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Eastbound: Day 1

Posted on April 22, 2016August 30, 2020 by Annie

As a project manager, I’m a little proud of the fact I had all my pre-trip tasks completed a day early: mail forwarded, internet turned off, last work emails sent, and car gassed up and ready to go. Then I looked at where I had to return the cable modem. Halfway across the city of Seattle, just three blocks from I-90, the eastbound exit from the big city. Hmm…  I decided the spontaneity starts now: get a cheap hotel room 90 minutes east of Seattle, pack the last of the stuff in the car, and get a jump on the drive, and a bonus of more time Saturday for seeing the Grand Coulee Dam.
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I have to admit, though, sitting in the parking garage seve floors below my apartment, staring at this button, I did have a “What the hell am I thinking?” moment. Or two. Pushing this button is one more confirmation of the path I started down last fall, and for just a second or two there, I wondered if it was the right one. I thought where I would be in a year if I stayed on my current path vs. where I would be in a year on this new path. That actually made it an easy choice: working drone vs. freelance photowriter. I punched the button and Bella and I were on our way. But not before Seattle weather gave us a really good reason to leave town…

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About a half-hour east out of Seattle, the clouds broke up enough that I could appreciate one more time how close the forests and mountains are to the big city.

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And how high those mountains are… still a lot of snow at the top of the Cascades!

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I saw the sign for Denny Creek campground, which is where I’m aiming to spend a couple of weeks this summer, so I pulled off the highway and meandered down what became a narrow little road through a big old forest. And then there it was, the actual Denny Creek. This is the view about 30 seconds walk from the campground entrance. Nice.

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Just being in the middle of the forest, hearing the water rushing down the rocks, made me grin like ten-year-old me my first time at Yosemite. I’m definitely looking forward to my time here in July.

Another 45 minutes or so later and I dumped off at exit 84, entering the three-blocks-long twilight zone of Cle Elum, whose major selling points are cheap gas, cheap food, and a couple of decent hotels. This is mine, and it’s quite nice: free wifi, no smoking, and I can see Bella out my window.

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She looks as trim as usual, but inside, she’s carrying a ton of stuff, most of it for the trailer, oddly enough! Wheel lock, hitch lock, water filter for campground faucets, and almost everything in that big plastic box on the bottom left side.

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Being a practical sort of person, I put the telescope, camp chair, and toolbox in first, added the camera tripod, some books, and then figured out where the boring kitchen and bath stuff would go. (Hence the TP on the top.) Packing everything became a life-sized version of Jenga meets Tetris. I just hope I don’t have to get to the spare tire or it might never all fit back in!

Today’s quotation, courtesy of my friend Rene:

Sunset in Seattle

Today’s Stats

  • Miles Driven: 93
  • MPG: 26.5
  • Side trips: Cable modem store (returning equipment) and Denny Creek Campground
  • Map

Day 1 Updated

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10 thoughts on “Eastbound: Day 1”

  1. Lyn says:
    April 26, 2016 at 10:21 PM

    Amazing start and…you’re off! Safe travels! (Beautiful shots, too; awesome blog already). 🙂

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    1. Annie says:
      April 27, 2016 at 6:54 PM

      Thank you, Lyn!

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  2. Bruce says:
    April 23, 2016 at 11:37 AM

    Have fun and thanks for sharing the journey and the pics!

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  3. Donna Neff says:
    April 23, 2016 at 9:23 AM

    You’re a wonderful writer and photographer. Thank you for sharing this fantastic journey! You must be so excited!!

    My husband and I live in a rural area of Ottawa, Canada, with our elderly dog and cat. We are scheduled to pick up our Alto in February 2017 by which time we should both be retired. We can hardly wait. Reading about your adventures will help ease the waiting.

    If you have any issues with camping in the Ottawa area, please give us a shout. We have six acres in the country and lots of room for parking. Free electrical and water hookup and wifi. No pumpout though. We are just a few kms off the 417 on the way to Arnprior. Shopping malls and grocery stores are 10 minutes away. We would love to see your Alto

    Safe travels!
    Donna (and Wayne)

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  4. Linda Russell says:
    April 23, 2016 at 8:51 AM

    And you’re off! Safe travels, Annie! Very excited for you!

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  5. Paris says:
    April 23, 2016 at 8:33 AM

    What a great spontaneous decision! That must’ve been a “ok…this is it” moment when you hit the engine button. Deep breath and go!! Really excited for you!

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  6. Jam says:
    April 23, 2016 at 6:49 AM

    The actual adventure actually began!

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  7. Janet says:
    April 22, 2016 at 10:46 PM

    Yay spontaneity! I would have done the same. Why wait when you are packed and ready to launch? I’m betting you will sleep better tonight for having started the journey and released some of that pent-up anticipation and excitement. I love your photos and look forward to reading your continuing adventures. Like they say, ‘Today is the first day of the rest of your life”. May you have safe roads and happy times ahead. You go, girl!

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  8. Luanne says:
    April 22, 2016 at 9:44 PM

    Did you remember to drop off the cable modem?

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  9. Bakha Nurzhanov says:
    April 22, 2016 at 8:37 PM

    Have a safe trip!

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