Day 2: Monday, September 5, 2005

I wake up early (as if I were still on the East Coast) and go for a run in the wheat fields. It is very pretty. The Blue Mountains look hazy compared to the burned grass shining orange in the blinding sun.















Before leaving Walla Walla, we do the traditional drive over the scenic loop and snap pictures at the highest point. I have never been to Walla Walla in September before, so it feels strange to see the empty wheat fields around us.

We drive down to the Mill Creek Road for a stop at the Hunter farm. The current tenants are moving out, but they do not object to our walking around. We head straight for the fruit trees. Of course it is too late for cherries, but the plums are plentiful. The purple ones are not quite ripe, but I love the crunchiness. The pale plums are so ripe that they almost glow from inside out in the sun, and their skin pops at the first touch.

The Mill Creek Road leads us back into town. We buy a bag of Walla Walla sweet onions at the Klickers and leave Walla Walla heading East on Highway 12. We drive out of Washington, passing the town of Clarkston—the Gateway to Hell’s Canyon, cross Snake River and find ourselves in Lewiston, Idaho.


In Eastern Idaho, Highway 12 runs through the Clearwater National Forrest. The road mostly follows the water--fast running rivers whose clear waters let you look into their depths.
We are still driving through the Clearwater National Forrest when darkness descends. As we cross the Lolo pass, we can only see the road in front of us in the light of the car’s headlights. We reach Missoula, Montana, and it seems like nothing but a collection of endless strip malls and fast food restaurants.