Getting Started

I live in the eastern, dry, part of Washington State. This surprises many people since Washington has a reputation for lots of rain. However, much of the eastern side of the state, particularly the southeastern portion, is actually desert. It only rains 7-10 inches a year where I live, compared to over 200 inches on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington.

When I was a kid, my family made many trips each year along US Highway 395 and then onto Interstate 90 to Spokane, the largest city on the east side. On the way, I'd often wonder about all the little towns the road signs would point to--Lind, Eltopia, Kahlotus, Sprague, Washtucna. Unusual names. Some of them I've been to or through...before the interstate was complete, we had to drive through Sprague, and usually stopped at Stan's drive-in for a hamburger or ice cream. Kahlotus is right on the way to Pullman, WA, where I attended college, so I drove through there, and sometimes stopped, numerous times. Ditto for Washtucna--more or less a wide spot in the road on the way to school, but impossible to avoid. There was a pretty good hamburger joint in Washtucna that I think only existed because college students stopped there to and from school. I remember I'd almost always see someone I knew there when I stopped, despite the fact that Washtucna boasts less than 300 people.

I've always wondered what life is like in these little towns. I decided that, one of these days, I was going to take a road trip with my cameras and visit many of those towns on the highway/interstate and off the beaten path. There are dozens to visit, each with a story to tell--mostly one, probably, of dreams that didn't pan out, of just enough work (farming, mostly) to keep a small town going. Over the next several months I hope to get some pictures taken and published here. Why not now? Well, it's the middle of winter. It's cold. And bleak. I'll wait till spring when things green up a bit.