We set off before 7am for a long drive to the Dalles towards Portland Oregon 

After tracking the huge lake round Kalispell we entered the West plains Blackfoot Indian land and headed to a town called paradise 

The land was cattle ranches with black cattle and calves standing out on the yellow grass they were feeding from.

We passed several hot springs and followed wide rivers along the coeur d’Alene mountains …very picturesque scenery 

The train tracks crossed the road and the wide meandering river, on steel cantilever bridges. It was the Lo lo national forest. Pine trees everywhere over all the hillsides 

We reached the highway to Spokane exiting in 180 miles 😏

Into Idaho state and it was very smoky  in the valleys. The  clocks went back an hour to pacific time.

Coere d’Alene is on a huge lake and loads of water crafts it was a big city Then into Washington state 

Spokane was a huge sprawling city and not at all attractive. We now went up onto the Colombian Plateau

The plains are cornfields miles of flat lands

and dusty. It was very hazy with smoke and the sky was grey with smoke.

We called at a restaurant for lunch it was a Mexican one. But we had waffles so I didn’t eat any chillies 🤣. It was 84*f hot but at least cooling down from the 100s

We crossed over the port of Kennewick on a long cantilever bridge.( The kind that a cargo barge got caught under and destroyed )

The next huge river and bridge over it marked the border of Oregon 

We were 100 miles from our destination of The Dalles Oregon the temperature was 95*f 🥵 A strong warm wind too

We followed the huge Columbia river and for miles its grassy embankments were burnt 

Can you see how long the train is on the far bank?

We saw  many bridges across this wide river, grain stores, fishing with Seine nets, wind turbines, a few dams, water sports all along this wide river.

Mount St Helen began to dominate the scenery, its volcano erupted in the 1960s

At last we arrived at the hotel in The Dalles

For an overnight stay 

My photos are mostly taken through the car windows as we drove by …so hope they are ok 

Missing you all but know you are busy at school now so sending hugs and kisses to my family xxx