10-19-17

This is a very quiet and restful vacation.  Above are the hundreds of seagulls resting in the parking lot of the marina.  

Yesterday we decided to drive east along the Columbia River to find some lunch in Wallula, WA.  It was not more than a half hour from our campground and there was some beautiful desert scenery along the way.

Wallula, itself however, was nothing to write home about.  It consisted of about 35 small homes, an apple orchard and an historic marker commemorating Fort Walla Walla.  No lunch anywhere in sight.

The campground in Umatilla is right next to a bridge.  At night the 18 wheelers use their air brakes to negotiate the downgrade.  Very noisy!  Otherwise, the campground is great. 

Nearby is McNary Dam but we have not opted for a visit.  We have been to the Grand Coulee Dam, Hoover Dam and Bonnieville Dam, so there is probably nothing new for us here.

Gary played golf today and shot an 87.  He was delighted.  This was probably going to be his last chance to play before the rain started.  After golf we went into Hermiston and found a little gem of a restaurant, Walker's Farm Kitchen.  The name does not tell the story at all, it is a gourmet restaurant in a town full of chain restaurants and small sports bars.  (This is not surprising as the area is heavily military and farm workers.)  If the restaurant were mine, I would probably have opted to leave the word "farm" out of the name and would have chosen a different logo instead of the dead pig.

In any case, this restaurant is special.  If it were in Lake Oswego it would be highly successful.  I had a grilled cheese sandwich for adults, which included avocado and bacon and the side dish was shredded Brussels sprouts salad with cranberries and nuts.  Delicious.  Gary had a fresh Cobb salad.  The meal was so good that we returned for dinner.  Appetizer was fried Brussels sprouts.  Very special.  We also enjoyed the art decorating the dining room.