Blogs from Washington, United States, North America

Final count down. Resan går mot sitt slut även om fortfarande väldigt långt hemifrån. Men några huvudpunkter är kvar. Med gröna (jag har kanske skrivit blåa förut men referenscheck gav vid handen att det rör sig om gröna kapslar) och röda Wahlgrenspiller i kroppen vaknade jag upp ok men inte hundra på mitt motell med partiell sjöutsikt på en ö sydväst om Seattle. Lite febrig och hostig men absolut i skick att uppbåda energi nog för att springa runt ett antal timmar på ett museum med 150 flygplan. En väldigt omfattande frukost levererades till mitt rum i lådor med både varmt och kallt. Kanske ett halvt kilo plastavfall återstod när jag ätit klart. Rent vansinne. Malibun tog mig till Museum of Flights och det var en överväldigande syn. Flygplan från alla tidsåldrar och både militärt och ... read more

Det blev ju en snabb omläggning av reseprogrammet och ombord på buss mot USA och Seattle. Sista natten bokad i Seattle men nu tre öppna nätter så varför inte en liten road-trip i Washington state. Hyrbil bokas för tre dygn. En så kallad "managers choice" så det kan bli vad som helst. Men först bussresa i + 4 timmar med gränspassage igen. Det rullade på. Jag satt bredvid en kvinna som var pensionär. Hon var från den fransktalande delen av Kanada men det som stack ut var att hon sedan 30 år bor i Japan, i Kyoto. Hon är gift med en japan och har varit lärare i franska och engelska på universitetet i Kyoto. Märkligt vad jag träffar på universitetslärare runt jorden. Nåväl - jag hade ju tusen frågor gällande Japan, japaner, japaners inställning till ... read more

The Coast Starlight run by Amtrak is the name given to the train which runs between L.A. and Seattle, covering much of California, Oregon and Washington state. It leaves Emeryville, near Oakland at ten o'clock at night, and all being well with no delays from the many freight trains which share the line, you should arrive in about 7.30 the following evening. The choice between a standard seat at 145 dollars and a sleeper at 600 was easy to make. The compartment was fairly modern, and as we boarded late, sleep was the main occupation for most of us. I managed to get a decent few hours, and awoke to the wonder of Northern California. Incredible forests and lakes, with The Cascade range of Mountains dominated by the spectacular volcanic Mount Ranier which was still snow-topped ... read more

Now our Alaska cruise was ready to get underway! Port transportation from the hotel delivered Susan and me to Seattle's Smith Cove cruise terminal at 11:30 a.m. Boarding the ship was easy and quick. Susan and I enjoyed lunch on the Lido Deck Buffet by 12:30. Cabins were ready for occupancy at 1:30. The Muster Drill was very different than in times past. Passengers merely checked in at their muster station, watched a life jacket demonstration, and had their ship cards scanned. Carnival Spirit sailed from Seattle at 3:30 p.m. And so, we were now headed “Way up North, North to Alaska, the rush is on…” as the catchy theme song from the 1960 movie goes. Susan and I had great views from our starboard side balcony of the Seattle skyline, West Point Lighthouse, Whidbey Island, ... read more

Our summer cruise to Alaska began with a prelude in Seattle. The United Airlines morning flight from Washington Dulles faced an hour's delay. Nevertheless, we arrived at 11:30 a.m. on a bright sunny Seattle day. Susan and I collected our bags and made contact with Premier Shuttle we had booked for transportation to our downtown hotel. Nearly everyone we encountered asked if we were embarking on a cruise as if we wore some sort of a sign! One woman at the airport shuttle waiting area asked me if I had ridden the Seattle Light Rail. I replied I had not, for this was my first time in Seattle since 1962. The Mayflower Park Hotel was to be our base until Tuesday. It is a classic hotel, opened in 1927, with a European ambiance about it. The ... read more

Some people ask how I became a world traveler. I guess I got it from my mother. Or did I? She never told us to be curious or seek out new places, but she made an argument to always dream for what you might not be able to have. I am a child of the 60’s and with that comes memories that are now hard to imagine. In today’s crazy over-protective world, I am convinced that my parents may have been jailed by the child protective peeps. Riding in the back of trucks, no helmets, no knee pads, we were left to wander the small towns with our friends as long as we were back for dinner. Basically, the world was safer on minds because we didn’t know we were supposed to worry. They were very ... read more