Day 1 July 2, 2024 Boise ID to Hermiston OR 256 miles
We got a later than desired start at 9:00 am. Too many last minute things to do. First stop was Costco for gas. We filled the new gas cans as well. These are new two gallon cans that attach to the side of the trailer and are locked there with a bicycle lock.
We took Highway 20 to Caldwell Idaho where we planned to get on the freeway. New feature – the freeway entrance is under construction so we had to detour through town to the next entrance. Traffic is pretty heavy especially with semi trucks of all sizes and colors. By the way we have passed two quilt shops so far. Lucky for Rob they were still closed.
All the windows are open so sometimes it seems a little cool. That should change before long. The sun is out in full force. At Ontario Oregon we left the freeway for a few miles and drove through farmland and along the Snake River. The water is still rather high. The grain has turned golden in color. Harvest for that should not be far off.
Then it was back on the freeway. The road was narrowed to one lane while crews were clearing up what had been serious truck accident. The cab was missing but most of the trailer had burned and some of the median strip too. At least some of the contents were spilled in the median. Hopefully the driver got out.
Several semi loads of onions were headed east. We think they must be Walla Walla sweet onions. Seems early to have harvested them. We stopped in Baker City for gas. A small fruit and vegetable stand was advertising those onions. We ate lunch in the city park at a table in the sun. That was just right with the breeze. Squirrels kept visiting us to look for hand outs.
Numerous large horse trailers were also headed east. Best guess is rodeo folks. Lots of rodeos around this time of year.
The rest stop just before Cabbage Patch Hill looked like a good stop. We both needed to stretch our legs. The ladies room actually had warm water at the sink. The mens did not.
We made our usual fuel stop at the Pilot near Stanfield. That is always a busy stop. All self serve now which really speeds things up. Then on to our hotel in Hermiston. We got to the hotel before we got to the grocery store so we continued into town to buy frozen dinners to fix in the microwave. They have a nice Safeway there that was very busy. Glad for the self check.
The trailer is heavier now that we packed for the long trip. Gas mileage is down about one mile per gallon to 17. Rob used 15 MPG as a planning factor. So, we should have enough gas cans for the Dalton Highway.
Spoffords Travel 