Wert day 3

This part is technically the end of day 2 because I didn't get it done last night.  I found a natural tree hammock yesterday while waiting for the ferry. 

Whale watching tour on the Osprey.  We saw a humpback whale and her calf in the waters of Canada.  We also saw lots of jellyfish.  

eggyolk jellyfish

cargo ship

Here begins day 3.  Sunday, June 5, 2020.  We started with breakfast at the Crepe Cafe which just opened yesterday.  Nice family owns it.  Then we drove to South Beach and couldn't see a thing, because it was raining and socked in with clouds.  Next stop was a lavender farm where the plants were not quite in bloom yet.  Here's Mike at the end of a row of lavender:

lovely yellow tree at the lavender farm

Then we stopped along the road to appreciate some more beauty:

We were fascinated by these Pacific Madrone trees.

Mike spotted an eagle from the road and pulled over so we could get closer to it.  

bird taking a bath

Wert day 2

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Nothing says I'm on vacation like waking up at 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday.  We didn't need to, just did.  The shower controls are on the opposite wall from the shower head.  Brilliant.  Why are they not all like that?  Good shower, decent breakfast, no lotion.  When I realized that, I said dyslexically to Mike, "What kind of a lotion doesn't give you a hotel?"  I had both hotel keys in my pocket, which prompted me to call myself a key hog, which reminded me of a quahog, so I looked it up and taught Mike about it.    

Today's plan was to drive an hour and a half to a noon ferry, ride the ferry for 3 hours to San Juan Island, and take a whale watching tour at 5:30. We were ready, so we left early.  I like it when there's extra time, because then when I want to stop for every little thing that captures my imagination, Mike is more likely to humor me.  The first thing was a big slice of Douglas fir.  How can you not stop and look at that?  

Then I spotted this:

Do you see it?  That thing in the middle that looks like a tree-covered hill?  But it's shaped like a boat. As we whizzed by, I said, "I think that's a boat! We have to go see."  Mike was not interested and kept driving.  Then I saw a roadside park and wanted to stop at that.  He said he would stop for that, and I went back to begging for my boat, so he indulged me.  It turned out to be very interesting.  It was a really old wooden boat that has been reclaimed by nature.  

Between the boat and the roadside park was someone's house with a gorgeous tree in the front yard.  I really, really wanted to lie down under it and look up at it.  Mike was not a fan of this idea, but he graciously  humored me and even took a picture.  

The roadside park had some steps that led to a nice trail by the water.

It was wonderful and rainforesty, and I loved every minute of it, and the best part was that my hip that had been aching like an elderly person for a couple weeks was miraculously healed on the way down those steps!  

Finally we arrived at the ferry dock, still early, so we did some wandering around.  I took some pictures there with my good camera, but I can't load them on here from the hotel computer.  I found some treasures on the rocky beach, including this crab.

Finally boarded the ferry, which was cool.  

Snacked on vegetables and nuts, and I watched these two little girls meet and listened to their adorable chat.  After much 4-year-old small talk, one of them started dancing in the sunny spot, and the other one pouted, "I wanted to dance in the sunny spot." The first one said, "We can both dance together!" which they proceeded to do.  It was so pure and beautifully innocent  that I may have cried a little.  

We drove off the ferry at San Juan Island and found our hotel, the Earth Box Inn and Spa.  These beauties are everywhere:

We wandered around and found the pool and these comfy wide chairs.

Tonight is our whale watching cruise.  It was supposed to be raining all day, but I prayed it away and it's been a perfectly beautiful day.

Wert - day 1

Wert = Western Epic Road Trip

Friday, June 3, 2022

Got up at 4:15 a.m. The cats made one last plea for us not to leave them.  Shadow planted himself on Mike's suitcase

and Marty took over the sink so we couldn't brush our teeth.

Nonetheless, we left for the airport at 5:00. Mike left me with the bags to check in while he parked.  The one bag we were going to check was 54 pounds, so I had to figure out how to rearrange 4 pounds of stuff.  The first thing I took out was the Bible, and I said to the airport worker, "The Holy Bible is the weightiest thing I packed.  Is that good enough?"  She said it was still 2 pounds over, so I took out a couple more things.  Mike's carryon got flagged for inspection, and he lost his body wash and a pocket knife.  Meanwhile, the body scan employee gave me too many instructions all at once too early in the morning, and I missed the last one.  "Cover the yellow area with your feet, look up, put your hands in this position, and hold still."  I turned my head to look at her and ask, "What was the last thing?" right as it was scanning me.  

There was a scary moment on the plane when the whole thing jerked violently sideways and I think everybody reflexively grabbed the person next to them.  Mike told me that Venus rotates so slowly on its axis that two Venus days equal one whole Earth year, so Venus only has two sunsets and sunrises a year.  That blew my tired mind, and I said, "I bet everyone gathers around to watch those two sunrises and sunsets" and imagined that for a good five seconds before I remembered there are no people on Venus.  

We made it to Chicago, where I did my next stupid thing.  I thought we were going to gate C22, so that's where I went.  Mike marched right past and I pitied him while I was looking for a place to settle in and wait for our flight to Seattle.  He turned around looking for me, and I waved him down and pointed to the C22 sign.  He came back and asked what I was doing at the Minneapolis gate.  Yeah, we were gate C29.  

Made it onto the plane and walked through spacious, luxurious first class and into crowded coach.  I commented on the uselessness of the flimsy transparent curtain between us, and Mike said, "It's a visual reminder: don't forget your place in this world and especially on this plane."

I did something smart for the first time all day and put the salt from my bag of pretzels onto my cucumbers.  The flight attendant asked me what I wanted to drink with my vegetables.  

I tricked Mike into eating a celery stick.  He wasn't happy about it. 

I learned that the foothills of South Dakota look like wrinkly elephant skin from 36,000 feet in the air.  

Am I the only one who finds it a little ironic that he is studying the airplane safety card while reading his motorcycle magazine?  My seatmate was perfect.  Quiet and small.  We named her Sarah.

The wing on this plane was funky at the end. 

It was raining and 58 degrees when we landed in Seattle. We rented a 2020 white Kia Optima FE and drove to Pike Place Market, where we saw all kinds of strange sights, including a cute purple dog.

We got some tasty chowder.

You probably can't tell from the picture, but this is a steep hill and the black car has a hairless cat in the dash.  We checked into a Fairfield Inn and discovered another mistake: trusting the bubble wrap and clothes to protect the laptop in the checked bag.  The laptop is toast, so I'm blogging from the hotel lobby standing up with people walking by and a 15-minute time limit.  We are heading to the Space Needle soon.

Pics from the Space Needle adventure:

Museum of Pop Culture

Fake eyelashes stuck to the glass wall at the top of the Space Needle.  So many weird things in Seattle.

rotating glass floor

We need more "no talking zones" in the world.

These next few are at the Museum of Pop Culture

playground at the base of the Needle