the Columbia, and is known for its wheat farming and "Walla Walla Sweets" - better than Vidalia onions. The town is rapidly getting the name for some of the best wines in the country, so we had to give them a try in the tasting rooms. Land prices are going through the roof as winemakers from all over the world try to buy into the game. The two dozen or so wineries now produce some of the best wines in the world. They say: In the local divorce court, the only decision is not who gets the house or kids or bank account. If there is a winery and vineyards in the mix, that is the big one.

The final leg before the Alaska journey was to Olympia. Icing over the Cascades forced us into going due west through the Columbia Gorge to Portland, thence north to OLM. We were in periods of light-to-moderate rain all the way from the beginning of the Gorge to Olympia. The FSS really busted the forecast. For reliability reasons, I had hardwired the WxWorx receiver to the tablet PC and could see what was happening all up and down the coast. About the time I had decided to divert (no alternate required in the FSS forecast), OLM went from a red METAR to a Blue (1000 broken and 4 in light rain) so Seattle APC gave me vectors to an ILS final. Although we could see the ground though a broken deck at the final approach fix we broke out at 500 feet and about 2 miles in mist.

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almost 9 inches in the mountains on day two and we had avoid icing in solid, lingering cloud layers over all the area between Nevada and neighboring Oregon and Idaho, especially the Jarbidge Mountains between Elko and Twin Falls, ID. If you want to visit a vibrant Great Basin town with ranching, mining (gold), gambling and sheep herding, this is the place. Be sure to go to the Bil Toki restaurant for a huge family style Basque dinner with three entrees', the best cabbage soup, salad, fries, beans, spanish rice and dessert. Before dinner, if you want a real jolt, have one of their Picon Punches.

If you want a real adventure, rent a car and head for the wide spot in the road named Jiggs, NV. The centerpiece and only real landmark is the Jiggs Bar where real cow hands and miners hang out swapping stories, drinking whiskey and beer from long neck bottles. All drinks and beer are 2 bucks. The owners are 85 year-old Harry (still ranching) and his wife. His stories about the old days of ranching, drinking and mining are absolutely fascinating. He says all his cows have the  same name: "Sum' Bitch".

Next leg was to Walla Walla, WA. Because of the weather delay in Elko, it could be for only a one-night visit with my cousin and her husband. It is a beautiful town not far from the Snake River and