One of the things I enjoy most about traveling to a new area is being surprised and discovering the unexpected.

Last weekend I decided to travel to southeastern Washington to attend the wedding of my friend Tom Weaver’s son Joe. The wedding was in Pullman Washington, home of Washington State University. The easiest route for me was to fly from Denver to Spokane and then drive an hour and a half south to Pullman. That region of the state is known locally with affection as the Inland Northwest.

It does resemble portions of the west coast of the state with clumps of tall spruces reaching skyward from large green hills. The farther south you roam from Spokane the terrain begins a metamorphism into humongous rolling and undulating hills. The region is called the Palouse, which came from the French fur trapper word pelouse or “the land with short, thick grass”. It is a fertile land with stunning landscapes and the rich smell of earth. Some of the finest wheat, lentils and other legumes come from this corner of North America. The farms are pristine and well cared for. At times it appears land owners and town folk alike are on a mission to see who can keep the most manicured stretch of land.

The Palouse of Washington State offers picture-perfect views no matter what direction you turn.

This time of year farmers are tilling the soil. In the distance you can see large plumes of dust lingering on the horizon as tillers dig deeply into the soil unearthing winter’s slumber and rejuvenating spring’s purpose. A month from now  emerald green will bathe the hillsides as far as the eye can witness.

Years ago I lived in Boise Idaho and I promised myself to get to the Palouse several hours to the north. I just didn’t know it was going to take me 34 years to get there!

Well, as you can imagine before I knew it I was in Pullman, seemingly catapulted from Spokane to “Cougar Country” (WSU’s mascot) after a captivating drive.

The rest of my stay in this All-American  college town was filled with just as many surprises. But I will save that for another entry.

#