We took a drive to Marrowstone Island. That's on the Olympic Peninsula just south of Port Townsend. We drove south on I-5 to Olympia then north on US 101 along Hood Canal to Quilcene then took the road to Chimacum and east to Marrowstone. I took us 90 miniutes to go the 88 miles to Shelton. My brother and dad live there so it was just another trip that far. Then out to Hood Canal. We stopped at a wide spot at "The Great Bend" across from Union and strolled along the beach for a few minutes to stretch our legs and look at the water. I took a couple of pictures looking north. One can nearly see Canada, 75 miles away. I also grew up just 4 miles north of the Great Bend. We then made a comfortable 45 mph journey along the edge of the water and I pointed out all the landmarks to Lynn. There are several rivers that come down from the Olympic Mountains. The main ones are, Hamma Hamma, Duckabush, and Dosewalups. I explained how the WSDOT and a contractor put the old bridge on rails, moved the old steel arch downstream and routed traffic over it until the new bridge was built. Some of the smaller streams have equally interesting names, Lillawaup Creek, Wiketikeh Creek, and the now deadly McDonald's creek. I was explaining to Lynnette that fifty years ago a truck and trailer had jack knifed on the corner and the trailer jamed the truck into the rock wall along the road killing the driver. As we approached the initial turn, we saw cars stopped in our lane. As the corner is nearly a 90 degree turn one couldn't see why we were stopping. As we waited for the flagman a WSP car passed us by and left the area. When it was our turn to GO, the traffic slowly rounded the corner and another horrible accident was evident at the same spot as 50 years ago. A newer large pickup had spun out of control and crossed the center line to impact head on a very large motorhome. There was the truck smashed against the rock and (on the evening news it was stated that a 13 year old was killed). The motor home had an imprint of the pickup in its smashed in grill and it too was against the rock with the rear end over the centerline into our lane. Behind the motor home was an SUV with a very smashed front end, the driver sitting in the seat. There were at least 10 WSP and Jefferson County Police at the scene. As we passed I mentioned to the last flagperson that this was the place that a truck driver had lost his life 50 years ago. She agreed. So when you travel north on highway 101, just slow down at the McDonald's creek corner because it is the sharpest corner on 101 and the deadliest. Another few miles and the highway leaves the coast of Hood Canal. It winds up Walker Mountain down and across the Quilcene river and into the town of Quilcene. We passed "The Timbers" restaurant which is on the left just before one enter the town. I mention the restaurant because I think that it is the only place to have lunch on Sunday between Hoodsport and Sequim that is anything different than a hamburger. Just before exiting Quilcene, the road to Chimacum leads off the the right. In about 15 miles one comes to another dead timber town known as Chimacum. The road does lead along some nice valley land and to the Port Angeles peninsula. We cross under the road that leads to the Hood Canal floating bridge past the Olympic Music Fesitval that is going on full swing into Chimacum. At the four way stop one continues on then turns right at the road that leads to Fort Flagler. Over Indian Island, the Navy's bomb storage depot and then to Marrowstone Island. We stopped for a late picnic lunch at the Oak Bay bridge Lions memorial park. Just us, a crow, and just as we departed a lone hiker. We stopped to talk and I asked him if he lived nearby. He said that he grew up on Marrowstone, and proceeded to tell us about the Island. We thanked him and left for the final short leg to our destination. There we were, 135 miles from Seattle by road, and just across the water and a few miles north of Everett. The weather was fine, the tide was in and ships were passing by. A cool breeze from the NE was wafting over us. We stopped at a county park, visited with some folks having a family reunion, they looked very closely bred, the sand flies had just hatched, then left for a drive south along the east coast of the island. Along the way we saw a lot for sale with a nice older live in garage on a lot about 100 feet wide on a high bank overlooking the water. This is the view for a property we looked at. It is listed for $225,000 and the taxes are $1,380 per year. We drove in and looked around, took down the name of the realtor and journeyed on down the road a couple hundred feet. A man along the road was doing something to his entrance sign, we stopped in the middle of the road and had a 15 minute talk with him without one car coming along. His home was magnificent, two story, 200 feet along the high bank water with a view of the shipping that would be perfect for an old sea captain. I asked about the water situation, the island is very dry and with only 6 inches of rain this year, there is a sign at every driveway reminding you to save water. He said that the county will be assessing all homeowners for a public water system soon. I asked what telephone company was present and he said Qwest. He also said that he had retired from Qwest one month after it changed from US West to Qwest and had went to a seminar given for US West employees concerning the change. The speaker had implied that the Denver based money was not to be trusted. He did manage to sell his stock before it lost all it's value. We talked about taxes and I mentioned $1,000 per $100,000 valuation. He said that was about right, stating that his taxes were $4,000 per year on his $400,000 home. That's outrageous for Jefferson County. Of course there isn't a job to be had in the county that pays much. So now we're 135 miles from Seattle and head home. Back to Chimicum, left on the Chimacum Valley road to the Hood Canal bridge. Along the Kitsap peninsulsa to Gorst. Left to Gig Harbor for a stop at the McDonalds, stretch our legs, get a shot of Seattle's Best. Off we go to the Tacoma Narrows bridge and the traffic now becomes a headache. When we get to I-5 after a 55 mile drive on SR 16 and other roads, the traffic is now stop and go until the Tacoma Dome. Finally we get up to the speed limit and steadily increase to the standard 70 mph on the long run into Seattle past Boeing Field, go left onto Michigan, pick up East Marginal Way, onto the Viaduct, off at Western Avenue and a few block to home. Whew. It's been 8 hours on and off the road. I love to drive and have done so for a long time. The 2001 Monte Carlo SS is very nice to drive. A great car for touring, fast, we set the cruise control at 85 in Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Oregon last fall, handles like a dream and can stop on a dime.
10:32:53 PM 
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