August 20, Day 36: Yakima Washington

• Miles today:   417
• Trip total:   8114
• Weather:  Clear skies.  High 91F in Kennewick WA
• Roads:   Same construction east of Boise as a month ago.
• Theme song:  "Rockin' Down The Highway" by The Doobie Brothers
• Lesson:  Follow the money!

Well on our way home now.  A stop for lunch with Don's mom and his brother Dan in Caldwell Idaho.

Back into Oregon.  Teresa took over driving duties so I could have a nap in back and try to think of today's lesson.  I told you I was reaching to give you something to read today, when we are pretty much just driving home.

 

That means no scenic photos either, although northeastern Oregon looks pretty much like southwestern Idaho. (Check the guy also collecting "welcome" signs.)

As you cross the Columbia River into Washington State, you get a peek-a-boo view of the spill-gates of the McNary Dam.  Washington State has always been blessed with cheap rates for electricity thanks to the Columbia River and the many hydroelectric dams along it's course.  It starts as a drop of rain, and ends as a spot of light on your computer monitor as you read today's lesson.

A couple of years ago, a "citizen's initiative" was filed and passed requiring all public utility companies in Washington State to purchase at least 10% of their electiricity from renewable sources.  Specifically included were things like solar and wind.  The only method specifically excluded as a renewable electrical source was hydro-electric.  That seems odd, since rain is the most renewable source of potential energy on the planet.  But if you consider that Washington State already produces over 80% of its electricity from hydro, then there wouldn't be a need for a new law requiring the new power generating equipment be purchased and installed (and the costs passed along to the consumer).  The voter's pamphlet showed the sponsors of the bill were eastern Washington farmers (we know some of them, and their sunny, windy property) and funded by two extremely large multinational conglomerates (fierce competitors too) which happen to manufacture wind turbine and industrial solar equipment (as well as hydro, fossil-fuel-burners and nuclear power generating equipment).

Welcome (home) to Washington,

 the Evergreen State!

Lovin'...

...that...

...green!

Yep, more desert.  The people who chose the state slogan live in western Washington, where it actually is green all the time (and grey too).

We stopped for dinner in Kennewick and had a chance to visit with Don's sister Deb for a little while.

As you get north of the Tri-cities and into the Yakima River Valley, you start to pick up a bit more greenery from the fruit orchards, vineyards and hop farms.  It's still desert, but it's our desert, and a little closer to home.

It's a lesson-and-a-half today (BONUS!) as we drive through Toppenish and you get a great example of how the rich and deep topsoil came to be deposited in the area by glaciation and major flooding (as mentioned in yesterday's lesson) by viewing the Touchet formations.  (The sun had just set, so not a good photo, check the link.)  Each visible belt of mud represents a seperate flooding event from the Bonneville and/or Missoula ice-dams spaced several-thousand years apart.  They have also found layers of volcanic ash in there that shows ancient eruptions of Mount St. Helens.

Sunset at Toppenish, and our first view of Mt. Rainier (elev. 14,410'), about 75 miles due northwest.  We live another 25 miles northwest of the mountain.  That seems close, but you can't get there from here.  There is a little mountain range in the way that you have to go around and through.  It's the same one that makes western Washington so green by squeezing out the rain on us and keeps eastern Washington a desert.

 Mt. Adams (elev. 12,281')
is about 50 miles due west of Toppenish and 60 miles due south of Auburn.  Rachael's Marching Band Camp is taking place near there..

We arrived in Yakima at Teresa's parents' house at about 8:30pm.  This will be the final night of the trip.