Spending Wednesday whisking through Washington State

See you Victoria. A revisit in the playoffs perhaps?

Wednesday was truly 'hump day' for the Kelowna Rockets. The team woke up following a 6-2 loss to the Victoria Royals with a 7:45 am departure date staring them right in the face. Many bleary-eyed, the players made their way onto the bus knowing that a buffet breakfast awaits them on the BC Ferry once it sets sail from the Swartz Bay Terminal. Physically tired after playing four games in five nights, the team is looking at a well deserved break off the ice. After departing from the Ferry, following the 90 minute excursion to the Mainland, it is all about sleep. Sure, a movie is often thrown into the DVD player, but most if not all the players and staff on the bus attempt to get some shuteye in order to recharge the batteries. Sadly, many miss the views, with much of the scenery along the I-90 nothing short of spectacular. High mountain ranges, significant snow on the shoulders of the three laned highway, which was closed to traffic last week after heavy, heavy snow hit the area, culminates with the eye popping Summit at Snowqualmie. The ski resort features over 2,000 acres of ski area. A quick pit stop in Ellenburg, Washington, a city of 20,000, has the players enjoying Jimmy John's, which in my opinion is a significant upgrade on Subway. It is amazing how quickly the 20+ people on the bus can be fed and watered within 30 minutes and we are off again towards our destination of Spokane, which is still a 2 and a half hour drive away. Another movie is thrown into the DVD player, but again, sleep takes priority for most of the players even though the shots of gun fire and exploding buildings from Mark Walberg's 2018 movie 'Mile 22' resonates throughout the cabin of the bus. With bus driver Greg Link being the MVP on our trek across the State, he gets us safely to the Spokane Veteran's Memorial Arena where we unload the wet hockey gear from the night before and check into our hotel. By the time we arrive at the Double Tree for a two night stay, it is already 6:30 pm, so the entire day has essentially been spent traveling. The best part is eating at the Red Lion BBQ and Pub where the scalloped potatoes are among the best on the circuit and the barbecued beans, which will likely rear its ugly head later, are always worth a second helping. If I could explain the eating establishment in one sentence, I would say don't let appearance chase you away. It would be an easy place to walk by, but the food is great and it has a certain old school charm. The proprietor of the restaurant/pub, John, is a big hockey fan and played the game in his glory days. John played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, so has a good grasp of how junior hockey works. I know several WHL teams that eat at the Red Lion BBQ and Pub and it never fails to disappoint. After the delicious meal, which features one of several TV's with an NHL game on it, much to our surprise, it is time for a quick walk around the downtown core and then time to shut it down for a good nights sleep. Trust me, bus sleep and bed sleep or two completely different animals. A good hotel bed is a welcome sign after traveling close to 700 kilometers.