The drive across Washington on Interstate 90 can be long and tedious. In most places, there isn’t a good alternative. But, you can escape the traffic for a slower-paced scenic drive, between Moses Lake and Ritzville, on Rosenoff Road.
My Visit
Rosenoff Road ended up being one of my favorite parts of the drive across Washington. It’s a roller-coaster ride of a road, dipping between and peaking over small rolling hills, dotted with old barns and homesteads, fields and farming equipment.
This is one typical scene: some cows, an old barn, and an endless chain of telephone poles, lined up along the road.
I could have stopped in numerous places to take a picture like this one.
This skeleton of an old house is located a few hundred feet off the road, near the intersection with Route 21. There is no fence around this place, and no driveway leading up to it. I know some other photographers have walked across the field and poked their heads inside. I shot it from just below the road.
This is a great road, isn’t it? It’s fun to drive, and fun to photograph. And there’s so little traffic, you can stand on the yellow line without worrying about getting flattened.
Although, I must confess something. The picture above is of Route 21, after it splits from Rosenoff Road, and heads north. Route 21 keeps going north, all the way to the Canadian border, and only passes through about a half-dozen microscopic little towns the entire way. Sounds fun too, doesn’t it?
Back on Rosenoff Road, you can appreciate the swirling pavement through the rolling landscape at this spot, at the end of a small dip in the landscape.
I was especially blessed to drive this road on a cloudy day, with just a few patches of light breaking through, to illuminate the hills.
The Bottom Line
The 40-mile drive from Ritzville to Moses Lake (or vice-versa) could take you a little over a half-hour on Interstate 90, but you’ll get much more enjoyment out of spending an hour on Rosenoff Road. If you have the time, give this alternative to the interstate a try.
Location
Rosenoff Road parallels Interstate 90 between Moses Lake and Ritzville. To travel the entire length of the road, take exit 176 into Moses Lake or 221 into Ritzville.
From Ritzville, you can access Rosenoff Road via Division Street. From Moses Lake, take Wheeler Road through the town of Wheeler, where it turns into Rosenoff Road. You can also access the middle of the road from Interstate 90 via several exits, including Washington Route 21 (exit 206).
Drivelapse Video
Check out this time-lapse, dash-cam video of the drive across Rosenoff Road, between Ritzville and Moses Lake:
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