Here we are, our first night out, in Yakima. We had a wonderful dinner with our former neighbors in Yachats who are from Yakima. Their house sits on a hill looking over some orchards of apples, pears and cherries which they own and are trying to sell.

Driving along the north side of the Columbia River was a real treat. We've seen the gorge from the Oregon side several times in the last few years.  We haven't seen the Washington side since living in Camas.

The next shock to our systems came when turning north into the hot, dry desert of eastern Washington and all the reminders of eastern Oregon - Merrill and Malin.