Tom began our day with his “handcrafted artisan” coffee. He pre-ground the beans before with left and is making us a cup of Aeropress coffee each morning. Cathy was skeptical and was resentful of the space it took but after this morning’s cup, she’s on board.
We left Bend around 8:30am and stopped in Maupin for a light breakfast sandwich that turned out to be way more than we expected. It held us until dinner.
We spent more time there than we had anticipated because Tom found a group of guys on motorcycles and Cathy had to gently remind him that it was time to move on.
After Maupin we crossed the Deschutes River and climbed into high desert. The air was smoky due to the multiple wildfires in the west. We could barely see Mt. Adams.
After crossing the majestic Columbia River, we jumped on 97 to Yakima which was supposed to be scenic. It was full of traffic and not all that exciting. Mostly desert but it did occasionally dip into some pretty farmlands with rolling hills of grain.
We rode through a pass full of wind turbines and even saw a blade on a flatbed trailer. It is hard to tell how big these things are from the road but one blade is probably a good 150 feet long.
After miles and miles of desert, it’s always gratifying to see any green.
We ran into some roadwork that put the bike to the test traversing gravel roads. It handled beautifully!
We climbed the Wenatchee pass and enjoyed a bit of a cool-down but as soon as we dropped down into Leavenworth, it was blazing hot again. We checked in to our hotel, washed up and went in search of a cold beer.
Leavenworth is a cute little town with a Bavarian feel. We ended up finding a nano-craft brewery called the Doghaus. We sat outside with a couple of Lucky Bitch Blonde ales.
After a long stroll around the town, we sought out dinner.
We found a great little restaurant with German fare and live entertainment!
Tomorrow we head to Canada and we’re looking forward to cooler weather. If time allows, we’ll visit Brandywine Falls Provincial Park.
Today’s barn pic!
Monkeybutt Chronicles 
Yeah, Leavenworth does look like a nice town. 👍
LikeLike
I liked your barn picture.
I was surprised to see so much desert in central Washingon.
Your new bike did well driving through gravel. How would you compare its ride to your last bike?
LikeLike