2010

July 19, 2010

9:00 Leave Ruby's Inn early because we are hoping to meet Andy Davidson in Seattle for dinner and we have a long day of driving ahead of us.

9:01 Stop for ice and a bottle of Bug Blaster at a gas station convenience store. We hope the Bug Blaster will help to keep the windshields clean.

10:20 Stopped in St. Regis to buy cherries from a guy who buys them from orchards near Flathead Lake and sells them here by the Interstate. Also stopped a nearby espresso drive-thru (they are now ubiquitous as we approach the epicenter of coffee, Seattle). We order a huckleberry smoothie. We declare that it is without doubt the best huckleberry smoothie we have ever had.

10:56 Entered Idaho (time change)

11:45 Stopped at a supermarket in Post Falls for provisions. Then proceed to eat a rolling picnic lunch of cheese, salami, bread, and leftover fried chicken from last night's dinner.

1:55 Stopped in Ephrata for gas, ice, coffee and a driver change.

4:10 Stopped at the Ashahel picnic area in Baker Snoqualmie National Forest for a most excellent cherry pit spitting contest. During the contest we consumed the very good cherried we bought in St. Regis. In this picnic area the picnic tables are huge. Instead of sitting at them, we stood on them, which gave the cherry pits better loft. Linden also filled our water bottles with some excellent water that she had to pump.

5:00 Arrived at the Moore Hotel in Seattle in downtown Seattle. Unloaded bags and Lark and I did the now familiar drill of removing the rooftop carrier and putting it into the back of the van. We always do this when we are parking in areas that humans frequent.

6:30 Dinner at the Bizarro Cafe in Wallingford area. An excellent meal in a very cool but strange place.

We couldn't meet Andy because he was in Portland after a bike ride and couldn't get a train back in time to meet us. We'll shoot for breakfast tomorrow.

8:00 Walked around downtown Seattle a bit before retiring.