Northwest Passage 2014

Tomorrow we start a new adventure.  This time we are heading west and exploring the American West Coast.  My suitcase is packed, although I've thought of a few changes to make this evening.  Our boarding passes are printed, and the refrigerator is almost empty.  I have crossed out almost all the items on my to do list.  The list has been going for a few days and looks fairly disorganized, but it is working, and most everything is complete.  The garden is mulched, the lawn is mowed, the potbound plants have been repotted, and a list of friends have signed on to water and mow in our absence.  I saw the mailman at the box and stopped the mail.  Tomorrow morning we leave at 5 a.m. for Logan Airport.  Alaska Airlines will carry us to SeaTac airport where we will rent a car to take us, by a scenic and circuitous route,  all the way to Los Angeles.

Tomorrow night we stay at Paradise Inn in Mt. Rainier National Park.  There is neither wifi nor cell phone coverage, and I think there will be snow nearby, but I am hoping for spring wildflowers on the edge of the snow cover, and a stunning view of the mountain.  So I will begin my blog with a couple blank days.  But I'm hoping that the photos I take will make the wait worthwhile.

This trip is about East Coast dwellers discovering the West Coast.  Of course we've been to LA frequently, but the northwest states, the stunning wilderness, the great mountains, will be full of adventurous discovery.

We hope to sight several mountains:  Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mt Olympus, Mt. Hood, Mt. Baker.  And between the lakes, the Pacific Ocean, the giant trees and rain forests, hot springs and waterfalls, we hope to glimpse birds, fish and wildlife.  We have packed for all weather, from hot summer to cold nights.  In Seattle we will go to the ballet and in LA we will take the family to a baseball game:  Dodgers vs. Cardinals.  There will be museums, hikes, fishing and food.  We will stay with family and friends.  Join us on this trip.  We hope you can share our adventure and discovery.