The road to [Washington] is paved with good intentions...

You have probably driven on Washington state's oldest paved road and didn't even know it. The road loops, dips, and steeps down with curves, all surrounded by amazing Washington state scenic beauty. Beauty that is, if you consider barren hills and windmills scenic. (I do.) Tucked away in Goldendale, Wash., is the oldest paved road in the state. Do you know it's (not so) hidden history?

If you have never heard the story about Washington's oldest paved road, take a trip down the road (or online) to the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale. Don't confuse the phrase, "What in the Sam Hill are you doing?" as being related to the same guy who paved Washington's oldest road. Our Sam Hill is the man responsible for smoothing out Maryhill Loops Road, not the guy who cussed so much they made a whole saying out of him. 😂

The legend goes that Sam Hill brought in some government peeps from Oregon to see how great of a job he did getting the roads paved. He paved ten miles worth of roads using a blend of techniques not used before in the region.

Today we drive on the Maryhill Loops Rd as a backroads way to the Maryhill Winery or towards Bend and the border between Oregon and Washington. You might even be headed to visit the Stonehenge Memorial that honors World War II veterans or Sam Hill's crypt. That landmark is solemn, indeed.

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The next time you are traveling through Goldendale, make sure to take some time to sightsee. There is a viewpoint exit at US 97 near the state park.

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