A Quick Trip

Wednesday morning started early as Jena, Gary and I hopped into our motor home and headed northwest.  Our final destination was Seattle.  A friend of ours had broken a leg while on vacation there and needed some transportation back to Utah.  We were happy to use our RV for a quick trip.  We were able to accomplish a few things along the way.  I got to finish up something on my bucket list and to start work on another one.  In the process, Gary and Jena got to see where I grew up and Mt. Rainer and I got to see old friends and remember growing up in Richland, Washington.  It was a very fast trip but a lot was accomplished and I was so glad we did it.

We headed up to Idaho and made a slight detour at Twin Falls to start something on my bucket list---luckily Gary either likes my crazy ideas or he is just a very supportive husband (I expect both are very true.)  See next post for details of our detour.

Twin Falls Temple
Another stop on our detour in Twin Falls

Gary got to experience a bit of Oregon when we stopped to get gas in Baker City, Oregon.  As we pulled in to the gas station, an attendant came hurrying out to the RV.  I remembered that Oregon has a law forbidding people from pumping their own gas.  He didn't believe me until the guy approached the truck and asked what type of gas we needed.  One of the fun things about traveling.  Each place has their own little quirks.

Eating in the RV

One of the first signs of "arriving home" was crossing the Umatilla Bridge.  This was the bridge which we crossed every time we went our grandma's house in Portland.  It became one of the highlights of our trip and made it into a song my mom wrote called "Are We There Yet?"  (If you ever have traveled with children, you probably can guess the general theme of the song.)  She would sing it to us during our trips.  This bridge was a toll bridge when we were growing up, but now the bridge has been expanded and is no longer a toll road.

Freeway to the bridge

The dam right above our bridge

THE BRIDGE!

A boat traveling on the Columbia River
It headed under the bridge as we drove over.
Notice all of the power lines.
It is amazing what the power of the river can do.

The dam up river from the bridge

Although this trip was not planned much in advanced, it happened that I am currently reading a book about the Lewis and Clark trip across the country.  Their goal was to cross the country and document all that they saw.  They headed up the Missouri River looking for the head water and then cross the mountains and find "The Great River" as it was called by some of the local Indian tribes or the Columbia River.  Some of the very area they crossed we traveled by.  That was "neat".  I loved living by two rivers--the Columbia and the Yakima.  I thought everyone got to go "over the river and through the woods " to their grandma's since we really did.

Heading down Exit 102 towards Richland.
New freeways and new ways into town.

We arrived in Richland, WA, around 5:00 and I took Jena and Gary on a quick tour of some of the important places of my childhood.

Our house on Agnes Street

Jadwin Chapel
Where we attended Church most of the time
we lived in Jadwin.  I was baptised in this building.
It has been remodeled since we lived in Richland..

Jena and Gary sitting by the Church.
We had a lot of Easter egg hunts and other
activities in this lawn.

Although it has changed around the outside, the town inside was the same.  As we drove around, the names of the streets were all familiar and memories just flooded in.  We saw the rebuilt junior high, the bowling alley, the high school stadium and other buildings.  Some things were different as the ponds we played in during the summer and caught polliwogs during the spring had been emptied and built on.  Boring for Gary and Jena but great for me.

We spent the night at a RV Park in Kennewick.  Most of the park looked like they were permanent residents.  I took a picture of the trailer across the way with its lighted grapes hanging out front.

Wednesday evening we visited with Kathy and Scott Corbaley.  I first called Kathy my "oldest" friends but then I reworded that as she is actually just a few months older than I was.  She is the first memory I have of a person other than someone in my family.  I remember playing under quilts when at RS work days with her.  She and I were close friends throughout my time living in Richland and kept in touch off and on over the past 40 years.  We assume we were friends since we were two or so years old.  Forgot to take pictures, however.

Thursday morning my good husband dropped me back off at Kathy's and he and Jena headed up to southern Seattle to pick up our friend and her husband.  They passed by Mt. Rainer and saw some beautiful scenery along the way.  I spent the day with Kathy and visited some old friends.  Gary and Jena along with our friends picked me up on the way home.  I got to spend a few hours with Kathy and it was a sweet experience.

Jena's pictures along their trip to Seattle
She must like bridges, too.

Treats--without Mom!

Mountains and trees--the Washington
which most people think of

RV at a view site

We then drove home and with one stop for taco salads and a short sleep break, we arrived back in Syracuse this morning.  Nice---did I mention what a great husband I have!!!!  I told Gary I had wanted to go to Richland for so long..now I am not sure why I waited.  It isn't that far away.