Recovery from the Rally took us for a short stop in Kelso, Washington where we took a day to decompensate and catch up on a little rest and relaxation. Along the way we crossed over the 45th Parallel which put us half way between the North Pole and Equator. An interesting tidbit.
Our next destination was Seattle where we settled in to the Lake Pleasant RV park in Bothell (a NE suburb). We have been here before, but we enjoy the park because it’s an oasis in the midst of the urban landscape. It’s designated a wildlife refuge although the only wildlife we’ve seen are the ducks that waddle around the campsite looking for a handout. We’re in the edge of one of the lakes with a nice view.
Since we’ve been in Seattle before, we looked for things we hadn’t done previously. Driving into downtown and paying $18 to park was a great start (public transportation is a little difficult to figure out here). Progress Park is an historic area where Seattle started in the late 1800’s and we took the Underground Seattle tour. Since the original settlements were on “swamp land” they subsequently built up the streets and sidewalks leaving the second stories of buildings as the new first story. The tour takes you down to the original level. Some buildings are using the space for commercial purposes, but the areas we toured are locked in the past and full of artifacts (and dust) interesting to see.
One of the benefits of travelling is being able to visit with friends and family. To our delight we were able to meet Chuck Ferguson (an “old” high school classmate of Karen’s) for dinner at Maggie Bluffs on the marina on Elliott Bay. Nothing we like more than a locals place with great hamburgers and a beautiful outside deck with a view.
When we were planning to attend the Rally, it became obvious that it would be a great opportunity to travel to Juneau, Alaska to visit our #50 capitol. As you may know, we have been on a quest to visit all the state capitols in the US. The only one we lacked was Juneau, but the problem was access. It is only reachable by air or sea. The best choice was a cruise, and when a good deal showed up on the internet, the decision was made.
We sailed on the Norweigan Star leaving July 28. We had a balcony room which was great…views all the time. The itinerary included four ports: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and
Prince Rupert. The highlight was our tour of the capitol. It’s taken us about 10 years to visit all the capitols, but it’s been a great journey. We celebrated completion of our capitols quest with Chateaubriand in Le Bistro on the ship. Our next goal is the Presidential Libraries!
In addition, we were able to take a trip on the White Pass Railway out of Skagway. Al, the history buff, is always interested in the Klondike goldrush, so following some of the trail was of great interest. Our favorite new term is “ladies of negotiable affection” which our tour guide used often to describe ladies who were available along the trail. The scenery is just beautiful, although the sky was always cloudy and the temperatures didn’t get much above 60 degrees. We were constantly told we were lucky the weather was so good for our adventures. Being from Colorado, we miss the sunshine.
Back in Seattle we were able to spend time with Karen’s nephew Andy Larson and his wife Allison. They have an adorable 2 yr old daughter Annalise who entertained us. She helped pick blueberries for our dessert, but she was hungry and kept eating what she was picking. What a cutie.
Our travels will be taking us to the Olympic Peninsula before heading home. More on that later.