Washington Over the Border

June 7, 2026: Most of the small, country towns don't have health food stores or if they do they are closed on the weekends. I found a co-op AND a Natural Grocers in Kennewick so that's where I headed. Although it's further away from where I want to go, it's very close to Pendleton, my next stop. I turned on Google Maps, switched off highways, and meandered through the gorgeous countryside to the Tri-Cities. A beautiful, peaceful, good-feeling, early morning drive. Hardly anyone on the road on a Sunday. Sometimes I just love driving! I ended up on "The Old Oregon Trail" that switchbacked back and forth, up and down hills, and criss-crossed over, under, and around Interstate 84!! It was fun imagining how wagon trains might have negotiated these hills.

Kennewick was lovely. A lot of train tracks that were too bumpy, but the city felt very clean and well-maintained. I found nothing at the food co-op I wanted to buy and too much at Natural Grocers!

Bridge to Pasco or Richmond? Not sure which.

When it came time to leave it was too early to camp for the night so I looked on the map and thought how I've always wanted to see the Whitman Mission near Walla Walla since as a grade school teacher I used to teach children about it. It was a great history lesson, great memorial, great balance of native and white culture, and great film.

I stayed overnight in the Walmart parking lot in Walla Walla. This is the first Walmart I've encountered that logs overnighter RVs, campers, and vans and gives you a sheet of paper that says you've checked in. Awesome! So organized. More Walmarts should do this. I think it would make the bad people who take advantage of this generosity to reconsider being bad and then the store can continue to be generous without reprocussions and with recourse if someone is stupid.

Back to Oregon....