idaho, oregon and washington

We made it to our hotel in Washington.  Things I noticed about Idaho, Oregon and Washington on our journey:

Idaho--

Neighbor to the north--I've seen your eastern parts many times while heading to Yellowstone and such places.  Lovely, in a Utah kind of way.  I'd like to say more of the same about your western parts, but I COULDN'T SEE IT for all of the smoke from either your fires or from your neighbors' fires.  So sorry about that.  I had such high hopes for you.

The Snake River--I remember you fondly.  Not that I've ever actually rafted you, but I've thought about you and seen you in Idaho Falls with your broad shouldered falls right in the middle of town.  Or at least that's how I remember you and hope to see you again in a month or so when we head by you on our way to Yellowstone with Stu's family.

Oregon--

Sage brush--hello?  I thought Oregon was all evergreens and beaches and definitely not desert.  But there were several miles where, if I hadn't been driving, I'd had snapped a picture and nobody would have been able to distinguish it from Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, and perhaps parts of Colorado. 

Smoke, smoke, smoke.  I thought it was smokey in Utah.  Hold the phone, shut the door, and all of that--Utah, there is a lot of smoke headed your way from Oregon.  I'm sure Oregon is a lovely place, but I couldn't actually testify to that because I COULDN'T SEE IT for the lung-choking, throat-scratching, nose-running smoke.  Oregonians!  Get this under control.  Stat!

The Columbia River--Oh my gosh.  Who knew such rivers existed?  I'm certain it is the biggest river I've ever seen.  And I just saw the Snake River again.  Anyway.  What an awesome river you are.  Bigger than any in my high mountain desert home state, bigger even than most reservoirs in my home state.  With dams and bridges and penguins--wait, no those were pelicans.  You are definitely awesome.

Washington--

You have the Columbia River, so you win there, and you had less smoke, eventually as we neared Canada, but you also have the Hood Canal, which isn't like any canal I've ever seen, but is more like a salt water version of the Columbia River with apparently oysters and other salt water marine life.  Lovely.  That is what you are.

However.  What is up with all of those Volkswagen Vanagons?  I've never seen so many of those oddities in one place before.  Are we all still hippies here?  I know, legal pot, but still, really?  Vanagons?