I was sitting around thinking about the year past.
We had to lay our four legged buddy, Bo, to rest early in the year, then in April I was notified my warehouse was being closed and I would be laid off. July 30th, that job was complete and a 17 1/2 year career in the wireless industry came to a close and left us wondering what we were going to do next. New house, no job, to young to retire, to old for many jobs that were available, tons of experience but lacking the formal education that everyone wants. Quite the dilemma.
We hadn't taken a real vacation in far to many years, so when I received the payout for my unused vacation, we decided we needed the break worse than the money. Maybe not the smartest move, but one we had to take a chance on.
On August 15th I rolled out with my wife Leslie, our two little dogs, Hennessy and Cleo, and Monty on our back with no specific plans and only one reservation. We spent the first night in a Walmart parking lot in Ontario, Oregon along with 15 other rigs. Monday found us rolling into Yakima, Washington, for a week with family and friends. The day after we arrived, my niece had her first baby. Many BBQs and quiet nights were the norm, which prompted us to stay a few extra days.
When we finally decided it was time to move on, we pointed our nose toward Spokane. On the way, we saw a sign for Grand Coulee dam, on the Columbia river, and I commented that I hadn't seen the light show in years. Leslie had never seen it, so with no schedule tying us down, we turned in that direction. We found a small campground on the river, got set up for the night, fixed dinner, and headed out. For those who are in the Northwest and have never seen this, it is well worth the side trip. During the Summer months, after dark, the spillways are opened turning the dark concrete white like a movie screen. Then a narrated laser light show is projected on the dam. Very impressive.
We continued on to Spokane the next day to spend time with an old school friend. He and his wife treated us to gambling, a buffet, and drag racing. We really enjoyed the Big Cat zoo, lions and tigers and bears, oh my. How does it get any better?
After three days, we took our leave and crossed the Panhandle of Idaho and into Montana. We didn't go far as we felt really beat, so the campground at St. Regis became our home for a couple days. This place is not only inexpensive, but quite beautiful and quiet.
Feeling rested, we continued on to West Yellowstone. We spent several days enjoying the Park and all it had to share.
On September 3rd, we finally headed home. An hour and a half later we were back at home wishing we could have stayed on the road a while longer. It was so relaxing, we actually lost track of the day of the week. This is what a vacation should be. The places we went and saw, and our Montana made it an experience to be remembered for many years to come.
Since returning home, my wife has gone to work, I'm to start a new job in the next day or so, the Monty has been Winterized and stands ready to take us on the next great adventure.
