Our trip to Mica, Washington.

Ann’s cousin invited us to spend the night at her place Saturday night near Spokane, Washington. Normally the drive via the interstate takes just over two hours. We managed to make it last six by following an off-the-beaten path through the Palouse area of Washington. Here are a few of our adventures.

Our plan to leave at 9am was thwarted when I turned off the 7am alarm. I decided I wasn’t in enough hurry to leave that early. By the time we reached our first destination, Connell (only 30 miles from the house), we decided to eat some lunch. As we toured downtown, we ran across several ‘picnic’ tables with sculptures of squirrels on them. Here are Ann with our trusty cat-dog Zollie.

Under the hand of one squirrel is a ‘mortgage’ document. The squirrel is trying to get the rabbits to sign a loan. The money is being borrowed from Mr. Coyote. As best we could tell, this was the most exciting thing happening in Connell.From Connell we left the Interstate and drove toward the tiny town of Kahlotus. Here’s a view through our front window:

When we arrived in Kahlotus, I spotted a trailer with the most unusual fenders. Ever seen anything like this? Both sides used worn tires as fenders.

From Kahlotus we headed for another tiny town: Benge. The town proved desolate. I’m told one of my great uncles was from Benge. I can see why he moved.

However, the town did have one surprise in store. Next to the only store (closed) in town was an old racer with a fiberglass body and hood. The front springs had been reversed and I think the rears were outboarded. The cage was unique as well. Chickens were roosting underneath it. I suspect it hasn’t moved in a while.

After Benge we drove to Colfax, then headed north. That’s when we saw a sign for Steptoe Butte. Neither of us knew anything about the State Park, so we decided to investigate. It turns out the park is a giant butte which allows visitors to drive to the very top. From there is a 360 degree view of the surrounding Palouse farmlands. It’s a pretty cool place!

Looking north on top of Steptoe Butte State Park

From the state park we trekked north until we discovered Oakesdale and this fantastic old building. We could have spent a lot of time photographing this one, but time was running low, so we pushed northward.

Our last photo is of a giant mural in the town of Tekoa, Washington. Had we not been short on time, we would have spent more time in this town and learned about their Slippery Gulch Days celebration.

We eventually did land in Mica to stay at her cousin’s place where they’d transformed a former small town school into a neat home with tall ceilings. On Sunday the clouds and rain set in. So, rather than wind home back on a different trans-palouse route, we took the interstate home. It was a great weekend!