From Oregon to Montana

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We left Oregon on May 31, after a great month at the beautiful Nehalem Bay State Park, and after an overnight stay in a neat little Oceanside campground on the Washington coast, headed for southeastern Washington to spend a few days with some friends, Glen and Lori, from Vancouver, and Terry and Linda, from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, all of whom had worked with us as volunteers in Oregon last year. We stayed for 3 days at the Yakima Nation RV Resort, a nice resort and casino in Toppenish, WA, then we all moved about 100 miles east to the little town of Walla Walla. It’s hard to take seriously any place with a name like Walla Walla, but in 2006, Money Magazine named it the best place in America to retire. It used to be a farming community, but recently the wine industry has moved in big time, and the town has become a toney place to come and tour the vineyards. It really is a nice little town, and we stayed in a beautifully manicured campground right downtown. After 2 days of sightseeing, shopping and relaxing, we said goodbye to Glen and Lori, and, along with Terry and Linda, set out for Montana.
US 12 from Walla Walla to Missoula, MT is a beautiful drive, first through the rolling hills of eastern Washington, and then following the scenic Clearwater River through the mountains of western Idaho. After overnighting in a campsite along the river, we arrived in Missoula, home of the University of Montana, whose best-known alumnus is Archie Bunker. (Carroll O’Conner was both a student and professor at UM.) It is also home to the Big Sky Brewing Co, makers of Moose Drool Brown Ale, a regional favorite. We visited the brewery, and were forced to sample the brew and buy some souvenir mugs, t-shirts, etc. After 2 enjoyable days in Missoula, we had to say goodbye to Terry and Linda and to this neat little town. It’s time for our next adventure, which lies about 125 miles to the north - Glacier National Park.

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Photos

Leaving Nehalem Bay
Highway 101 north out of Nehalem offers several breathtaking views of the little villge of Manzanita and Nehalem Bay State Park just beyond. On our way out, we stopped for one last look back. What a beautiful place!

One Last Look
We're going to miss this beautiful rocky coast.

Pretty Bird
Young Sparrow Hawk (we think) checking out our RV in Yakima.

Happy Hour in Walla Walla
Terry, Glen and Bob. This RVing is hard work!

Headin' East
Eastern Washington countryside.

Interesting Terrain
Near the Washington-Idaho border.

Highway 12 in Northwestern Idaho.
That's the Clearwater River running alongside.

Downtown Missoula
Neat little town.

Jugglers at the Train Station.
Lots of happenings here.

Preview of Coming Attractions
The road to Glacier National Park