It's very obvious I was back in my home state, aside from the Washington plates on the cars. Gas was well over $4.00 a gallon. The most I paid on this trip. Indeed, my second fill up in Washington just outside Walla Walla was at $4.59 a gallon for Premium. I had paid $3.77 in Boise this morning. There is seriously something funny going on here for gas to be that much more expensive.
Between Clarkston and Walla Walla lies the Palouse -- a vast region of rolling hills and endless wheat fields. Its a very pretty part of the state, and I've always loved riding through here. It was quite different this time, as it was green -- very very green. Usually I've ridden through here later in the summer when the wheat is golden and yellow, but now it's new and fresh and about two feet high and very very green. It's a whole different look for the Palouse and it's always captivating.
Walla Walla used to be known as the home of the Washington State Prison -- and it still is, but now it's also the heart of Washington's wine country, and the wheat fields turn into vineyards and wineries by the dozen, rivaling the Sonoma Valley of California. I could have stayed in the Tri-Cities tonight, but it was only 6p when I rolled in and Yakima was an even 100 miles further up the road, and 100 miles closer to home, so I pushed it. It was nice riding in the t-shirt and it was well over 70 even at 8p when I pulled into my hotel.
But I'm worn out, and ready to hit the hay. It's 150 miles to home, and I should be there before lunch time tomorrow. I've saved one of my favorite roads for last -- Yakima Canyon, and one of my least favorite -- I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. It will be a bittersweet ending to this adventure. All rides have to end at some point. This one ends tomorrow. It was almost prophetic that the last song to come up on my i-Pod was Norah Jones, "The Long Day Is Over". Just about. Just about.