Bozeman, MT to Seattle, WA
Sometimes you just have to suck it up and drive. And then drive some more. It's 680 miles from Bozeman to Seattle. I decided to take on the challenge. I stopped halfway on the road between Coeur d'Alene and Spokane. The Spokane Centennial Trail connects both cities. On a sunny Sunday in May the trail is busy. It's a pleasant ride along the Spokane River with glimpses into the foothills.
After the ride I began the long, but scenic trip across Washington State, from the Eastern foothills to the flat dry semi-arid Cascade rain shadow, through the Wenatchee hills, into Snoqualmie Pass and then finally into Seattle.
My spirits were similarly buoyed while listening to the final innings of a game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets light hitting shortstop hit a game winning single, ending a five-game losing streak. After so many years of being a Met fan, and so many years of mediocrity, moments like that yield a special kind of happiness. The Mets radio announcers, Howie Rose and Josh Lewin engage in very entertaining dialogues. They are witty, informative, and refreshing. They understand that announcing baseball is about way more than statistics and play by play. Rose and Lewin are excellent storytellers, and they know that the narrative of the New York Mets is central to many peoples lives For me, it's a story about place, and my own origins on Long Island, and before that Brooklyn and before that (the grandparents) Russia.
Rose and Lewin have somewhat similar backgrounds and they embody much more than baseball when they excitedly announce Tejada's game winning hit. How wonderful to be listening to a Mets broadcast on an Ipad while rambling through eastern Washington.
All thoughts of baseball and the Mets drifted away as I drive through the Cascades and entered the magical realm of the majestic Pacific Northwest.
Over the next few days we'll be busy with moving logistics and other tasks. Watch this space for a forthcoming final "musing" about the landscape of my journey.
Oh yes. Two final photos. The first is from the bike path in the Spokane Valley. the second is from the apartment where I'm currently staying in Seattle.
