kknight | Washington Trip Report - part 9

After I finished wandering around at Fort Spokane I checked out a nearby park on the shore of Lake Roosevelt then headed north around the lake. I'd meant to go a different direction but somehow that's not the way I went. Rather than turning around, I just kept going since it didn't really make any difference to me. Either way, there was nice scenery and a little ferry to take across the lake. I was somewhat amused by taking a ferry in the middle of Washington instead of taking any of the well-known big ferries on Puget Sound. (Don't get me wrong, I like the big ferries. I got really good looks at orcas from one once. The big ferries just didn't fit into my plans this time.)

Clicking on any of these photos will take you to a bigger version.

I liked this bridge over the Spokane River. There was something pleasing about its shape and angles.

This is the same bridge, seen from Fort Spokane

This is a view of Lake Roosevelt from a little park that was not far from Fort Spokane.

The drive north took me away from the lake edge some of the time. This is what the area looked like.

The Columbian Princess, otherwise known as the Inchelium-Gifford Ferry goes back and forth between Inchelium and Gifford. There's no schedule. You just pull up and wait for it to arrive. I think there's talk of replacing it with a bridge, which I would find far less satisfying. The ferries of my childhood got replaced by bridges and I think the world is a less interesting place without them. I suppose a bridge would be more convenient for people living in the area though.

I find it a bit ironic that one end of this ferry's route is in Ferry County, which was not named after any actual ferries. It was named after Washington's first governor.