But first…

The group at Va Piano Winery:

Walla Walla weather did not cooperate fully but we got in some nice walks and a good dinner at Saffron. The Blue Valley RV Park was pleasant, nice landscaping and facilities, despite the not-super-pleasant lady at the front desk. There is a relatively new bakery across the street pane | dolce that is worth a return visit! Excellent bread selection.

On Saturday we took off for Fish Hook Park near Pasco. We went a little different way than the other two rigs and hit dark skies, rain, wind, snow, and then thunder and lightning! Fortunately, there weren’t many vehicles on the road so I just drove slowly.

This excellent Army Corps of Engineers park on the Snake River/Sacajawea Lake is a place Shannon and Steve have frequented over the years, along with a crew of family and friends. Bill and Janet have visited as well. It really is a great park. A bit different than some others as it is situated on a hill. We were unable to get sites along the water but ended up on the upper side near the train track – not too noisy, as there was a bit of a buffer – and with great views. The weather was much better.

I sat outside each morning as my Merlin birding app went nuts! About thirty kinds. New IDs for me were Bullock’s orioles, Northern wrens, and Northern yellow warblers.

A highlight was our foray to Country Mercantile, an amazing store with gourmet foods, and then to Palouse Falls – the official Washington State falls. Stunning. Unlike Rainbow Falls earlier in this adventure, Palouse is the real deal! So glad Bill suggested the trip. Video courtesy of Steve.

We said goodbye to our four friends this morning, and rather than head for home as we originally planned, we traveled to Cle Elum and Whispering Pines RV Park. This park is much more rustic than most other RV parks we’ve visited – gravel pads – but lots of trees, a trail along the Yakima River, and a river-fed swimming pond.

Home tomorrow!