Creative Highways: Climbing at Smith Rock and Walla Walla Wineries

With heavy hearts we said goodbye to friends Kendra and Adam (and their dog, Jake) on Wednesday, July 8, and turned our backs toward the West coast and headed East. It's always hard to know that you have already reached your furthest point West, but thankfully we have much left to explore out here. Our first stop on the other side of the Cascades was Smith Rock, one of our country's rock climbing meccas, where we spent the afternoon climbing and hiking through the beautiful Crooked River canyon. We found a great camp spot for the night, and enjoyed cooking and socializing with the long-term campers and climbing bums at the bivouac camp ground at Smith.

Smith Rock with Mount Jefferson of the Cascade Range in the background

Sagebrush feathers the landscape along the Crooked River canyon

Smith Rock and the aptly-named Crooked River

Our camp spot overlooking Smith Rock and the desert sky

The following day, on the way to Moscow, ID, our old Idaho hometown, we stopped through Walla Walla, WA to visit two wineries, L'Ecole Nº 41 and Three Rivers Winery. It was fun to explore, albeit briefly, an area we have never spent much time in, nor associated with good wines.

L'Ecole Nº 41, our first winery stop, features beautiful architecture and decor

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Coming soon: photos and updates about our three days in Moscow, ID, as well as from the Lochsa, Selway and Salmon River Regions of mountainous central Idaho, where we will be camping and hotspringing for the next week. We will be off the map now for about 8 days, but we will post updates as soon as we can - maybe we'll find some random free wifi somewhere. You never know these days!