A Tri-State Day

Day 30: July 26, 2009 – Colville, WA to Lakeside, MT
Happy Birthday Aunt Phyllis!

Today was Phyllis’ Birthday! And we were her birthday present! But in reality, they offered us such great accommodations and hospitality that they were our vacation present.

After showers and finishing up laundry we made our way to the breakfast table which was again full of food, this time in Turkish tradition. A plate full of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, cheese, olives, eggs and bread awaited our palates. We enjoyed the freshness of everything presented as well as two cups of America’s best tea: Let’s Do Tea (Snowflake and Blossoms of Spring to be exact). As with the night before, we enjoyed more great conversations about travel, books, tea and family.

Struggling to leave this place of great food and great company, we finally made our way out the door, out of the driveway and eventually out of Washington. Having recently made some trip adjustments, we would now be going through Idaho as opposed to going into Canada. That translates into a Tri-State Day: beginning in Washington, Idaho in the middle, and Montana to top it off at the end of the day. We enjoyed the scenery of Idaho as we made our way through Newport, Sandpoint and Bonner’s Ferry before reaching the Montana border. Of course western Montana is beautiful so we enjoyed the drive through the mountains as we made our way to Lakeside, Montana where we would meet up with one of Melissa’s high school dance-mates’ boyfriends who would house us for the night.

Located on Flathead Lake, Melissa was again filled with fond childhood memories of family reunions and first boat rides as well as her first visit to Glacier National Park and out of the country. James, our nights host, met us at a fish hatchery and lead us to his place.

We chatted a bit about our travels, how he met Bri and what he does in the area. We continued chatting fairly late into the evening, eventually welcoming Steve and son Josh into the conversation. These two are from Atlanta, Josh came to Montana to work and Steve had been out visiting him and a couple National Parks for the past week or so. The five of us talked about everything from speeding in Montana to the mafia. Eventually, Mike and Melissa were able to hit the airbed and try to get some rest before making their way ever closer to home.

Side note: On the way to Jame's place we noticed this sign: Interpret it as you wish.

Home is Where the Family is

Day 29: July 25, 2009 – Northern Cascade National Park to Colville, WA
Take That!

A gray sky greeted us this morning. Nothing too unbearable. We slowly made our way out of bed and began packing the car. We were not fast enough. The rain began to come down harder than we had expected and we were left with only one option: throw the tent and all other things in the backseat so that it might dry.

With a dreary beginning, we started east toward Colville stopping once to take some photos and then further down the road to enjoy a short hike. Our hike took us to Rainy Lake, a short two-mile paved trail that leads to a beautiful mountain lake which showcased two waterfalls. We soaked up the beautiful view and made our way back through the thick forest of two-toned pine trees, creeks and plentiful ground ferns and plant life.

A little exercise under our belts, we continued on our way. Arriving in Colville we decided to stop at a small café and catch up on a few internet things (no blogs, but you know…) before visiting Mike’s Uncle Tom and Aunt Phyllis (this was so we could be good guests, ready to chat and be sociable rather than wanting to use internet.) With the necessities covered online we called Tom and Phyllis and received direction to their home where we welcomed with great warmth, kindness, and food – lots of food! It is, however, important to note at this time that is was raining hard, a downpour of sorts and Melissa’s seat in Nav-E was soaked, so she arrived at the Riggs home sitting in the back seat – darn the sunroof!

After hugs and greetings were exchanged Phyllis offered wine, beer, water, tea and coffee – our kind of hostess! We enjoyed our beverages and some conversations covering where we’d been what we’d experienced and what some of their latest adventures had been. After the first round of chitchat, Phyllis sat us down to a table loaded with food! It was like Thanksgiving, only it was a Pan-African/Pan-Asian type of Thanksgiving with pork ribs, African coleslaw and beans. We filled up on all the delicious food that was presented and enjoyed further conversations including Phyllis’ recent trip with her daughter, Julianna, to Turkey.

After dinner, Phyllis offered us the opportunity to walk around the neighborhood with her as is her routine. Having stuffed ourselves and having heard their was a brownie dessert to come, we decided we too would be wise to walk. So we made our way out and were able to see the failed beginnings of a subdivision and what it looks like when engineers and other organizers fail at compacting and building roads wisely. As we walked, we also enjoyed a pink sky, a handful of deer and Phyllis’ explanation of Holden, WA – the most amazing place on earth. By the end of the walk, Mike and Melissa were convinced to check out Holden, WA and the retreat center which called the small town home.

Back at home, we talked tea, brewed a pot and enjoyed our brownies a la mode with caramel sauce. We were stuffed by this time and quickly fading. So we made our way to the basement which was basically ours so long as we were in Colville and fell into a deep, restful, full-bellied sleep.

From Locks and Omelets...

Day 28: July 24, 2009 – Seattle, WA to Northern Cascade National Park
To Peaks and Rain

Evan and Kate pointed us toward Salmon Bay Café this morning. It’s where all the fishermen go to fill their bellies for a fair price. So, we made like fishermen and ate the Salmon Bay Café. It was delicious and up to now, the biggest meal we have enjoyed during the morning hours. With full bellies we made our way to the Locks where we would be able to watch the boats go out to sea by “elevator” and spot some fish from the fish ladder viewing window. The area leading to the locks is an English style garden with some beautiful trees and flowers that made the short walk to the Locks even more enjoyable. We watched a few fish swimming around in the ladder, saw a blue heron and watched a dozen or so boats make their way out to sea. A good way to say good-bye to Seattle and ultimately, to the coast.

From the Locks we made our way east toward the Northern Cascades where we hoped to camp and enjoy a hike or two. The drive into the Cascades was wonderful as the road is very well maintained and the mountains are absolutely splendid. Trees surrounded us on either side and often left us feeling as though we were driving through a tunnel. Before reaching the Park boundary we took the opportunity to stop at a winery on the side of the road and continue our wine education. We sampled four of the wines manufactured, from grape to bottle, at this particular winery and concluded that one of them fit our sweet loving personalities so well that we ought to make a purchase.

On the road again, we quickly approached the Park entry. We made our way to the Visitor Center to get our National Parks Passport stamp and grab some information on hikes in the area before heading out to find a campsite. Half-way through the park, as the rain began to drizzle down, we found a walk-in campsite that suited our needs for the night and we promptly set up and paid our fee. Having a place to sleep we were able to prepare a small pot of soup which fit the rainy weather perfectly. Bellies satisfied we made our way into the tent where sleep awaited our tired bodies.

The one You've all Been Waiting For...

Day 27: July 23, 2009 – Mt. Rainier National Park to Seattle, WA
Where did we sleep?

Cougar Rock Campground outside of Longmire, WA in Mt. Rainier National Park, that’s where we slept. It was a good sleep. The stars were bright as we laid to rest and the fog set in thick by morning.

We worried that we would not get to enjoy the view of Mt. Rainier today because the fog was so heavy in our campground and on the road as we drove up to Paradise for ideal viewing of the peak. We strained our eyes to see the peak and soon enough we had broke through the clouds and saw the infamous mountain in all it’s wonderful glory!

Happy to receive sunshine and a spectacular view, we did what all intelligent folks do and began a short yet steep trek up the trail to view the mountain up close and personal – ish. The trail we started appeared to be the trail that serious backpackers also start on when they plan to summit this beast of a mountain. So, we walked along with our camera, single bottle of water and Melissa was faithfully wearing a skirt – we fit right in!

A few huffs and puffs later we had the view we had come for and spent some time taking pictures, admiring the flowers, being entertained by marmots and looking a little less than familiar to mountain terrain (especially Melissa). It’s okay though, she knows her skills and is not put off by anyone’s judgments, skirts are really the best hiking option she’s ever discovered

.

Having enjoyed the crisp mountain air and beauty of another Washington Mountain range we headed into Seattle where we planned to meet up with our good friend and best man, Abram Heller and his lovely lady, Mallory.

Surprisingly, we beat this couple into downtown Seattle (even after a series of Parking ordeals…ugh) and promptly made the decision to seek out nourishment. Our choice? A sushi bar. Mmmm. We enjoyed spicy salmon sushi, salmon and avocado sushi, spicy tuna sushi and shrimp tempura sushi – and when we say we enjoyed it, we mean we ENJOYED it! Just as we finished up our afternoon snack we were finally able to meet up with Abram and be introduced to the lovely Mallory.

The four of us then made our way into Pike Place Market where Abram and Mallory grabbed a quick bite to eat before we all made our way down to the ORIGINAL Starbuck’s coffee!!! Ooo-Aaaa. Unfortunately, Mike and Melissa are committed to drinking tea but were slightly honored to stand in the café that started it all. From Starbucks #1 we made our way into the market where we enjoyed the sights and smells of fresh produce, orange honey coated almonds, fresh fish, handmade soaps, photography and other unique goods.

Having enjoyed typical Seattle we made our way to the waterfront to enjoy a beverage and some time chatting with Abram and Mallory. With their own obligations, they made their way onto their next destination and we prepared to meet our CouchSurfing hosts in the Ballard district of Seattle.

Navigating our way through downtown Seattle and across a bridge we showed up at the apartment complex of Evan and Kate, an energetic, amusing, mostly geeky but totally awesome couple. We were introduced not only to Evan and Kate but also to their bunnies: Isabella and Walter. Evan and Kate offered us a great amount of information on bunnies; their eating habits, intelligence levels, noises, sitting positions and so much more. While learning about bunnies we also held “rabies” and “flesh eating viruses” in our hands, learned about slime mold, the location of giant trees, history of the area and were offered the opportunity to go up the Space Needle free of charge…! Woo-hoo! (Just another reason all people should participate in CouchSurfing, you never know what you’ll learn or what sweet deals you’ll run into.)

So, we loaded up in Kate’s car and made our way to the Space Needle, built for the1962 World Fair. We rode the elevator and walked the circumference of the observation area taking in the city of Seattle at night. Our energy was waning so we made our way back to the apartment (after a small detour to see a troll under a bridge – seriously…) and laid ourselves down to sleep. Melissa enjoyed the couch while Mike took on a sleeping pad and the “threat” of bunnies in the night. Melissa slept peacefully and Mike slept mostly in peace, occasionally waking to the small sounds of Isabella and her body quite near his face. After all this, we have decided that a bunny will be in our future and it will be called: Ghandi.

Beaches, Rainforests and Volcanoes...

Day 26: July 22, 2009 – Olympic National Park, WA to
Oh My!

Waking up was hard. The fog had remained throughout the night, the sun was not about to break through – perfect sleeping weather, so we took the weather up on her offer and remained in our sleeping bags.

Forcing ourselves out of the tent we packed things up and made our way to Forks, WA where Vampires live…or where Twilight was based…or maybe werewolves live there? Who knows, but they were crazy about Twilight! We bought a sticker.

Having protected our necks and avoided the Vampires we were back in the car and heading toward the Hoh Rainforest entrance of Olympic National Park. As we wandered around through the Hall of Mosses we were amazed with the diversity of land we’ve been honored to visit and take in: high mountains, canyons, sequoias, deserts, ocean beaches, and rainforest plus so much more. We admired the thick moss hanging from the trees and were fascinated by the life which comes from death, the fungus and a pair of leaping, playing weasels.

Making our way out of another bio-dome, we made ourselves comfortable in the car and headed south, driving down the coast of Washington and making our way Southeast toward Mount St. Helen’s National Monument. Unfortunately, the Visitors Center closed 5 minutes before we arrived, so we were a little discouraged and made the choice to view the Volcano but rather than hike around on the few trials we knew of, we headed into Castle Rock where we were able to stop at Burger King (not a local joint, but…) and use internet to catch up on a few items.

And now we leave you, wondering: "What will these two do with the rest of their evening? Where will they sleep?" We don't even know the answer to these simple questions. All we know is: we will sleep, we will wake and we will awake to a new day ready for Seattle.

One Last Ferry

Day 25: July 21, 2009 – Duncan, BC, Canada to Olympic National Park, WA
Greetings Dear Olympic

We woke this morning well rested. Soon we were well groomed and well fed too. Believing that we were needed at the Ferry Station at 10:30 for Customs we hit the road and made our way to Victoria. On the road, we picked up another hitch-hiker, Rob, who was on his way to a 10 year olds birthday party just 15 minutes down the road. We let him out and continued on our own way. We arrived at the Ferry Station right on time! Or…so we thought. Turned out, Melissa had misinterpreted her memory and took departure time to mean arrival time; in that case, we were actually an hour and a half late. We tucked our tail in between our legs (Melissa with greater shame) and prepared to take the 3:00 ferry. However, today we were dealing with U.S. customs and they still had room on the ferry (clearly, since Melissa had reserved a spot for Navajo) and they had a desire to fill it. Melissa ran to the ticket window, purchased a ticket, Mike was cleared by customs and soon we were loading Nav-E onto the ferry! Yay!

The ferry ride was a little rough. Mike sat with eyes closed trying to avoid sickness while Melissa gazed out the large window admiring the approaching Olympic Mountains. We disembarked in Port Angeles, WA and made our way to the Olympic Mountain National Park visitor center. A kind gentleman at the center helped us plan out the rest of our day so we were free to make our way into town to purchase gasoline and groceries. Our necessities taken care of we hopped on the 101 and made our way toward Crescent Lake and the ultimate destination of Mora Campground.

Having less desire to see the lake and greater desire to see whales, we took the suggestion of a Volunteer Park Ranger we had met a couple days ago and made our way toward the North West most point of the lower 48. Just as we were approaching desired destination, we were faced with a decision. The NW point of the U.S. and the potential to see gray whales among others is on Native American Lands, cost: $10 just to drive through and potentially see awesome things through the thick fog…hmmm. We chose no and made our way back toward the park and campground of the evening. Fortunately, this road did provide a wonderful photo opportunity, so not all was a loss: see for yourself!

After playing the fish, we were back on the 101 heading toward Mora campground where we would find a wonderful camping spot under the canopy of large, rainforest trees and mosses. With the tent happily assembled we made our way to Realto Beach. On the way, Mike spotted two Bald Eagles! Once on the beach we made our way through the thick line of driftwood and out onto the black rock beach. The sky was completely overcast and a thick fog engulfed us and other beach visitors. It was gray. Yet, the waves crashed and the rocks grated on one another leaving the visitor blessed with the sounds of might and strength. We were overcome by the warrior-like beauty of the beach in its current state, so enjoyed some wandering and exploring.

A full and exciting day behind us we crawled into our tent and had the most perfect night sleep: fog and a rainforest canopy, nothing else screams for rest in the same way.

Island Hopping

Day 24: July 20, 2009 - Friday Harbor, WA to Duncan, BC, Canada
From feast to feast

The early morning greeted us with the call of a rooster and with the butt of a goat sliding on our tent. Can you say excitement? The rooster crowed at least three times before we woke up and the goat attempted to climb and slide on our tent at least two times. Eventually, the animals and our bellies won out and we got out of our sleeping bags and headed into our hosts home where we were offered a cup of hot tea (home grown and dried comfrey chamomile) and homemade sourdough pancakes smothered in goat yogurt, honey and cinnamon – a breakfast fit for royalty!

Between our hosts and our guests we were informed of the best way to spend our last few hours on San Juan Island, given a hunk of homemade Gouda cheese and sent off. Since we were unable to spot any Orcas last night we decided to try our luck in the new day and made our way back to Lime Kiln State Park. Gazing into the vast blue we saw nothing. Making the most of the location, we took a small hike down toward a bay where we enjoyed the sound of waves against rock, pushing and pulling them in and out of the depths. Having been told to visit south beach before disembarking from the island we made our way toward the road so we could see this other popular sight. However, just as we were walking the trail we noticed others with their eyes locked on the horizon. We joined their gaze and soon spotted the fins of orcas which we had so strongly desired to see. For thirty minutes we then watched to whales as they swam through the currents and through our line of sight. Nothing can quite compete with the joy of seeing something you have been anticipating for many days and weeks, even before arriving at said destination.

Thrilled with our sighting we made our way further around the Island making a pit stop at the Historical Park/American Camp and continuing to Friday Harbor where we would board the ferry. After paying our fare and parking Navajo we wandered into the downtown area enjoying some fresh seafood and a little shopping.

The ferry made the trip with great success and Mike was able so spot a few seals while Melissa worked on the blog updates on Microsoft Word. We drove off the ferry and awaited Canadian Customs which we had been told was a simple process and nothing to fear. However, when you look as sketchy as Mike and I do nothing is as simple as it ought to be. We were asked to park our car and wait for the officials to come inspect our car. Standing in front of our car, we watched as one officer looked in our cooler and then proceeded to open one of our toiletries bags. Things were now getting a little personal. Before we knew what was happening, the officer had Melissa’s toothbrush in hand scrubbing down the handle! Without the slightest explanation, they returned things as they were and thanked us for our time and patience and sent us on our way into Canada.

Bewildered by our BC welcoming, we figured out our way toward Duncan, BC where we had some CouchSurfing hosts awaiting our arrival. We enjoyed the green landscape of British Columbia, quickly remembered our metric conversions and picked up a hitchhiker who informed us that BC was great for hitching. Having dropped Randy off at his desired location we continued up the Island until we parked in front of Nick and Diane’s place. They greeted us warmly, offered beer and wine, introduced their daughter and led us to the dining room table where we enjoyed the most delicious pesto rotini, seafood salad and apple pie a la mode.

We shared CouchSurfing stories, discovering that this couple has only been on since May and are so far, having a wonderful experience! They offered a bit of education on Canadian culture, health care, and the education system. We offered tea, they accepted and we sat and enjoyed some of the best America has to offer: Let’s Do Tea. Struggling to keep our eyes open, Mike and Melissa retired to bed – a bed that our hosts described as the Princess and the Pea bed – complete with three mattresses stacked on one another.

Hi-Ho-Hi-Ho

Day 23: July 19, 2009 – Portland, OR to San Juan Islands, WA
It’s off to the Islands we go!

A few time obligations had us waking a little earlier than usual to make our way toward Seattle, Washington where we planned to pick up our dear friend Mindy and let her hitch a ride for a small fee. Before leaving, we were also attempting to work out a minor detail when one hopes to visit an island, Ferries – times, fares, locations, etc. Having gleaned the basic information online and having discussed various options once on the road, Melissa made a few phone calls to the various Ferry ports and got everything pretty well worked out for their days on the waves.

With some challenge, we made our way onto the streets of Seattle and with help we made our way to Mindy’s most current home and our pick-up location for this dear friend. She said good-bye to the friends she had made while in Seattle, working with a Prison Ministry/Campus Crusades. She was heading an hour north of Seattle to meet up with her cousins and it was easily within our route, so we happily offered to give her a ride so long as she would share with us her most recent life’s story. We learned, as we had suspected that she wasn’t so sure what she would do now that she was living back in the states and done with her Seattle project, maybe work for Campus Crusade staff, maybe find mindless work in Rapid City, SD or Laramie, WY (just kidding, Melissa made that part up).

Having caught up on Mindy’s life and welcoming her into ours we were required to leave her in Sedro-Wooley, WA and say good-bye. From good-byes and the mainland we headed toward Anacortes, WA to board the 5:05 Ferry and make our way across the water and into the San Juan Islands. We enjoyed the view of Northern Cascades, approaching islands, the potential peak of Mt. Ranier and the Olympic peninsula as we journeyed to our first island “getaway”. From the Ferry dock in Friday Harbor we headed around the windy highways and found ourselves entering the home/farm of Ken and Deb, CouchSurfing couple extraordinaire!

Based on Ken’s CS profile, we knew that he was a Tofu Farmer, Chiropractor and fisherman of sorts, little did we know how many trades he was truly a jack of. We arrived at their slightly unkempt place but were warmly greeted by Ken and introduced to a couple of WOOFing CSer’s (Working on Organic Farms) and a bicyclist CSer who had been staying with Ken anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. Within moments we felt as if we had become a part of this cheerful and welcoming family; being offered home-made hooch, a place to pitch the tent and personal guides to Lime Kiln State Park for a guaranteed sunset and potential whale watching.

Tent staked in the ground and goats having also been introduced to their nights neighbors we made our way to the State Park with Erica and Andrea – two of our newest family members. The park itself was pleasant; great rocks off the coast, kelp beds, a small lighthouse and a setting sun. Unfortunately, it was not the perfect ambience for the infamous Orcas which often frequent the spot. The four of us admired the sunset and attempted to keep warm before making our way back to Ken and Deb’s place where the party was just about to begin.

While we’d been out, Ken had prepared a pizza with the help of a local student who is studying/working at the University of Washington Marine Labs, Ben. The homemade sourdough crust was piled high with mushrooms, pepperoni, tofu, peppers, sauce, and cheese – possibly or likely even, homemade cheese! Clock ticking, pizza cooking, we were introduced to Christina and Allie who also work for the labs and spend a significant amount of time with Ken and Deb. Melissa offered a hand in rolling pie crust for the wild cherry pie that would finish off their meal of homemade pizza. After two giant slices of the most delicious pizza and much conversation while the pie baked we finally were able to enjoy a slice of the most amazing pie we’ve eaten in a long time!
Stuffed to the brim with good eats we were ready to make our way into the tent said our prayers and drifted to sleep. Earlier in the day, a goat had been using our tent as a slide, so we said a small prayer that the goat wouldn’t scare us out of our wits should he decide to slide again and were in turn able to enter peaceful rest.