Bonneville to Wenatchee, WA

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

We departed Bonneville Fish Hatchery on October 1st and headed east to Dallesport to visit with Jim and Connie. They are in the process of constructing a house sitting on a one acre lot. Last time we visited they didn’t have a house. This time they have a house but it’s not quite ready to move into. They live on the property in their motorhome so I’m sure they are anxious to be living in a sticks and bricks home once again.

We said Adios to our good friends and headed towards Yakima for a one nighter at the Suntides Golf Course and RV Park located just north of the city of Yakima Washington. The park is very civilized with asphalt roads and pads on which to park.

Even though their pull throughs are side by side we didn’t feel crowded since we were the big mambo rig next to a very small Airstream. A nice dog walking grass area was right behind us and a nice view of the golf course was just beyond that. It’s a nice park!

Yakima is the seat of Yakima County. 96,968 souls make it the 11th largest city in Washington State. The Yakima Valley produces 77% of all hops grown in the U.S. The region is also known for apple and wine production. The Yakima Nation Native American Tribe’s reservation is located south of the city. The city also calls itself “The Palm Springs of Washington”. We don’t see it……

On October 2nd we departed Suntides and headed north on I-82 to just south of Ellensburg, WA. I-82 is kind of a crazy interstate highway. It should orient east and west but this one orients north east to south west traversing the Cascade Mountains along the way as it intersects with I-90. From its tie in with I-90 at Ellensburg it dives southeast heading towards Washington’s Tri-Cities, then dives to I-84 in Hermiston, OR. Usually even numbered interstates don’t intersect with other even numbered interstates but this one intersects two from northwest to southeast.

We exit I-82 and jump back on US 97 and head north from Ellensburg (18,666 souls). Ellensburg is the seat of Kittitas County and site of the state’s major rodeo, a traditions since 1923. We go from flat fertile land to hilly pine country seemingly in no time at all. US 97 twists and turns through very beautiful mountain country.

We decide to visit a “living” ghost town. Liberty is a couple miles off of US 97. It’s an old 1870’s gold mining camps known for crystaline gold that is still inhabited to this day and is a Historical District to boot. Jil gives me the mileage to the Liberty turnoff – we see a small sign too late to make the turn. Oh well. I’ve read other people’s accounts of Liberty. They state that because the town is “occupied”, people feel like they are lurking around town as they find relics of the old mining days. So maybe it’s OK that we missed the turnoff to the oldest gold mining area in Washington State.

Not much farther up US 97 we summit at Blewett Pass, the highest summit in Washington at 4100 feet.. Heading down a very long grade we are halted by road construction for more than 20 minutes. Continuing on US 97 intersects with Washington 2.

We head east on W2 to our home for 3 nights, the Wenatchee River County RV Park. The park is lovely with 4 “circles” of RV sites and a very nice day use park all located on the east bank of the Wenatchee River. We really like it here.

We stop at Smallwood’s fruit stand in Peshtastin. The place is amazing with a playground for kids and a well stocked stand with fresh local fruit, nuts, curiously named seasonings.

Wenatchee (35,508 souls) touts itself as the Apple Capitol of the world and it may very well be. The Wenatchee River Valley is lush with orchards. This time of year the very verdant valley contrasts with the golden hillsides. We tour downtown stopping at the Pybus Public Market.

The building that houses the market appears to be an old warehouse. The public market houses several restaurants and pubs as well as merchants who sell trinkets and nice smelling products that women especially like.

Wenatchee (35,508 souls) is located at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia River. The city is located near the middle of the many dams on the Columbia. The Rock Island Dam was completed in 1936, the first of 14 hydroelectric projects, and refers itself as the Power Belt of the Great Northwest as the Rock Island Dam is located nearest to this “belt” and labeled the “buckle”.

The reason we decided to go to the Wenatchee area is to visit the famous town of Leavenworth! Leavenworth (2263 souls) is modeled on a German Bavarian village as part of a civic initiative that began in the 1960’s. The area is a major four season tourist destination with festivals for nearly every month and a multitude of events year round. The town is located in Tumwater Canyon about 20 miles from Wenatchee. The town began as a small timber community and regional office of the Great Northern Railway. When the railroad relocated to Wenatchee in 1925 and the logging industry dwindling, the city’s population declined well into the 1950’s. The theme town idea became a reality in the 1960’s as building after building downtown was remodeled in Bavarian style.

The town is actually beautiful. Each building is painted with unique designs, lots of exposed ricrac and flower planters abound. The town is so clean it seems like the streets and sidewalks had been steam cleaned.

Wenatchee is our turn around spot. We’ll be heading towards home when we leave here. We have enjoyed Leavenworth and Wenatchee and are happy we were able to visit these lovely places.