Washington is More than Apples

Well, we’re sitting here in Boise, finally have left the West Coast and now moving inland. The Pacific Northwest lived up to the hype, green everywhere. Apparently it rains a lot, but that is probably just a rumor because the weather was great. Our site was in a Norwegian founded town known as Poulsbo, which is just a hop, skip and a ferry ride from downtown Seattle. We spent an entire week there which was the longest we had been in a single location so we had more time to explore.

There’s a beach which one of our neighbors recommended called “Point No Point ” because it was one of the few beaches with sand. We ended up spending all day there and Ally was at her prime. She’s a people person, and also a Type A (don’t know where she gets it from). She saw some boys her age digging holes and I could see her mind thinking. “Dad, can I go play with them?” Of course I said yes and she proceeded to do a quick introduction and then tell them that they weren’t digging correctly. Within minutes she was directing on the proper digging procedures (thanks Sam and Pat for your patience). To top if off, I bet her $20 that she wouldn’t completely immerse in the 49 degree water…. she did, I lost, but you can still see the grin on my face.

We were also able to drive up to Olympic National National park, which we learned is one of the most diverse national parks boasting miles of beaches, snow capped mountains and a rain forest all within just miles from the Canadian border. Suffice to say, in one day we barely scratched the surface. I talked with the park ranger, and he said that you could spend a month there and still not see everything. We ended up exploring Hurricane ridge, with epic views and glimpses of heaven. Funny how amidst the COVID craziness the animals, the trees, the mountains haven’t changed- they’re around for all of us to view and meditate on. His creation allows us to find perspective. On a separate note, don’t forget to ask me about the guy riding a unicycle down the 7,000+ foot mountain!

Our friends, the Leavengoods, were gracious enough to host us for lunch at their house, despite just closing on it days earlier and not having any furniture. So good to be able to reconnect with them after we had spent so much time together in Hawaii. They are an amazing family and we are grateful for their friendship. We met them a second time at Kitsap memorial state park where we built rock sculptures, watched Auggie splash in the freezing water, removed a 500lb rock (Ally’s challenge) and got chastised by the park ranger for flying my drone (actually she was really cool about it and a navy vet — Go Navy!) Doug, Kate and the gang, we miss you already best of luck with your new chapter in life!

One last highlight was kayaking we did along Liberty Bay. We had wanted to get out on the water so we rented two kayaks and went at it for a few hours. What we didn’t realize is that it was seal pup season, so for me it was like a family reunion of sorts, seals everywhere. They would pop out of the water in front of us as if to say, “what are you guys doing here?” Others would trail behind us to ensure we left their area. But the majority just sunbathed on the floating docks while their babies tried to move around.

We had some nice neighbors, Neil and Debbie, enjoyed unstructured play at AN OPEN PLAYGROUND (gold these days, right?), and the opportunity to see one of my friends from Hawaii who is still active duty (thank you Justiss for your service!). Thank you to the PACNW for the memories.

On our way out of town, Nikki was intent on seeing a bald eagle before we left the area. She finally did spot one, his white head and golden beak jetting out of the top of a pine tree. I saw it too.

We did two overnights on the road to Boise. First, at a lavender farm in George, WA (yes, that’s actually the name of the town). Dave and Julie run the Trinity Gardens lavender farm, a nice respite from the road. We met two couples with unique stories of their own. We look forward to connecting in the future with you guys. The second night, La Grande, OR was at a hot springs so the kids enjoyed time splashing. BUT even more amazing was the ability to meet our good friends Adam and Ashley and there three kids for dinner. Talk about your chance meeting— they are going thru a massive transition, moving from Hawaii to Kansas City and were on a long trip which took them thru where we were staying. So glad we were able to catch up and ironic that after all these years it would be in La Grande, Oregon (where Ghostbusters and the Gremlins are currently showing at the drive-in cinema). Yet, that’s the essence of this trip, the beauty of going on a road and not knowing what you will find.

As we settle in Boise for the next 25 days and my neighbor blasts Hawaiian music (thank you auntie!) we look forward to even more surprises.

Much Aloha,
Loco