Day 6 (August 2, 2000) - Missoula Into Washington
   
 
This morning we arose on the banks of the Clark Fork River in Missoula. We crossed the Bitterroot Range, the Idaho panhandle, and descended into Washington (at Spokane). In eastern Washington we drove over vast grasslands that became desert as we neared the great Columbia River. We crossed the Columbia River at sunset and drove on to Ellensburg, Washington, about 100 miles from Seattle. We covered 405 miles this day, and the total trip mileage stood at 3169. Only the Cascade range stands between us and the Seattle area.
 
Leaving Missoula, Montana...
 
Missoula_Holiday_Inn.JPG (49012 bytes)  Missoula_room_view.JPG (46098 bytes)  Missouloa_downtown.JPG (64134 bytes)  Missoula_downtown2.JPG (67938 bytes)  Missoula_fire.JPG (31902 bytes)
 
Missoula_frwy_view.JPG (29525 bytes)  Missoula_frwy_view2.JPG (42018 bytes)  Missoula_frwy_view4.JPG (57974 bytes)  lunch.JPG (54823 bytes)
 
Through western Montana...
 
Montana_road.JPG (29260 bytes)  Montana_country.JPG (34176 bytes)  Montana_park_tunnel.JPG (73696 bytes)  Montana_park_tunnel2.JPG (81336 bytes)
 
The Clark Fork River...
 
Clark_Fork.JPG (97791 bytes)  Clark_Fork2.JPG (84342 bytes)  Clark_Fork3.JPG (90841 bytes)  Clark_Fork_foot.JPG (103663 bytes)  Clark_Fork_Chieko.JPG (82803 bytes)  Clark_Fork_Steve.JPG (86206 bytes)
 
Montana_break.JPG (59343 bytes)  Montana_break2.JPG (38744 bytes)
 
Idaho...
Idaho.JPG (44826 bytes)  Idaho2.JPG (66451 bytes)  Idaho_country.JPG (20224 bytes)  Idaho_country2.JPG (54207 bytes)  Idaho_house.JPG (49898 bytes)  Idaho_lake.JPG (46007 bytes)
 
Eastern Washington...
 
Seattle298.JPG (37425 bytes)  Spokane.JPG (39538 bytes)  Spokane2.JPG (40971 bytes)  Spokane_mirror.JPG (37650 bytes)  WA_grassland.JPG (65014 bytes)
 
WA_grassland3.JPG (33362 bytes)  WA_grassland4.JPG (26643 bytes)  WA_desert.JPG (33518 bytes)  WA_desert2.JPG (26114 bytes)  WA_desert3.JPG (45454 bytes)
 
At the great Columbia River...
 
WA_Columbia_River.JPG (34873 bytes)  WA_Columbia_River2.JPG (53608 bytes)  WA_Columbia_River3.JPG (21997 bytes)  WA_Columbia_River4.JPG (37467 bytes)  WA_Columbia_River_Chieko.JPG (43997 bytes)
 
WA_Columbia_River_Chieko2.JPG (20447 bytes)  WA_Columbia_River_Steve.JPG (37379 bytes)  WA_Columbia_River_sunset.JPG (22911 bytes)  WA_Columbia_River_bridge.JPG (33287 bytes)
 
WA_desert_sunset.JPG (11584 bytes) WA_Cascades.JPG (12949 bytes) Approaching the Cascades. We watched the sun set at the Columbia River gorge and then again 15 minutes later on the desert below the gorge (approaching Ellensburg)...