Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Days 1-3: Heading West to Reach the East

Living as we do two hours from Minneapolis-Saint Paul, it is not unheard of for us to begin a longer journey with an event in "the Cities." This time it was a Thursday morning Minnesota Orchestra coffee concert of Rachmaninoff's First Piano Concerto and Stravinski's Eighth Symphony--both of them incredibly powerful. It was a glorious day to add a pic to my Minnesota collection.

We are on our way to Erika's family in Korea by way of Steve's sister Pat in Puyallup, Washington. Friday night dinner of herb-rubbed grilled flank steak was worthy of the most gourmet restaurant. Saturday was glorious day. The kids all had activities on, so the four of us "grown-ups" drove to Port Townsend on the Olympic Penninusal for lunch. We crossed the Narrows at Tacoma and then Hood Canal. No time to really explore the peninsula--didn't come near the national park--but we got a taste of spectacular views.

Port Townsend is a quaint 19th c town full of gift shops, tea, olive oil, etc.

Found a great place overlooking the water for lunch in the sunshine.

View of the Olympics to the right.

View across Puget Sound to the Cascades to the left (but they kind of fade out to the camera.)

Just outside of town is Fort Worden, now a state park with an old lighthouse.
The current facility (much less photogenic) is fully digitized.

Patty and I climbed the light tower although she declined the last ladder part.

Mount Baker on the other side of the Sound, was pretty photogenic.

So was sister-in-law Pat.