Blue skies & golden hills…

I hope everyone had a safe labor Day weekend with friends and family. I had a nice time visiting Kenny up in the “Inland Northwest”. I flew into Spokane late Thursday night which is about 80 minutes from Pullman where Kenny is staying. Throughout the weekend the weather was perfect (mid 80’s during the day, 50’s at night) and although the area is a bit sparse in terms of what to do and where to go, we found a few things to keep us busy. Here’s the rundown, photos included…

Washington – Idaho Flickr SetFriday: I slept in while Kenny went into the office. He then picked me up for lunch – we went into neighboring Moscow, Idaho and ate at a cute coffee shop called Bucer’s.

Afterward I took a nap (Kenny went back to work) and then Kenny picked me up again for an ice cream field trip over to Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe on the Washington State University campus. This turned out to be a company outing so I was able to meet a handful of Kenny’s co-workers. Went back with him and got to see where he working and meet a few more people.

Friday night: We joined Kenny’s boss and our friend Beau for the evening. Had dinner, went to a high school football game (boss’s nephew was playing) then headed to John’s Alley (once again, in Moscow) for some drinks. Pullman-Moscow are college towns and this place was hopping because the Clumsy Lovers, a popular band, was going to be playing. They were indeed really good and Kenny happened to know a few people there since he has been playing pool regularly at a local bar. We all had a great time, and the two double screwdrivers gave me a happy buzz. I bought a CD and had it signed by the lead singer and the fiddler – with whom I had a twenty minute conversation. I look forward to seeing them again when they come to Houston in November (if you live in Houston I invite you to join me).

Saturday: We slept in (we had a late night as you can tell) and then headed north to Coeur D’Alene across the border in Idaho about an hour and a half away. We shopped, walked the boardwalk next to the resort, saw the sunset over the lake and had dinner before heading back to Pullman.

Sunday: Got up a little earlier and drove two hours south this time to Walla Walla (still in Washington). This is an up and coming area for winemakers and we were fortunate enough to hook up with Kenny’s boss once more. His fiancee also joined us and together they joined us for some wine tasting. What was especially fun is that the fiance’s father himself is a local winemaker so we got the inside scoop and visited his place, the Russell Creek Winery, last. We also visited Dunham Cellars, Ash Hollow and Waterbrook and ended up with over half a dozen bottles, most of which will get shipped to us.

Monday came too soon and we head back out to Spokane so I can catch my plane home. I had a wonderful time – the area was so cozy in its feel – and I already miss the lovely weather!

Tags: Washington