Day 2 Over the Snoqualmie Pass, WA

Smoky skies on the Snoqualmie Pass, WA

Day two of our journey started off slowly.  After a relaxing breakfast, coffee and a walk for Heffay we headed out of the Silver Reef Casino Resort parking lot just before 11 a.m.  Temps were still mild at 13ºC celsius with smoky air and skies.  The decision to fill up our fuel at the end of the previous day was a good one.  When you’re ready to go it’s nice to just get on the road and drive.  This would become our routine at the end of each driving day whenever a fuel station was nearby. 

Unlike last year, we decided we weren’t going to get on the road at first light.  We decided we’d make the “journey the destination”.  We learned last year how hard the drive can be on the body.  There is a lot to pay attention to when you’re 63 feet long driving a box down the road.  This year we took a new route south, over the Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.  By taking it we saved driving through the busy freeways around Seattle, Tacoma and Portland which we drove through on both the way down and back last time.  

With the warm fall we’d been having there was no risk of snow on the mountain pass.  In fact, the smoky skies followed us up almost all the way to the top.  Once at the top the skies cleared and the sun shone bright creating gorgeous reflections on the Keechelus Lake.  Temps were also much warmer at a balmy  26 ºC (78 ºF).

Keechelus Lake, WA

As we started our descent down the pass we ran into construction slowing us right down as everyone merged into one lane.  It was a good 20 mile stretch of construction and gave HeyZeus an opportunity to come hang out in the cab with us.  He is such a great traveller.  All our boys are!

Love the reflection in this shot! 💕 

HeyZeus also got out for his first walk of the trip when we stopped for a short afternoon break.  He just loves exploring new places.  He gets SO excited!  HoseHey is happy to just stay put in the RV, thank you very much, lol!  He wasn’t as happy a camper as HZ, he was definitely missing his big brother Lou and his big yard to run in with multiple trees he could climb.  

HeyZeus stretching his legs and exploring the new sights and smells

Our day ended at around 4:30.  We’d made it to just outside of Yakima, WA and settled in for the night at the Selah Creek Rest Stop.  Skies were still smoky and temps were still very mild at 21 ºC (70 ºF). 

Smoky skies create such cool sunset pics, check out that red sun!

Not many truck spots available. We’re second from the left
That’s why we make sure we stop well before sunset, to ensure we have a good chance of getting a spot.

The bridge you cross just before the rest stop

The smoky view from the rest stop - looking out over Selah Creek

The rest stop had beautiful scenery as well as an RV dump station and water.  Unfortunately, as pleasant as the surroundings were it was the WORST night we’ve ever had.  The trucker beside us ran his engine (not his generator, his engine) the entire night and it was SO loud.  Neither one of us slept very well and poor HoseHey was a bit of a basket case howling and crying all night long.  This stop made me really reconsider the benefits of overnighting at a rest stop.

Silver Reef Casino Resort, WA to just outside Yakima, WA

Start Time - 10:45 a.m.

Temp at start - 13ºC (56ºF)
End Time - 4:30 p.m.

Temp at end - 21ºC (70ºF)

Total distance = 224 miles

Accommodation cost - $0

Fuel - no fill today

Currency conversion rate: $1 Cdn = $0.726 US