A Western Washington Girl’s First Road Trip Across the Cascades
I didn’t grow up in Washington, but I’ve lived on the western side of the state for over three years now – a small town near Bellingham to be specific. While I love to explore my own backyard, Eastern Washington always felt like so far away, like I’d literally be crossing mountains to get there. When we decided to embark on a summer road trip to Pullman, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I was just excited to be on another adventure. Whilewe didn’t technically leave the state, Eastern Washington felt like a different world. It felt more like Montana in a way – a bit drier, but so sunny, warm, and the terrain was a bit softer and hillier instead of our jagged still-snowy peaks in the west. It wasn’t all different, though. We live in a very small farming community and Pullman has a lot of the same small-town vibes that our town boasts with a bustling Main Street, local events, and bars where everyone feels like a regular. Driving the Palouse Scenic Byway Driving into Pullman is one of the most scenic parts of Washington I’ve seen, and I’ve never seen anything quite like the Palouse region. Most of the highways that lead to Pullman are part of the Palouse Scenic Byway and are lined with the most stunning rolling hills. These hills are filled with wheat, canola, and other crops, so the exact colors fluctuate, but when we were visiting, the canola was blooming, and the fields looked like they had been colored in with highlighter. We spent quite a bit of time aimlessly driving around to see as many of these fields as we could. We couldn’t get enough! We also stopped by Palouse Falls Park where the main attraction is a huge waterfall about an hour and a half from Pullman. To avoid making the same mistake we did and leaving it at home, make sure you have your Washington Discover Pass with you, or you’ll have to pay for a day pass when you arrive…
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