Monday, September 3, 2018

Day 64 of 117 on our “Go West, Young Man” Two Lane Adventure – Wednesday 8/29/18


We enjoyed our stay at Blackwell Island RV Park. We followed the same route that we came in on and crossed the Spokane River on our way back to I-90.

When we came in and when we left Coeur d’ Alene, we passed these oversized feather statues in the median. I learned they are controversial big metal feathers. The official title of these two behemoth bird plumes, one eagle and one osprey, is “Guardians of the Lake.” They were commissioned in 2002 through city-mandated arts funding and created by David Govedare and Keith Powell. At the time, not everyone was thrilled by the finished project. I think they are pretty cool!

I-90 W to Post Falls. Post Falls is often called “Idaho’s River City.” Post Falls gets its name from Frederick Post, who secured a treaty with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe to build a sawmill on the banks of the Spokane River. A pictograph memorializing the purchase is carved into a granite cliff in Treaty Rock Park. Post Falls is also home to the Post Falls Festival, three days of music, art vendors, games and lawn mower races! It is held annually the second weekend in July.

We crossed from Idaho into Washington State on I-90. Just a small sign to announce that fact.

As we passed through downtown Spokane WA, my view of downtown included a church and a milk bottle building … wait, a milk bottle building? Yes. The Benewah Milk just off I-90 is an unmistakable downtown Spokane landmark. It is one of two Milk Bottle buildings in Spokane. One on Garland Avenue (built in 1934), and another on Cedar Street (the Benewah Milk Bottle, built in 1935). The buildings were designed by famed Spokane architectural firm Whitehouse and Price, who were responsible for many other buildings in Spokane including the Hutton Settlement, the Rosebush House, and the John A. Finch Memorial Nurses Home. The Benewah Milk Bottle was the home of the Benewah Creamery Company, where Newport sold dairy products distributed from his processing plant on 1st Street and Washington Avenue. The bottle functioned as concession stands to lower prices by “eliminating charge accounts and delivery service.” Newport ran a retail operation from the Milk Bottle until 1978, and since then the building has served many purposes, few of which have had anything to do with dairy products. Interestingly, it has even been the home of the Spokane County Democratic Committee. The Benewah Milk Bottle is still in good shape after seventy seven years.

Along I-90 near MM 271, I caught a glimpse of a yard, a big yard full of junk … But one man’s junk is another man’s treasure! It was unique and different and I am sure the Interstate does not care, but if there was neighbors, they might!

There is some nice scenery at Medical Lake. Beautiful colors of the trees, water and surrounding landscapes.

Fires are not just in the National Parks. There was a large area on I-90 that burned recently. In July, this wind-driven brush fire mushroomed in size from 3,000 acres to nearly 80,000 acres. The Interstate acted as fire break.

Golden fields of wheat and barley stretch for miles in every direction.

Passing by Moses Lake, we are directly north of Richland which is our new Grandson-in-law’s hometown. Chandler and Ashley’s love was sealed on August 17th in the Columbia River Washington Temple in Richland, followed by a ring ceremony for family and friends. Ashley is our eldest Granddaughter and is so head over heels in love, her Grandfather and I are ecstatic for her.

Back to a little bit about the town of Moses Lake. Before the construction of Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in 1941 and Larson Air Base in 1942 the area was largely barren. Native Americans knew the area as Houaph, which meant willow. Chief Moses was leader of the Sinkiuse tribe from 1859 to 1899, and was forced to negotiate with white settlers who began to settle in the area in the 1880s. Under pressure from the government, Chief Moses traded the Columbia Basin land for a reservation that stretched from Lake Chelan north to the Canada–US border. The government later traded again for what is now the Colville Indian Reservation. The new settlers named the lake in honor of the chief. The city was originally named Neppel, after a town in Germany where one of the original settlers had lived. The first settlers established fisheries and farms — some of the first exported items were carp, jackrabbits and fruit — but irrigation attempts failed and settlers left at about the same rate as they came. When the town was incorporated and renamed Moses Lake in 1938, the population was estimated at 301 people.

Potholes Reservoir - The Potholes Reservoir was created in 1949, following construction of O’Sullivan Dam on Central Washington’s Crab Creek. This expansive body of water southwest of Moses Lake was created to collect and distribute unused Columbia River irrigation water from the Columbia Basin Project. The reservoir immediately became useful in supporting agriculture in the Basin and soon emerged as one of the Northwest’s premier inland fisheries and summertime family destinations, the Potholes is loaded with fish.

This auto rollover, near MM 159, must have just happened. There were a couple people around it and as we headed further west, the fire trucks, police and ambulance were headed east.

The road sign calls it Wild Horses Monument, but the real name of this artwork is “Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies.” And despite being begun in 1989, it’s still not complete! The sculpture was designed and created by Chewelah sculptor David Govedare. He envisioned a 36-foot tall woven basket made of steel, tipped up by Grandfather (a symbol of the Great Spirit), to allow the 18 horses within to run free. 

The sculpture was to be completed and then presented as a gift during Washington’s Centennial celebration in 1989. The state ceded the land to Grant County for that purpose, but fundraising from private donations fell short and there was never enough money to complete the project. The 15 life-size galloping horses that were installed are a beautiful sight, regardless of the original plan.

We transitioned off I-90 and onto I-82 and US 97 South. This area is home to several ridges, including the Manastash Ridge. Manastash Ridge runs mostly west-to-east for approximately 50 miles. The ridge is part of the Yakima Fold Belt of east-tending long ridges formed by the folding of Columbia River basalt flows. When I-82 crosses the eastern portion of the ridge the elevation is 2,672 feet. Umtanum Ridge is parallels the Manastash Ridge, to the south.

Soldiers in the back of an open truck, on an interstate? This is not something that seems very safe and people are going over 70 mph on these interstates! I know I have been retired a long time … but this seems very unsafe!

We exited the interstate and moved onto US 12 and skirted Yakima, Washington. The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation, located south of the city. The Yakama people were the first known inhabitants of the Yakima Valley. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to the area and discovered abundant wildlife and rich soil, prompting the settlement of homesteaders.[8] A Catholic Mission was established in Ahtanum, southwest of present-day Yakima. The arrival of settlers and their conflicts with the natives resulted in the Yakima War. The US Army established Fort Simcoe around 1856 near present-day White Swan as a response to the uprising. The Yakamas were defeated and forced to relocate to the Yakama Indian Reservation.

Naches Washington reminds me so much of Sodus New York, and all along that section of 104. There are orchards everywhere, crates for apples and processing plants.

As you drive by, you can smell the apples and see the activity, this time of year! The only difference between New York and Washington is the mountain ranges in the background!

Washington Route 410, will take us right into the campground about 15 miles ahead! Route 410 is what I would call a canyon road, it is twisting and turning with close cliffs on each side of the road, but it affords spectacular scenery!

Did I mention the spectacular scenery?

We arrived at Squaw Rock RV Park … ah, home sweet home … for a few days anyway!

Our site is right along the river, it will be great sleeping to the lapping of the water on the rocks!

We enjoyed a Yankee dinner at the Squaw Rock Café. It was a home cooked feast! Our choices were fried chicken, meatloaf or lasagna. All three looked delicious!

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