Washington State

Front Row!!!

The border crossing from Canada back into the US was an adventure!  We arrived at port really early and were the first in our line of big rigs for boarding which meant that we had a front row seat for the unloading process.  The lower level deck is just about 5 feet or so above the water line (or so it seemed from inside) and we could see and feel the way the ferry literally bumped its way into a snug mooring.  Then, the crew used some large cables to pull the ferry tight up to the dock. As we actually made the true US border crossing, we had our second near miss of our journey - this time with a stationary object.  I guess Jeff likes a challenge since he chose to turn into the guard station with the tightest turning ratio.  Normally, you want to be very careful to take wide right turns so as not to run over a curb or worse.  This was a left hand turn and it was clear that we were too tight right from the beginning.  I jumped out to get a good look and determined that the pilon that we were within a half inch of was actually made of cement and not going anywhere. Luckily, no one was behind us and Jeff was able to back up and take a wider angle. Whew!

Our first stay back in the USA was just north of Bellingham, WA.  We only stayed two nights and got some rain but did learn that our propane furnace works like a charm.  If you have been reading you will know that this was not necessarily expected on the first try.

800 Year Old Tree 

Jeff had done his research and on our day of arrival, we went looking for the 'food trail' through these cute little towns. Unfortunately, Edison was pretty much closed down during the week, but our chosen restaurant was open for a local Firehouse Benefit dinner.  This was not your spaghetti social sort of benefit but a full on 5 course meal for $50 pp.  We were happy to support the local fire fighters who have had plenty of work to do this summer and enjoyed a fantastic meal.  Our next day was spent on a scenic drive from Edison to La Conner and then shopping.  We had great food and antiquing even though the very best store was of course closed. I absolutely love architectural antiques and this store seemed full of them.  I would go back to the little cross roads of Edison just to shop there the next time I am in the Pacific Northwest - but only on the weekend!

We were quite fortunate with the weather and had some amazing views of Mt. Ranier

Our next stop was Gig Harbor.  Rather than staying in Seattle, we always prefer the smaller towns to explore.  This was an amazing little stop.  Gig Harbor is in the south of the Puget Sound and known for its smooth still waters.  The old town sits right at the harbor and was walk-able from our campsite. Net Shed No. 9 is a must for lovers of decadent breakfast foods.  We stopped in for lunch and vowed to come back the next morning for their to die for cinnamon rolls and French toast.

This is actually a private home!
This lower older section is their bar area.
The house in the back away from the water
is their living quarters.  Nice Digs!

The Mothership

Seattle is the birthplace of REI and Jeff can't pass up a trip to one of the stores.  We spent two hours browsing around and Jeff proclaimed it to be his very favorite.  It was pretty sweet.  We both ended up buying gear which we will need for the winter in Utah.  I got a proper ski jacket and Jeff got some suitable slip on winter shoes.

We also did the obligatory tour of the Space Needle.  It offered great photo ops of the city, but we decided that it must have been much more amazing when it was erected in 1962 (with no lost steel workers even though there were no harnesses or netting).

Mt. Ranier in the background

 Selfie with Seattle in the background from the Needle

OK this photo makes me feel
VERY OLD

Our last day in the area was spent largely (as in 3 hours) in the LeMay America's Car Museum.  Jeff was in heaven and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  This is one of the most obvious signs that Jeff and I were meant for each other:  we both really like classic cars.  We would much prefer to drive a 40 year old car than a new one, for the most part.  Now, Sally, of course, has her place in our lives and she is a keeper, but I dare say she will be the youngest in our fleet for many years to come!  



The museum is only 5 years old and really spectacular!  Harold and Nancy LeMay amassed the largest privately owned collection of automobiles, other vehicles and related memorabilia in the world. At its peak, the LeMay Collection numbered in excess of 3,000 vehicles and thousands of artifacts. The Collection is broadly American and spans the 20th Century powerfully demonstrating both the dominance of the American auto industry in that time period as well as the American experience with the automobile.

Finn McMissile
BMW 507

Holly's sister Hallie?
1959 Bug Eye Sprite
Wow!  Holly could be in a
MUSEUM!!!

Nancy LeMay pledged $15,000,000 to jump start the effort and also pledged 975 vehicles to the Museum to form the initial collection.  It took about 15 years to fund and build, but the end product was one of the best museums that I have ever visited.  Jeff was also sufficiently impressed.


My favorites were the British cars.  I'm not sure how this has happened, but I like most British cars and any VW.  Jeff likes all BMWs, so I suppose we should have been nonplussed by an American Car Museum, but we did both work for GM...