Because I'm Plain

The morning after I returned from my Vancouver getaway, we packed up the car and the kids and drove east. We did it partially because we're all cosmopolitan like that, jetting to and fro, and partially because J. has taken not a single vacation day this summer and we wanted a night in the mountains.

So, we bypassed Gold Bar and skirted around Cashmere and ended up in Plain. Plain, Washington.

And this was the first human we encountered.

He plodded up to our window. He stood and stared at us, pushing sunflower seeds around his mouth with his tongue, evaluating, I imagined, our worth. Our right to be out there in our shiny Toyota hybrid.

Dueling banjos played in my head.

Eventually, he let us through his traffic stop. He turned out to be quite friendly, if a little succinct and grunty.

We found our way to the darling cabinny A-frame we rented where I could've curled up for twenty-five days straight with a book and a cat and a cup of tea.

 

But instead we hiked to a lake, which was nice too.

 

We had forgotten to buy a park pass ahead of time, so we left a long, friendly note on our windshield explaining to the rangers that we had lots of kids with us who had to pee and how going back into town to get a pass would surely cause a meltdown of epic proportions and could they please just accept the five dollar bill tucked under our wiper (along with my red thong and a six pack of beer) and let us enjoy the park without writing us a spensy ticket, thank you.

And then we found the fee envelopes and paid and I had to crumple up my masterful note.

We made s'mores and watched ospreys and, at night, gazed at the velvet sky thick with stars. 

If only there were a Target up in Plain, I might want to make it my home.

You know, minus the banjos.

Comments

[blissfully caffeinated]

Gee, that looks nice and relaxing.

[Sugee]

Yea, that sure is a gorgeous setting and sounds like a gorgeous time too!

[amy]

that looks amazing. jealous!

[Mrs. G.]

You appear to have had a wonderful summer. That cabin is charmingly cabinesque.

[Csquaredplus3]

"my red thong and a six pack of beer" - what else does a girl need? Sounds like heaven...

[Melanie @ Mel, A Dramatic Mommy]

That place looks exactly the way I'm going to feel on Tuesday morning at 8:50am when I drop my son off at school!

[leslie]

I want to know how you snapped that guy's photo without him knowing, or did he know and wonder what you city folk were up to with that there digital polaroid and the interweb...

[foolery]

Oh, I see you met the mayor! Don't kid yourself; he probably drives a Prius and reads Proust.

Yeah.

[JCK]

Now THAT's my idea of camping. In a cabin! Looks heavenly.

[Ashley]

That is an adorable cabin! I totally want to stay there now!

[Katie in MA]

I am in.love. with your cabin! (Also your note.) Glad you're enjoying your summer vacation right up until the very last minute!

[ella]

i would have been tempted to skip the fee envelope and stick with the note and thong/beer offer. too funny!

[Sue]

the sleeping loft looks like something out of The Ring...."Perfect for Kids!"

:-)

[Carrie]

We camped in Plain last month! That's where I was almost eaten by bears . . . speaking of, I never blogged about it (guess I better get on that)!

And you're right, if they had Target - I'd NEVER leave!

[Rayrena]

Hee hee, that's too funny about the dueling banjos. So he probably won't be voting for an arugula eatin' Presidential candidate?

[stephanie (bad mom)]

I gasped when you wrote about leaving the thong - NOT THE THONG. But thank goodness it wasn't necessary.

The Plainsfolk might not have known how to appreciate it anyway.

LOVE the cabiny cabin!

[daring one]

Can you please email me the info on where you stayed? We're planning a getaway and I'd like to put that on the list of possibilities.

[Lulu]

I love that it's August and you're wearing a jacket and jeans. Here in Georgia, you would have a heat stroke...

Mmm...smores.