My Walkabout

As I look out the window, Mount Rainier is high above a blanket of clouds covering everything else below the majestic peak. I love seeing the world from above. As I drive into the Cascade mountains, more peaks appear, surrounded by cloud formations that appear to be the residue of some heavy breathing animal, hidden from view and living in this immense green landscape.

Night falls before I reach my destination, and thus I must wait until first light to see Wenatchee. The local guide book states that this town boasts 300 days of sunshine, and is the apple capital of the world. It seems strange to me that a town in Washington State could be dry that many days.

But as I awake the following morning, I see my new landscape. The Cascade mountains are gone, and therefore protect this valley from the rains of the Pacific. Craggy rock and rolling hills are covered in wineries and apple orchards.

I start my day by going for a little walk through Ohme Gardens, a garden oasis up in the hills. I stroll slowly around, practice some macro photography, and slow motion water pictures. It is still a work in progress, but I have nothing but time. I do capture a lone bee, bumbling along from flower to flower. I watch for an indeterminate amount of time…..

I walk along the town’s riverfront, as the mighty Columbia river goes through the center of Wenatchee. People are enjoying a lazy Saturday morning, running, walking, reading, playing.
Exploring the area outside of Wenatchee, I find the caves of laverne, still sacred to many native americans. The hike to the caves is dusty and hot, and my irrational fear of snakes doesn’t let me reach the caves. Damn snake phobia.
I also go to a neighboring town called Leavenworth, and am pleasantly surprised to find the entire town is built in Swiss architecture. They even have this guy hanging out along their main street….

The Wenatchee valley is a nice little town in Central Washington, but you may be asking yourself, what brought me here? Did I just point my finger on a map, or did I have a reason to discover this little gem? That will be the subject of my next post, but until then enjoy this slideshow. It contains the music of a new artist I discovered on the radio while in Wenatchee, David Berkeley. Enjoy.