Wandering about and primed for adventure: Part 4-Conclusion

Tags

adventure, boating, Facebook, friends, Mt. Rainier, Mt.Rainier National Park, Olympic Peninsula, Seattle, sunset, travel, Washington

With solo cycling behind me for a while, it was time for a wee spit and polish. The car was hopelessly grimy, but back at the Roosevelt Inn I luxuriated in their huge hot tub, showered, erased rather than transferred a scad of photos (but I won’t bore you with that hearbreak), and joined some of the other guests for dinner downstairs. Yes, this B&B sometimes goes beyond the B to offer a prix fixe dinner. The tables were set for each room that had signed up. I sat at the lone single place setting. Before our water glasses were filled another couple had jumped up from their table to join me. Although guests were scattered about the small room, conversation flowed easily between the four occupied tables. My favorite part of the meal was the dessert: Apple Blossom, it was called. I was so busy consuming, that I completely forgot to document. You’ll have to take my word for how yummy this apple, baked in a finely seamed package of pastry, tasted.

The next morning I enjoyed a cooked-to-order breakfast in addition to standard buffet selections before bidding my Rose Room good-bye.

Once more I shunned the Interstate for secondary state highways on my way to Seattle. It took longer, but it was more fun and I even stopped at a cherry stand and bought fresh cherries for the road. I arrived at the home of friends, David and Betty, late in the afternoon—just in time to admire their beautiful garden before dining on magnificent seafood at Arnies. Already I was lamenting how time had slipped by. I was sorry to have only one night to spend with my friends. But they had a trip to Hawaii to prepare for, so it’s probably just as well that I didn’t out-stay my welcome. After a morning constitutional through their Shoreline neighborhood, we put our collective heads together trying to program the self-timer on David’s camera. We had limited success.

David & Betty; Happily married 53 years!

Leaving Shoreline I feasted on one more stunning view of the distant Olympic Peninsula. A visit with a high school friend was next on the agenda. Barb and I reacquainted thanks to Facebook and our 40th high school reunion. We rewrote history over a bottle (or was it two?) of wine. We were into pizza by the time her husband Dana extricated himself from work. After dinner they took me to the Des Moines Marina for a sunset ride on their boat. That, by the way, is Des Moines in Washington, NOT in Iowa!

I hope I can get away with sharing a shot of The Captain and his equipment.

A rare view of Mt. Rainier.

Thanks, Barb & Dana!

The next morning, I was flat out of time for my anticipated trip across the Peninsula. Dana recommended a trip to Mt. Rainier National Park via the Carbon River entrance to provide a rain forest fix. Confronted with the long drive back to Boise, I had time only for a tiny stroll. From there I puttered along secondary roads till I connected with SH410. I tried to keep moving, but inevitably, views of Mt. Rainier, set against a perfectly clear blue backdrop were too rare to pass up. With Rainier behind me, it was pedal to the metal all the way home where my indignant cat noisily greeted me at the door. My tether.