Monday, July 18, 2011
Chilliwack, B.C. to Port Townsend, Washington
Got an early-ish start, on the road by 9:30am all packed and ready. Taking 'Princess' this time instead of the TR6 as four people into one little car just won't fit. Headed for the Huntington/Sumas border crossing about twenty minutes from home.
Crossed the border into the US after a very inquisitive border guard gave us a third-degree quizzing. One American, one Canadian with an American Green Card, and two Canadians, and all of us with heavily stamped passports. All together is got the guard's radar up and working so we got more questions and it all took longer than normal, but we made it through.
We had activated 'HAL' (the talking, sentient computer villian from an old movie) for the trip, and he was plugged in and running as we left home. He started off giving us what we thought were goofy directions to La Conner but we gave him his head and followed his directions. Score one for HAL, he was right in guiding us down the twisty roads of back-country Washington straight to the Chuckanut Drive and thence on to the pretty little town of La Conner where we stopped for lunch and a wander-about.
Then, on the road again, south, bound for the ferry to Port Townsend where we will spend the night. Bit of a rocky start out of La Conner, HAL giving us mixed up directions again, but he was correct in the end and the drive was a very pleasant one as we headed out over a nice little bridge with a view of La Conner and our lunch stop way down below us on our left. We carried on over a little island, then over the bridge at deception pass, and along the highway on Widby Island past the Naval Air Station on the left with the two big A-6 aircraft on pylons.
We kept going all the way to the ferry, and after a short and pleasant time in the lineup we were on the boat and underway to Port Townsend. On the ferry, Jan and Celine looked over the brochures and guide books for accommodation so we were prepared with our choices when we debarked. We selected one, the Swan, right beside a little harbor. We got the penthouse, accomodation for two families with 'kids beds' upstairs and a spiral staircase up to a roof terrace. Lovely, finished beautifully in varnished pine with a great kitchen and excellent furniture. The only odd touch was that one bedroom, Jan and mine as it turned out, had no ceiling and was open to look up at the upper floor where the kids rooms were. Practical, I suppose, to keep tabs on the monsters above - but then again the people in the bed below would make an excellent target if the monsters were flinging stuff around upstairs. But there were no monsters, only four tired adults who looked forward to sleep.
But first, Jan and Celine went out and bought some wine and beer and snacks and we had a mini-picnic on the veranda, overlooking the yacht harbor. Later, about six in the evening, we headed out for dinner and walked around the closed end of the marina to check out the boats and then up the other side to a recommended restaurant. Lovely it was, but full and reserved, so we hiked back and then into town where we found another dinner alternative. It also was excellent and the four of us had an excellent meal followed by a slow and gentle walk about town and then back to the hotel for the evening.
Tomorrow, the road south along the west side of the Hood Canal.
