Palouse Falls

On Friday (April 29th) we went exploring in the grande state of Washington again. This time we visited Palouse Falls. We drove and drove for 2 hours across brownish sort of flat, sort of rolling, seemingly endless land. Suddenly, (or should I say finally), this deep deep gorge appeared out of nowhere with a huge waterfall gushing into it!

It looks small, but it wasn’t—it’s the biggest waterfall in Washington!

There was only a fence along a short path—the rest was wide open. Needless to say, we couldn’t exactly let Jay roam too freely on the cliff’s edge.

It wasn’t freezing, but the wind was strong and chilly!

We forgot to bring Jeff’s big, cozy jacket to zip Rose in, so I had her wrapped in a blanket and a sweatshirt. The wind kept trying to steal her blanket!

Father, son, waterfall

I can’t get over how this place does NOT look like it has a waterfall. The roaring from the water died away almost instantly when we walked a few steps away from the ledge.

After about 45 minutes of breathtaking breezes (and views), Rose, Jay, and I retired to the cramped, tiny car to eat our PBJs out of the wind while Jeff took a little excursion INto the gorge. There was a nice picnic area with tables and green (!) grass, but it was too cold and windy for an outdoor picnic.

I’m glad I couldn’t see what Jeff was doing from my hideout in the car, because he told me that taking this picture was a “rush,” and he was as close as he could get to the edge of the waterfall without falling in. ahhhh!

The mist from the falls drifted up to us on the wind.

It was nerve-wracking to walk on that little path clutching Jay’s hand HARD. He’s good at twisting free, so I had him CLAMPED in my hand. Yes, we’re crazy parents. Thrill-seekers. Walking on the edge of a cliff is a rush when you’re by yourself, but when you’re carrying a baby and leading a toddler, it’s even more than that—it’s kind of terrifying!

Jay was such a good sport in spite of the long hours in the car. We accidentally took a 30 minute detour on the way home, so we drove for 4 1/2 hours round trip! We passed Jay an apple with a few bites taken out of it to entertain him during the long drive. About 20 minutes later, he got my attention and handed me the stem. He ate the entire apple—skin, seeds, core, and ALL. But not the stem. 

Ever since before Jeff and I were married, taking excursions into nature has been one of our very favorite pastimes. It is definitely harder to do these days with 2 little children and not much nature, but we make do. I just hope that our next adventure involves a little less driving and a lot warmer weather!