Drive

Finally. I know...

Surely you have been on the edge of your seats after reading this post, and then this one. Heh... or you could have just gone over to Missy's blog and read her account of our drive home from Baker City.

Was it really all that bad? No... actually I think it was worse. Basically, we spent all day in this:

That would be the burning hot sun we sat in for hours. And the scenery at the Gorge? Just stunning, I tellya. I have never seen the Columbia River so flat and glass-like.

Don't get me wrong. Even though the heat made our drive more like the 3rd circle of hell... There were some good moments.

We stopped at the Pendleton Woolen Mill, which was cool. I've been to Pendleton several times but never made it there. And they have air conditioning so it gave us a brief reprieve.

Lunch at the Rainbow in Pendleton was good, and we met some nice people (moving a kid from Atlanta to Salem, for school) at a Gorge view point.

But by the time we got to Biggs, I wanted nothing more than to find somewhere shady and cool, curl up in a ball, and take a nap. We were sooo hottt. When we peeled ourselves out of Luigi, Missy laughed because I was totally soaked with sweat - back, butt, legs and all. We ran to the bathroom where we bathed in cool water, and bought huge cups of ice chips. I proceeded to stick those ice chips up in my (braided) hair - basically turning my scalp into a makeshift air conditioner - which provided some nice relief from the heat.

On the stretch between Biggs and Madras the weather started to cool slightly. Every time we passed a farm with irrigation I think both of us sat up a little straighter, and got a little more hopeful that some day we would be cool again. And then we could see the storm clouds pressing against the Cascade Mountains and knew it was almost over. That night we were treated to a nice little thunder storm and the heat broke. Thank goodness.

Next time we plan a road trip, I will keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't turn out to be the hottest frakkin' weekend of the year. If, that is, Missy ever wants to brave the road with me ever again! ;-)