Journey's End? Or Journey Just Beginning?

I drove on from Spokane towards Seattle.  Along the way, the highway was lined with all sorts of fruit orchards and farms.  Unlike all the other states, Washington State provided signs along the highway so you could tell what was growing... and surprisingly, it wasn't all corn!  It's amazing how the scenery in Washington goes from flat farm lands to dry mountainous dessert lined with orchards to green mountains.  I definitely think of all the states I drove through, the scenery in Washington changed the most.  

After 3,362.5 miles, on labor day, I made it to the apartment I'll be living in for the next 3 months in Seattle, Washington.  On the way there I took a little pit stop at my brother's house where I was warmly welcomed by my niece and nephew, sister in law and brother.  The kids had assembled a US map puzzle on the floor and were eager to hear about my journey, all the states I went through, how long it took, what I saw, etc.  I've never seen them so captivated by a story!  They certainly enjoyed hearing about my meeting Santa in Wyoming and the jelly bean factory tour in Wisconsin.  I think they may be ready for a road trip now as they were really excited.

We had a great dinner at my brother's place before my brother and the kids followed me to my new apartment where all three of them helped me carry stuff in from the car.  We finished the day off with a trip to an ice cream shop.  Across the street from the shop there's a park where people were playing polo.... on bicycles!  Only in Seattle.  So very hipster!

I've decided I'll write a longer post on what all I've learned and what the highs and lows of the road trip were, but in the mean time, I've also decided I'll continue to blog about some of my adventures in the pacific northwest as I learn whether a southerner, DC transplant can fit in.

For the time being though, one road trip is over, but there will be a lot more exploring coming up.  In addition, I'm already planning another road trip.... just have to decide on the destination!

Dry Fly Distillery

Right next to the No-Li Brewhouse was a distillery called Dry Fly Distilling.  They had a sign on the door saying "ring the bell" as the door was locked and I didn't see anyone inside.  Curious, I rang the bell.  A couple walked up as I was waiting to see what happened.  A man soon appeared and let us inside where it definitely smelled like a distillery! 

Turns out Dry Fly is shipped all over the country - interesting fact - when they shipped to Georgia, they actually had to increase the size of their bottle because you can't sell smaller quantities of liquor in stores in Georgia.  Who knew!  I knew you couldn't buy alcohol on Sundays, but apparently the state encourages you to buy LARGE quantities?!

The couple who entered the distillery with me proceeded to try a few of the products.  I knew I'd be driving so I went with only a taste of the Port Finish Wheat Whiskey as it sounded pretty interesting - it is finished off in barrels that were used by a winery to make port so has a bit of a sweeter finish.  It was delicious and I was sold, so I bought a bottle to take with me to Seattle.

Spokane ended up surprising me - wasn't really expecting much from it, but walking around, I realized how peaceful it is right on the river and how nice everyone seemed to be.  A nice introduction to Washington State, that's for sure.

Made it to Washington State! No Lie... or No-Li to be exact.

Idaho passed by so quickly - definitely one of the quickest states I drove through.  I did get to see a minor hydro race on the lake in Coeur d'Alene as I drove along the Lake.  

As I entered Washington State I had to laugh.  The first city you come to is called "Border Town."  I turned off to see if there was anything interesting there, but sadly, not much there....

I ventured on to Spokane - only about 20 miles from the Idaho border.  I'd done a bit of research and learned there were a few breweries in the area, so I pulled over to check out No-Li Brewhouse.  While they have a big indoor seating area, they also have outdoor tables and just simple adirondack chairs you can sit in on the banks of the river.  It was incredibly peaceful out so I grabbed an adirondack and kicked my feet back to relax for awhile.  Instead of ordering a single regular size beer, I went for a tasting and got about a little over a shot glass of 5 different beers (just choosing 5 was incredibly tough as they had a VAST beer selection, everything brewed there as well.  

It turns out No-Li is pretty popular elsewhere in the state as well - my brother thinks he saw it on tap at the Sounders game.  

I'd definitely recommend stopping at No-Li if you are ever in the area.  While I didn't order food (I was still stuffed from the taters and bison burger in Wallace!), the food looked pretty good.  Plus, the scenery along the lake can't be beat!

Bison, Fires, Bears, Canyons, Forests and Hot Springs - Yellowstone!

Wow.  Yellowstone is amazing.  The terrain is just so vastly different throughout the park - there's tree lined hillsides, flat forests, an amazing canyon, yellow fields, white hot springs, etc.

I entered through the Eastern gate and drove around the lake, stopping to dip my toes in, take some photos and go for a short walk.  I got back in the car and drove to Fishing Bridge where some locals at the Naked Winery near Rushmore had told me to go.  There was a cute little lodge there with a great store filled with souvenirs.  Driving around that area, you'd frequently hit traffic and then discover the reason there was traffic was due to bison crossing or just simply standing in the street!  You'd slowly drive by as the bison were a mere two feet from your car.  There were even some adorable baby bison too.  

I stopped at the mud volcanoes were mud is literally bubbling out of the ground.  It smelled of rotten eggs thanks to the Sulfur.  There are also lots of signs saying don't step on the mud or ground/stay on the wooden paths because the ground can randomly be hot and be soft so you'd sink down.

There were signs on the road I encountered warning of forest fires - and you could see and smell the smoke.  At the mud volcanoes they had a ranger giving a talk warning visitors about where the fires currently are, how to avoid them, and what they are doing to control/stop them.  

From fishing bridge I drove to the Canyon - another recommendation from the nice folks near Rushmore.  The canyon is gorgeous!  I hiked around the falls a little.  Yellowstone is pretty crowded with tourists - but then again maybe that was because it was labor day.  I imagine backpacking on some of the trails may be better and more isolated.

From the Canyon I drove through Norris to Mammoth where the resort and hot springs are located.  It was PACKED.  It was incredibly hard to find a parking spot, but I finally did and walked around the hot springs.  There are some gorgeous white formations where the water is just bubbling up and steaming.  

After talking to the folks at the winery near Rushmore, I decided to NOT go to Old Faithful, the geyser.  They said it's really not that great and given the amount of time I was spending in the park (a day), I should skip it.  So I did.  

Along the road I saw tons of bison.  Near the north entrance where I exited I saw more wildlife - unfortunately I'm not exactly sure what they were.... perhaps elk?

I was sad to leave Yellowstone, but decided given the number of animals in the road in Wyoming and also Montana and the dangerous roadways leaving Yellowstone, I decided I should leave before dark.  However, I will be back with a tent and backpack in town next time.  I think of this time simply as a preview of where I'll explore next time!

Missoula, Montana... that crazy liberal town

Stopped for a coffee, homemade donut (banana bread flavored with nutella icing!) and a short drive through Missoula, Montana. It's a very cute town! The cowboys I met in Livingston had said it's a place where people wear socks with sandals. When I asked what they meant, they said its a town full of bleeding liberals! Just my kind of town. Haha. It didn't seem any more liberal than any other town.

On the drive to Missoula from Livingston, my one regret is I didn't stop at the hot springs. By the time I realized they were there, I'd passed them. Oops!

I've also included some of the photos of my drive through Montana, including a drive past a used cow lot!

Rocky Mountain Oysters

I did some research and discovered a tiny off the beaten track place called Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, Montana. It hosts the annual "Testical Festival" - a tribute to the Rocky Mountain Oysters they make. The festival took place earlier this summer, but I decided to stop anyway and try some local cuisine. That's right, as my mom said growing up "don't say you don't like something until you try it." Unfortunately when I pulled in they weren't open!! Sadly I had to go on as there wasn't even a sign as to their hours. Maybe next time.

My First Stetson

For the drive through Wyoming and Montana I figured I needed a cowboy hat. It just seemed fitting. So I stopped and got my first Stetson - a straw one. Certainly makes driving around with the windows open a lot more fun!

The Red Light District - Wallace, Idaho

After leaving the Rock Creek Lodge I crossed into Idaho and pulled over so I could stand on the border - one foot in the past and one in the future (it's the time zone line!)

I next stopped in the tiny historic mountain town of Wallace. Apparently it also is home to the center of the universe. On the main drag there are signs pointing down labeled for the center of the universe and in the middle of the street there's a marker saying center of the universe.

I stopped for lunch at the Smokehouse and finally got my bison burger... in Idaho of all places. I also had some tater salad - presumably with idaho's own spuds.

After lunch I walked around a bit. Turns out the town has a two block red light district (not currently operational) - it apparently used to be a frequent stop for the area miners. 

Cute little town... you can literally stand in the middle of town and see both ends!

Living it Up in Livingston

After exiting Yellowstone as the sun was going down and heading towards I-90 I decided it was best to grab some dinner (more on Yellowstone later - it's a long post.) Montana's Rib & Chop House sounded just right and was packed! I was lucky to grab a seat at the bar. The gentlemen next to me were decked out in pure western wear... including cowboy hats and western shirts. I was hoping to order a bison burger (after all, I'd spent all afternoon looking at bison in the park!) Unfortunately they didn't have it on the menu. They did have some good Montana microbrews on tap though!

The cowboys commented to themselves they wouldn't have a seat at the bar for their friend. I overheard and asked if they wanted me to slide down a seat. I did and they then proceeded to tell me how I'd really like their friend, how he was really good looking, etc. I laughed and said "I'm not from around here." That got us talking. Soon the friend showed up and the four of us talked and ate for about two hours on everything from what to see and do in Montana to gun control laws and hunting to the best fly fishing to lawyers in Montana and a federal judge the cowboys weren't too pleased with. It was a fun evening and it was great to talk with some locals. Apparently Livingston and it's neighboring towns are home to a bunch of celebrities - including John Mayer. The cowboys said everyone who passes through winds up staying awhile or returning.  It definitely is a gorgeous place.

When I asked where I could get a bison burger I was told the best place was Ted's Montana Grill. I had to laugh. They told me Ted Turner owns a ton of acres and raises Bison. I laughed and told them I'm from Georgia and have actually been to his restaurant there. I was hoping for a local joint!

All in all, a great night in Livingston!