Pendleton to Boise, Thursday, 29-Jul
Our first time driving through Eastern Oregon and Southern Idaho was rewarded with great views. We also got to see lots of Winkles, wandered a bit around downtown Boise, and even acquired boots for Melody.
Hedging our bets and getting some extra items for breakfast turned out to be a good choice. After finishing breakfast, we checked out, filled up the car, and got on the road a little earlier than we expected we would.
We're very used to driving through Eastern Washington on I-90, and Eastern Oregon on I-84 was a pretty different experience. It was hillier and much more interesting with great views of both hills and valleys.
There was a sign next to the road when we crossed the 45th parallel. I've passed a similar sign often on I-5 when we used to drive between the Bay Area and Seattle, so it was a bit nostalgic to see it on I-84. Apparently Melody's cousins, aunt, and uncle passed the same sign about a half hour after we did, so they weren't too far behind us.
We knew that the Oregon/Idaho border was near Ontario, OR, but were surprised to see a sign saying that we were crossing into Mountain Time before reaching the border. Ends up a big chunk of Eastern Oregon is in Mountain Time. After we leave Boise, we'll be staying in Northern Idaho which happens to be in Pacific Time, so we'll switch back to Pacific, then back to Mountain when we cross into Montana.
Having decided to drive straight to Boise, we got a late lunch, then immediately headed to REI to look for boots. Melody was fortunate enough to find a pair which felt comfortable, so we grabbed them and headed towards downtown.
We were staying at an Airbnb a couple miles away from the hotel where most of the events were taking place, so that was where we went next. We had the code for the door, so we let ourselves in and got settled. After that, we started walking to the hotel.
We noticed that we would be able to walk along the Boise River, which we did, The river was extremely high, enough so that there were signs warning people that anyone who waded in would be responsible for all expenses required to rescue them. We then came across a footbridge which took us to a park on the north side of the river. We walked through that, by the Boise Art Museum and the Boise “Library!” (the picture explains that)
Having arrived at the hotel, we went upstairs to the hospitality suites which were reserved for the reunion and walked in. This time was very different than the previous Winkle reunion, since a couple years ago we knew no one who was there when we arrived. This time we knew most of the people, and it was great to see everyone again. We spent quite a bit of time chatting with people and catching up with what people were doing.
Time went quickly, and before too long we headed out so we could get back to our room early enough to get enough sleep before getting up early the next day for a family hike.
