A Different Life II

[DIR1]

good morning... hwy 101 is a beautiful drive... did it with the trailer and the Bvan.. it's lots of 2 lane.... no idea how it would be this weekend... Oh, but you're coming back after that.... keep up the fun everyone!!! Hugs and love from the Oregon Coast!!! there are several places to park/RV around Tillamook...Bay City has a tiny RV park.. the city park, actually... a few sites and fewer w/hook-ups... but there's a creek!!! and it's really cute...

[Lily&Me]

Paid up, dumped my tanks, and added a bit of fresh water this morning before heading into Anacortes town for a specialty coffee....really exceptional coffee is everywhere out here.

I indulged in some fresh ground beans at the grocer yesterday....when it's how one starts every single day, good coffee is important.

Also found the post office and dropped off post cards so the grands can track Grandma's travels. Had a Skype message from Emma the other day...I love you and miss you, you are SO far away.

The leaves are already starting to turn out here, and it is currently 57 degrees.

My kind of weather.

I am first in line at the ferry terminal.

Going to walk Lily and do a little tidying while I wait.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

We'll see how she does with the ferry ride.

She's been prone to motion sickness this trip.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Lily tolerated the ferry ride well, and made some new friends....an au pair from Germany, and one of her charges.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I love when you can sit down and talk with people you haven't seen in years, like you just saw them last week.

Carroll and Paula have a beautiful place here, and have esconced me in the guest house.

A real bed and bathroom, and full kitchen. I have a loaf of DO bread rising to bake for them tomorrow.

Lily gets to run free...no natural predators to worry about.

Going to be a nice couple of days.


Maggie

[DIR1]

what a great space/time out for you in this trip!!! enjoy it all!! where's Evelyn... she had to come thru that Portland traffic today.... just wondering?? hugs and love and share them with you friends!!!

[Lily&Me]

I haven't heard from Evelyn since this morning.

She had a route plotted out to get her to Astoria today, and hopefully avoid some of that crazy traffic.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I had an email from Evelyn in my inbox this morning, she arrived at Fort Stevens without incident but had poor signal.

I baked a loaf of bread this morning, then we took off for a tour of the island and a good hike at Obstruction Pass Park.

A beautiful island, and much loved by these Texas transplants.

Have decided to take the ferry from Coupeville to Port Townsend tomorrow, and go down that way to avoid traffic.

Having a great visit.


Maggie

[DIR1]

good, glad to know Evelyn arrived safely.... Port Townsend is a nice town to visit.... going down hwy 101 is a lovely drive.... hwy runs along the Hood Canal... there's a place to stop, RV park, on the right side of the hwy... and I can't remember the name??? one part is right on the canal, the part on the other side (of the hwy) is more like forest... I remember it's about 80 miles south of Port Angles... I'll look around and see if I can find the name... ok, everyone keep having fun!!!! gail

[Lily&Me]

I'm going to head for a Walmart tomorrow night, afraid I will be driving in the dark into Puyallup, and I don't want to do that, so will go in there Sunday morning.

It cleared off today, had some sunshine this afternoon and beautiful view of the harbor from their house...

[duncans]

Coupeville---where Practical Magic was filmed! Ah! Too bad that house was simply a facade and not a real structure. Post pictures of the downtown, which was painted for the movie, but must have been returned to whatever the owners wanted..?

Susan

Have fun!!

[Lily&Me]

I'll try to remember to take a picture of Coupeville when I pass thru.

This has been a lovely side trip.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

We had a final visit this morning, and a short hike up their mountain to see the spectacular views of the San Juan Islands and Canada.

Paula and Carroll are both very lean and wiry, from hiking up the hill from the parking area to their home, and then all over this island.

I could feel my core and leg muscles a-working, hiking with them, and just in the steep walk a couple of times a day up the hill to their house from the guest house.

Good for my aging body.

Paula hikes a mile down the mountain, then back up, every morning with their dogs. She's a better woman than me, tho who knows what I would do if I lived in this place...probably the same thing, and it keeps one young.

There is moss on everything here, greening up from recent rains and looking like the tiniest ferns you can imagine. Beautiful, and unique.

Difficult to carry the IPad for photos, but trust me...it is special.

Left in time to pick up some homemade sausage at the little grocery here, plus a pullover, postcards, and Orcas Island sticker at the gift shop.

In line at the ferry, back on the mainland soon, then on to Puyallup.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Bye-Bye, Orcas Island...

[Lily&Me]

We are settled into the huge WalMart parking lot in East Port Orchard, as of just a bit ago. Tucked into a quiet side area, near a sign that limits rv parking to 24 hours.

I got right onto the Port Townsend ferry, and it took about 5 hours total, from the time I got on the ferry to Anacortes, to here. Enough.

I have twice now on this trip successfully driven steep, unpaved roads....first to/from Double Cabin in Wyoming, and then to/from the house on Orcas.

Going up wasn't too bad, tho I was fearing a bit going back down. They said I would have no problem....and I didn't.

Carroll said if I was going to drive all over the country I could do that road...and, I did.

I could have made it to Puyallup yet tonight, if I felt like handling the traffic and was sure I would get there before it got dark....aging eyes, you know.

Better to quit while I'm ahead, and start off fresh in the morning.

Maggie

[DIR1]

hi Maggie... good idea, starting off fresh in the morning.... your "side trip" seems to have been a good one.... hugs and love to you two up there!!!

[Lily&Me]

It was a good visit, with good people, in a beautiful place. .

I need a few hours of down time before beginning the next round of visiting, too, you know?

I can be at my friends house in 1 1/2 hours or so from here...theoretically...and she is making coffee cake for breakfast. .

So, we will still have two days of gabbing and catching up.

Have tidied things up, had a glass of wine, and am reading.

Lily has already crashed....galloping full speed uphill wears her out.

Maggie

[rmkrum]

Do try to get to the Fulton Street fish market in Seattle. The parking in the area is sketchy, but worth the trip.

Just across the street from the main entrance of the fish market is a Chinese bakery that sells the biggest and best tasting Chinese Barbecue Pork buns ever. My wife (originally from Hong Kong) is still talking about those shops.

Fantastic food there.

Youngest son used to be stationed near Puyallup, used to go up there every chance we got. He's the one that brought our whole family into Airstreaming.

He's back in California after being stationed in Hawaii. Some people have all the good duty. All I got was San Francisco and San Diego. I'm not complaining....😀


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[Lily&Me]

Found warm coffee cake waiting for me at my friends house in Puyallup this morning.

More of where you just pick up right where you left off the last time you saw them. I like.

Going with them to a make-your-own-pizza in an outdoor oven gathering tonight, which will be fun.

The oven owner and host has a large cast iron collection.

We will talk cast iron and fire cooking.

All is well. On to Astoria Tuesday morning.


Maggie

[xrvr]

Good friends, good times. Nothing better.