An early start

I rolled out of my driveway before 6am and headed south down the highway towards the US/Canadian Border. Traffic was light and I was the first bike in line. I got through in less than a minute. The Border guard said that in an hour the line would be backed up the hill. I made my first pitt stop just north of Everett to check emails and have a quick bite



Because I was so close to home I didn't take any photos but I kept rolling along and soon found myself in Leavenworth. From the weather forecasts I knew that it was going to be very hot so I only wore my T-shirt and shorts under my riding clothes. I was nearly freezing as I rode over Steven's Pass



My plan was to have a quick bite and pitt stop but I didn't want to waste time for a sit down meal, so I mounted my V-strom and kept rolling down the road. I was really getting hungry and an hour and a half later I was really, really getting hungry. This was a Sunday and I noticed that all the eating places in these small towns were not open. I wanted to take Hwy 2 then switch over to Hwy 28 taking backroads to my intended destination for the night . All the while I was getting farther from civilization I was in continuous scan mode for places to eat. There were lots of fruit stands but I wanted real food



I even headed north for about half an hour so I could take less travelled route through farmlands. Luckily as I exited east towards Waterville I noticed the gas station had a Subway attached



Needless to say I stopped for nourishment before continuing my journey East



Even though I have never been to Kansas, the landscape has that Kansas feel. There were violent gusts of wind which nearly blew me off the road several times. I had to slow down below the speed limit when I noticed those dust swirls



For about the last 50 miles I only noticed a couple of vehicles going in the opposite direction, and a handful of bikes. Going my direction, I was the only vehicle. I got to thinking that if something went wrong I would have no help. There is also no cell service on these lonely roads. I decided to play it safe, gear down and slow down a notch, and be more aware of the wind.

I also noticed a few abandoned buildings along the way but most were in places too dangerous to stop. There is little shoulder and they are cambered too much



I did manage to stop at the Dry Falls Viewpoint. The last time I was in this area it was just after sunset and drove right past. Today I stopped for a few photos and to use their facilities. During the times of the Glacial Ice Age this was the largest waterfall in the world, and carved this canyon which is many miles long .



I arrived in Ritzville, WA just before 4:30 pm, so that makes over 10 hours in the saddle with barely an hour for stops . I was chilling out on the bench outside enjoying the warmth of the sun and downloading my photos when



BlueKat and Ron show up on Sam and a very dirty Princess