up early (as usual) and by 8:30 we were packed up, Bus and I had eaten our breakfasts and were on the road again. Probably the mosquitoes had a lot to do with our swift departure.
I thought maybe we would see a lot of animals along the way today since we were way up in the mountains but we really didn’t see many – one deer off in a field and another lying dead beside the road was about it.
I checked the maps and signs as we left the park and found that we had been staying in Wenatchee National Forest. The area was beautiful with fast flowing creeks following the winding roads. At one point we drove through a section that had had a fire in the past year or so. It had mostly devastated the trees on the one side of the road on the far side of a rushing river.
We also went through Leavenworth (I always thought that was a prison). It was like being in Bavaria. I thought I was in Oberammergau (Germany) again. Further on down the highway the mountains softened into a wide plateau filled with fields of hay.
I thought I was following Highway 2 towards Spokane but must have taken a branch to the left when I should have gone right. It turned out to be a good mistake because we drove through an area of almost desert-like conditions – dry bushes and barren hills following a large body of water – that was starkly beautiful and lead us to Grand Coulee with its giant dam. I even took a selfie there.
We were easily able to get back down to Highway 2 and off towards Spokane where we caught the I-90. I expected the big highway would be somewhat boring after Highway 2 but it took us back into the mountains as we made our way to Missoula. By then it was close to 6 pm, the rain had set in again, and my neck was getting stiff. So we are now set up in a Days Inn for the night. I can have a shower!