Miles: 450-ish
Tolls: 0
Highway Patrol: 3 (1 of which I thought was pulling me over!)
Hitchhikers: 0
I got an early start as I began another day of marathon driving. It took m
e a few hours to get the interstate and I was awarded for my patience with some rather lovely and picturesque scenes, and some rather interesting signs, including "Testicle Festival." 2008 was the 26th year of this rather obscure event, which is held in late July through early August. I believe it has something to do with bull castration or "Rocky Mountain Oysters" based on the accompanying graphic - a rather scared bull standing on his hind legs with a protective pose over his nether area. Unfortunately no picture of sign and obviously I didn't make the event, but I do say it might have eclipsed Hustlerfest.
As I crossed western Montana, northern Idaho and started to enter eastern Washington, I was once again amazed by the landscape: rolling grasslands converging into large fir trees. I was in quite a bucolic mood and then I mood changed...
Five miles passed the Washington state line is a sign that says "State Law: Left lane is for passing only." Yes, a state law. Obviously basic driver safety and the common sense that the lane on the furthest left is the "fast lane," is hard to grasp in Washington, which I soon discovered.
First let me say this: I am a completely unabashed, unapologetic lead foot. If the speed limit is 70 I go between 78-85...and have on this trip hit 103. However, I'm always safe (well, most of the time). If road conditions call for it I will gladly go 72 or 73 in a 70...or even, heaven forbid, 68.
Now back to the story. As I entered Washington going about 80, I was met with people (from Idaho) who seem to think that travelling 72 in a 70 gives them the right to be in the left or "fast lane" (there are 3 lanes). When they see me coming up behind them they decide the best course of action is not to change lanes and let me pass..no it is to SLAM ON THE BRAKES. This highly unsafe action, forces me to slam on my brakes and cut across two lanes of traffic and pass them in the far right lane. AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!
I spent the next few hours contemplating the lack of driver safety exhibited by my fellow travelers. That was until I ended up in very rural Washington, when I then had a new item to occupy my mind: how can someone under the age of 40 be missing about 8 front teeth....
On my route to a winery in the forest around Roosevelt Lake (FDR not Teddy), I came across a slight detour, due to inadequate signs I ended up on the wrong road, but thankfully there was a friendly local who helped me give directions.
When I first asked him I thought for sure the next thing people would hear about me was "woman found dead floating in Roosevelt Lake." However, the nice man in his late 30s, and missing about half his teeth, wearing a shirt with torn-off sleeves, did not abduct me, instead he gave me accurate directions and wished me a safe journey.
Two hours and 10 miles of dirt road later I found the winery.
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