A Cross-Country Driving Trip in Our Morgan

Journal Pages
 Click a pic

Preparation

The Caboose Run

Boise and Park City

Bryce and Zion

Antelope Canyon

Grand Canyon

Cumbres & Toltek R'way

Getting to Nachez

Nachez Trace

Franklin & Athens

Blue Ridge Parkway

Concours

Autocross

Virginia

Annapolis

Finger Lakes

Niagara Falls

Iowa

The Home Stretch

The MOGNW Caboose Run

Friday, June 2 - The drive to Soap Lake

We had wanted to get on the road at 11:00 AM.  The drive to Soap Lake was expected to take about four hours.  We had a few errands to run on the way out, so we left home a little early.  Before heading out I took these pictures.

    Our starting mileage is shown here

    Moggie is ready to go

It had been raining overnight, but had stopped by the time we were ready to leave.  We made our few stops and actually started for Soap Lake at 10:59.  We encountered a few showers and some wet pavement, but managed to stay dry enough.  At Cle Elum we pulled off the highway and stopped for lunch.  The curried chicken salad we had prepared tasted great.  Then it was back on the road.  We got to Soap Lake at about 2:40 and checked in to the Inn at Soap Lake.  Bill and Cass Ward had arrived before us.

    That is Soap Lake, but without the usual suds

        And that is the Inn at Soap Lake and one of their roses

Reservations had been made at Don's Restaurant (world famous?) and about 6:45 we left the Inn.  Don's is just a block away.  Before we could get to Don's the skies opened up and we stood under an awning and watched an incredible shower.  Finally we dashed across and into the restaurant and joined the rest of the gang.  By the time we left the rain had stopped again.  We'll see what the morning brings.

Saturday, June 3 - The Caboose Run

The morning was wonderful.  I woke early to a cloudless sky.  We had a leisurely morning and gathered for a drivers' meeting about 11:00 AM.  Each car received a set of instructions with questions to be answered along the way.  Needless to say, we attracted a lot of attention from passers by.

        The jogging passerby was NOT part of the drivers' meeting

    These were the extremes in age

We left Soap Lake at 11:30 and had a great drive.  There were nine Morgans, one Bentley, one Corvette, one Ferrari, and one Fiat 124 Spyder.  The route took us over lesser roads and on two free ferries across the Columbia River.

        Here we are queued up for the ferry and on the ferry

Those of us who were not into camping went into Colville and checked into Benny's Colville Inn.  Once freshened up, we went on out to the caboose.  Mel and I were the last to arrive.  The following shots show cars, the caboose, and some of the people.

            Here are the cars

        And the people

    And the caboose

        And here is the road and a shot of the ranch

The dinner, the setting, and the company were all wonderful.  Tomorrow it is on to Boise.  Better get to bed now.

Mel here:  I haven't contributed to the journal thus far - not because of lack of interest, rather, Tom has been shouldering the burden.  My comments will be in italics throughout the journal.

Our drive across Eastern Washington to Soap Lake was unremarkable except we both noticed how clean the roads were - we hadn't noted this before - is it that they are cleaner now (less litter) than we've seen in the past or is it that they have always been tidier and we've not noticed?  It is interesting - people who live in the Seattle-Tacoma area claim to be very environmentally conscious, yet here in Eastern Washington, the 'soft pollution' of litter is so much less.

Soap Lake, by any standard, is a dumpy little town,  But, the Inn at Soap Lake is very pleasant, with rooms that are not the typical Best Western cookie cutter.  Ours was larger than usual and tastefully decorated.

The Caboose Run is fun because of the people - yes, the cars are interesting, but the people are much more so - many of them have traveled far more than Tom and I have and many have had interesting experiences in their travels.  I enjoy talking to the various people who tell us about their latest ventures - often without their Morgans.