Price of gas: $3.79
Kennewick, WA to Bonney Lake, WA
Today is the only day in which I am reversing a route I used on my outbound leg. Otherwise I did not cross the same route.
Yesterday, in contrast to the previous few days, it got cloudier as the day went along and the wind picked up – always a sign of a change in the weather. It only reached highs of maybe the low 80s. Previously, it had been easily in the 90s. This morning it is drizzling and barely to 60 degrees. I joke that this way, there won’t be a huge shock when I get over the mountains. Actually, the first 18 days of September it didn’t rain on the west side of Washington and has been perfect weather, so I think realistically I’m the one bringing the rain home. Sigh.
We go out for breakfast before Mike and I ready taking off. It’s always good for us to get together… too much rehashing of 7th & 8th grade, but overall, it’s been a great time. A final wa-hoo to the end this trip, tame as it was.
Mike, Paul, Anne-Marie. The terrible threesome, 22 years later.
The trip home somehow seems quicker – perhaps I had no need to stop every so often to deal with errands, as I did on the outbound trip. I climb up through the Cascades. As it is raining, there is not much transition at the top in terms of weather. However, once on the west side, I do start descending through the clouds – so much so that I have to slow way down, as I can’t see the road more than about 50 feet ahead. Once I get down to around 3500 feet, it gets better, and the rest of the way is easy.
As I descend, there’s a growing sense of familiarity, but not necessarily home. There’s the old adage, “the person who goes on a trip is not the one who comes home.” That’s who I am right now: I’m the girl out on the road. Home is where I lay my head. Several people along the way have expressed their surprise at my traveling solo and at the range I’m traveling. It’s clearly not a comfortable state for many. I’ve really loved this trip. Seeing family gave me an anchor and sense of place, but I was also able to go new places. At this point, I could keep going for a long time – easily another month, maybe another two, before I’d say, you know, I want to go home. I’ve got my week-long trip in November to look forward to, and some part of me is already thinking, “how can I get further away and do something similar?” Hmm… Probably need to fly and rent a car to save the cross-country driving. Ah, next year…stay tuned.
Final mileage: 5,484
States visited: 7
Provinces visited: 4
REI stores visited: 7
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