Pot - Yes We Are In Washington

What do you think of when you hear Potholes? It didn't bring thoughts of majestic views and panoramas, but then it also sort of intrigued us and tempted us to visit.  We left Post Falls around 10:00 AM and drove west through Spokane. Don and Caroline had invited us over to Westport for a weekend rendezvous and we decided to stretch it out by two days and visit a campground we saw on maps but had never camped.

From our camp looking west.

As we drove Linda checked out the map and we talked about the various options. If we drove a bit farther we could stay at Gingko Petrified Forest State Park on the Columbia or we could stick to our first choice, Potholes. We had just past the Fish Trap exit when Linda asked “Did you put the bags of food from the refrigerator into the camper?” “No, I didn't think to grab them.” I replied.

Our first stop of the trip was the Safeway in Moses Lake where we bought the items that were sitting in the refrigerator at home. We also bought lunch sandwiches and several other little items that we had managed to leave at home. Back into the camper, it was a brisk drive through the scrub lands past Potholes Reservoir, also known as O'Sullivan Reservoir, to Potholes State Park.

Frenchman Hill Wasteway next to camp.

The guides all write about the size of the park, 640 acres, and the wonderful bird watching opportunities that abound along the banks of the reservoir.  They don't tell you how stark the sage covered grasslands are surrounding the green hideaway.  We arrived and looked around and choose one of the least expensive sites near the water. 

The park campground is expensive! $39 for a site in one of the grass circles with power and water. We paid $23 for our primitive site with no frills.  

Sunset over the sage.

Moon rise.

The morning of the second day at the park, Linda took a run and then walked Kobi. I slept in of course, wouldn't want to change my daily routine.

Once I was up and going we all took a walk together.  Our goal was to hike the two marked trails in the park.  We figured this would salvage some of the ill thoughts that we have of this park and give us something positive to write about.

The main hiking trail wanders through the sage and makes a circle. The total hike is less than two miles and we were able to do it while only spotting a pheasant and a frog. Not much to write about there.

Next we walked to the second trail that is marked in the park.  It is an interpretative trail that circles around the hosts campsite.  It's less than 100 yards long and  had several signs describing everything from sage, to a rock.  Not much there either.

Time is ticking for Potholes, there is not a lot of our visit left to salvage this adventure and give us something to recommend to potential visitors.

Oh yes, and there is no Pot in holes at Potholes even if it is in Washington.

Here is a link to a map of Potholes State Park.

Frog on the hiking trail.

I'm running out of interesting items at Potholes.