Thanks to the Kohlers!

Craig:

We had fun in Portland. It was the kind of fun that you thought you may not have for a little while but that was not to be. Who knew a little town in Eastern Washington could prove so worthy of fun. Well, Pullman, WA managed to do so in fine style. How, might you ask? Well, one big reason is that my aunt and uncle, Marilyn and Tim, live there. They were more than happy to host two car ride-weary kids from Florida. We arrived in Pullman late Wednesday afternoon and immediately began to prepare for dinner. The Kohlers were kind enough to invite over three of their friends, Rich, Judy, and Josh, to offer some stories on New Zealand living (Rich and Judy had lived there before) and Glacier National Park peak trails. Upon their arrival, we were treated to wine, hummus, crackers, and fresh carrots for an appetizer and after much conversation we moved on to smoked salmon, salade nicoise, olives, cheese, bread, and fresh vegetables from various gardens. It was a much needed healthy dinner after our Portland culinary choices. Rich and Judy were able to provide many stories and advice on our upcoming travels to New Zealand. It was interesting to hear Tim and Rich debate over who was older, which seemed to be an ongoing conversation.

In the morning, were we once again treated to a great meal in breakfast and then set off on a tour of Pullman and Washington State University, where both Marilyn and Tim work. One of the tour highlights was the WSU bear research building where once-wild grizzlies walked only feet away behind what seemed like a fairly flimsy chain link fence.

I only wish we could have stayed in Pullman over the weekend to enjoy the National Lentil Festival, but the glaciers and mountains were calling our name. We said our goodbyes and headed north.

So a big thank you goes out to the Kohlers and their friends for a great stopover in Pullman. Hopefully next time we are through we can see the rest of the family as well (Claire and Sander, if you read this, we wish we could have stopped in Seattle but it was just too far).

Next stop: Montana and Glacier National Park