Washington and Maine?

Washington has been our “home” for the past couple of weeks. We began on the lower coast, following Route 101 up the Olympic Peninsula, with its spectacular ocean views. The Washington coast reminds us very much of the Maine coast: jagged shores with harbors and inlets, historic seaside towns, islands (beckoning!) in the distance and the greenery of fir trees. As in Maine, the many forests make logging an important industry here.  

One of our favorite harbor towns was Port Townsend, with charming brick Victorian buildings from the 1890’s (including a former brothel, now a hotel, with rooms named after the individual women who once "held court” in each.). We also enjoyed Fort Worden, whose campus includes officer’s homes, barracks, a parade ground, artillery museum and a lighthouse. The site was featured in the 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman”.  

Near Sequim, Washington we walked on part of the 5-mile Dungeness Sand Spit .There was an amazing amount of driftwood on the beach, both large and small. The intriguing shapes of the biggest pieces made it feel like a massive outdoor gallery of modern sculpture. We chose one small piece of driftwood as a souvenir to bring back as a decoration for Mia.
 

Our next stop on the coast was Bellingham, close to the Canadian border. Bellingham has a lively Saturday Farmer’s Market, quaint historic district, extensive marina, and a small modern museum nicknamed the Lightcatcher Building. While in Bellingham we stayed with our friends Kathy and Fred Kaiser. Their home has a beautiful view of the San Juan Islands. We took a ferry to one of those islands, Lummi, which made us think of Islesboro, Maine, the island where our summer cottage is. Not only is Lummi accessible only by ferry, but it’s about the same size as Islesboro (narrow, and approximately twelve miles long), has just a few small businesses, a fishing heritage, and a variety of architectural styles.

Timing was fortunate because April is tulip season in Skagit Valley, just south of Bellingham. The valley is covered with miles of immense tulip fields, ablaze with color at this time of year. You can drive by the tulip farms or stop and walk through the rows of blooms. The handsome flowers come in an astounding number of vibrant colors; everyone was going crazy taking photos! The valley is surrounded by snow-peaked mountains in the distance, making it even more picturesque.
 

Indian reservations are numerous and we’ve learned even more about the many different tribes and their cultures. For instance, the tribes revere the land and its resources, believing that people belong to the land and not the other way around. The community takes care of all, not just individual families looking out for themselves. We’ve heard some of the pros and cons about government payments to the Indians and treaties (such as the ones that allocate half of the allowed salmon harvest to the Indians). One evening, we went to an Indian-owned casino to meet Bob’s cousin for dinner at an upscale restaurant inside. Truth is, we’re not gamblers in general and it wasn’t much different than a Las Vegas casino, although the meal was excellent.
 

While we were in Bellingham, we left Mia in Seattle at a Winnebago dealer for her cosmetic repairs (see previous blog entry). After a few days of intensive treatment (no botox...), we're pleased to report that Mia looks as good as ever.

Leaving the coast, we headed east into central Washington. We drove through Snoqualmie Pass, a mountainous area dotted with ski resorts. Snow was plentiful, even in April, and the snowscapes were a nice change of scenery after avoiding the cold weather for most of the winter. On the other side of the mountains we encountered miles of rich farmland, which came as a surprise. Wheat, corn, alfalfa, peas and potatoes are grown in abundance. In fact, Grant County is the largest producer of potatoes in the country. Who knew?  

The Grand Coulee Dam, also in central Washington, is a fascinating marvel of engineering and concrete. (By the way, the word coulee means deep gulch or river bed - the dam wasn’t named for someone with the last name Coulee. Just an example of the education we’re getting on this trip!) The dam, built in the Depression era under the direction of FDR, houses the largest hydroelectric plant in the country. We took a tour inside the structures and were able to see one of the massive generators in action. The dam project provides electricity to eleven states and irrigation to the central Washington farms mentioned above. (In fact, without this extensive irrigation system, the area would be desert.) Lake Banks and the 150-mile long Lake Roosevelt were created by the dam, providing pretty scenery and plenty of places for fishing and swimming.
 

Spokane is next on our agenda…..
 

Love from us both,
              Patty