530 Miles Later....

I made it to Boise, Idaho.

I rented my car and was driving off the lot in Seattle at 9 a.m.  I drove east through the Cascade Mountain range and it was beautiful.  It was like getting lost in the countryside.  You could almost hear Julie Andrews singing The Sound of Music.  The Snoqualmie Pass with an elevation of over 3,000 feet was particularly spectacular.  The road winded and hugged the folds in the mountains which were covered from top to bottom with trees.  To my right, at times, was a steep drop into the valley below.  Unfortunately due to the nature of the road, I was unable to stop and take pictures.

Over two hours into my drive I stopped in Yakima, Washington.  As I entered Yakima I saw a sign that said "Yakima, the Palm Springs of Washington."  Interesting.  I have not been to Palm Springs, but its not what I pictured.  I would suggest "Yakima, the Napa Valley of Washington."  This area and the towns that follow are known for their wine.

How could I pass up the opportunity to stop and sample a few glasses?

After visiting two tasting rooms, I visited Heavens Cave.  I walked in and was greeted by two women behind the bar and Hope, the wine maker/owner.  She was already having a glass of wine and I instantly knew that I would enjoy her company.  

(Hope is in the far right of this picture)

I tasted incredible wine and enjoyed good conversation.  Heavens Cave is fairly young, having their first release in 2005.  In the first production year their Merlot scored a 90 in the Wine & Spirits magazine.  Usually someone who favors red wine, I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked their Chardonnay.  Hope showed me around the space they had rented and explained all the renovations that she had planned.  

As we continued talking, Hope and I discovered we had some things in common.  It's interesting the things you share with perfect strangers.  We shared that we both lost our brothers far too early in life.  We talked about leaving jobs in search of something more fulfilling.  Hope worked for IBM and grew tired of the environment and realized she wanted to do something fun, that she was passionate about and that would make a difference.  She found all in wine making. 100% of her profits go to support THE DASH, an organization which she founded that benefits at-risk youth.  Check out this website and read her story.  It is truly inspiring.  http://heavenscave.com/index.cfm?method=homepage.showpage

I told Hope that I would gladly help her introduce Heavens Cave and her charity to the northeast.  Perhaps she will take me up on my offer.  

Realizing I had a hefty drive in front of me, I said my thanks, purchased a bottle of Chardonnay and left Heavens Cave.  It was later in the day, when I was taking out the wine to place it in a different bag that I saw that Hope had written a message to me on the bottle.  It read "Chris - enjoy the next chapter - Hope" 

Hope, if you are reading this - thanks for the great conversation and the kind message.

My journey continued through Washington and into Oregon where more magnificent views of hills and valleys awaited.  Every now and then you would see a farm or two with cows and other farm animals.  There were even deer roaming in some of the fields.  With the towns so infrequent, I wondered where people went for groceries and other necessities.

Oregon posted a sign on the highway indicating when you were crossing over the 45th parallel, halfway between the equator and the north pole.  Shortly thereafter I also crossed over into Mountain Time and lost an hour.  I am now only two hours behind the east coast, rather than the three that I had become accustomed to.  I did not factor that into my travels!

At the end of my day I watched the sun slowly fall behind the mountains, shedding its last light on each individual peak.  The moon was bright and full in the sky.  As I crossed over from Oregon to Idaho, I was greeted by this sight -

And although this is a beautiful picture, trust me when I say it does not compare with the real thing.