Trip to Seattle

The Palouse is a wonderful place to live, but sometimes you feel the need for a really Big City. The nearest sophisticated metropolis is Seattle, 5 1/2 hours away (if you don't speed). People from the compact East Coast may find this daunting, but Westerners are used to thinking of such trips as easily doable.

There are people in Pullman who buy season tickets for the Seattle Opera and go over for the weekend for each opera. Some just go to shop, or visit the museums, or eat some really interesting food--or to get on the water.

We flew once on a cheap ticket via Spokane, but I figured that if you added up the time to drive to the airport, wait to board, take the flight itself, pick up a rental car at SeaTac, and drive to Seattle, we saved only a half hour over driving the whole way. And it cost a lot more money.

The quickest and most popular route from Pullman is to head north to Colfax. Long-timers avoid the long, slow drag down Colfax's Main Street by turning left on Main, then right on West Fairview, which curves around and becomes Almota Road. Watch your speed. Colfax is a notorious speed trap, and you're going past the hospital on this route. Shortly past the hospital, turn right on Airport Road. The little regional airport, mainly serving crop-dusters, will be on your left.