Day 7: From Olympia towards Rainier
Got off to a later-than-usual start. What the heck, I’m on vacation, aren’t I?! Any way, I decided to try to get in two national parks that day since both were near the Seattle area (greedy state–four national parks?!?). Really, the plan was to see one and complete the drive to the other so I could have all of the next day there. I made it to the outskirts of Olympic National Park and after chatting with the ranger at the visitor center, I realized there was no way I could do more than a cursory visit of the beach area on the park’s outer edge and still make the drive to Rainier that day. So, RB and I drove to Ocean City and a couple of other beaches. We had journeyed 2451 miles to see the Pacific Ocean. I didn’t get out, though. The air that afternoon was quite…
Day 6: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
After a late arrival in Seattle Wednesday night and with nothing specific planned until the Thursday evening game between the Mariners and the LA Angels, I’d decided to turn it into a rest day. Good idea, but I was too hyper to just sit in the room. My solution was simple: select activities that didn’t require a lot of activity. I did a search and found a movie theater close by the motel where I was staying that had an early afternoon showing of “Belle,” which I’d been unable to see at home. After the movie, I’d get something to eat and then drive to the game, which had a schedule 7 p.m. start. It turned out to be a pretty good plan. The movie was excellent (when you can get me to cry, you’ve accomplished quite a bit), and I found a restaurant that served pseudo-Cajun cuisine–tasted fine, it…
Day 5: There’s More Than One Washington
Having made the decision to forego visiting Glacier National Park, saving over 200 miles of travel, RB and I set out from Missoula early and headed west. The 600-mile drive took us through the upper portion of Idaho–unfortunately my first time in that state didn’t include any stops. There was a state park off the interstate, but it hadn’t opened yet and I wasn’t willing to wait. I did get a few pictures. It didn’t take long to cross into Washington State. Under the category of unplanned stops, I ran into an exit that took me by Grand Coulee Dam, and the route went by Chief Joseph Dam, both on the Columbia River. I didn’t tour either facility, but I did get in a few shots. Rather than choosing to stay on I-90 and take the direct route to Seattle, we turned north and sent the day in the North…