Woke up after a productive night at Dale and Colleen’s home in Olympia, WA. The night before, Colleen had shown me how to tweak my blog and get things set up better. I can now blog from my phone and post photo albums a bit better including a new slideshow feature.
After some breakfast, I got another tour of their Syncro and then Lexie and Bunny got to know each other better. Lexie really liked Bunny. After a photo op with Dale and Colleen we hit the road only to return a few minutes later as I forgot my rain jacket and a rain jacket in Seattle is as important as chains are in Montana. A brief visit to the Capital and then a little while later we were rolling into Tacoma. Tacoma was the last city on my Song List. That is cities I needed to be able to say or sing rather;
“I went from Phoenix, Arizona
All the way to Tacoma
Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A.
Northern California where the girls are warm
So I could be with my sweet baby, yeah”
(Steve Miller Band – Rock’n Me)
We visited the Port of Tacoma and observed the Glass Museum before checking out the theater and then got into the bus and headed to Seattle. One key fact here. It’s NOT raining. Its the first almost sunny day I have seen in a week.
Seattle WA! This was it…my last Western City I needed on my bucket list. Everything else from here on out is gravy. I’ve been dreaming of going to Seattle since 1999. Specifically, Pikes Place and the home of Starbucks. See, I use to manage Starbucks in Manhattan. I started at 66 and 3rd and then was assistant manager at 67th and Columbus and then Manager at the same location before moving downtown to Astor Pl. I loved 67th and Columbus! Howard Schultz had even given me a personal autographed copy of his book as a Thank you for a fine job at 67th and Columbus. Now I was here where it all began.
After spending a sunny afternoon in Pike Place and a number of photo ops, we got in the bus and headed north to meet up with some fellow bus friends I had never met. Not 10 minutes into the trip the skies opened up and the rains came again. I pulled into the parking lot for Spiro’s Pizza and Pasta and awaiting the arrival of the Cascade Kombi members who were meeting here for their monthly meet.
After a wet introduction to my new friends Jason and Stuart and all the others, we headed inside for some pizza and brew. I enjoyed meeting everyone and sharing stories with the group. Afterwards we followed Stuart home as his parents were my host for this evening.
Tomorrow Stuart and I will see if we can fix or rather clean out the mouse nest in the heater tubes and score a front splash pan. Then it will either be off to Victoria, B.C. for a visit or Friday Harbor, WA. Time will tell.
Quick Side Note.
What do San Francisco, Tacoma and Seattle WA all have in common….Hills and Trolleys! Who knew that?
Loving your blog, Larry! You are an inspiration, and it feels like I am along on vacation with you and Lexie. Keep on keeping on 🙂
I love the blog and all the pictures. I feel so happy that you are finally doing the traveling to the west coast that you always wanted to do. Be safe and keep taking those great pictures. Love you, Mom
Good job on getting your photos up. So cool that it’s so easy now. Looks like it works great. Love the Lexie/Bunny ones! Have a great “rest of your trip.” Looking forward to more updates.
Hi Larry, Glad you made all the way to Seattle just to get a coffee at Starbucks and see the Pike Place Market on a slow day. Good luck with the mouse smell cleaning at Stuart’s!
Going to Friday Harbor is a nice side trip but its pretty small so going to Victoria,BC is way more interesting. I wish I could’ve met up with you here in Seattle.
Geoff
Is this thing on??
What thing Barbara?
So glad to see you and Lexie are having fun with Sandy the Bus.
<3 Nicole