Washington State Route 904

On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, we drove Washington State Route 904 to a red inferno and beyond.

State route No. 904:

A state highway to be known as state route number 904 is established as follows:

Beginning at a junction with state route number 90 in the vicinity of Tyler, thence northeasterly via Cheney to a junction with state route number 90 in the vicinity of Four Lakes.

In the community of Tyler, Highway 904 begins at this interchange with I-90.


Just after leaving I-90, 904 turns east onto the old route of US 10. The old concrete is still there, covered by old asphalt. Bump bump bump bump, the whole way to Cheney. The highway runs through pine forest with no undergrowth. This is broad channelled scablands from an ice-age flood. Nearing Cheney, there are farms on a hill that the flood didn't scour away. As we enter Cheney, we reach the midway point of the highway.


After brief stops to see a red football field, sit in the shade, and eat lunch, we depart Cheney. Highway 904 widens to a suburban boulevard and we pass suburban shopping centers. Across the street from a neighborhood is a rustic farm. The highway narrows back to two lanes, but the concrete is new and smooth. At the town of Four Lakes, Highway 904 returns to I-90. Old US 10 curves toward Spokane, but we end facing north on this overpass.

This would be a peaceful drive through the countryside, if only the road wasn't so bumpy...

Washington State Route 903

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, we drove Washington State Route 903 from Cle Elum to the lake.

State route No. 903:

A state highway to be known as state route number 903 is established as follows:

Beginning at a junction with state route number 970 in the vicinity of Cle Elum, thence northwesterly by way of Cle Elum and Roslyn to the National Forest boundary in the vicinity of Lake Cle Elum.

Highway 903 starts at this junction with SR 970 at the east end of Cle Elum. We're on the line of the old Sunset Highway and US 10, but it's built up so 970 can cross the railroad tracks and connect with I-90. This is a (squished) delta junction, with a lower bypass of this intersection, but WSDOT lists this upper part as the main route and not the bypass, so I started here.


Detour signs were still up for construction on a new roundabout in Cle Elum, but it opened the day before our drive, so we rolled right through. We leave town and come to the halfway point of 903 just before we get to Roslyn.


903 zig-zags through Roslyn and passes through Ronald, two old coal mining towns (along with Cle Elum). Off to the sides, fancy new developments have sprung up, for those who want to live ten feet from their neighbors, but in the mountains. Slowly we ascend into the woods. Near the south end of Lake Cle Elum, in the community of Lakedale, Highway 903 ends at a seemingly random location. It's at the national forest boundary, but there are just as many homes on the national forest side of the line than south of it.

I have been up this road plenty of times before and never once have I previously stopped at the south end of the lake. Lots of good backpacking up that way, but not on this trip. Instead, we went to the windy beach.

Washington State Route 902

On Sunday, June 29, 2025, we drove Washington State Route 902 to Medical Lake and back. I'm not sure the waters have much healing power anymore, but there are still plenty of hospitals.

State route No. 902:

A state highway to be known as state route number 902 is established as follows:

Beginning at a junction with state route number 90, thence northwesterly, northerly, northeasterly, and easterly, via the town of Medical Lake, to a junction with state route number 90 at a point approximately three miles northeast of Four Lakes.

Highway 902 begins at this interchange with I-90 just south of Clear Lake.


We drive through sparse forest and pass a pond. The highway has no shoulder or guardrail. Highway 902 then climbs up into the farmland of Malloy Prairie, full of giant hay bales, before dipping back to the forested valley. This valley, full of small lakes, was carved by an ice-age flood. All the good farming soil got washed away, but now it has enough groundwater to support pine trees. 902 enters the city of Medical Lake and passes a giant state-run nursing home, then an eerie run-down barn. We stop at the Waterfront Park at the south end of the lake for a rest before heading into town. This photo is at the halfway point, in the middle of Medical Lake.


At the north end of town, we arrive at the beginning of the flood channel. Maybe this was the edge of the ice sheet and the water was flowing on top of the glacier to this point. Take a right to stay on 902. We cross a railroad then parallel it for a while. A new neighborhood climbs a hill. The land flattens out, but not many farms. We arrive back at I-90 in a mess of roundabouts. Zig-zag your way to the freeway.

902 is a nice, quiet drive to a nice, quiet town. No longer the tourist destination of 100 years ago, but they seem to be having fun.

Washington State Route 900

On Sunday, June 29, 2025, we drove Washington State Route 900, heading east on the old highway.

State route No. 900:

A state highway to be known as state route number 900 is established as follows:

Beginning at a junction with state route number 5 in Seattle near the Duwamish River, thence southerly by way of Renton to a junction with state route number 90 in the vicinity of Issaquah.

Highway 900 begins here at the north end of Tukwila, at an interchange with I-5. Once upon a time, it began in downtown Seattle but that part was removed in the great clean-up of 1991.


A half mile later, here's the other half of the interchange with I-5.


Highway 900 thence steadily climbs the hill, four lanes of concrete surrounded by forest. Cambell Hill, Earlington. Try to go the speed limit, I dare you. We drop back down into Renton. Signage for 900 disappears. We have arrived at the junction with SR 167. 900 used to go straight ahead, but Renton petitioned the state for the city to take over those streets, which they did in 2018. You'd think there is a gap in 900 now, but the code description above doesn't have a gap. For many years, there's been a concurrency with 405 on the east side of town. Now there must be an even longer concurrency. We turn right to join 167 southward.


After many stoplights on Rainier, we arrive at Highway 900's interchange with SR 167 and I-405. We shall go north on 405.


Shortly after merging onto I-405, there's a junction with SR 515. Since it's just an onramp, I forgot to have Isabelle photograph it. Here's a photo from the same spot ten years ago.


Around the corner, we reach the interchange with SR 169. Still on I-405, too, of course. This used to be signed for 900 west into Renton, but 900 and 405 were actually parallel right here (until 2018).


We then pass the onramp where 900 once joined I-405, before 2018. Even earlier, it just crossed 405 at that point, but then it was moved to the larger Sunset Blvd, connecting at the next interchange, which is photographed above. We'll now leave 405.


Highway 900 climbs to the Renton Highlands on Sunset Blvd (once part of the Sunset Highway, naturally). It's five lanes of broad, sweeping curves through shopping centers and old suburbia. Then we abruptly cross a line on the map and it's a two-lane rural road with tight turns. Up and down to May Valley, then bigger up and down through canyons of the Issaquah Alps. 900 spits out into a speedway into western Issaquah, all the way to I-90. Highway 900 thus ends.

Once upon a time, this highway was one of the main routes from Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass, so the highway actually turned east a bit before its current end, went through the heart of Issaquah, and climbed to the mountains and beyond. No more, though. Now it's broken bits of history. Old concrete, city streets, a concurrency surely ignored by everyone but me, and a hint of the Sunset Highway.

Washington State Route 823

On Sunday, December 15, 2024, we drove Washington State Route 823 across the Selah Valley.

State route No. 823:

A state highway to be known as state route number 823 is established as follows:

Beginning at the junction of state route number 82 in the vicinity of Selah northerly by way of Selah and easterly to a junction with state route number 821 in the vicinity of the firing center interchange.

Before award of any construction contract for improvements to state route number 823 under either program A or program C, the department of transportation shall secure a portion of the construction cost from the city of Selah or Yakima county, or both.

With quesa birria in our bellies, we hit the road. At the north end of Yakima, Highway 823 begins in this complex interchange with US 12 and I-82.


Highway 823 heads northwest between the two directions of I-82. We cross the Naches River. We cross the Yakima River. There's another junction with I-82, although it's only an onramp in this direction.


We depart the interstate and cross the Yakima River again. Highway 823 becomes 1st Street in Selah, the main drag through town. But wait! Don't miss the turn! (Don't be like me.) Before you get to the middle of town, the highway is shunted a block to the east. We wouldn't want to take Wenas Road over the mountains to Ellensburg, would we? Not today, at any rate. As we leave the snowy city, we must take another right turn to stay on the highway. We wouldn't want to take Wenas Road over the mountains to Ellensburg, would we? Not today, at any rate. (Yes, the two roads join together after a dozen miles.) Cattle farms in the snow. Cross the Yakima River a third time. And here we are at the end of Highway 823 at this junction with SR 821. So familiar.

Selah's a nice little town, but the ridges don't leave it much sunlight in December.

Washington State Route 821

On Sunday, December 15, 2024, we drove Washington State Route 821, winding up the Yakima Canyon.

State route No. 821:

A state highway to be known as state route number 821 is established as follows:

Beginning at a junction with state route number 82 in the vicinity north of Yakima, thence northerly to a junction with state route number 82 south of Ellensburg.

Highway 821 begins at this interchange with I-82 at the north end of the Selah Valley.


Just around the corner, we reach the junction with SR 823.


Highway 821 then proceeds to join the old route for US 97, which used to go through the Yakima Canyon before the interstate was built over the ridges. We drive through apple orchards that still have fruit but no leaves, then drop down to the Yakima River and enter the snow-dusted canyon. This is certainly one of the most scenic highways in all of Washington. Watch out for fallen rocks. The canyon curves like a river meandering across a flat plain, which is exactly what it is. The river was here long before the mountains rose up. After every earthquake when the ridges formed, the river carved the rock back down to level. So now we drive this twisty loopy canyon, in and out of the sun and shade, with towering cliffs and the river flowing wide and slow. Fishermen are enjoying the day. Suddenly the canyon opens into the Kittitas Valley. Highway 821 takes the first available right turn off the old US 97 and we are at the end of the route, at this interchange with I-82.

Sometimes it's good to take the slow road and this is a good slow road.

Washington State Route 730

On Monday, November 4, 2024, we drove Washington State Route 730 (aka US Route 730). It was on the way home...

State route No. 730:

A state highway to be known as state route number 730 is established as follows:

Beginning at the Washington-Oregon boundary line, thence northeasterly to a junction with state route number 12 south of Wallula.

On the south bank of the mighty Columbia River, US 730 enters Washington.


With a tailwind, we drive beneath the towering cliffs carved by ice-age floods. Under one stretch, there's a giant fence with a stout net to catch falling rocks. Not most of the cliffs, though. After Port Kelley and the Walla Walla Yacht Club, US 730 turns north and starts climbing. This is the halfway point of the Washington portion.


The Columbia River (Lake Wallula here) spreads out before us as we pass through Wallula Gap. Twin Sisters Rock marks the narrowest portion of the river. Whitecapped waves push upstream. And then we're through the gap and US 730 turns east again. Very shortly, we reach the delta junction with US 12. Be very sure to check for oncoming traffic when turning left. If you look at an aerial photo, you'll see that this entire triangular junction was rebuilt a few hundred feet to the west when WSDOT built a new bridge over the Walla Walla River. Most of the pavement and half the bridge still exist.

US 730 is a pleasant drive along the Columbia and I must say that the Washington portion is the best.