Hi everyone,
No recent posts on the website because its almost impossible to find any internet cafes here. The assumption is that everyone has laptop so WI-FI is creeping in lots of places especially here in Redmond – home of Microsoft.
Have been to some very pretty locations around the Seattle area. The weather has been amazing. Only rained on one day since I have arrived and most days have been gloriously sunny. Visited Mount St. Helens, awesome ( Americans says this a lot ) views , went to the top of Space Needle and there was 90+ mile viz.
Took a long drive out, 220 + miles , last weekend around Mt Baker and Snoqualmie National Park. Only saw half of it but got to West Summit and Stevens Pass both of which still had snow 5 to7 ft deep in places. Went to take a picture of myself in the snow and ended up knee deep in it. Saw Snoqualmie Falls, not as impressive as Niagra but apparently higher.
Tried to take a seaplane ride around the Seattle area on Saturday but it was booked up due to the nice weather so visited the nearby Hooters instead. The views there were almost as impressive as the Olympic Mountains! Also test drove a supercharged 400bhp Harley Davidson F150 Lightning King Cab pick up truck. Will never forget doing a rolling burnout in a local park and ride in it. Salesman happy to oblige at first but them seemed to get worried about the cops/the cost of new rears.
Spent quite a bit of time, hanging out & mixing with the locals who are just SO friendly. As a result I have ended up at a childs 1st birthday party, met some great people there and learned a lot about real estate acquisition, and also ended up playing poker at 2am in the basement “den” of the Seattle home of two waitresses!
Picked up the bike last Sunday and it seem to be a good un. Slight problem with a sticking throttle now rectified. Have also modified a GPS mount to take a new Sony Cybershot camera I bought, my larger digi has been playing up. Ended up at a biking event at a local sports bike and Harley dealership. They had one of those “dragrace” trucks and all the local boys were out racing each other on the rolling road fitted to the trucks trailer. Pretty clever actually as it recorded, bhp produced, reaction time, standing quarter time and speed PLUS maximum speed I witnessed was 192.7 by a Hyabusa giving 175bhp at the back wheel.
Yesterday saw my first decent ride on the bike, 230 miles. I headed north to towards Vancouver, thought about visiting there until I realized I had not got my passport, and buzzed around the country side before heading to a great spot called Fidalgo Island and then across onto Whibdey Island which is the largest contigious island in North America. You cross two bridges over “Deception Pass”, as the bit of water between the two islands is called. Its then about a 40 mile drive down the island to the ferry which takes you across to the mainland at Mulkito. A quick stop at the worlds largest building , the Boeing factory near Everett and then back to the hotel for 8pm.
Bryan, who’s hotel suite I’ve been staying in for the last week, returns from Chicago today and his family fly in from Manchester a few hrs later. I think they will move into there new home in a week or two. On Saturday morning I will leave them and head south on my travels proper. First few days will be spent exploring the Columbia Gorge and the Oregon Coast which has some dramatic clifftop scenery and amazing sand dunes apparently. Then its off to Tahoe or Yosemite!!!! Mileage so far is about 800.
78 days to go.
Loving the American people!
Ian
No recent posts on the website because its almost impossible to find any internet cafes here. The assumption is that everyone has laptop so WI-FI is creeping in lots of places especially here in Redmond – home of Microsoft.
Have been to some very pretty locations around the Seattle area. The weather has been amazing. Only rained on one day since I have arrived and most days have been gloriously sunny. Visited Mount St. Helens, awesome ( Americans says this a lot ) views , went to the top of Space Needle and there was 90+ mile viz.
Took a long drive out, 220 + miles , last weekend around Mt Baker and Snoqualmie National Park. Only saw half of it but got to West Summit and Stevens Pass both of which still had snow 5 to7 ft deep in places. Went to take a picture of myself in the snow and ended up knee deep in it. Saw Snoqualmie Falls, not as impressive as Niagra but apparently higher.
Tried to take a seaplane ride around the Seattle area on Saturday but it was booked up due to the nice weather so visited the nearby Hooters instead. The views there were almost as impressive as the Olympic Mountains! Also test drove a supercharged 400bhp Harley Davidson F150 Lightning King Cab pick up truck. Will never forget doing a rolling burnout in a local park and ride in it. Salesman happy to oblige at first but them seemed to get worried about the cops/the cost of new rears.
Spent quite a bit of time, hanging out & mixing with the locals who are just SO friendly. As a result I have ended up at a childs 1st birthday party, met some great people there and learned a lot about real estate acquisition, and also ended up playing poker at 2am in the basement “den” of the Seattle home of two waitresses!
Picked up the bike last Sunday and it seem to be a good un. Slight problem with a sticking throttle now rectified. Have also modified a GPS mount to take a new Sony Cybershot camera I bought, my larger digi has been playing up. Ended up at a biking event at a local sports bike and Harley dealership. They had one of those “dragrace” trucks and all the local boys were out racing each other on the rolling road fitted to the trucks trailer. Pretty clever actually as it recorded, bhp produced, reaction time, standing quarter time and speed PLUS maximum speed I witnessed was 192.7 by a Hyabusa giving 175bhp at the back wheel.
Yesterday saw my first decent ride on the bike, 230 miles. I headed north to towards Vancouver, thought about visiting there until I realized I had not got my passport, and buzzed around the country side before heading to a great spot called Fidalgo Island and then across onto Whibdey Island which is the largest contigious island in North America. You cross two bridges over “Deception Pass”, as the bit of water between the two islands is called. Its then about a 40 mile drive down the island to the ferry which takes you across to the mainland at Mulkito. A quick stop at the worlds largest building , the Boeing factory near Everett and then back to the hotel for 8pm.
Bryan, who’s hotel suite I’ve been staying in for the last week, returns from Chicago today and his family fly in from Manchester a few hrs later. I think they will move into there new home in a week or two. On Saturday morning I will leave them and head south on my travels proper. First few days will be spent exploring the Columbia Gorge and the Oregon Coast which has some dramatic clifftop scenery and amazing sand dunes apparently. Then its off to Tahoe or Yosemite!!!! Mileage so far is about 800.
78 days to go.
Loving the American people!
Ian