I made it!

I'm writing this from a lovely, comfortable bedroom in my cousin's beautiful new home in Kingston, WA. I arrived this evening, after trying to change lanes getting to the ferry and getting admonished by one of the guards. I explained to him that I had come through ticketing in lane 2, but moved over behind a truck in 3 because I thought that's what I was supposed to do. Then, when I saw lanes 1 and 2 moving and there was a big gap in two (where I should have been), I pulled into it. He said that I wasn't supposed to change lanes. I explained that I'm from Michigan and didn't know. Then he let me go. The people behind me weren't too happy, but we all got on.

I started out the day in Sandpoint, ID. I didn't get up early enough to go for a bike ride, but I did sleep from 7:30 last night till about 6:00 this morning! I guess I must have needed it. I had my usual piece of fruit and finished off the last of the almond butter. I decided against having breakfast at the hotel restaurant (for 20% off with coupon) for two reasons: hotel breakfasts haven't been agreeing with me; and I knew I'd be having a scrumptious brunch in Moscow, ID, a few hours later.

So Remy and I got packed up and headed off. Idaho is green. It has mountains and rolling hills, but the difference between Idaho and North Dakota and Montana is that Idaho is really, really, green. (I was corrected on this by the Idahoans I had brunch with. Apparently the panhandle of Idaho is green. Further south, not so much.)



We arrived in Moscow right on time, found a parking place and walked about a block to The Breakfast Club, a delightful little restaurant with an exceptional menu. This is where Emily Rankin has been working for about a year. She was waiting for me outside, and as I walked up they called our name for a table. I went to the bathroom straightaway, and when I came back Emily had gone to greet her grandparents as they came into the restaurant. I have to say what a delight it was to spend time with all of them. The conversation ranged far and wide, and it felt as though we could talk about lots more things than we had time for. About 11:15, I said my good-byes, and Remy and I walked back to the car and headed off for Seattle.

It was a long afternoon, but there was nothing boring about the views. I saw prairie flowers and sage, fields of green grain, craggy mountain faces, snowcaps in the distance, plunging cliffsides along rivers, dense pine (and other) forests, and THE COLUMBIA RIVER! I had never seen the great Columbia before. Woody Guthrie ran through my head. It was majestic, grand, moving. I was awestruck yet again.

When we finally reached Seattle (just glad I wasn't headed east, because the traffic was extremely heavy and slowed by construction), we went to Tayler's apartment building and dropped off her stuff. Didn't get to see much of the area, but it looks like a college part of town, for sure. Then we hopped back on the highway and went north to Edmonds where I got gas and then waited in the ferry line for about an hour. Fortunately, having chosen the northern ferry that went right to Kingston, once we arrived Dick and Nancy were only a few minutes away.

Nancy had held dinner for me, and I was so grateful. Vegetable and Manchego cheese appetizer followed by chicken soup, a magnificent salad, and sauteed morels (that was the surprise I brought!) with garlic, made for a sumptuous meal. I have a very happy tummy right now. And I have permission to make a banana pancake for breakfast! It's been over a month!

Well, I guess we're not going to have photos tonight. This is my first time using my phone as a WiFi hot spot, and it may be that things just aren't going very fast. I'll post my photos of Idaho's green as soon as possible, as well as waiting in line at the ferry and my wonderful family in Kingston!