Seattle and Olympic Penninsula

I enjoyed the Western Orthopaedic Association meetings. The lectures were good, and I had an opportunity to network with some of the exhibitors as well. The association arranged a cruise tour of Tillicum Village. The best part was the cruise to and from the island. It allowed time to relax and appreciate a skyline view of the city, both before and after dark. On Friday, for the exhibitors’ raffle, I won the Wii! Everyone thinks that that’s ironic. That afternoon, Hasan and I visited Pike Place Market and had a drink at the original Starbucks. After the reception, Hasan, Brad, Sarah, and I went out to dinner at the Flying Fish.

On Saturday morning, I followed my plan to wake up at 4:15 am, to leave the hotel by 4:55 and catch the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. Upon reaching my car, I found that both the front passenger and rear small windows smashed in. I called the police, filed a report, and then called American Express to report the incident. That whole incident caused me to miss the 5:45 ferry. Instead, I embark on the 7:10 ferry, and I canceled the Hurricane Ridge drive. On the way to Hoh, I stop by the Sequim church to see if I can connect with the Dowlings. There, I learned about the Forks church. I visited that church in time for the service, and because they haven’t had a pianist for almost a decade, I filled in for the closing hymn. The visit to the Hoh rainforest in Olympic National Park was worth the trip. Because of time constraints, I only hiked along the Hall of Mosses. Everything was smothered in moss. Then, I drove out along Highway 101 and headed south along the beach. Because my car was missing some windows, and with the temperature sometimes dropping to 58 degrees near the ocean, I tried to have the heat on full blast. It helped somewhat. At Beach 1, the spruce burls were interesting. From the sands, driftwood piles mixed with perfectly polished smooth stones line the seacliffs topped with windblown spruce trees. From there, I made my way back to the Westin, practically on time for the Gala event.

This morning, I took a walk in the Pike Place Market again. I had breakfast at Lowell’s, on the top floor with views of the sound. After packing up, I head to the airport in the vandalized car, returned it, then checked in to my flight. It’s been a great trip, seeming much longer that it really has been, and seeming to be more packed than possible for just a one week getaway. And, that’s how I like it.