We started out in Bend, Oregon, a little after 8 am this morning.
We first stopped by the very last Blockbuster video rental store in all of the United States (and all of the world, in fact). We made another stop at the spectacular Smith Rock State Park.
After that we made our way north and west to Ellensburg, and across Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle.
We took U.S. Route 97 (US 97) from Bend all the way to the Washington-Oregon state line (the Columbia River), and from there to Toppenish in Washington. From Toppenish we took Interstate 82 to Ellensburg, and then Interstate 90 that runs across Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle.Here is the very last Blockbuster video rental store in the whole world, in Bend, Oregon. It was a Pacific Video store before converting to a Blockbuster franchise in June 2000. It became the last Blockbuster store in the U.S. in 2018 and the last Blockbuster store in the world in March 2019.Smith Rock State Park is a state park located in central Oregon’s High Desert near the communities of Redmond and Terrebonne. The day-use area of the park is open daily from dawn to dusk.The sheer cliffs are the result of a major volcanic eruption in the area millions of years ago. The stone material is called Smith Rock tuff.This charging stop is in Madras, Oregon.Here is Oregon’s Mount Hood, seen from U.S. Route 97. Mt Hood is an active stratovolcano and the highest mountain in Oregon, standing at 11,249 feet (3,429 meters). It is located about 50 miles east of Portland.Still in Oregon here, but now approaching the Columbia River Gorge and the Washington-Oregon state line.Hello Washington State. This is still U.S. Route 97.Here is the mighty Columbia River, the Washington-Oregon state line.Look for the Stonehenge Memorial (round brown structure, middle of the picture) perched on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. It was built as a World War I memorial dedicated to soldiers from Klickitat County, Washington, who died in the war.Wind turbines on the hills, very similar to the ones we had seen in California.This Stars and Stripes is in Toppenish.Here is the Yakima River.Our last charging stop for the day was in Yakima.On the way to Ellensburg.Late afternoon in Snoqualmie Pass, Interstate 90.Crossing Lake Washington for the last few miles to Seattle. The light rail train on the left is still a new sight, in operation since late March 2026.The end of our journey on U.S. Route 97, Interstate 82 and Interstate 90. The lettering in the cement at the tunnel entrance says ‘Seattle— Portal to the Pacific’.
