To Top Off A Great Day .. And Start Another One

After we left the shipyard we checked into our home for the night, The Day's Inn, (one of the very few in the Bellvue area that still had rooms available - more about that later) and rested up from our hectic morning. Then we joined our niece and her family and Linda's cousin and his wife for dinner at an exceptionally good seafood restaurant, Chinook's at Salmon Bay. Located in the Seattle 'Fisherman's Terminal' this fantastic eating spot had not only some of the best seafood I have had anywhere, the prices were remarkably modest. Believe me, if you get to eat out at least once in Seattle, make it Chinook's!!! As we chatted over dinner we were blessed with one of those serendipitous events that are so wonderful when they happen you can't believe your good fortune. Linda's cousin and his wife both work at Microsoft and they invited us to tour the Renton complex!! So, the next morning we packed up, loaded our trusty Caravan and headed for 'the house that Gates built.' Here the cousins pause for a photo op!

Arriving at Microsoft we discovered that it was an absolutely enormous place with literally tens of thousands of employees whose backgrounds, nationalities, races and characteristics spanned the entire spectrum of humankind.

Arriving at lunchtime we visited the area known as "The Commons" where we were astonished to find more places to eat than you can find in most medium-sized cities!! We all sampled different cuisine and unanimously pronounced every single item 'spectacular.'. Then it was on to our tour.

Folks, the things we saw and learned about Microsoft proved to us, beyond a doubt, that the company not only has one of the finest work-forces ever assembled but they are acutely aware of what they have and are dedicated to nurturing and rewarding them.

The campus is a masterpiece of architectural excellence adorned with the most amazing landscaping, athletic facilities and artwork you could hope to find on the most prestigious university grounds. Our Great-Niece paused briefly to hang out with some pretty sinister-looking guys!!

The displays, historical items and whimsical devices that abound everywhere make it seem like a 'fantasy land come true!'. Even in the Company Store (which, by the way, housed virtually every computer related accessory you could dream of) had it's own unique item ... the 'chopper' from "Gears of War."

Oh! And we saw what I thought was a painting or a tapestry of some sort. It was beautiful!!


As we got closer I saw that it was a sculpture made from SPOOLS OF THREAD!! I'm not going to attempt to describe them in detail. They are just too spectacular. I'll provide you with an appetizer but, believe me, we've got tons more to share when we get the chance. But, we had "... miles to go before we sleep..." (hmmm, plagiarism works!) so we turned eastward toward this old guy.

We'll close with that spectacular sight but we'll be back before you know it. See ya.
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And Once In Tacoma .....

OK gang, we got the day kicked off with a trip to Washington's lovely State Capitol but we were rushing to meet up with some folks in Tacoma so we couldn't tarry. We had gotten a special invitation we wanted to share with you!!! Our niece's husband is one of the fearless guys who make their living in the cold waters of the Bering Straits. He is building the newest addition to their fleet and invited us to visit the construction site for a sneak preview of "The Northern Leader". When complete it will be the largest 'long-line' fishing vessel in the world.


The folks who are building the ship are simply fantastic and are making shipbuilding history with many of their innovations. Pictures of "The Leader" decorate the office and they are in impressive company - the walls are filled with pictures of scores of vessels, dating back to the 1800s - built by Joe Martinac and his family.


They are also on the cutting edge of 'green technology' and may soon help our defense system take the 'next step.'


Our gutsy crew donned our hard hats and goggles and waded into the exciting clamor of the yards.


I was incredibly proud of our brave bunch. Walking alongside cavernous holds and precipitous heights was quite a test and all came through with flying colors.


We crawled over, under and through some perilous spots but there's no stopping this fearless band.


It was certainly a morning to remember and what we learned about the technological marvels the ship will have was just stunning. This will truly be a floating marvel when it is launched and we hope to be on hand for that event!!! There was more to come on another great traveling day but I'm going to try to get this out there so you can join us. We'll be back with more soon! See ya.

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The Missing Post!!!!!

Well, there was supposed to be another post prior to our departure for Tacoma. It should have included our visit to the Hoh Rain Forest and points South. But - somehow I managed to delete it so we're scrambling to catch up.

After leaving the Kalaloch Lodge we continued Northward with the mighty Pacific on our left and the rainforest on our right. We passed through the tribal lands of the Hoh tribe and worked our way into the major portion of the rainforest. With all due respect to the Quilieute Nation I'm not going to attempt to list the various tribes that hosted us as we traveled. I would be certain to leave somebody out and I wouldn't want to shortchange them. They are all great!!!

This remarkable area receives six to eight FEET of normal rainfall each year and up to thirty inches of moisture from condensation on the leaves when it is foggy!! The infinite variety of shapes, sizes textures and configurations is just spellbinding and you expect that at any moment a Hobbit, an Elf or a Troll will pop out from behind a grizzled stump to pass the time of day with you!!

The only bad part about visiting an area like this is the fact that there is just too much to see and do. The towns of Port Angeles, Joyce, Seiku, Clallum Bay, Neah Bay, Pysht, La Push, Forks, and many others have cultural and festival calendars that are chock full of stuff year round. And as if that were not enough, nature provides migrating schools of Gray and Humpback whales along the coast, huge herds of Elk, countless Black-tailed Deer and annual visits from millions of Salmon - all topped off with an impressive frosting of moss-covered vegetation and stunning sea coast sculptures - for your viewing pleasure. But - you know what they say about 'all good things' so we soon had to point the headlights back south and wade through clouds of flying creatures brought out by the gathering dusk. Note the windshield!!


So after getting a sip or two of $4.27 per gallon gas - it was back to Ocean Shores. The post below outlines some of our "Tuesday morning" activities but we'll be back with more. See ya.
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Tacoma Here We Come

OK gang, we're on the road again ... heading to Tacoma to visit a shipbuilding yard. We'll share some more details a little later. Along the way we dropped by Olympia, the pretty Capitol of Washington, to pay our respects to the legislature.


As we have seen in so many other capitols we've visited together, they had a beautiful World War I monument. We'll share a couple of pics and come back later. See ya.
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The Meaning of Awesome

That last post was incredibly hard because of the difficulty we had deciding which pictures to include!! Following past trips we've tried to combine everyone's photos into a movie that shows what we did in more detail. We have five or six - so if you ever want to see them, we'd love to share.

Our lodging for the next couple of days will be the Ramada in Ocean Shores and it is truly excellent. The staff are great and our adjoining rooms have all the comforts of home!! (And, boy!! did we get a deal on rates?!!) One of the great desk clerks mapped out an itinerary for us that will take us to a wide variety of settings. One of the first spots was a quick side trip to the beach.


Then, it was on to Lake Quinault and the Quinault National Forest - which happens to be a segment of the extensive rain forest found on the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped to update our NPS Passport and take a stroll down to beautiful Cascade Falls - nestled in a beautiful mossy glen.


Then, on down the road to visit the world's largest Spruce tree.






The forest is also home to an astonishing number of "world's firsts" in the tree department but we opted to move on toward the famed "Hoh Rain Forest" and Ruby Beach.








As we proceeded northward we decided to stop at beautiful Kalaloch Lodge for lunch. Talk about "a room with a view!!!" the entire coast of the Olympic Peninsula looks like a work of art - which I suppose it is in it's own way. We took some photos of the shoreline just below the lodge - including one that includes a neat rose-covered fence.








While it is frustrating not being able to show you everything we've seen I'm going to go ahead and try to get this posted. We'll be back soon. See ya.

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Location:Quinault Rain Forest

Sunday Morning In The Presence Of Miracles

Hey Gang!!!

It's absolutely amazing how our lives continue to be so richly blessed with treasures!!! We have the greatest friends anyone could hope for - and then, God comes along and says ... "Well, how about if I let you and your buds in on some inside secrets?? Then, He opens this incredible storehouse of riches that is the world we live in and allows us to experience, first hand, His incomparable handiwork.



From the time we arose this morning we have moved through a panoply of miracles and we've gotta share them with you.


Leaving our hotel In Port Angeles we headed almost due south onto "Hurricane Ridge" and became immediately immersed in this beautiful environment.








Alder, Larch, Spruce and hardwoods of all kinds blanket the lower slopes and even though most are still in their summer duds you can already see a hint of the fall fashions to come. Of course we had to spend some time at the Olympic National Forest Visitor's Center, getting our passport stamped - and getting to use our spectacular 'Senior's Golden Park Pass' - and, naturally, the first people we met were from Pawley's Island SC!!" Then, it was on to the top of the ridge and some of the most spectacular sights imaginable.



Decisions, decisions!!! We've got a lot of ground to cover before we stop for the night and it's tough trying to decide what to try for. We really wanted to try hiking in to see the beautiful Sol Duc Falls but opted, instead to head for the northwestern most point in the contiguous U. S., Cape Flattery - with a Sunday picnic along the way.
So, it was back off the ridge and westward on highway 112, right along the Strait of San Juan de Fuca which marks the boundary between the US and Vancouver Island.


Our picnic was GREAT, with a main course of the Colonel's finest and a setting you couldn't buy with a million bucks.


Then, it was on through Clallum Bay, Seiku and Neah Bay, home of the Makah Native American tribe, and out on to an unbelievably beautiful point. It truly cannot be adequately described with words.





I'll close for now so I can get this posted but there's a lot more to come. Hang in there with us!!! See ya.


The National Parks Service has done

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Quick 'Scenic Update'

We've got lots to talk about but I wanted to give you a quick preview.


Check this out!!!!


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