Two Many Adventures: Where we spent the Super Bowl

Being long time Denver Bronco Fans we were sure excited to see them in the Super Bowl. Today we are wondering where they were on Sunday evening. They must have missed their flight to New Jersey. It is not the first time they lost by a wide margin, but we were in a room full of Seahawks fans in Kingston, WA. Good sports that we are we watched the entire game, even when the city erupted in fireworks while we watched on recorded delay.

When the teams were finalized our new friends in Washington invited us to watch the big game on their big screen. A quick check of the calendar, a quick gas calculation and why not? The plans were made and the menu was set.

We set off on Friday morning thinking we would head over to I-5 and make a little stop overnight just to break up the trip. We got to the turn off to go over the coastal range and decided what the heck, let's take 101 all the way around.

No trip North on 101 is complete without a stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for cheese and ice-cream. Eric enjoyed a pomegranate shake while I indulged in a caramel chocolate sundae with all the works. The pups enjoyed a little walk around, then off we went.

Confused? Open? Closed?

Lots to sniff in the RV parking area for Tillamook Cheese

Ya gotta love the Oregon Coast

Up and over the bridge at Astoria and we were in Washington.

Heading into Astoria, yes that is the bridge

Astoria Bridge

Into Washington!

We made the overnight pit stop in Hoquiam, WA at a neat little park called Hoquiam River RV Park. The owners were very nice, the park was clean and tidy, and the river view and walk were really nice. We filled up our propane while there as we were expecting a little chilly weather in northern Washington. We slept like babes and headed out a little later than usual. We could have cut across the state to save a couple of hours, but remained on our 101 course.

Right on the river

The Beast taking a rest with the pups in the window

We passed through Forks, WA, home to the Twilight book series about vampires and shape shifters. There is not much there except one stop light and some signs for Twilight tours and Twilight souvenir shops. No we did not stop, but I did keep an eye out for sparkly vampires and wolves running in the woods.

Between Forks and Port Angeles we passed an amazing lake, Crescent Lake. The water was like glass, creating mirror like images of the mountains surrounding the lake. It was a perfect spot to let the pups out, grab a little snack and take a little break.

This is a beautiful lake!

More to sniff at!

When we got to Port Angeles we took the truck route which turned out to go right through town. Traffic was lite, but I hate navigating in towns as the lanes come and go. All the while the navigation is saying make a U-turn if possible. Unless you are on an airfield, there is no turning around with the Beast and Toad. Sooner or later, you always get back on the correct route. No worries, it was a cute little town and the views of the Straight were cool.We went over the longest floating bridge then into Kingston.

We stayed in Cliff and Wanda's long driveway and I drooled over Wanda's quilting studio. I haven't seen anything like it and was amazed. She showed me her show quilts and a couple of tops not yet quilted. Beautiful is all I can say! Her applique is the best I have seen and her quilting (all freehand!) was incredible. Even Eric was impressed with the stitched birds and flowers. Wanda-You are a rock star of the quilting world! Eric took in Cliff's shop with every tool and machine a guy could need. After the tour, we settled in to watch the sunset over Puget Sound and watched the ferries come and go. Dinner was on Bainbridge Island at a wonderful Mexican restaurant. I haven't had Mexican food for a year and the chips and salsa were soooo good! Adrienne and Glenn I thought of you as I enjoyed my Cadillac margarita!

Sunset over the Sound

Wanda made breakfast muffins, espresso and fruit for a wonderful breakfast. The agenda for the day was to take a little ride around to Fort Worden and Port Townsend. Fort Worden is where An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed. Funny thing is Eric and I saw it on our first date. You can rent entire quarters for retreats, family reunions, etc or you can camp in their campground right on the water complete with lighthouse nearby. We may stay there next time we go up. There were lots of places to ride your bikes around. Deer wander freely throughout the town and don't seem to be afraid of people. Port Townsend is an old victorian town with really cute old houses and the shops all looked fun. We stopped for lunch at Coastal Fins. The portions were quite large and yummy. While enjoying lunch Eric spotted a small grey whale close in. Sure enough he came up again and was real close. Unfortunately, it was too quick for a photo. We waited a bit, but he must have moved on.

We made a stop at Port Gamble to sneak a peek at their tugboat, Reliable. It was built in 1945 and is a neat tugboat. We took a tour and Eric was in heaven. There had been an otter that has been leaving presents on the deck. I caught the culprit with my camera as he was contemplating a stroll to the boat. Canadian Geese have made a nest nearby and were none to happy at our presence.

She really wanted me gone!

We had a great day!

Reliable is a great name for a Tug

Pretty Cool!

There's the culprit!

We watched the game and all the commercials. Disappointed in the outcome, but we really enjoyed our time there. We kept watching the weather as a cold front was coming in with rain, icy rain, and snow. The temps in the Puget Sound area were expected to be in the high teens, so we decided to leave the next morning to get home before the snowfall and high winds. This time we headed straight down I-5, crossed over at Salem and made it home by 5.

We had a great weekend with new friends. It seems like we have known them forever. We are looking forward to our May trip and exploring the area further.