Hi, I'm Eric.

I’m an avid world traveler, photographer, software developer, and digital storyteller.

I help implement the Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe.

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A Central Washington Roadtrip

19 March 2022 • 422 km / 262 mi (map)

  • Added to Eric Scouten :: Travel on 3 April 2022
  • Washington 75

The idea, again was to visit some more parks for the 146 Parks project. Weather intervened and my plans had to change a bit, but a good trip was had nonetheless.

I started the day at a cute little coffee shop called The Early Bird in downtown Ellensburg.

From Ellensburg, I headed northeast toward Sun Lakes-Dry Falls and Steamboat Rock State Parks.

A calm lake reflecting an overcast gray sky, flanked by dark basalt cliffs and canyon walls, with a small cluster of buildings and homes along the right shoreline.
Blue Lake, southwest of Coulee City, Washington
A calm lake reflecting the far shore under an overcast sky, with dry sagebrush and bare winter trees along the bank, scattered buildings including a yellow school bus and a mobile home, and layered basalt cliffs rising behind in the arid coulee landscape.
Park Lake, southwest of Coulee City, Washington

A fair amount of Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park was seasonally closed, so I decided to save this for another time.

A two-lane road with white marker posts curves down through a wide desert coulee lined with dry sagebrush and grasses, flanked by dark basalt cliffs and flat-topped mesas under an overcast gray sky with the sun a faint disc behind the clouds.
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, southwest of Coulee City, Washington
A weathered vintage “MOTEL” sign with a faded arrow stands in an open field of sagebrush and dry grass under a heavy overcast sky, with a two-lane road and yellow center lines in the foreground and a few scattered buildings in the distance.
Coulee City, Washington

I started a more serious hike in Steamboat Rock State Park a couple hours later, but heavy rains set in before I could accomplish my hiking goal for the day. I’ll share one highlight photo from the park and otherwise save this park for another day.

An empty two-lane asphalt road runs straight through flat, dry grassland toward the massive flat-topped basalt butte of Steamboat Rock under a heavily overcast gray sky.
Steamboat Rock State Park, southwest of Electric City, Washington
Rolling dry-grass hills under a dramatic sky of scattered white clouds over blue, with pale golden bunchgrass and old fence posts in the foreground.
Highway 17, east of Bridgeport, Washington

The weather opened up quite a bit, so I did manage to get in a previously-unplanned visit to Bridgeport State Park.

And then I wrapped up the day at the beautiful mountaintop resort at Sun Mountain Lodge.

A wide dusk view over the Methow Valley with patchy snow on the hillsides, dark evergreen forest below, and layered mountain ridges partly veiled by low clouds under a pale blue sky. A lone pine tree stands in the foreground and a dirt road winds along the slope at lower left.
Sun Mountain Lodge, west of Winthrop, Washington

On my way home the next day, I got in a good hike at Peshastin Pinnacles State Park.

Ellensburg to Winthrop, Washington · 422 km / 262 mi
(Mouse over or tap on the markers to see the photos there. Use the button to adjust the map’s position and zoom.)

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