Washington State

October 2nd to 8th

Entering the US by ferry is a breeze. You still have to leave your fingerprints, but at least the customs officials behave like human beings and actually made us feel welcome entering the country. Contrast airport immigration... I need to investigate ferry crossings from the UK when I next visit.

We leave Anacortes via "Deception Pass" - a bridge to Whidbey Island - second largest island in the lower 48 states. Captain Vancouver exploring the region by ship in 1792 assumed the island to be a peninsula to the mainland. Upon discovering his mistake, he named the body of water separating the 2 lands Deception Pass. Conveniently, a bridge has been built since then...



We cycle south through moistly forested terrain which undulates sufficiently to keep the legs warm... It's all very picturesque and a good choice of routes to Seattle.



We cross back to the mainland on the Mukilteo ferry amidst a swarm of sea birds no doubt attracted to the feast churned up in the ferry propeller's wake. On other occasions whale and dolphin accompany crossings, sadly not today.

Time presses as we hit busy I99 heading south into downtown Seattle. We have a date to meet my brother and amazingly we manage to arrive within 3 hours of the appointed hour. I argue that 3 hours behind schedule out of 18 days by bike is close enough to be considered "on time". My brother struggles with these new definitions of time keeping, but he'll catch on....

Tourist time!! We hit the sights.... Brother Matthew and Sue....



Pike place market replete with artisans producing a range of souvenirs, and fish throwing sea food vendors....



We take an underground tour of the old city, constructed when Seattle was a supply town to miners struck by gold fever. Lacking adequate sanitation, town planners decided to construct a new city above the old one, a process taking a number of years and leading to such anomalies as roads being temporarily 30 feet above sidewalks, making crossings slightly hazardous - even resulting in several deaths. Present day buildings bizarrely show former windows and door ways scythed in half by the current street level. It's an excellent and irreverent tour run with a comedy slant - well worth a look.

We visit the Seattle's signature space needle building constructed for the 1962 World trade fair for stunning city views and impressive exhibition....



Underwater at the aquarium....



Of course we drink the obligatory coffee at Starbucks... Seattle is a great city and it's great to see my brother again for a few days....