Canyon Road, Yakima, WA

It’s been a while since I posted an article. Spring is overly busy here – including fighting allergies and building energy – and time to write sometimes needs to be put aside. In addition, recently we took a long weekend to the town where Bill and I met. In Yakima (central Washington) we met many years ago while attending college, and began our careers in healthcare. The hospital I worked in is long closed but the hospital Bill worked in remains, and has expanded in space, facilities, and offerings.

The drive from Seattle to Yakima can be a routine freeway affair with not much out of the ordinary to see. However, there is an 25 mile-long optional route between Ellensburg and Yakima that, in my opinion, offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the state of Washington. The Yakima River Canyon Road (mostly just called Canyon Road) cuts through a basalt landscape that offers cliffs up to 2,000 feet in height, rolling desert hills, magnificent Ponderosa Pines, and a sparse covering of rare native plants. The occasional Philadelphus, Sambucus and lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus, I think) share ample space with sagebrush and grasses. Wildlife includes hawks, eagles, osprey, falcons, beavers, and many other animals. We have taken this road many times and see something new each time. This road does not allow trucks, and those who drive this two-lane, twisting route are free to travel slowly to take in the surroundings or to pull off the road when space allows to take in this breath-taking, unique beauty.

Below are a few pictures that, I hope, will give you an idea of what this immense and ancient landscape offers.

To learn more about the Canyon Road, visit this link: https://www.blm.gov/visit/yakima-river-canyon

Wishing you safe travels, blue skies, and air conditioning!