Wrap Up This Trip!

Well, the best part of the trip is over and now we just need to get home. 

Before we left town we went back to the abandoned airbase and took some photos. It was the closest thing to a ghost town we were able to shoot on this trip. We had much more success back in our home state when we visited Okanogan County a year or two ago. 

I didn’t get any souvenirs but when we were out exploring on our way into town I spotted an animal skeleton so I requested that we stop when we get back to that spot and I’d check out the skull to see if it was clean enough to take home. It was pretty good but I’m going to boil it when I get it home to make sure. I think it’s some kind of cat, maybe a bobcat. It has a row of small teeth across the front and two pretty large canine teeth, over an inch long! 

We did stop a few times to see some sights, Rick went on a trip with his daughter about 5 years ago and he took me to see some of what he saw on that trip, Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho and Malad Gorge Park a few miles north of Twin Falls. We paid $3 to go to the falls and neighboring lake and I think I actually enjoyed the gorge better! It was a jagged steep chasm with a waterfall at one end and blue-green water snaking its way through the length of it. There was a picnic area, park and playground at the gorge as well, very pretty. But it was currently dubbed (by me) “Picnic Lake” as the pretty park was flooded about 2 feet. The picnic tables and charcoal bbq’s were all in their places sticking out above the water. Realistically, you could still use the bbq’s and sit at the tables, but you had to wade to get to them and then stay in the water as you cooked and ate. It was hot enough, though, that it didn’t actually sound like a bad idea! 

So we mostly just drove, and on an interstate highway. When it started to get late we wanted to tent again so we grabbed some McD’s, and borrowed their wifi. Their wifi was lousy and they were very disorganized. Then we went to Albertson’s to get ice. I got out of the car to rearrange things and there was puke right outside the car. Then when Rick got to the car with the ice he was breaking it on the ground and the truck next to us started its engine and blew a big blue cloud right in his face! Needless to say we weren’t thinking very highly of Baker City, Oregon after all that. 

We headed out of town to try to find a place to pitch a tent but didn’t find anything. But the drive was enjoyable. We drove all around a beautiful valley in the vicinity of the town of Keating, saw quail running around and then had to stop for a whole group of deer in the road, at least a dozen! So we ended up driving back to town to get a room and got a sweet deal in a nice motel and took a half hour swim instead of enjoying the stars. Not a bad compromise! 

On to the last day and, basically, our drive home. We did run across an accident with 2 trucks in a ditch. One was a cement truck that looked to be fine. The other was a tanker – not so fine. It was on its side and the contents were still spilling out when we passed. Whatever it was, it wasn’t flammable. 

Further on down the road we saw smoke once again. This time we were much closer and could see the planes and helicopters fighting the fire. It was not too far from Cle Elum and was burning homes. When I got home I saw posts on facebook and an email from a JW in the area whose house was spared, but only by a couple of feet.

Now that we’ve been home for a couple days and can look back we both totally enjoyed our night in the tent and wished we could have had more. So now we know – more research to be able to “tent” the next time!