As you regulars know, I just love driving my F-150. It will be two years of ownership this coming March and I still feel like she’s a new toy. So when I got the green light to go get some tamales from our favorite shop in Yakima (112 miles East of our home in the Seattle area), I decided to take a “slight detour” and head 160 miles south first to Portland to check out a few shops I’ve been wanting to visit. Makes sense right?

Anyway, now for the fun stuff...

Lunch at Pine State Biscuit is a must stop if you’re in Portland. Everything is home-made and amazing...that’s a piece of fried chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, egg, sausage gravy all held together by a fresh biscuit.


Shopping done, heading East out Hwy 84...a very beautiful drive.


A 90-year old Stonehenge replica dedicated to those from the area that died in WW1...pretty cool.











FINALLY...Six dozen oinks and 6 dozen clucks tucked away into the cooler.


And my final pic...it was a nice sunset as we headed back home. Those dark clouds in the background are part of a snow storm hitting the mountain pass we had to travel over. I was hoping for some snow in the mountains, but got thru just as it started coming down.


The trip took 12.5 hrs, with about 9.25 hrs of driving. Did the entire 529 mile loop in one tank. The trip meter said I averaged 18.7mpg, but hand calculating shows I got 17.6mpg. Was kind of cool to see the “671 miles to E” above the fuel gauge when I filled up after the trip today.

Anyway, that’s my Saturday...

 

Been meaning to do a long road trip in my truck! It's so comfortable and I can't get over the interior space. I'm always bragging it to my friends. My friends like it too. I love my truck.

 

Great trip report and love the photos! Saw that the CHP just re-opened I-80 over Donner Summit this morning. Not that much snow fell (chain controls were up) but there's always someone who doesn't understand that white stuff on the road is slippery and wrecks and closes the road until they clean up the mess.

Winter is coming fast and I too feel the need for a nice long drive somewhere before the high passes get socked in for the season.

 

Beautiful pictures! Whenever I've bought or was looking to buy a new truck, these are the type of trips I dream of taking with it!

 

Very beautiful pictures. I love driving along 97 and 84. Basically any drive along the Columbia as well as up on the plateau is breathtaking. Draw a line from Leavenworth to Omak, Omak to Spokane, Spokane to Richland, then back to Leavenworth... within that area is the place to live. The wheatfields around Waterville are amazing.

 

I love traveling to new areas and taking new roads. I’ve never gone too far south of Yakima before, so this was a fun treat. There are a lot of areas in Eastern WA that are just plain fugly, but so many areas are breathtaking. I’m so sick of Seattle and these areas get me dreaming...if they only had jobs!

 

Tasty looking biscuit there....

Only in Murica. Lol

 

I was stationed at Fort Lewis back in the late 70s and WOW what a huge difference in the greater Seattle-Tacoma now. Just got back from there a few weeks ago as my son lives in Seattle now. The traffic is horrendous though, worse than Atlanta.

We go to the Olympic peninsula which I love. Also went to Stehekin and what a wonderful place that is. The Columbia River in your pics is gorgeous. Did the Columbia River cruise which was greatl. Mt. Saint Helens is a must see. Leavenworth very nice for a tourist town. You live in a magnificent area with lots to see and do.

Go enjoy it all while you can. You will be an old man (or woman) like me before you realize it and most assuredly before you want to.