Seattle and Forks, WA
Day One-Friday, June 25, 2010
I’m on my way to Seattle. This trip came about out of the blue. Mom passed away a month ago; May 20th, to be exact. I’m executor of her estate, and even though it is being probated informally, my siblings are very easy to deal with, her estate was fairly small, and I can find everything, there is still a lot to do and a lot of added stress. Most of that is coming from getting Mom’s house ready for sale. I could go on and on about that, with the amount of stuff Mom had, and the cleaning and repairs, but that would be counterproductive.
I say it would be counterproductive because this is supposed to be a blowing-off-steam kind of trip. After some deliberation about where to go, we decided to head to Seattle and then Forks, WA. Margo is one of those Twilight nuts, and Forks is hallowed ground. It is also beautiful country, so why not? It also crosses Washington state off of my list of states to visit.
Margo has done all of the planning on this one. I have a decent idea of the itinerary, and what we are doing. But, she has worked out all of the details, for better or worse. She even has some sort of special surprise planned for me, this afternoon.
Anyway, back to Seattle. We should touch down at Sea-Tac in about an hour. We had a connection in Las Vegas that we barely made. We were the last ones to board. Our flight, in Denver boarded 20 minutes late, and then we sat waiting to take off for another 20. We made up about 10 minutes in the air. So we were 30 minutes late getting into Vegas. Our layover was only 55 minutes. That means they were boarding before we even touched down. It took 20 minutes to deplane and then get from the “B”: concourse to the “C” concourse. But, at least we made it, and we had the entire airport wait behind us. We are flying Southwest, which is a first for me. I’m not crazy about their cattle call style of boarding, but I think they do that way to encourage everyone to both check in early and arrive early. Otherwise you are sitting in a middle seat. But, their prices, without baggage fees, aisle or window seat fees, or even bathroom fees are generally cheaper, and they seem to have a more fun attitude. So, I’m not bummed about it.
That’s about it for now. I’m all caught up, and it is time for the adventure to begin.
Day One--Continued
The day is over and we had a great first day. As soon as we touched down we made our way to get out bags and head to the hotel. We had a blip at the car rental, because they had us checking in at 11 PM. That is what was on the confirmation, so Margo must have made a mistake. Because they weren’t expecting us, they didn’t have a small car available for us. But, often they overbook the small (read cheap) cars, and then ask if you want to upgrade. When you say “No, I booked the small car because it was the cheapest and I don’t want to pay one cent extra”. They say “OK, sir we are out of the small cars, I will just give you a larger car for the same price” But, because we were early, we got screwed. We could wait of course, but I wasn’t hanging around wasting the day, so we ended up paying an extra $100 for the weekend.
With that out of the way, we got loaded up and headed out. Margo’s GPS took a long time to find the satellites, so we were trying to use the directions she had printed out to find the nearby hotel. We had just gotten going the right direction when it came on line. We were there in 2 more minutes.
Once checked in and settled Margo asked me what I wanted to do. I told her it was her plan. She had something special cooked up, and that is what we ended up doing. It was to be a surprise. She hit the preprogrammed button, on her GPS that said “Seaplane” and off we went. I wondered exactly what “Seaplane” meant. Would we be actually riding in a plane that took off from water? Was this a museum with a special exhibit on water aviation? Was it the name of some out of the ordinary restaurant or bar? I figured I would just have to wait, but it was killing Margo and she had to tell me. We were really going up in a seaplane! We would be taking a reasonably short aerial tour of the Seattle area, in a plane that would take off Lake Union. But, she had the wrong address in, or more accurately the right address for the downtown mall, where she planned to park, and take public transportation. But, that looked like a bad idea, because there was a ton of traffic. After about 10 minutes of trying to navigate by map, I finally got the GPS programmed with the correct address and it got us there in less than 10 minutes.
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We got there, paid, and met our pilot, Greg. He was graying, but looked way too young to have grey hair. He took us down to our plane. It was smaller than I expected, but as my only experience with seaplanes comes from TV that is not surprising. TV makes everything look bigger. What was surprising is that I wasn’t apprehensive about going up. I was excited. How many times is a landlocked Coloradan going to get the opportunity to go up in a seaplane? Greg loaded us up, and went over the safety rules. Keep you seat belt on and don’t worry about a thing was pretty much the high points. I did like the part about “in the event of water landing”. As we all know when we hear this on a commercial flight, those words are followed by “your seat cushion can be used a floatation device. Pilot Greg’s speech concluded that sentence by saying, “we just land” He did add that we shouldn’t inflate our life vest inside the airplane, because it was a real bitch (my words) to get out with the vest inflated.
With all of that done, he started the engine and we started to taxi out. He checked the windsock and determined we had to taxi all the way across Lake Union. No matter. He told us about the history of the area, and especially the floating houses. I never noticed but in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”, Tom Hanks and his son lived in one of these. The actual Sleepless house is on Lake Union, and sold recently for 2.4 million dollars! These houses started out as a way to get cheap waterfront property, but those days are long gone. We got to the other end of the lake, turned around, and pointed at a clear patch of water. Greg cranked up the engine, and after some bumps away we went.
With all of that done, he started the engine and we started to taxi out. He checked the windsock and determined we had to taxi all the way across Lake Union. No matter. He told us about the history of the area, and especially the floating houses. I never noticed but in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”, Tom Hanks and his son lived in one of these. The actual Sleepless house is on Lake Union, and sold recently for 2.4 million dollars! These houses started out as a way to get cheap waterfront property, but those days are long gone. We got to the other end of the lake, turned around, and pointed at a clear patch of water. Greg cranked up the engine, and after some bumps away we went.
Taxiing across Lake Union
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Back when we got in the plane, he gave us the choice. One of us could sit up front, or we could both sit in back. Margo offered me the front seat and I jumped at it. As soon as we got up to cruising altitude, Greg had another surprise. He said I could fly the plane if I wanted! Hell yeah, I wanted. Then at the same time, Good Bill popped up on my right shoulder and started saying
“Now Bill, you have to be very careful. No big movements. Don’t touch the pedals, and only light altitude changes.”
Evil Bill on the left shoulder was saying:
“Top Gun time, dude!” Bank that sucker hard right and strafe those yachts”
As I didn’t know how to bank and dive, nor were we armed, Good Bill won this exchange, pretty quickly. I was a bit concerned about this, but I figured that if Pilot Greg was turning the controls over to a complete stranger, it had to have been equivalent to when the Branson DUK drivers let the kids drive the DUK on Lake Taneycomo. Not long after we reached our cruising altitude Greg offered up the controls. I put my hands on the yoke, and did nothing. We were flying right where we needed to be. It was just like the DUKs on the lake. As long as I didn’t do anything drastic, there would be no problems.
Greg kept up an, if not constant narration, one which left no awkward dead spaces. The noise in the cabin made it a little hard to hear, but Margo said she had been fine, and was so busy snapping pictures she wasn’t listening most of the time anyway. Greg pointed out the various building, neighborhoods, and physical features below us. We saw Bill Gates house, and the neighborhood of Queen Anne. There was Lake Washington and Puget Sound of course, and Lake Union where we had taken off.
“Now Bill, you have to be very careful. No big movements. Don’t touch the pedals, and only light altitude changes.”
Evil Bill on the left shoulder was saying:
“Top Gun time, dude!” Bank that sucker hard right and strafe those yachts”
As I didn’t know how to bank and dive, nor were we armed, Good Bill won this exchange, pretty quickly. I was a bit concerned about this, but I figured that if Pilot Greg was turning the controls over to a complete stranger, it had to have been equivalent to when the Branson DUK drivers let the kids drive the DUK on Lake Taneycomo. Not long after we reached our cruising altitude Greg offered up the controls. I put my hands on the yoke, and did nothing. We were flying right where we needed to be. It was just like the DUKs on the lake. As long as I didn’t do anything drastic, there would be no problems.
Greg kept up an, if not constant narration, one which left no awkward dead spaces. The noise in the cabin made it a little hard to hear, but Margo said she had been fine, and was so busy snapping pictures she wasn’t listening most of the time anyway. Greg pointed out the various building, neighborhoods, and physical features below us. We saw Bill Gates house, and the neighborhood of Queen Anne. There was Lake Washington and Puget Sound of course, and Lake Union where we had taken off.
The flight lasted, maybe 30 minutes, tops. It was short, but a great experience. It was the best way to start the vacation and put me in a very positive mood. We were getting hungry, as Margo had figured we would, so our next stop was Hooters, which was walking distance from Seattle Seaplanes. This would be my 25th Hooters restaurant. This, the Lake Union Hooters, was having a kick off the summer Luau Party, and the girls were in their best casual beach attire. Michelle was our Hooters girl. It wasn’t very busy and all though the cook was a bit slow we had a nice time and were soon on our way back to our car. We walked on the boardwalk back to our car and we stopped to admire a 2.4 million dollar yacht that was tied up along the waterfront. There was a yacht dealership there.
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The plan was now to drive over to the Space Needle. Margo was trying to be cost conscience at this point. The rental car thing had cost an extra hundred. The seaplane flight was over $200, including the tip. So she wasn’t crazy about spending $17 per person, just to go up to an observation deck. We had done that with Empire State Building, the Hancock Building in Chicago, and the Stratosphere Tower and Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas. But, I wanted to go up, so she was more than willing. It turned out to be a bit nicer than expected. The views were great, just like we expected. But, their indoor observation area had tables and chairs. We could sit and relax. So that is what we did. We did some inside relaxing, and some outside observing. When we had seen everything we went to the gift shop. There we bought the picture that they took of us when we first bought our tickets. Then we were done.
We went back to the parking garage to leave. But, we must have done something wrong. We paid at the little kiosk, like the sign said. It gave us a receipt, but when we went to the gates to get out, there was no attendant to show the receipt to. And the automated attendant was useless. I even tried to pay twice. After trying a second and third exit row, I was getting desperate. But a lady who must have worked there and was heading home showed up. She scanned her card and the gate went up.
That was it for the night, and our first day. Tomorrow we would be driving to Forks.
We went back to the parking garage to leave. But, we must have done something wrong. We paid at the little kiosk, like the sign said. It gave us a receipt, but when we went to the gates to get out, there was no attendant to show the receipt to. And the automated attendant was useless. I even tried to pay twice. After trying a second and third exit row, I was getting desperate. But a lady who must have worked there and was heading home showed up. She scanned her card and the gate went up.
That was it for the night, and our first day. Tomorrow we would be driving to Forks.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Our ferry; The Walla Walla
We were in no hurry to get up this morning, but as we both went to bed at or before 11 PM, we were awake by about 7 AM. We had a lot of ground to cover today, most of the Olympic Peninsula to be exact. So, there was no reason to stay in bed. We were on the road by 8:15 AM.
We decided that we would take a ferry going out and drive the long way, around Puget Sound, on the way back home on Monday. So I programmed the GPS for the ferry dock, and we were off. But, we ran into a roadblock almost immediately. It took us half an hour to drive around it. We must have made the same 3 mile circle, three times. Finally between the GPS (which can be a real pain in the ass in roadblock situations) and just picking a road that looked right, be were headed in the right direction.
Finding the dock and correct ferry turned out to be easy. We paid the toll and pulled into a lane. Our ferry didn’t leave until 10 PM, so we had about a 30 minute wait. We should have walked over to the McDonalds and got some breakfast, but we weren’t exactly sure of procedure, so we just stayed put. Once we drove onto the ferry, and got situated, we grabbed something from the ferry cafeteria.
The ride across Puget Sound to Bremerton was scenic, even under the grey skies. The ride took a little over an hour, but seemed to go very quickly. Depending on where you start, and unless you don’t waste a lot of time waiting for the ferry, it doesn’t save you lots of time to cross this way. But, it does save time behind the wheel and is stress free. Those absolutely count. It is an hour of carefree travel. You can relax on a cushioned bench, with a table in front of you. You can wander on deck and watch the scenery go by. You can curl up and take a nap. You even just stay in your car. There is food and clean restrooms right there. I give ferry travel across Puget Sound two thumbs up.
Shortly after 11 PM we were in Bremerton. We programmed the GPS for our hotel in Forks, and fired up the 2010 Dodge Journey. It was going to be about three hours of driving, so our best time to Forks would be 2 PM. I knew we had no prayer of that. We had our normal stops to go the bathroom, and we were probably going to stop in Port Angeles. I wanted to detour into Olympic National Park and drive up to Hurricane Ridge. Margo wanted to see the various Twilight sights in town. Margo was 50/50 on stopping. She really wanted to get to Forks. I was 70/30 on stopping. I wanted to do Hurricane Ridge, if the weather cooperated even in the slightest. And, I knew she would enjoy eating at the same restaurant Bella and Edward did in the book. The restaurant was in Port Angeles. So once we got there, the weather which was grey in Seattle had gradually turned to mostly cloudy, with occasional blue patches. We headed west and towards the park.
t took us about an hour to get from Port Angeles to the top of Hurricane Ridge. But, the views were worth the drive. The skies had cleared and we were treated to blue skies and temps in the upper 50s. This was very pleasant weather with our light jackets. There were about 6 deer feeding around the visitor center. So between them and the majestic views we spent about half an hour up there. We would have spent more time, and at least hiked the trails a little. But, this had been a cold spring so far and the trails were mostly snow covered. We weren’t about to fight that. Margo has bad knees to start with, and this snow was wet and slick. So we got in the car and headed back down. We decided to stop at the scenic overlooks we had by passed on the way up. This would kind of make up for the time we missed on top.
Click on this pic to make it bigger and then look for my glasses
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Once we got into the car and were heading back down, I noticed my reading glasses were missing. I couldn't remember exactly when I had last seen them, but I thought I had them with me on the way up the mountain. I figured that would be a mystery that wouldn't be solved. I was wrong. Later that night when Margo and I were looking at the pictures we took, I glanced at my feet on the one where I am about to throw a snowball at Margo, and there they were. Mystery solved, but that didn't help my eyesight
Those stops on the way down all had their own charms. One had another feeding deer. This one decided to hop the stone guardrail and feed on the other side. I caught part of the leap on film. That was pretty cool. By the time we made it back into town it was 3:45. We had nearly decided it was not possible to eat at Bella Italia, the restaurant from the book, as they only opened for dinner, at 4 PM. But, with that only 15 minutes away, we decided to walk down the street to Port Book and News. This is the adopted bookstore from the book, so Margo was happy to visit it. We easily killed the 15 minutes and then went to eat.
The service at Bella Italia was unbelievably slow. It’s a nice place, and the food is good, but we must have ordered something wrong. We waited for 40 minutes to get our food. We were treated to part of an overheard story about Holly, our leggy hostess, about bruising her butt. She offered to have someone feel the swollen spot, described as like having one implant. This was most amusing, and I told Margo that I would give it a squeeze. She called me a pig, and we continued to wait.
The service at Bella Italia was unbelievably slow. It’s a nice place, and the food is good, but we must have ordered something wrong. We waited for 40 minutes to get our food. We were treated to part of an overheard story about Holly, our leggy hostess, about bruising her butt. She offered to have someone feel the swollen spot, described as like having one implant. This was most amusing, and I told Margo that I would give it a squeeze. She called me a pig, and we continued to wait.
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The long wait had us not leaving Port Angeles until 5:30. The GPS was estimating a 7:30 PM arrival. But, the distance was about 60 miles. I thought it would be closer to half that time. The GPS turned out being closer to the truth. Although part of that was due to a 15 minute stop in Squim, WA for bathroom and snacks. We pulled over in front of the “Welcome to Forks” sign at about 7:15 PM. The weather was now mostly cloudy. I suggested to Margo that we check in and make a point of driving to La Push, another major Twilight site, tonight. The weather was supposed to turn over night, so we might as well get the beach site done tonight. We might even get a decent sunset picture.
We checked into our hotel, the Pacific Inn. This is an old, two story hotel that looks straight out of the 1960s. But, Margo was sold on it, based on the good reviews and the excellent customer service she got while trying to make reservations. The bed was small and the pillows too thin. There is no elevator. But, other than that it was great. It was clean and quiet. It was right on the main drag. We might try somewhere else if we come back, but there wasn’t a lot to get unhappy about.
We checked into our hotel, the Pacific Inn. This is an old, two story hotel that looks straight out of the 1960s. But, Margo was sold on it, based on the good reviews and the excellent customer service she got while trying to make reservations. The bed was small and the pillows too thin. There is no elevator. But, other than that it was great. It was clean and quiet. It was right on the main drag. We might try somewhere else if we come back, but there wasn’t a lot to get unhappy about.
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We made one more stop before heading out of town. This was at the other end of town, to the Chamber of Commerce. This is where Bella’s truck is at. We got obligatory pictures, and promised ourselves to be back tomorrow to check out the inside of the CoC. Then we were off to La Push. The drive there was reasonably quick. It took us about 25 minutes. We saw a couple of other Twilight sights that we would have to visit, either on the way back or tomorrow. There was Jacob Black’s house and the Treaty Line. But for right now we needed to get down to First Beach.
We arrived and discovered that La Push is a very poor community. I would have thought it would be more developed. There were a couple of places that we might use, but not many. Old, dirty, and uninviting were the dominate words. Even the beach was undeveloped. There was no walkway or even defined path to get down. You had to climb down, and work around the numerous logs. The beach has real potential. Parts are very sandy, and nice to play and lounge around. The scenery out on the water is nice too. They have these tall island things, called sea stacks. That with the sunset made it pretty picturesque. There were also some surfable waves coming in, and we watched a pair of surfers give it their best. We only stayed for about half an hour. But, that was time enough to see all that was worth seeing. We both had to go to the bathroom. I decided to brave the port-o-potties. They were bad; I would not have sat on that seat, except for emergency. Luckily, I only had to pee. Margo took heed of my appraisal and decided to wait until later.
We still had some daylight, although not for long. So we decided to stop at the Treaty Line, which not coincidently was the home to a campground and convenience store. They were closing up in 15 minutes. Margo went to pee, and I got a picture. Then we grabbed a couple of cheap souvenirs, and finished taking pictures. I liked that this place was pulling in some of the Twilight business. It really looks like the area could use some tax revenue.
That was basically it for the day. We had a late supper at a Mexican place in Forks, and went back to the hotel. Tomorrow we were hoping the weather would cooperate and give us a full day of sightseeing in Forks.
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Sunday, June 27, 2010
We woke up and checked the window. It was very grey and everything was wet, but it wasn’t raining. There was mist, but it didn’t look too bad. Hopefully the weather wouldn’t get worse. We had been in no big hurry to get up this morning. I think we rolled out of bed about 9 AM. It took a leisurely 1 ½ hours to get ready. Margo already had our breakfast destination picked out. It was a place that had been featured in a documentary on Forks, as part of one of the Twilight movies. It was called the Forks Coffee Shop. It was evidently popular with tourists and locals alike. It was packed when we got there, and that was about 10:40 AM. Breakfast should have been over. But, they got us in an out in about half an hour, so all things considered it wasn’t bad.
Our first stop was going to be the house the town of Forks picked out to be “The Swan House”, from the books. The owners of the house had agreed to have their house, which was close to the description in the book, to be it. There is a sign out in front, and they must get a steady stream of people stopping in front to take a picture. From there we used the Twilight books that Margo had bought, and hit a few of the stops.
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We were on a Twilight scavenger hunt. We had a list of places to see and take pictures of for the day to be considered a success. First was Forks Outfitters. In the book this was the local store where Bella worked after school. In reality it was a combination grocery story, hardware store, Twilight gift shop, and outdoor outfitter. They had quite a selection to Twilight stuff.
From Forks Outfitters we made our way to the Forks Community Hospital. Dr Carlisle Cullen works here, and people at the hospital had put up a reserved parking placard for him. Next up was the combination City Hall and Police Department. Bella’s Dad is Chief of Police. But, as today was Sunday, he was undoubtedly out fishing. We took a picture of a squad car instead.
We had many more stops to go. Next up was the old Forks High School. I think this building was actually the first movie. It is where Bella and Edward meet. It looks like some sort of major renovation, or even demolition is being done. The trees out front had been cut down, there was a construction fence all around, and volunteers were going in and out doing something. The weather was holding, but there was nothing else to really see. So we headed to our next stop, Lepelle’s Flower Shop.
This place has kind of carved out a spot in the Twilight tour, where none should be. The place is not in the book, and is not on the main drag in Forks. But, they had the good fortune to have a girl from Ohio, who resembled Alice (from the movies), and wanted a job. Some “Alice’s favorite place to shop” banners were all over. Alice only lasted a few weeks, but she made it onto the documentary DVD, and now all the Twilighters go to visit.
From Forks Outfitters we made our way to the Forks Community Hospital. Dr Carlisle Cullen works here, and people at the hospital had put up a reserved parking placard for him. Next up was the combination City Hall and Police Department. Bella’s Dad is Chief of Police. But, as today was Sunday, he was undoubtedly out fishing. We took a picture of a squad car instead.
We had many more stops to go. Next up was the old Forks High School. I think this building was actually the first movie. It is where Bella and Edward meet. It looks like some sort of major renovation, or even demolition is being done. The trees out front had been cut down, there was a construction fence all around, and volunteers were going in and out doing something. The weather was holding, but there was nothing else to really see. So we headed to our next stop, Lepelle’s Flower Shop.
This place has kind of carved out a spot in the Twilight tour, where none should be. The place is not in the book, and is not on the main drag in Forks. But, they had the good fortune to have a girl from Ohio, who resembled Alice (from the movies), and wanted a job. Some “Alice’s favorite place to shop” banners were all over. Alice only lasted a few weeks, but she made it onto the documentary DVD, and now all the Twilighters go to visit.
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Next on the scavenger list was The Cullen House. This is like Bella Swan’s house. The city, and in this case The Miller Tree Bed & Breakfast agreed to have this house represent the place where the Cullen’s live. The house is as close as Forks could come. The actual one used for the movie is in another town, and has lots of glass. But, this one is still on the list, so we got our pictures and moved on.
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Dazzled by Twilight is a store dedicated to the books and movies. It’s all Twilight, all the time. They even offer tours of the town. But, they wouldn’t be showing us anything that we wouldn’t do on our own. Plus we could spend as much or little time as we like.
Out front of Dazzled wilight the cheerleaders for the real Forks High School were having a bake sale to raise money. We promised to see them on our way out. The weather had actually improved a bit, but the temp could not have been much above 60, and it was still damp. They looked cold. Once inside we looked at everything for about half an hour. I can never remember where we bought stuff, but I think we bought stuff here. One of the cheerleaders came in, and said business was slow. They had only made about $30. I like cheerleaders, so on the way out I asked Margo if I should offer a donation for a picture with the girls. She had heard the same $30 statement, and she was fine with it. The girls thought a $20 donation for a picture was great idea, too. We quickly huddled together and I left with a picture and 3 cookies. We were back past this store several times, and they were there for several more hours. By the looks of it, they had made up their minds to sell everything or freeze trying. The last time past, actually when we into the store again, I made up my mind to clean them out, so they could go home. It looked like they were down to just a handful of items. But, they were gone when we got back out. Good for them.
Out front of Dazzled wilight the cheerleaders for the real Forks High School were having a bake sale to raise money. We promised to see them on our way out. The weather had actually improved a bit, but the temp could not have been much above 60, and it was still damp. They looked cold. Once inside we looked at everything for about half an hour. I can never remember where we bought stuff, but I think we bought stuff here. One of the cheerleaders came in, and said business was slow. They had only made about $30. I like cheerleaders, so on the way out I asked Margo if I should offer a donation for a picture with the girls. She had heard the same $30 statement, and she was fine with it. The girls thought a $20 donation for a picture was great idea, too. We quickly huddled together and I left with a picture and 3 cookies. We were back past this store several times, and they were there for several more hours. By the looks of it, they had made up their minds to sell everything or freeze trying. The last time past, actually when we into the store again, I made up my mind to clean them out, so they could go home. It looked like they were down to just a handful of items. But, they were gone when we got back out. Good for them.
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By 2:15 we had finished up with the Forks scavenger list. But, we had added a couple of others that were back towards La Push. So we headed north of town and turned down La Push Road. We found the Baseball Field, and Jacob Black’s house. With those under our belt, we were essentially through with the Twilight stuff. We had only to buy souvineers.
We were both getting hungry. It was about a quarter after 3 PM when we finished up on La Push Road, with a picture of me beside a gigantic Sitka Spruce tree stump. So we headed back into town. Our plan was to eat at Scully’s and have a Bella Burger. But Scully’s is closed on Sundays. They might have to rethink that one, with all the business they are losing. But, we decided on place called the The Lodge Restaurant. This place, along with Dazzle by Twilight is the only real example of the town going overboard on the Twilight phenomenon. The Lodge is old established Forks eatery. But, it was bought by the California immigrants who own Dazzled by Twilight. They have added a thing called the Twilight Lounge. I don’t know exactly what that is, but I don’t think I care either. Also, in the same building is The Dungeon. Owned and operated by said same Californians. It is some sort of Club, aimed at the alcohol consuming Twilighters in their twenties. We aren’t, so we didn’t.
We were both getting hungry. It was about a quarter after 3 PM when we finished up on La Push Road, with a picture of me beside a gigantic Sitka Spruce tree stump. So we headed back into town. Our plan was to eat at Scully’s and have a Bella Burger. But Scully’s is closed on Sundays. They might have to rethink that one, with all the business they are losing. But, we decided on place called the The Lodge Restaurant. This place, along with Dazzle by Twilight is the only real example of the town going overboard on the Twilight phenomenon. The Lodge is old established Forks eatery. But, it was bought by the California immigrants who own Dazzled by Twilight. They have added a thing called the Twilight Lounge. I don’t know exactly what that is, but I don’t think I care either. Also, in the same building is The Dungeon. Owned and operated by said same Californians. It is some sort of Club, aimed at the alcohol consuming Twilighters in their twenties. We aren’t, so we didn’t.
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We had a decent meal. I had an Orange Chicken Salad, and Margo had a Bacon Cheeseburger. They both had Twilight names. I finished most of Margo’s meal, as I knew I would. She has such a small appetite anymore. We finished, and as Dazzled by Twilight was just a couple of doors down we decided to try and pick up some souvenirs. We also had a postcard we wanted to mail. Dazzled offered a free service, in which they would arrange to have postcards hand canceled at the Forks post office, instead of going through normal channels. Those channels end up with the cancelling stamp being from Tacoma, WA. We did that, plus Margo found a few things for the girls at work.
Afterwards I told Margo that I really wanted to see the Hoh Rain Forest. She agreed, adding that we could get souvenirs in the morning, if everything was closed when we got back. We finished eating about 4:15, and headed south out of town. It was a 12 mile drive to the turn off into Olympic National Park, and then another 17 miles to the visitor center. That drive took us a bit over an hour. We pulled into the Hoh River Visitor Center just before 6 PM. The VC closes at six, so we couldn’t check out the displays. But, all of the trails were open.
I was really looking forward to walking the Hall of Mosses Trail. It was listed in Frommers as 8/10 of mile long. So figured the loop would take about half an hour. But, when we got there the handout from the park estimated the time at a full hour. Margo wasn’t going to go for that. She was tired, and the first park of the trail was uphill, and it would kill her knee. She gamely went up that part, and then suggested I go ahead, and she go back to the car. I wasn’t crazy about that idea. I didn’t want to be separated. I’m sure I was overly concerned, but it didn’t sound like a great idea. But, I agreed to a half hour separation. I would hike 15 minutes in and 15 back out.
I hike for less than one minute and came to an overlook that I could see the foot bridge we had passed on our way up. I waited for Margo and then called out, very quietly, and took her picture. That foot bridge was also before the climb had started, so I at least knew she was OK. I continued on.
I was really looking forward to walking the Hall of Mosses Trail. It was listed in Frommers as 8/10 of mile long. So figured the loop would take about half an hour. But, when we got there the handout from the park estimated the time at a full hour. Margo wasn’t going to go for that. She was tired, and the first park of the trail was uphill, and it would kill her knee. She gamely went up that part, and then suggested I go ahead, and she go back to the car. I wasn’t crazy about that idea. I didn’t want to be separated. I’m sure I was overly concerned, but it didn’t sound like a great idea. But, I agreed to a half hour separation. I would hike 15 minutes in and 15 back out.
I hike for less than one minute and came to an overlook that I could see the foot bridge we had passed on our way up. I waited for Margo and then called out, very quietly, and took her picture. That foot bridge was also before the climb had started, so I at least knew she was OK. I continued on.
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The short hike I took was incredible. This has got to be one of the greenest places on earth. I think the Hoh (named for the nearby Hoh River) is a temperate rainforest. A rainforest is technically a woodland, within a temperate clime that gets heavy rainfall (at least 160 inches by one definition). I think it boils down to a lot of trees and lots and lots of rain. On the day we were here there was no rain. The ground was moist, but not too wet, and certainly not muddy. It was cool, but very comfortable, especially with a jacket. I think it must have been ideal for hiking. I was already wishing for more time.
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It was easy to see why this trail was called the Hall of Mosses. Every tree, to one degree of another was covered in moss. Some were covered to the point of looking very eerie. The hole thing weirded Margo out. She said “Trees should not have fur”. I thought it was both beautiful and intriguing. I already want to go back. I walked a little farther than I promised and took pictures around every bend. There were just so many nuances to each bend, and I knew the camera would never do them justice. And it wasn’t just the scenery. There was also the quiet. Granted we were well away from civilization, but even the birds seemed to be whispering. I heard one theory that it was probably so dense that all sound was being dampened and absorbed. That is probably part of it, but the feeling was so reverent that it felt sacrilegious to mar it with any noise, other than taking a step.
The allotted time flew by, and I had to turn around. I toyed with the idea of continuing the loop, but I just didn’t want to worry Margo, and there was still the hope that we could get back to Forks in time to finish up the shopping. We would be leaving for Seattle in the morning, and any time spent lingering would just delay that long drive. So I did turn around, and went back. I ended up being only about 3 minutes late. The TV news was filled with missing people from the various parks, possible abductions, and lost people. Margo and I joked about it and said she could have left me here. I could see how someone could get lost, if they ventured off the trails or even not paying attention to which way they went.
The allotted time flew by, and I had to turn around. I toyed with the idea of continuing the loop, but I just didn’t want to worry Margo, and there was still the hope that we could get back to Forks in time to finish up the shopping. We would be leaving for Seattle in the morning, and any time spent lingering would just delay that long drive. So I did turn around, and went back. I ended up being only about 3 minutes late. The TV news was filled with missing people from the various parks, possible abductions, and lost people. Margo and I joked about it and said she could have left me here. I could see how someone could get lost, if they ventured off the trails or even not paying attention to which way they went.
We headed back to Forks, and Forks Outfitters was still open. Margo ended up finishing all of her souvenir shopping, including getting a cookbook. She doesn’t need another cookbook. She must have over a hundred now, including the ones she just inherited from my mother. They cover so many subjects and geographical areas, that she should really document them as a historical collection. Now she also has one dedicated to Twilight. I’ll bet there is a receipt for a raw meat dish.That was it for the day. We went back to the hotel. I took pictures of the hotel in case I ever get around to writing my reviews for Travbuddy. The wifi was down, so I mostly wrote some in this journal. Then I went to bed and got rested for our last real vacation day.
Monday, June 28, 2010
We weren’t in a big hurry to get up, so we slept in a bit today. Even so, we were still on our way by about 9:30 AM. The weather was cloudy, but it wasn’t raining. We had been lucky so far. We had escaped any downpour and only a little rain at all yesterday. If the weather held for one more day, we would be very happy.
Margo wanted to eat at Scullys, but we both figured that they would not be open for breakfast. We were right. Margo suggested we find something in Forks. I thought we had eaten at everyplace that we wanted to, and we might as well find something on our way back to Seattle. She didn’t have strong feeling on the subject, so we headed north. It only took us about 10 minutes past the city limits to find the Hungry Bear Café. That sounded good to me, so we pulled in.
It turned out to be the right place. Their portions were huge, and the lady running the place reminded me of Margo’s grandmother. The place gets a lot of traffic from the locals. It was a bit late in the day for the working class crowd, because they would be, ya know, working by now. But, there were a couple of elderly guys that came and went. They could have been retired loggers. They had the size, and the predictable infirmities that business would cause. While we waited for our meal, we got up to admire a wooden, handmade tractor, lowboy trailer, backhoe model that was on display. Whoever carved and created that had both a ton of talent, and bushels of patients. Our food arrived after a bit, so se ate, took a couple of pictures (but none of the model?), and were on our way.
Margo wanted to eat at Scullys, but we both figured that they would not be open for breakfast. We were right. Margo suggested we find something in Forks. I thought we had eaten at everyplace that we wanted to, and we might as well find something on our way back to Seattle. She didn’t have strong feeling on the subject, so we headed north. It only took us about 10 minutes past the city limits to find the Hungry Bear Café. That sounded good to me, so we pulled in.
It turned out to be the right place. Their portions were huge, and the lady running the place reminded me of Margo’s grandmother. The place gets a lot of traffic from the locals. It was a bit late in the day for the working class crowd, because they would be, ya know, working by now. But, there were a couple of elderly guys that came and went. They could have been retired loggers. They had the size, and the predictable infirmities that business would cause. While we waited for our meal, we got up to admire a wooden, handmade tractor, lowboy trailer, backhoe model that was on display. Whoever carved and created that had both a ton of talent, and bushels of patients. Our food arrived after a bit, so se ate, took a couple of pictures (but none of the model?), and were on our way.
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These were actually back in Forks, at The Old Mill Trading Post
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Our next stop was unscheduled but not long after. Lake Crescent is a huge lake that lies along the highway for several miles. When we went past it on the way to Forks, it had been windy. Today it was mostly calm, and in spots the lake was like glass. So we had to stop and take pictures of that, and some flowers that Margo kept seeing along our route.
From this point the trip back to Seattle was uneventful. We stopped a time or two for restroom breaks. The last of those stops was in Port Angeles. No touristy stuff this time, just a stop at a C-store. But, we were both getting tired. So shortly after getting in the car, I suggested that we abandon the idea of heading all the way south and around to Tacoma. Our plan was to drive over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which collapsed in 1940, rebuilt in 1950, and it’s twin completed beside it in 2007. That would have been interesting to say we did it, but the idea of taking the ferry the final hour to Seattle, and getting to rest was much more appealing.
From this point the trip back to Seattle was uneventful. We stopped a time or two for restroom breaks. The last of those stops was in Port Angeles. No touristy stuff this time, just a stop at a C-store. But, we were both getting tired. So shortly after getting in the car, I suggested that we abandon the idea of heading all the way south and around to Tacoma. Our plan was to drive over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which collapsed in 1940, rebuilt in 1950, and it’s twin completed beside it in 2007. That would have been interesting to say we did it, but the idea of taking the ferry the final hour to Seattle, and getting to rest was much more appealing.
So that is what we did. We made a bee line to Bremerton, and drove right in line for the 2 PM ferry. It was 1:50, so we timed it really well. The trip across Puget Sound was just like the one of two days ago. It was relaxing, smooth, and restful. Margo actually curled up on a bench and took a nap. That helped her quite a bit. By the time we got to Seattle, our batteries were recharged and we were ready to go.
I didn’t have an address to plug into the GPS, but I really didn’t need one for where we were going. Our destination was Pike Place Market. This is probably the second most famous tourist destination in Seattle, after the Space Needle. The Market is a public market founded in 1907. It was originally used for local farmers to sell direct to the public. But it has gradually evolved to include a huge range of small businesses. The most famous are the fish mongers, who often put on a show by throwing the fish to one another, to entertain the crowd and drum up sales.
I didn’t have an address to plug into the GPS, but I really didn’t need one for where we were going. Our destination was Pike Place Market. This is probably the second most famous tourist destination in Seattle, after the Space Needle. The Market is a public market founded in 1907. It was originally used for local farmers to sell direct to the public. But it has gradually evolved to include a huge range of small businesses. The most famous are the fish mongers, who often put on a show by throwing the fish to one another, to entertain the crowd and drum up sales.
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We found a parking lot near the market. We parked in the back off the alley and made our way to the automated pay station. Standing there was a fairly innocuous looking black guy. But, I could tell he was about to try to sell me something. He introduced himself as Mike the Homeless Guy. He looked normally dressed, which I would consider “not homeless”. I tried to half ignore him, while trying to read the directions on the pay machine. Mike continued to tell me that he was just here to try and help people with the machine (I thought I could handle it) and help them so they didn’t pay too much. “Huh?”, I thought. “Why would I pay too much?” Then as I progressed through the info tree on the pay machine, I got to the part about paying in advance for the time I would be here. The two obvious choices were “2-3 Hours” and something like “up to 10 hrs”. I’m sure I am remembering the last choice inexactly, but it is close enough. Now if Mike had not mentioned paying too much, I would have chosen the 10 hour thing. But, now he had me thinking. Would three hours be enough? I quickly decided that it would have to be. That choice still cost me over $20. I would guess that the larger one would have been over double. I gave Mike a dollar, figuring he had saved my many times that.
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We walked the two blocks or so to the Pike Place Market. As soon as we got close we could smell the fish. We immediately saw one of the fish sellers, City Fish Company. They did begin to put on a show shortly there after, but we were in the back and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. They did toss a fish or two, but I didn’t think it was done with much enthusiasm. We took a picture of the pig statue, nearby, and then commenced to wander the shops.
The shops were interesting. It reminded me of the old Cinderella City Mall in Denver. The shops were small, right on top of each other, and very specialized. We really didn’t spend a lot of time in any of them, save a bookstore that caught Margo’s eye. They had some sort of calendar that she wanted to get Jessi for Christmas. So we bought the last one they had.
The shops were interesting. It reminded me of the old Cinderella City Mall in Denver. The shops were small, right on top of each other, and very specialized. We really didn’t spend a lot of time in any of them, save a bookstore that caught Margo’s eye. They had some sort of calendar that she wanted to get Jessi for Christmas. So we bought the last one they had.
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We exited the Market at one of the upper floors, and ended up at Post Alley. This was a fairly wide, (for an alley) brick lined, and very steeply descending alley, that the city had turned into an extension of the Pike Market. The three most prominent features were the large sign towards the bottom that proclaimed “Post Alley”, the neon sign advertising “The Alibi Room”. Likely some sort of club, and The Gum Wall. We had no idea what the history was, but it is a section of a brick wall, by the Market Theater, that hundreds of people have stuck their chewing gum to. It is now evidently a tourist attraction.
We had our guide book in hand and there were a couple to statues marked that Margo wanted to see. One was of a giant squid, the other was of Sasquatch. We wandered a bit, having to reclimb back up to street level, after traipsing down Post Alley, and found both. Both were a tad disappointing. The Squid, while probably life size seemed small hanging in the atrium of the building we were in. Sasquatch was made of wood and seemed small as well.
We were getting a little tired and hungry. We found a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and got something to eat and drink, and we sat for awhile. Then it was time to head to the water. We found a very long stair case that took us to water level, and crossed the street there. Then we made it over to Waterfront Park. The weather was nice so we lingered for a little while. We took a few pictures and then decided we had seen enough of this part of town. I checked the time and it was 5 PM. We had been at Pike Place Market area for a bit over an hour. Mike the Homeless Guy was right.
We had our guide book in hand and there were a couple to statues marked that Margo wanted to see. One was of a giant squid, the other was of Sasquatch. We wandered a bit, having to reclimb back up to street level, after traipsing down Post Alley, and found both. Both were a tad disappointing. The Squid, while probably life size seemed small hanging in the atrium of the building we were in. Sasquatch was made of wood and seemed small as well.
We were getting a little tired and hungry. We found a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and got something to eat and drink, and we sat for awhile. Then it was time to head to the water. We found a very long stair case that took us to water level, and crossed the street there. Then we made it over to Waterfront Park. The weather was nice so we lingered for a little while. We took a few pictures and then decided we had seen enough of this part of town. I checked the time and it was 5 PM. We had been at Pike Place Market area for a bit over an hour. Mike the Homeless Guy was right.
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We made it back up top, after having to rest midway on the stairs, and then found a bathroom. I checked the guidebook and discovered that the local Hard Rock Café was only a couple of blocks away. So we walked over and I bought a pilsner glass. We weren’t hungry, so we decided against dinner, just now. So we walked back to the car. There was still one attraction I wanted see while we were in Seattle, The Fremont Troll.
I heard about the Fremont Troll a couple of years ago on TravBuddy. It is a large concrete statue of a troll, appropriately built under an overpass bridge. I had to see it. It was marked on our map and in our guidebook
I heard about the Fremont Troll a couple of years ago on TravBuddy. It is a large concrete statue of a troll, appropriately built under an overpass bridge. I had to see it. It was marked on our map and in our guidebook
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We found it easily, and even found a place to park. It is in a residential area, so we made a point of not staying too long. But, I made it a point of climbing up on him, so Margo could take my picture. This is not frowned upon, and is actually allowed. The troll is large enough that it’s left hand is crushing a life size, 70’s vintage Volkswagen Beetle. Upon inspection, I found that it was not a life size Beetle. It is a real (red) Beetle, that had been coated in concrete. That’s kind of cheating, but it very effective.
t was now just shy of 6 PM. By my thinking it was still too early to go back to the hotel. We had only spent about three hours in the city today. When we visited the Space Needle on Friday, we had noticed that the Duck Tours started right across the street. I asked Margo what she thought, and we were soon on our way. We ran into some construction, and the GPS got confused by a few one way streets, but we eventually got there. We bought tickets for the next to last tour of the day, and we got to board immediately.
t was now just shy of 6 PM. By my thinking it was still too early to go back to the hotel. We had only spent about three hours in the city today. When we visited the Space Needle on Friday, we had noticed that the Duck Tours started right across the street. I asked Margo what she thought, and we were soon on our way. We ran into some construction, and the GPS got confused by a few one way streets, but we eventually got there. We bought tickets for the next to last tour of the day, and we got to board immediately.
I have taken three previous Duck Tours, all in Branson, MO. They are an interesting, if a little expensive, way of seeing the town. The tours in Branson were also fun, with the guides making bad puns, having us quack at passersby, and generally keeping things upbeat and moving. I was expecting the same here, and when Margo and I saw the guide in an oversized red top hat, with plastic multicolored tubes coming out of it, I figured we were right on track. He introduced himself as Ed Venture, and gave us the safety talk, with the expected humorous twist, and we were soon on our way.
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Ed had a pile of hats nearby, and changed them throughout the ride. I lost count as to how many different hat he had, but there seemed to be one for every turn of the road. He had a Nemo (the Disney Clown Fish) for when we passed the Aquarium and a Mariners ball cap when we passed Safeco Field. Ed put on quite a performance to keep us entertained. In between the actual sites, more than a few of which Margo and I had seen on our own, he filled the time with appropriate music (like the theme from Gilligan’s Island when we went into Lake Union) or staged antics. The most memorable being when we paused near Safeco Field, home of the Mariners. His speakers pronounced a pseudo voice of the Mariners who described Ichiro (local baseball hero) pointing toward a parked Duck, and then the hitting of a home run. Ed caught the ball of course, to the cheers of the Duk. He also filled time by pointing out every Starbucks we passed, and having us shout “Cha-Ching” as we pumped our arm. As this is Seattle there were more than enough Starbucks to take up the dead time.
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Our final stop on the Duk tour was a short ride on Lake Union. We had to dodge sailboat once out there. They had the right of way. We also saw the floating house from “Sleepless in Seattle”. This was the one that Tom Hanks lived on. Ed told us that it recently sold for 2.3 million (I think) dollars. To me that sounds like you just have too much money. Sure the view of the lake is great, but who want to live there full time. It would have to be dreadfully cold in the winter, noisy most of the time, you don’t own the land (Cuz there ain’t any), and all of the additional problems with water, sewer, and marine birds. It sounds to me like Los Angeles, a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.
We putted around the lake for a bit, making a slow short circuit, and then headed back to shore. It was only about another 15 minutes back to home base. Ed used this opportunity to give us a little more Seattle history, point out another Starbucks, and made his plea for a tip. I often wonder, when I am on these things, how much they are paid in base wages. I always tip, even when the guide is mediocre. But, Ed was pretty good, so I think we gave him a $10.
We putted around the lake for a bit, making a slow short circuit, and then headed back to shore. It was only about another 15 minutes back to home base. Ed used this opportunity to give us a little more Seattle history, point out another Starbucks, and made his plea for a tip. I often wonder, when I am on these things, how much they are paid in base wages. I always tip, even when the guide is mediocre. But, Ed was pretty good, so I think we gave him a $10.
That was it for the day, and our vacation. It was kind of fitting that we began this vacation with an air tour from Lake Union and ended it on the waters of Lake Union.
But now, the only left was the trip back home. I’ll skip writing about that, as it was completely uneventful. Just the way we like it. We had a great time. I really want to get back to the Hop Rainforest one day, and do some hiking. The seaplane was an amazing and unexpected experience, and I checked another state off of my list. Our next trip is going to be in September, when Jolene gets married. That will happen in Pagosa Springs. I have almost nothing worked out, as we just found out about it. Should be fun.
But now, the only left was the trip back home. I’ll skip writing about that, as it was completely uneventful. Just the way we like it. We had a great time. I really want to get back to the Hop Rainforest one day, and do some hiking. The seaplane was an amazing and unexpected experience, and I checked another state off of my list. Our next trip is going to be in September, when Jolene gets married. That will happen in Pagosa Springs. I have almost nothing worked out, as we just found out about it. Should be fun.