Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 24 – Another relaxing day

Author Theresa L. Goodrich presents Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Bison are Giant and Other Observations from an American Road Trip in serial form. Enjoy!

Our last full day with family was a day of errands. Our trusty air mattress had popped a rib at Viento State Park and I needed to pick up some of Uncle John’s flour, so my mother- and sister-in-law and I drove back to Spokane while the guys hung out at the lake.

We picked up a new bed and then bought fifty pounds of Shepherd’s Grain to share. Lunch was burgers, cheese fries, and shakes in a 50s-style diner. From behind the counter, Brittany from North Carolina, a student at Gonzaga who was in the National Guard, “yes, ma’am-’ed” us through our lunch.

It was relaxing, and fun, and I thought for the gazillionth time how lucky I was to marry into this family. And then, on the way back to the cabin, we saw a doe and a coyote.

In the evening Jim and I packed up and loaded our gear, plus our share of flour, into Jeannie the Jeep so we’d be ready to go in the morning. We didn’t want to leave; at the same time, we were anxious to get back on the road. In two days we’d be in Jim’s hometown, and in three would be in Glacier. After our extended break it felt like we were near the end of our journey, but we still had another 2,300 miles to go. I was worried about timing. We knew we had to be back by July 3 and there was a lot of ground to cover. Our days of rest and time with family were worth it, though. I don’t know how we would have made it without them.