Day 1: On the Road!

After months of planning, I finally embarked on my journey today (Monday, Sept. 1, 2014). After loading my rig and saying goodbyes, I picked up a friend who is joining me on the first leg of my trip. We headed east to Central Oregon, enjoying the beautiful late summer weather -- and the fact that nearly all the Labor Day traffic was headed the other direction! Redmond's patriotism was on full display, as the streets were lined with hundreds of flags to commemorate Labor Day. In Madras, we stopped briefly for a bon voyage from my parents and a surprise sendoff from my daughter and granddaughter who traveled from Bend for the occasion.

Labor Day flags in Redmond, OR

Enjoying time with my beautiful granddaughter!

Heading north, we made a short stop to photograph the small town of Maupin on the Deschutes River. Located on the Columbia Plateau and perched on a basalt bench above the river, this hamlet caters to the throngs of whitewater rafters who come to experience the thrill of running the nearby rapids.

Sagebrush steppe and Deschutes River at Maupin, OR on the Columbia Plateau.

Basalt bluffs at Maupin, OR

We had dinner in The Dalles at the home of my friend's parents. The menu consisted of grilled steak and fresh produce from their garden: lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, cooked carrot slices with butter and herbs, corn on the cob, and fried potatoes. After dinner we turned east and eventually arrived in Walla Walla, WA. 413 miles traveled today, and we barely made it out of Oregon! Washington is state number two of about 30 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces I expect to visit on this 12,000-14,000 mile journey.