Somewhere, somehow, and someway I managed to forget that Duncan would have Memorial Day off from work. I always have Monday’s off, and lucky for me most of the major holidays fall on a Monday. When I realized Duncan also had a three day weekend, I decided to plan a very last minute overnight trip to Eastern Washington.
I got off of work on Friday, booked a hotel, and we left Saturday morning.
I’m finding it helpful to have getaways somewhat planned ahead of time. By that I mean I have a handful of hikes saved that require more than a 2.5 hour drive. Most all of my weekend getaways revolve around hiking, making it easier to choose where I want to go. For this overnight trip I chose to go see the White Bluffs. All it takes is for me to see one photo of a good hike (or in this case a walk) and I will plan an entire day/weekend around this location.
This is the third time in one month I have made the trek to Eastern Washington, and it proved to be the final straw for my lower back. The continual 3.5-4hr drives (one way) did a number on my muscles and this adventure was ever so slightly tainted by the discomfort. Alas, we still had a great time. The journey to the bluffs was an adventure unlike one I’ve had thus far in my life.
The winds off the Columbia River were stronger than I anticipated. Wind alone is not a big deal, but the sand blowing into the sides of my legs and face at what felt like 100 MPH were not only painful, but disorienting. We were also warned by fellow walkers that they had seen a rattlesnake, adding to the heightened awareness of our surroundings.
Despite the wind blowing tiny spherical daggers into my skin, this was an epic adventure. The dunes were much cooler than I expected, and the surrounding views were just what I was hoping for. We stayed on the dune just long enough for me to summon a Sandworm while looking for Paul Atreides, and for Duncan to rescue my hat after it blew off.
The walk back to the car turned into sporadic jogging and occasional pauses to wait for our vision to be cleared. The wind started to get even worse, and I was thankful to be almost done with the sideways sand. I didn’t find the Fremen, but I did leave with 2lbs of sand in my ears that took me days to clean out.
All in all this visit to the dunes was worth it. Even though I lost a hubcap along the way.
We spent the night in the town of Othello, which let me tell you is nothing to write home about. We had a cheap bed to sleep on and a bathroom to shower in (fully equipped with a cracked leaking toilet) and that’s really all I could ask for. After a full nights sleep I woke to find my car had not blown away in the wind, and we set off on our second adventure.
Next up was a 25 minute drive north to Blythe Lake. I typically read trail reviews like I’m studying for a test, but I somehow glazed over this one. Thankfully I had battery on my phone because this trail turned into a walk through wild, trail-less terrain that required me to follow the little blue dot multiple times on the AllTrails app.
This started simple enough, an old road led us up to a decent view as we continued to wrap around the nature preserve.
We continued to play “where’s the rattlesnake” throughout this walk, but truthfully I was more concerned with ticks. The shrubbery was sharp at times, and I couldn’t tell you how many spur like needle things I had attached to my socks after this. Spirits were high despite the rogue wandering, until we came to an opening providing a view of where we parked.
From here we had to make our own path, and as one AllTrails reviewer said the trail became “a crapshoot.” Truthfully this was kind of fun, but I was ready to be done after a couple hours had passed. With no clear trail to the bottom of a moderately steep drop off we decided to make our own. And by we I mean Duncan saw a path someone else had gone on after I can only assume they were fed up.
Am I glad we did this one? Yes. Would I do it again? Definitely not. The views were quite something though.
From here we made the trek back home, and despite the back pain I still carry two weeks later (the joys of aging?) this was a fun overnight away. The story doesn’t stop here though. Remember how I lost a hupcap? Back in 2012 my car lost a hubcap for the first time. Then in 2014 a secret santa brought me a new one. Shortly after this wonderful gift, I found a hubcap on the side of the road that looked to be similar to the ones on my car.
Naturally, I kept the hubcap just in case I needed one someday.
A decade later, this slightly cracked and discolored hubcap that has been living in my garage is having its moment. These hubcaps sell brand new for $55. That is insane to me. I’d rather drive around hubcap-less than spend that kind of money on something aesthetic. The amount of joy it brought me to use this once lost hubcap is indescribable.
She ain’t perfect, but it’s better than the before.
I’m not typically one for last minute trips, I need a tentative plan and I don’t like flying by the seat of my pants. This getaway was a small mix of both spontaneous and planned. I already have another hike trip up my sleeve should the last minute opportunity present itself. Or when I can wrangle Duncan for another two night getaway. Only time will tell which comes first.
Q: Do you prefer spontaneous adventures, or preplanned? I can do shorter trips with some spontaneity, but longer trips I need to plan.
Blissfulbritt 