There should be a song called that.

With a tint of sadness and a dash of irony we crossed the border out of Canada and back into the USA.  Sad because we love travelling in Canada and proved it again with the 12,600 kilometres (7,800 miles) we travelled across two provinces and two territories.  And ironic because we ended up leaving Canada on Canada Day which made us feel a little guilty, as if we weren’t respecting this wonderful country.  Sorry Canada, don’t take it personally.

We only had about a week left on the road before we hooked up with family for a major reunion event.  But the Pacific Northwest has so much to offer, how should we spend our limited time?  The answer was obvious (to us) since we had crossed the border into the state of Washington and only about two hours away was the spectacular North Cascades National Park.  Bullseye.

The drive across this section of northern Washington was wonderful – the fertile rural land, the thick forests, the quaint homes and towns which make up this area.  We hooked up with the Skagit River, it’s blue-green water a sharp contrast to the muddy brown flood waters of the rivers we had been seeing in the Yukon and BC.  The Skagit would turn out to be our constant companion for the next couple of days.

We followed the impossibly winding road through the impossibly tall steep canyon walls carved out by the impossibly beautiful Skagit River until we reached the national park and checked out the Visitor Center.  First impression – too many people.  After all, we were in one of America’s most popular national parks in July – peak season – and the crowds freaked us out a bit.  We needed to recalibrate and suck it up.

The campsite with our reservation had been closed due to aggressive bear activity nearby but at the Ranger’s suggestion we trolled a couple of other nearby campgrounds and were lucky enough to score a spot for the night amongst the tall hemlocks and cedars.  We then drove up the canyon further, stopping at the three dams that were built here 60 years ago for hydroelectric power and taking in these magic views.

At Ross Dam we followed the one mile track down the steep hill to the dam itself and walked out across this massive structure which gave us great views of the mountains.  I know Seattle needs electricity but I don’t think these dams would get built today.

We enjoyed our night in the park, soaking in how Americans celebrate their great outdoors, becoming one with many.  We chose a recommended walk for the next day but to get there we had to complete our drive through the mountains to the eastern edge of the park. 

There were multiple pullouts along the way to soak in the park’s deep canyons, three full dams and wonderful soaring mountains all around us.  The standout spot for us was Washington Pass where a short trail led us to panoramic views of jagged snow-streaked mountains and the impressive Liberty Bell, a patriotically named glacier-carved granite mountain that shined above all others. 

We parked at the trailhead for Cutthroat Lake, a four mile (6.4 kilometre) gentle trail up to a beautiful alpine lake hemmed in by the near vertical walls of the mountains above us.  The North Cascades National Park certainly packs a punch.

The road continued southeasterly through the scenic Methow Valley, stopping at cute touristy towns of Mazama and Winthrop.  We could picture couples or families from the Seattle-Tacoma area doing this wonderful drive and spending a weekend in one of these attractive towns.  Thumbs up for the Methow Valley.

We camped that night in the Okanogan National Forest with more cliff walls all around us.  The following morning we hooked up with the famous Colombia River, one of the most iconic and historically significant waterways in America.  We detoured to the town of Chelan, positioned at the end of the snake-shaped Lake Chelan, and began to pick up the strong Fourth of July weekend vibe. 

The town was packed with weekenders getting in the celebration mood, walking the streets of the town or setting up on their picnic blankets with sunscreen and children’s floaties for a day of sun and fun.  You couldn’t help but enjoy the holiday atmosphere, America at it’s best.

We followed the mighty Colombia River for some time, enjoying the dramatic views along the way and stopping for a picnic lunch on it’s shores in the little community of Crescent Bar. We finally crossed the river at the border with Oregon where the scenery turned to open prairie-like wheat fields, expansive wind farms and wandering creek beds.  If you want variety, take a drive in America.

As we passed into late afternoon we followed a dirt track up onto a ridge through some BLM land and stopped on a high ridge to set up for the night.  From this vantage point we had 360° views of this rolling grazing land and were even visited by a lonely and slightly miffed bull who seemed to resent our presence (luckily there was a good fence between us).

The next morning over coffee two elk were seen on an adjoining ridge, their loud bellows perhaps also signaling their warning that strangers were in their midst.  Never mind, it was the Fourth of July, America’s biggest celebration day, and their 250th anniversary to boot.  We knew this was going to be a great day of Americana overload and had the perfect nearby town in mind to take it all in.