Roy, WA - August 17 - 19, 2008

On Sunday, Bill, Susan and sister Linda traveled south along the Hood Canal to Olympia then northeast to Roy, Washington.  We were to spend three days with Sue and Mike Cunningham, Susan and Linda's stepsister and her husband.  The trip was scenic and enjoyable until the last mile where the trees hung low and the road narrowed.  Once we arrived at Sue and Mike's house Bill was challenged with the task of shoehorning our long motorhome into their driveway.  Once tucked into our space we all gave a sigh of relief.

We hadn't seen Sue and Mike for about 10-years. That evening, their son Ken and his wife and daughter joined us for a barbecue and lots of chatter trying to catch up with one another's lives. 

The next morning Mike assumed the role of tour guide, as the five of us took off for Mt. Rainier National Park.  Let us say right up front that we teased Mike unmercifully for what became an 11-hour odessey.  It wasn't entirely his fault and it wasn't that bad.  There were high points and low, but really, it wasn't that bad unless of course you were the lone driver.

It was gray and drizzly that fateful morning, but Mike assured us that in Washington one does not change ones plans simply because the weather isn't perfect.  Otherwise, I suppose Washingtonians would seldom leave home.  We knew it would be an all day drive with periodic stops for lunch, views and walks.  As it turned out, we got a lot more drive time than anticipated, fewer stops and no lunch.

Since we were lost we really can't tell you what route we took, but due to one road closure we got terribly off track.  However, since we had never been in the area before and there seemed to be a communication disconnect among the travelers, we didn't realize the error until we had reached a distant point of no return.

Directional issues aside, we saw some very 'mist-ical' vistas, glaciers, peaks and forests along Sunrise Park Road.  Had it been a sunnier day it would have been magnificent.

We got back to Sue and Mike's house road-weary and extremely hungry.  We ate heartily and since Linda had an early date at Sea-Tac Airport, we crashed.

On Tuesday morning, after Linda bid good-bye to Sue and Mike, we headed to the airport.  As we drove north we tried not to think of actually saying good-bye - none of us are good at it.  At the departure terminal we nearly threw Linda to the curb with very quick kisses and hugs and sped away before the tears started flowing.  Her visit was wonderful and surprisingly comfortable in our very small home.  We hope she will join us again when we revisit New England.

When we returned to the house, Sue, Bill and Susan took off for the Museum of Glass in Tacoma's Museum District.  The museum exhibits are dazzling and watching the artists at work in the Hot Shop was very interesting.  At the time of our visit, there was an exceptional Homage to glass maestro Lino Tagliapietra including several of his works and the works of artists he inspired.  Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed of the exhibit.

The Museum of Glass is linked to the Washington State History Museum, by Dale Chihuly's Bridge of Glass. The 500-foot bridge which exhibits dozens of Chihuly's eye-popping creations, spans Interstate 705 and the BNSF Railroad.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars of delicate glass suspended 750 feet above a freeway and railroad track is a sight to behold.

We enjoyed our visit with Sue and Mike, and it seemed we got to know them much better over those three days than we had over previous 30 years.  But the following morning was once again time to bid adieu to family and move north.  We carefully pulled out of the driveway, navigated the narrow road with its seven speed bumps and low hanging branches and headed for Bothell, Washington (or as some have called it 'Bot-Hell', but more on that in the next segment).