6-25-17

The morning dawned with the sun peaking in our front door window at 5:45 and a cool 60 degree breeze. We snoozed until 6:30 then got up for showers and breakfast. Hard to believe it was going to be in the high 90's with a beautiful morning like that. 

We drove about 90 minutes to Walla Walla, Washington.  Famous to most of us because of Bugs Bunny but also the home of Whitman Mission national Historic site. This was a husband and wife who moved to Washington to minister to the native Americans, specifically the Cayuse. They made a home with the permission of the Cayuse but after a year the Cayuse lost interest in the white man's religion and the proximity(right on it) to the Oregon Trail meant that this mission became controversial because of the many settlers bringing disease to the natives. Eventually they attacked and killed the Whitman's. Sad all around place.

After about a 3 hour drive, we arrived in Fort Spokane. (Spokane is pronounced like  Spocan, not Spocane) Thiswas aborder Fort between the reservations and the new settlers coming west and later where the native American children were forced to attend boarding school.   This was also one of the visitor centers for Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. My plan was to get here and hang out at the lake. We finished the junior ranger, had a picnic on the water, walked around and still had more hours to kill. It was so hot that we just found a mostly shaded spot near our campsite, got out our cots and watched a movie. I originally thought we would swim in the water some but after the science ranger had a microscope with a drop of water from the lake and things moving in it, Lorelei had no desire to get it. 

We setup our tent and expect to have another night under the stars without the rainfly.