Saturday, Oct. 8 — From my room at the edge of the Leavenworth ski hill last night, I drifted off to sleep hearing two kinds of singers in the night: the Oktoberfest yodelers a mile away in town, and the howling coyotes that sounded like they were just outside my window.

It was one final taste of "things you don't get in Seattle," and a fitting end to my travels.

Today, after a breakfast of Dutch babies and Black Forest ham, I meandered my way home over Stevens Pass.

A few thoughts as I drove:

— What a perfectly dopey idea to try to cover so much ground in so little time. I haven't done justice to any of the places I visited, and I was able to follow up on only a handful of the scores of tips generously offered by readers who are proud of their hometowns or wanted me to share the fun they had on a visit.

— At the same time, what a blast it's been. No matter if they didn't know me from Adam, people I've met have been generous with their time, hospitality and friendship. When I was a kid, John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley" was one of my favorite books, and lately I've been reading and watching videos of Michael Palin's world travels. Wandering my home state and looking at it with a fresh eye has been a rare opportunity.

— And while there's nothing very metaphysical about it, visiting all the Washington counties I had missed in my 49 years held real satisfaction. There was an element of meeting long lost cousins – someone you'd never seen before, but somehow you recognize the nose?

Each county has its own character, yet each shares a common bond: They're part of Washington. Driving the state and reading its history through books, roadside markers and museums was a good refresher course on what linked us in the first place: that Fort Walla Walla was an extension of Fort Vancouver, or that monumental construction efforts to push railroads over the mountains brought Eastside crops to Pacific ports, and put food on everyone's table.

A bit of wisdom stuck in my head along the way this past 10 days – something I heard from a fellow in Clarkston who was dressed up in the fancy uniform of William Clark, of Lewis and Clark.

Clark impersonator Craig Rockwell told how the Indian girl Sacagawea earned Clark's sympathies in her struggle with childbirth and illness in their travels, and how the explorers' negative attitudes changed significantly as they encountered honorable and trustworthy Indians.

That one-on-one interaction made the difference.

Not that I started out with negative presumptions. But my knowledge and appreciation of Eastern Washington has advanced light years in 10 days – as I ate dinner around the same table as the ranch hands and family at K Diamond K Ranch in Republic; as I strolled the town with the 76-year-old proprietor of my 100-year-old hotel in Metaline Falls; as I chatted about cheese with the friendly fellow at Ferdinand's at Washington State University; and as I corked bottles of dessert wine at Hinzerling winery in Prosser.

I didn't see enough of any county I visited, but I took notes along the way, and I know where I'm going back.

Thanks to all you readers who jumped in with tips and ideas. To the folks in East Wenatchee: I'm really sorry I didn't make it for dinner and apple pie. I really appreciated the invitation. If you're ever in Seattle, I'll treat you to fish-and-chips and a latte.

My tip to everyone: If you've not seen Washington, go soon.