Day 14. Driving through this countryside brings up feelings of nostalgia for the charming decay of old Americana – drive-ins, diners, crumbling barns, weathered farmhouses and country churches. Many are just ghosts of former times and the lives that once were there. There are miles and miles of apple and cherry orchards on the east side of the state where the climate is more arid, perfect for the fruit trees to grow and thrive. Fruit-packing plants are the dominant feature in each small town, and tightly woven around them are the migrant worker communities. Authentic Mexican and Salvadorian food is easily found. Yum.
We’ve put down a lot of miles of driving while looking at the area and properties for sale to see if it feels like a good fit and could be called home. I’ve fallen in love with a property in the mountains near Brewster. Brewster is a small town, not much to speak of, but still charming in its own way. The property is 10 acres of land in the hills at the top of a long, windy dirt road (which is snowy right now). The view of the surrounding mountains is incredible, and it feels like being on top of the world! The Cascades foothills are off in the distance for as far as the eye can see. It was breathtaking. There seems to be a like-minded community in the neighboring properties. Almost all of the homes are tiny style – smartly built with steep, angled roofs to shed the snow and south-facing windows for passive solar.
But I think I loved the property more than Brad did, so we will keep that one in our back pockets and continue the search. It’s important that it feels right, to both of us.
