Richland morning: Whitman Massacre, Walla Walla, and on to Clarkston and Lewiston

Instead of racing to the Idaho border, we took it slow and stayed in Richland along the Columbia River. Marc and I took a walk in the cold morning. Canadian geese collected along the bank and in the water. The most beautiful golden squirrels played in the trees overhead. Mark took to a playground with a swing on a zip line and a climbing rock.

At this point our road, State Route 12, veers south along the route Lewis & Clark took. Just before Walla Walla, we visited the Whitman massacre sight. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman were among the first to settle in the northwest. They're also credited with creating the path that turned into the Oregon Trail. They were killed by Cayuse Indians. A ranger gave us a brief talk about the incident and recommended a 20 minute film. Cecilia and I walked the site, then we pushed on to Walla Walla and walked the downtown.

Traveling east is a visual wonderland of farm houses, old dilapidated barns, grain elevators, and small towns. All under winter's embrace.