Washington State Route 270

On Saturday, October 12, 2013, after driving across the state with a herd of Cougars, we drove Washington State Route 270 through Pullman to Idaho. How was I supposed to know there was a football game going on?

RCW 47.17.485
State route No. 270:

A state highway to be known as state route number 270 is established as follows:

Beginning at a junction with state route number 195 at Pullman, thence easterly by the most feasible route to a point on the Washington-Idaho boundary line.

At the junction with US 195, we started Highway 270 in a gap in the rain. Note the dark clouds overhead. Around here, it only rains in the towns, not the fields.


Sunshine, brown fields, dark clouds, plenty of cars. Plenty of folks heading to the Cougars game. Down, down, down, slow to Pullman. This road used to be part of US 195, before a bypass was constructed west of town in the 1970s. Stop light at the first junction with SR 27.


We hung a right into old town, now driving both SR 27 and SR 272 simultaneously. Rain, if you can't tell. Almost everyone in town was wearing red and gray, with a few black-and-orange visitors there to support Oregon State. Shortly, a left turn to leave SR 27 behind. I can say "Why must it rain on me?" when I'm driving along, but I'm sure the folks on the sidewalks had better reason to ask that question.


Up the hill, around the cliffs below the dorms, and out onto the Palouse once again, following Paradise Creek out of town. The rain stopped. Five-lane freeway. Smoothly to the state line. The University of Idaho logo on the water tower announces the end of Washington. Welcome to Idaho. Welcome to Moscow.

It certainly felt weird to be in a town where a Big Event was taking place, but not having anything to do with said event. Even more so, when you consider that we drove through Seattle's U District that same morning, with purple and gold and green everywhere.