Monday, December 31, 2007

Destination: Dayton WA



My long-planned but oft delayed visit to Dayton finally came to fruition a couple days ago. I've had an ongoing fascination with this small, southeastern Washington town for years, due in large part because of it's history, which goes back to the very early 1800s. Indeed, Lewis and Clark made several camps in the area (most of which are well-documented) on their return trip to St Louis in 1806. Missionaries, miners and other settlers followed shortly thereafter.

Dayton is located 30 miles north of Walla Walla at an elevation of 1700'. It lies at the southern extremity of the rolling Palouse hills, just north of the Blue Mountains. It is prime farming country, with lots of water and, and, for the elevation, a relatively dry and temperate climate. Three streams, all of historical significance, run through or near Dayton--the Touchet, The Tucannon and Pattit Creek. The town was founded in the mid-1800s and has an expansive, and full, cemetery to prove it. It has the oldest standing train depot in the state, restored as a gift shop/museum. The history of the town is perhaps it's biggest selling point, now that the infamous Green Giant asparagus canning plant has shut down.

After the 3.5 hour drive from Cle Elum, I checked into the Blue Mountain Motel at 3pm, where the manager readily accepted my $5 request for a quiet room, a request, by the way, which he honored by not booking the room next to mine, even though the motel became nearly full later in the evening.

It was nearing dusk, but before it went completely dark, I walked down Main Street to the central part of town, where I visited the requisite small-town gift shops, art galleries and thrift store. I walked past the town bar and the town sandwich shop. The real estate offices had already closed for the day. I was entrigued by the Skye bookstore, as it was also home to the local brew pub. With Scottish music playing in the background, I enjoyed a pint of Johnson Hollow Amber Ale as I browsed for some reading material.

Down the street, an Italian restaurant was just opening for the day's business. The building had all the charm of 60's burger joint, but as they were advertising homemade lasagna, I went in and wasn't disappointed. The lasagna was perhaps the best I ever had, mildly sweet with large bits of crushingly flavorful tomatoes and onions.

I returned to the motel and had a couple more beers which I had brought from home (both of which I had to open on the bathroom's towel hook, as I had no opener) and spent the rest of the evening reading.

I awoke early the next morning and went to the only place in town that was serving breakfast. After that I drove 20 miles up the valley into the Blue Mountains, to the Bluewood ski area, which at well over 4000 feet, has the second-highest base elevation of any Washington resort. It also gets plenty of snow, averaging 300 inches per year, mostly, I don't doubt, nice powder. This morning it was snowing hard, and cold, and windy. I would not want to have been on the top of the highest chair--it no doubt would have been bone chilling.

I drove back to town on the narrow Forest Service road and spent some time visiting the cemetery and walking the quiet streets looking at the many homes that were for sale. Finding nothing of particular interest, I checked out of the motel at noon and started the long drive back to Cle Elum, taking mostly the quieter highways through the snow covered hills of the Palouse, making several stops along the way, arriving home to a terrific snowstorm at about 4pm.

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