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Whew! Just home from a wonderful nine days in the bee-yew-ti-ful Pacific Northwest; flew to Seattle on Saturday, August 4, picked up the rental car and drove to the waterfront in Seafair traffic that included driving through Pike Place (outside) as my sister wasn't sure what street to turn on, had a wonderful lunch at Ivar's Acres of Clams then, later, a family dinner at Marcello's near my sister's house. The next morning we drove to Anacortes, took the ferry to Lopez Island in the San Juans were we spent two days. Many more family events, a hike to Shark Reef to see the sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks, a seal diving for fish, spectacular sunsets, and a bald eagle soaring over the beach. By the time I'd mastered the Lopez Wave (you wave to every other driver on the road), we were off to Deception State Park, lunch with a friend at Deception Cafe (looks like a hole in the wall but has amazing food), then a scary drive over the 184 foot high Deception Pass Bridge to Whidbey Island then the ferry to tne Olympic Peninsula, first to Port Townsend where we visited Fort Casey (setting for An Officer and a Gentleman), then a drive to Port Angeles where we spent the night and had a great pizza at Gordy's. The next day we set out to find the site of Betty MacDonald's The Egg And I which necessitated three trips over the Hood Canal Bridge (a floating bridge which I don't like) because we had the spot wrong at first, even though it's conveniently located on The Egg and I Road, with side trips to Port Ludlow for lunch and Port Gamble because it's historic and pretty. Another ferry trip back to Seattle where we did laundry and repacked to head to Portland to meet our internet book club. We met four other members at the train station in Seattle then took the beautiful Starlight Coastal train down the coast to Portland. We settled into our hotel which is right in the middle of downtown, took a quick swim, then hurried over to Porto Terra to meet Swag who is just so nice and charming and interesting and who bought our drinks which is always an added bonus. He had already recommended a wonderful Italian restaurant, where our group then headed to dinner, and clued us in that the so called 'art exhibit' clogging the streets was really just a big advertisement for Red Bull and not to waste our time with it. We were sorry not to be able to spend more time with him but Swag had out of town company and we had to meet our group so after a couple of drinks we had to part.
Our Saturday in Portland was fantastic; a city tour on The Duck, lunch at The Bite (Portland's 'taste of' event), then those who wished went to Powell's while others shopped or napped. We had dinner at Kennedy School, a former elementary school now a hotel and restaurant but with the whole school still intact. It's hard to describe; you just need to see it. After our annual customized Apples to Apples game (which I won, thank you) we retired, regrouped in the morning for breakfast then a trip to the Portland Saturday Market crammed with local artists and artisans (plus some imports) where I bought a gorgeous Australian opal ring. Sadly then we had to pick up our bags and catch the train back to Seattle. It was a perfect weekend; great weather (so cool; it felt wonderful after Michigan's hot summer days), great food, great company. Portland is such a great city, Seattle is always a blast, the San Juans and Olympic Peninsula are so beautiful and relatively unspoiled. What a great vacation and, Swag, it was so great to meet you! If you ever get to SE Michigan, I'll return the hospitality!
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