A strange thing happened on my recent trip to Seattle — the sun shined the entire time. Other than that, my trip to Washington was full of familiar faces and places. It was great to have breakfast with Gabe Galanda, one of our CDE advisory board members. It is always interesting to get his take on Indian Country law, politics and economic development. Thanks for recommending Portage Bay Café and picking up the check, Gabe!
I spent the rest of the morning at various stops downtown and enjoyed, as usual, Seattle’s welcoming and bustling vibe.
After that, I was off to a meeting with tribal economic development leaders at the beautiful Little Creek Casino and Resort. Congratulations to the Squaxin Island Tribe on developing a beautiful and comfortable property. I thought the non-smoking section of the gaming floor was a particularly nice touch.
I was sure to load a long audiobook on my iPhone before pulling out of the Little Creek parking lot. The drive across the state to the Colville Reservation is long but beautiful. The drive through the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest was particularly breathtaking.
After passing the Grand Coulee Dam, I followed the Columbia River to the heart of the reservation. Washington state has always been a busy place for the Travois family of companies. (Check out our Washington project list here.) The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in particular remain active on a number of housing and economic development fronts.
It was great to see old friends and talk about new ideas. I am looking forward to more Travois travels and hope to see all of you on the road again soon.