West to East Road trip I

Driving from Bellingham to Seattle was a little disconcerting. It's the first time I've been on a major highway in 5 months. I forgot how LOUD it is to drive on the freeway. Traffic was pretty bad too. At 1 pm! And Sea-Tac (the airport) was interesting. I've never had to park at an airport that big before. The parking decks were spiraled, like snail shells. Like the Guggenheim. Anyway, I survived it all and met up with mom in the baggage claim.

 We got back on the crazy Seattle freeway and started heading east on I-90. Mom heard about a waterfall just outside of Seattle so we kept our eyes peeled for signs. We stopped at the Snoqualmie falls to stretch our legs, snap a few pictures, and have a picnic lunch:

 The we continued. The scenery was just what you would expect in Washington: luscious evergreens and mountains. But once you get passed the mountains and forest, the landscape changes to rolling grassland. We were very excited to see wind turbines! They were huge! And very graceful.
We got to watch the sunset over the plains:

 And we stopped at the Wild Horses Monument:

 The sun going down over central Washington:

 The bridge at Vantage:

We stopped to get dinner at a dinky little place called Bob's Cafe in the middle of nowhere. A sign said that it was the last service stop for 40 miles, so we didn't really have a choice. We kept driving in the dark, which was very eerie because there are no lights.
And now we're living it up in Ritzville for the night.

Party in the USA

Yesterday I awoke to a beautiful sunrise in 100 Mile House and a delicious breakfast at the Willows. I chatted with Brian and Marilyn over coffee and then hit the road at 8. The ride was gorgeous. I haven't had this many days of consistent sunshine in a while. I travelled down highway 97 through a river valley. It's the same trail that gold miner hopefuls used back in the day.

 I had to stop several times just to take pictures.

 My faithful car:

 And then I crossed the border. Again, it was very easy. They didn't even ask if I had weapons. They just asked if I bought anything while in Canada. NOPE. I didn't tell him about the fruit and honey I got by a roadside stand.
I could see Mt. Baker from Canada, the only thing around that was covered in snow.
And then I made it to Bellingham! And Angela! Angela, Zach, and I went to the outdoor market for dinner fixin's. Here they are with a 17 lb cabbage:

One day it will be sauerkraut. Zach made ratatouille and Angela and I made a salad. It was so good catching up with that girl and meeting Zach! This morning we made oatmeal with raisins, dried blueberries, coconut, almond butter, and peaches. And coffee. 

I feel renewed already.

Now off to pick up Mamma at the Seattle airport!

Peace!

Breezing through B.C.

The road trip has begun! I boarded the ferry at 2 am Monday morning. There were hardly any people on board, so I staked out a good spot on the solarium deck. It was a clear, cold night, but I was cozy in my sleeping bag. Amazingly, I was able to get a little sleep, then get up for breakfast at 8. I treated myself to peach pancakes from the galley. A few photos from the ferry ride:

Taken from the solarium deck of the M/V Matanuska:

 A glacier:

 A few sea lions hauled out on a navigation buoy:

A shot of Petersburg, AK. The colorful buildings are typical of Southeast Alaska. They need the reds and oranges to balance out all that green and blue:

 Some cormorants on a can:

 Dusk on the Inside Passage:

The ferry ride was quiet and relaxing. It was raining in Prince Rupert when we arrived. Luckily, I got through Canadian customs very quickly. I was a just the right spot in line. All the cars in front of me had to pull over for further inspection. They ran out of parking spaces by the time I pulled up.
I stopped at an ATM for Canadian money and then hit the road. It was vegetable mister rain. The landscape near the coast is really beautiful. It was a lot prettier this time. (Last time, there was still snow and ice.) Beautiful green mountains on all sides. This time, I notices lots of waterfalls on the mountains. I didn't know what they were at first, just silver streaks on the mountains. And then I saw some falling right beside the road.
I made it to Smithers, BC around 7. I stayed at the Stork Nest Inn (a b&b/guesthouse) along with a bunch of middle aged fly fishermen. It was nice to have a bed and a private bathroom. AND a lovely breakfast this morning: eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit.
Today was a long drive, about 8 hours, but it was actually very easy. I listened to the Diane Rehm Show podcast all morning. I stopped at a little rest stop and talked to some cyclists: 3 women who were biking across BC together.
Here are a few pictures from my trip today:

 My faithful lemonade cup:

 Fruit stand on the side of the road.

 The Willows B&B where I'm staying. 100 Mile House, BC:

 I got to the Willows around 4 pm. The owners are a retired couple named Marilyn and Brian. I went for a walk around Watson Lake. When I got back, Brian and Marilyn were practicing the trumpet and clarinet. They are in a band. I'm the only guest, so I have the whole basement to myself.
Watson Lake:

 The road near the Willows:

 Picnic dinner with Sophie, Marilyn and Brian's dog. I fed her crackers and she agreed to be in the photo:

Tomorrow I'm off to Bellingham, WA and Angela HEN Cota! I hope the US border is easy to cross... Yeah right.

A few final pictures

As promised, some photos I took last night as I took one last evening walk in Sitka.

A rare sunset on the sound. Yesterday evening was sunny and clear, kind of unusual for Fall in Southeast Alaska. Low tide.

 A pink salmon skeleton. The salmon spawned, died, and were picked clean by eagles and seagulls.

Looking south of town. 

 Totem Park:

 A few remaining huckleberries:

 Through the trees toward the coast south of Sitka.

 Last roses and rose hips:

 The hatchery:

 Crescent Harbor:

 The harbor. No more cruise ships.

 The Cable House and the main harbor:

 A float plane taking off in the harbor:

 Katlian Street and the fishing fleet:

 Mountains on the coast:

 Mt. Edgecombe and the crater in the distance. Seen from O'Connell Bridge:

So, I will board the ferry with my car at 3 am tonight. The ferry will take almost 2 days to get to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Homeward bound!

A lady always knows when to leave.

Yesterday was the Autumn Equinox. This morning, there was a new dusting of snow on the mountain peaks around Sitka:

The summer season has come to and end, and it's time to go home. I don't like goodbyes, but sometimes it's good to leave. It has been a hard summer, but I have to acknowledge that my time here has been a very important learning experience. I am thankful for the wonderful, generous people I have met, especially John and Alison Dunlap. They have been great mentors and they have made me feel like a part of their family. They even helped me plan my return trip and have loaned me a SPOT device so they can track me as I make my way through Canada. The SPOT also has an emergency button, in case I get into trouble.

Today was my last day of work. We had a kayak sale and sold all but one after only an hour and a half. Today was also the Running of the Boots, and end of season celebration that takes place every year. People dress up in crazy costumes and run through town in their Xtra-Tuf boots. There was a new component this year called "Bike to the Boots" that I helped organize. We had information tables about local environmental issues and a bicycle service station. This was my first experience as a community organizer and it was a lot of fun. Also, I got free grilled black cod tips for being a volunteer. YUM. I think Black Cod is my favorite fish. I like it more than salmon, believe it or not. Here are a few pictures from the event:

I organized a bike service station for the event. Here's Eric our mechanic:

 Michelle (red hair) and I set up information tables:

 The final farmer's market of the summer was also part of the event:

 Eric working on a sick bike:

 Me, Kerry, and Michelle discussing something:

 Some wacky dude playing with our globe. The bumper sticker on his shirt says, "Friends don't let friends EAT FARMED FISH"

 Me, announcing that it's time for the community picture. It kinda looks like I'm singing with the band.

 Everybody getting together:

It was an eventful day. This afternoon, I went for a walk through town with my camera to take my last pictures of Sitka. I'll post those soon.
Tomorrow, I pack everything up and hang out at Alison and John's house until ferry time: 3 am. Then I'm off, sailing down the Inside Passage for Prince Rupert.

Peace