Road Trip, Part XII

Wednesday, June 1: The rain continued through the morning while I had breakfast at a neighbourhood diner called Knuckleheads BBQ and followed me as I drove through northern Montana and into the panhandle of Idaho. As soon as I crossed the state line two things happened simultaneously. A dense mist descended and the mountains of the Bitterroot Range closed in on either side of the road for an eerie but gorgeous drive. When the mist lifted a few miles later, I was able to survey the landscape and I don’t think I could have asked for a more picturesque view. Lush green valleys were cradled by rolling hills fading to a deep purple in the distance, birds circled overhead and along the way I passed the stunningly beautiful town of Couer d’Alene, on the banks of the lake bearing the same name.

It took me about six relaxed hours to drive the nearly four hundred miles to the small town of Sunnyside, in the wine country of Washington’s Yakima Valley, where I was due to spend a couple of days with HS & KS. I managed to lose my way in Sunnyside but in a town that size, the first person I asked for directions knew not only the address but the family as well. The S were not home when I arrived so, after saying hello to their dogs Jill and Marsha and a boisterous young addition called Rocky, I settled down in my car and killed time by updating my accounts and making campsite reservations for a night I was due to halt in Oregon.

When H and K returned I was again treated to the wonderful hospitality that I had come to know and look forward to. After helping K set up equipment in preparation for the weekend’s bottling we had an excellent dinner of paella followed by ice-cream and talked about my trip and the happenings in the vineyards and winery since my last visit more than two years ago.