In this post, I write about why fantasy for the rustic life is really a sham. I'm not made for the mountains. But I liked my visit to Skykomish, Washington.
![Greig Roselli in Skykomish, Washington Greig Roselli](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPGDOKkbj9erHxoeC4hxFhuxt8u6jvTg8LM5uO89hLxN8bXWuIifug5zutNXNiB_6bf9VzHStmLjkat06d-In4KDR-brkRRQLCsL_95hyphenhyphenwUOltaS5FBLxJComaroVn6jZtmJV/w240-h320/IMG_7301.HEIC) |
"Sheeeeeeshhhhh!" |
![Empire Builder The Amtrak Empire Builder Passes Through Skykomish, Washington](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-sYU0IubHCCjbDXfB6uhHexhCgjphE_jhneOroGaSKUEAB0lw9bRI9PN69tFvDhaNRsrV3tmVl3RXE63Y0SHr9gLoS2sMeK48RBxXR0BqF7XKEO-49GIukSYILsTX-C5IJOhb/w124-h200/IMG_7253.PNG) |
The Empire Builder passes through Skykomish |
I found a rock to sit on to do some writing. When you arrive in Skykomish, Washington — you're in the middle of the Cascades Mountains. Because a railroad tycoon by the name of Stevens, built a railroad from Spokane to the Puget Sound — the place is smack dab in the middle of train history U.S.A.![Fishbowl Crotchet Fishbowl in Skykomish, Washington](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuZBF9U_J2CXp8Hep7m92klH1sniHm1sXs2fYiVt0ajWRg9r2S6gQZYR4gnC56MIY94LJ6a_4q6EYSqXoEe2Mdh-dD10GXDuRv2ZWlIlRMqhzUdbadpEL7I6NYDpUhyphenhyphenteney_/w240-h320/IMG_7203.HEIC) |
Fishbowl |
By the 1890s, the United States had already built a few transcontinental railroads — thanks to the unsung contribution of cheap Chinese labor — which the government tried to put a stop to with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Even though Washington D.C. put a smackdown on immigration from Asia, the economy begged to open more portals to the West. A direct train route to Puget Sound. Open more trans-Pacific trade. But a train through the Cascades would prove to be a more difficult challenge. The mountains are a formidable presence — up to about 4,000 feet above sea level, which for a Louisiana boy, is a lot. I'm breathing air at high altitudes, refilling my bottle with water from the Foss River.
![Shoes Made for Walking? Greig Roselli hikes along an interpretative nature trail near the Maloney Creek in Skykomish, Washington.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gw1IXLzLCysnyzYBSnsYqCF2Hc6F2CsJkgknTI6tFxEH4aaB0NyaqIPMXXN3TsmMaAYNl_KczKCLDR3oK_pSfx25Cv0UPqdCCjip6DaiKZTyw-PHQbC2dV4LA4UqExhhsFcg/w240-h320/IMG_7242.HEIC) |
Shoes Made for Walking? |
Loving being outdoors — but dang, it's uncharacteristically hot today — the high is 90 ° F. Even the people who live here say that’s hot. Sitting by the river — I don't jump in, but I feel the coolness of the rock, and the water is ice cold to the touch. What’s your favorite picture that I took?
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