Washington.

We drove the day down and into the night, out of Montana, through Idaho, and well into Washington. The mountain roads of Montana were beautiful, especially as the sun was slowly sliding down. Idaho was gray and drizzly, and the roads were winding. The rain had really picked up by the time we hit Washington, and I was happy to stop at a Safeway to pick up some food. We switched drivers and continued on for another hour. We pulled in to Sun Lakes State Park, which was a creepy, disquieting place in the dark. It was more or less abandoned, and there was a strange smell in the air. The fog and clammy air did nothing to alleviate the post-apocalyptic feel the place had. We set up our tent and played a game of Quiddler in the tent. Then we slept. The campground was completely changed by the morning. It was quiet and sunny, and we were in the middle of canyon lands. We took down the tent, ate a quick breakfast, and hit the road for British Columbia.

The drive across Washington went well. We drove through the canyon lands and then up and into the Cascades. Leavenworth was a highlight, with its Bavarian theme for everything. The highlight? A fast food joint called The Heidleburger! Huzzah! We crossed through Steven's Pass, and the snow was coming down thick and heavy. Geronimo took us through it just fine, and we emerged on the other side, where it was autumn again. We drove up through Everett, past the Peace Arch, and into Canada. We hit White Rock and went straight to the Volkswagen dealership. They figured out the problem with Geronimo almost right away. The problem? The terrible quality of diesel fuel in the United States. After grabbing coffee in town, we made it to Dan and Kim's place and settled in for the weekend.