Spokane and Family!

I last left you in Boulder with weather threatening, again.    The nasty clouds moved away over the plains and the anticipated storm was a non-event.   Phew.

Since then, we had an uneventful (but very windy) trip through southern Wyoming, northern Utah and into southern Idaho to a few days stay in Heyburn, Idaho.  

We usually try to stop at the little Riverside RV Park, owned and run by the City of Heyburn.    It sits beside the Snake River and is very green, and quiet and run by a couple of friendly hosts.    It's a great place to just decompress and relax after days of interstate driving.     

See Dave in the shade?

There isn't a lot to do in the immediate area....City of Rocks is about 50 miles south and on my list......but this time we really wanted to sit in the shade and rest up.    This long driving trip is beginning to catch up with us.       We enjoy walking beside the River in the morning or evening, when the heat calms down a bit.

Small pleasures....we discovered acres and acres of a new to us crop - Sugar Beets! Thanks to Google, we finally figured out what it was, our best guess to that point was Kale!  The other enormous fields were planted in Barley (headed to the huge, nearby Coors Barley plant), and potatoes (ear marked for the McCain french fry producer's processing plant).   

The other "interesting" thing we discovered was in a large grocery store.    We thought it was a grocery store, the large sign on the building said "Stokes Freshfood Market".    Except it was a good-sized hardware store fully integrated into the grocery store.     At the end of the plumbing section aisle we found lunchmeat.   Walking through the salad dressings we came upon an area of electrical supplies and shelves of assorted nuts and bolts.     Very disorienting to say the least....  We got all the things on our list in one stop!       Ah well, the things you find on the road.

Fully rested we left Heyburn, drove through Oregon and into Washington to the last planned stop before Spokane - Walla Walla.     We had decided on a couple days there, to do a few wineries and dinner at another favorite - Brasserie Four - but an imminent arrival cut our visit short.   

Probably one of the best meals we've had on this trip! 

Way more important things happening in Spokane.   She's here and healthy and 10 days early!    Maybe she couldn't wait to meet her family!     More to follow. 

Jesse and Annabelle

  

     

the ending before the beginning...

 

Bear with me please...Blogger will not let me finish this post.     I cannot continue to add any pictures or tell any more about what/where we are after the last picture of Boulder Creek.      So, if you don't mind, and can understand what I mean......I'll finish the post at the beginning, see?    Sorry.

Continuing.......

We were missing the mountains, the rocks so we continued a little longer than we should have.    Hail began to thrum on Rocky's roof so we turned around and came back down into Boulder and then on home.   It was a beautiful ride, no sense to finish it in the mountains on slick roads.

Another day we drove up to Lyons to see what Jesse and Erin's wedding site looked like these days.    It was still beautiful and the owner's were happy to have us walk the grounds and enjoy the creekside setting.

After that we drove back into Boulder for our dinner reservations at tiny Il Pastaio.

fish soup makes him smile!

Dave enjoyed the Friday evening special, Cioppino, and I had my favorite mushroom ravioli covered in Aurora sauce....yum.    We took some meatballs and sauce with us to share when we get to Spokane, don't tell though.

Today, our last day here, we had brunch at The Kitchen.    Another YUM meal.

One last little culinary delight to take care of before we leave the area....pick up two dozen heavenly Empanadas from Rincon Argentina to share with Jesse and Erin in a week.

On our way home, our last ride home from Boulder, mother nature didn't want us to forget her.     BEEP BEEP BEEP severe weather warnings....

     THE END

THE BEGINNING:

At the end of my last post we were in smoky Ohio.   Cough, cough, cough.   Complain, complain, complain.     It was pretty bad all the way through Illinois. We wished we could open the windows at night, we wished we could breath without coughing or sneezing.

no happy hour outside in Casey!

Be careful what you wish for.    The smoky skies vanished when the storm clouds and heavy rain rolled in as we left Casey, Illinois.    Rain, hail, thunder, wind and - BEEP BEEP BEEP - severe weather advisories were our constant companions along the interstate.   Speaking of the Interstate....I-70 in Indiana was, once again, the worst road we've ever driven on.     The last time we had the misfortune of routing ourselves that way Beluga's headlights blew out.    This time it was the mirror behind the sink that came down.    Luckily the kitchen faucet kept it from crashing down on the floor and shattering.  Note to self - avoid Indiana!

Mr. David's A-1 Glass Repair Service brings their own tools and towels

We did have a few hours of dry, non-scary weather sandwiched between the storms training across the Midwest.    I planned a couple day stay over in Danville, Missouri and one afternoon we drove into the cute little German settlement of Hermann.  

 

 We had planned to stop in a winery or walk along the river but the temperature and humidity made us rethink our plans.

After Danville, we continued across Kansas, dodging nasty looking red and yellow cells all the way.   Fortunately, the really bad weather went around us, but then dropped down behind to wreak havoc on some of the very spots we had just vacated.  We even enjoyed the strong outflow winds as we crept over the bridge across the Mississippi.    This part of the drive reminded us why we vowed to stop driving across the middle of the country.....why we decided to buy a home base in the west. 

So, enough complaining, I bet you're as tired of hearing it as I am of feeling grumpy.

So, - insert smiley face here, we're here in Colorado, at St. Vrain State Park near Longmont.    I'll try not to complain about the weather anymore, maybe I'll just describe it with no emotion attached.   

    For the first few days we didn't know we had a view of the mountains in the west!  

 Mornings are lovely beside Bald Eagle Pond.   The sun is out, the sky is blue and the temperature is pleasant.

Dave enjoys the view while speaking with brother Mike

We have even been able to enjoy second cup outside, watching the Great Blue Heron work the shoreline in front of us is fun.

Late mornings though, beautiful and powerful clouds rise up around us, tower over us and mostly blow off to the east.

uh oh

We spent a fair amount of time in the Denver area, Jesse attended U of C at Boulder to receive his MBA and we enjoyed visiting often.  He and Erin were married just north of Boulder  in the little community of Lyons beside the St. Vrain Creek.   

We had a few familiar favorite restaurants on our list.   We visited them in between spending as much time outdoors as we could (when those clouds weren't threatening).    

After having lunch at Brasserie Ten Ten and window shopping along the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, we decided to follow Boulder Creek up into the mountains, just because.

the only "meh" meal I've had on this entire trip!

Dave tries not to notice the Tuba player

beautiful Boulder Creek