Pothole camping... And more!

My extended family is planning a camp-out in July at Potholes State Park in Washington State... Now, my mom assures me that it's a lovely place to camp with a lake for swimming and boating. I have to admit, however, that I'm having a little difficulty getting over the name. I mean, really- when I think of potholes- the scenic, great outdoors doesn't immediately come to mind. My mind tends to flash on things like "front end repairs", "tire damage", "muddy water", and (in the extreme) "sinkholes"- not pleasant or relaxing thoughts to say the least. Actually, it gets even better when you learn that it is located in an area of the West known as "The Scablands".

Seriously folks, I could not even make this up if I tried. Potholes and scabs- what more could you ask for?

Actually, I was born in the great State of Washington and lived there until I was starting 3rd grade. It was then, that we moved to North Idaho. Since my extended family remained in and around the Seattle area, we spent a lot of time driving across the state. I know that all states have some strangely named towns, but Washington seems to have more than it's fair share. Some of my favorite names are...

Schrag- a small community situated along I-90 between Moses Lake and Ritzville in central Washington, it's just as scenic as it sounds! I was going to post a link here so that you check out more about this booming metropolis, but they don't even have a city website- the only articles I could find were regarding the price of soybeans... I'm sure you get the picture.

Fish Trap- another appealing town name. How would you like to respond to that classic question, "So where are you from?" with a response of "Fish Trap". I guess it would be slightly better than "Coilspring Trap" or "Baited Hook".

George- as in George, Washington... Enough said...

And last, but not least, is the town of Vantage situated on the Columbia River Gorge. It sounds beautiful doesn't it? It would be if it wasn't in the middle of a desert (I know- you're wondering how it can be both a river gorge and a desert. Just trust me, and take my word for it)... Actually it is scenic in a Grand-Canyon-but-not-so-"grand" kind of way as you pass by in the comfort of your air conditioned vehicle. What they don't tell you on their website ,however is that it's about 5000 degrees Fahrenheit there in the summer. As a child, it was where we would stop for root beer floats at the A&W. The A&W is gone now, but they do have a plethora of other dining choices. Or three.

I'm sure all of these lovely communities are lovely places to raise a family (this would be my pathetic attempt to placate any residents of these lovely communities who might be offended by my post so far).

If nothing else, the housing has to be more affordable than where I live.