After checking out of The Marigold Hotel in downtown Pendleton we visited the Pendleton Woolen Mill for a free tour. I love all the vibrant colors of the dyed wool. Interesting to see the process of how the blankets are made.
After the tour as we walked through the store we saw a cute little charm for sale. The city has a charm trail. Since 2005 shops around town have sold a souvenir charm that represents their particular business. Of course we had to drive around and pick up a few — the little trailer from Thompson RV; a bull from Hamley Steakhouse; and a saddle from Hamley & Co. Western Store. Thankfully they are inexpensive. We only made it to four of the 35 trail stops. I guess we’ll have to go back for another visit!
We could have easily spent more time exploring Pendleton but if we wanted to get to Seattle tonight, it was time to move along. Especially since the weather forecast was calling for rain and snow in Snoqualmie Pass….
Hello, Washington! We went a little out of our way so we could drive through Walla Walla. So many wineries, so little time! We actually decided to keep going and stop in Prosser. Several tasting rooms there as well as Chukar Cherries. Yum! Wait, what’s that?? Hail?? Back in the car, quick!
I have always enjoyed visiting Eastern Washington but today I just wanted to get home. I had been gone almost two months and had spent the past ten days in tight quarters with my mom and sister. We were all ready to get back to Seattle!
We needed one more tank of gas. Must be in Washington — gas prices were getting close to $3 per gallon. Where are you Costco?? On the back roads around Toppenish we noticed cheaper gas. Must be the Native owned markets and gas stations. Fill ‘er up. Just down the road was the Yakama Nation Legends Casino. A quick stop here to eat, then our next stop would be HOME! We got lucky at the casino! Let’s just say we all managed to eat at the buffet for free and my mom walked away with a few extra bucks in her pocket. Not to mention the free decks of cards and dice we got. Doesn’t take much to amuse us.
After driving on a two-lane road for about 30 minutes thinking that it would meet up with the interstate, it didn’t. Time to check the map. Yep, a wrong turn somewhere. We saw some nice scenery and ended up following a funeral procession. Where’s the highway??!
Only 150 more miles. The skies were getting darker. The rain and snow were coming as the elevation changed. We were all quiet, lost in our thoughts. We made it through the pass without any trouble. The worst weather was still to come. Coming down the other side of the pass into Issaquah it was really raining.
Finally, Seattle! After traveling through 10 states (Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon and Washington again), about 7,000 miles on my Trusty Toyota, lots of adventures and amazing sites to see, a little bit of work……home!
The past two months were great. I really enjoyed my temp job at the ballpark and my travels around the Southwest. I’ve said it before and you’ve heard it before — life is short! Throw in the uncertainty of living with a chronic illness and you just never know what tomorrow will bring. Some people think I’m crazy for not having a “real, full time job” but for the most part, friends are encouraging and strangers think it’s cool. A few people even said they were inspired by me. What a great compliment! I think we all reach a point where we want a change or are ready for something different. Some of us act on it; others don’t. As long as you can look back on a life well lived, do it.
My next adventure starts in ten days…..
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