A Note From Washington

Hey Everybody!

In a few hours I will check-in at the Bellingham Ferry Terminal for a long ride on the Alaska Marine Highway (approx 10-11 days total). The State Ferry System is how Alaskans travel, so I decided after my first trip to Alaska in 2010 that if I ever had the opportunity to return I would do it like a local. As it turns out, the route I've planned seems to be a dream trip for many Alaskans. Knowing that locals think of this as a trip of a lifetime tells me it must be something special.

This is not my ride, but mine also will look like this. People refer to the Alaska ferry as "the big blue boat." As an aside, MB has nicknamed my beautiful blue car "the blue booger"....for some reason I think my Alaska ride is about to be renamed "the BIG blue booger." :-)

I should have wifi again in a week. Between now and the 7th I am not sure. I doubt I will have any access between the 19-25th...but I will be in touch. Before I run off to the Alaska bush, however, I wanted share a few pics from my first trip to Washington (unless you count the two SeaTac Airport layovers - I don't).

I left Billings on the 29th...even with all the smoke and haze the westbound drive through Montana on I-90 was beautiful. It's been a long time since I've driven that route. The next day I drove into Seattle for a visit (and tour!) with my aunt & uncle. I took just one photo in Seattle.....

This is the Fremont Troll. You've probably seen him in the news - I learned of him while living in FL, but hadn't expected to see him. I confess it was a happy surprise. After all, anybody can visit the Space Needle. My tour was led by knowledgeable locals with colorful inside info! :-)

Did you you know that the same neighborhood has a statue of Lenin? They brought over one of Russia's towering Lenin statues and put it on a street corner. Not without controversy - apparently it's an artistic (maybe communist) neighborhood and they wanted it preserved....

Pike's Place Market in downtown Seattle is famous for its Fish Market (do you know the FISH Philosophy?). I was there to see the guys throw & catch a fish. The very first Starbucks is a few blocks away with the longest line I have ever seen at a Starbucks. We were pretty sure it was all tourists. Back to the market....it's a bit crowded, like an arena when a game is over. If you brave the masses long enough to reach the water's edge you are rewarded with a great waterfront view at a quiet restaurant, Maximilien.

It had been years since I'd seen my aunt & uncle, so as the evening traffic picked up we head for home to continue our visit. It was a lot of fun catching up with them, revisiting old memories and learning new things along the way.

I left Seattle around 12am for Bellingham where I caught a day cruise of the San Juan Islands. Beginning way back in March while I was still in FL people kept mentioning these islands, so I'm glad to have finally gotten a glimpse. To tell the truth, I would have rather skipped the Friday Harbor docking and stayed out on the boat!

We did cross paths with one of the famous resident Orca pods (J Pod - no relation to me) from a distance. They were on the move - our guide told us we travelled further west to find them than he has all summer.

The islands are beautiful! Some are inhabited. Some are owned by the state and have hiking trails & fresh water lakes for a swim. Some have summer cabins, but no electric or fresh water. Sailboats (and ferries) are plentiful. I'm including the lighthouse because I don't want you to be disappointed.

This is Friday Harbor with a small WA State Ferry (1 car deck). The larger ones have two car decks & look like they hold 160-200 cars.

I would have rather stopped here, but somebody else got their first......

Last but not least....I think I should tell you that I have company on this trip. Do you remember the Flat Stanley story (and craze) from a few years ago? Well, this is Flat Jen and she just has to get to Durch Harbor to see the famous fishermen. I told her she could come along, but not without contributing.... Here she is getting ready to save an overboard passenger. Flat Jen's alter ego is stuck at work in Billings.....

That's all for now....I must get packed up and hit the road for a bit more sightseeing before boarding. Thanks for stopping by!

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