From Lewiston, ID to Cle Elum, WA ~ Jan 8, 2011

Today was our first day of travel from Clarkston, WA to Lewiston, ID to Blaine, WA.  We decided to break it into a two day trip.  It is no fun to drive in the dark with a possible chance of rain or snow if we don't have to.  Hope you enjoy this trip with us.

First thing on the agenda was to meet up with Brandon, Danalyn, Max and Christopher at The Waffles N More  in Lewiston, ID. 

Max & Grandpa ~ two great looking guys if I say so, and I do!

Grandpa took this picture of Grammy, Christopher and a glimpse of Brandon.

Always busy doing something.

Danalyn drinking some hot water with lemon and honey.  Poor thing is still fighting laryngitis and is just not feeling to well.  Praying she gets to feeling better real soon.

Christopher's strawberry waffle with whip cream and colored sprinkles.

And what was left of it.   Notice all the whip cream and strawberries are gone...and he did eat about half of the waffle.  He likes to eat!

Max showing Grandpa something on his phone.

 After a delightful breakfast and lots of hugs around we returned to the motor home.  Ron hooked the Jeep up to our new to us tow bar (separate blog post to follow).  I got things inside stowed away for the trip.  Our goal was to be on the road by noon.  After making a pit stop at Les Schwab to make sure all the tires were aired up correctly 

Where this nice guy checked and filled our tires.  Good thing we stopped as the inside dually on the drivers side was quite low.  Thank you Les Schwab for such great customer service.

 it was onto Costco for gas we hit the road at 12:02 p.m.  

Our route was for the day  was to go

E on Highway 12 from Clarkston, WA to Lewiston, ID 

with the first challenge of the day to make it up Lewiston Hill.  We began in Clarkston at 700'

to the top of the hill at 2758'  It was a very slow climb with lots of prayers to get to the top 

of the summit.  Then to

N on Highway 95 towards Moscow, ID to

N on Highway 195 to Colfax, WA

Wind farm along the road.  They look small till you get right next to them.

And looking in the little round mirror look at the sun as it was beginning to set.  Gorgeous ~ God is such a beautiful artist and creator!

 to W on Highway 26 to Vantage, WA

And somewhere along this trip (from Edmonds to Post Falls) the heater hose or solenoid or???? something or other went out and we have NO heat while we are driving and so this is how we dressed for our ride today:

See Ron's gloves on his hands.

And I have two pair of slipper socks on, a pair of gloves, my hoodie and my blue fleece blanket (thank you Clarke's & DeLongs) to help me stay warm.  See the snow outside the window...it was cold outside and so cold inside too.

 to W I90 where we found ourselves climbing Rye Grass Summit.  It was only 2533' and the motor home did much better.  Think it has to do with we didn't have as far to go up or as steep a climb to make.

Being passed by a school bus up Rye Grass Summit.  Ron was not a happy camper :)

to Cle Elum, WA where we planned to stay for the night at Whispering Pines Campground.  As we pulled in towards the campground we went from dry bare pavement to an icy, snowy driveway.  After speaking to the gal about where to park and how much it was going to cost and making arrangements to meet up in the morning (the office was closed) to give her a check we went back to the motor home to go to our site. 

The entrance to Whispering Pines Campground.

Not so fast....because Ron had left the motor home running and the heat from the tires we found ourselves on a sheet of ice not able to go anywhere.  All I kept hearing Ron say over and over "I don't want to put the chains on, I don't want to put the chains on."  I suggested unhooking the Jeep and see if he could back up the motor home.  Nope, wasn't going to budge so out came:

The motor home infront of the office.

Ron putting the tire chains on the motor home.

He pulled his knee pads out of the storage compartment before he started this job.

 After Ron got the chains over the tops of the tires (I thought the chains were on all the way) he told me to get in the drivers seat of the motor home and put it in drive and go forward and keep going till you find us a campsite.  Me drive in the snow, in the dark?  Yes, me!  So I did.  I followed the road to the right, around the back of the office, trying to remember what the gal had said about pull through's...and around a corner and then another corner (found out later that corner was actually through a pull through campsite) and then another corner and then into the third pull through site I saw.

We are parked just to the right of the picnic table which is to the left of the snow bank.

 After I got it parked in the site Ron pulled up with the Jeep.  We got the power hooked up, the furnace on and decided to make a quick trip to Safeway to get some buns to go with the chicken burgers I had planned to make for dinner.

49' inside the motor home after driving from Clarkston, WA to Cle Elem, WA...brrrr it's cold.

Now we are all hunkered down in are warm motor home for the night.   And it is now 66' inside the motor home.  Thank you for a propane furnace.

We hope to be on the road heading to Redmond, WA by 11:00 a.m. tomorrow but alas that will depend on the weather and the roads.  It has snowed about another inch since we got back from Safeway.  

Life is good and we are thankful to the Lord above for a safe days journey!