Etc...

Travel: Washington

Okay, so Seattle is plenty pretty, with views of both natural beauty (e.g., Mt. Rainier) and beautiful kitch (e.g., Space Needle).

Part of what makes Seattle special is the variety of neighborhoods it houses. We live somewhere in the neutral zone between Wallingford and Green Lake, and Cindy has a periodic periodical devoted to the area called the Wallingford Word. As Cindy likes to say, Wallingford is Seattle's second-grooviest neighborhood. Which is more groovy? That's a matter of some debate, but my vote goes to Fremont, which hosts the singularly groovy Fremont Solstice Parade.

But there's more to the state than just this fine town. For instance, Cindy and I have traveled to the San Juan Islands. Each has its special charm. I don't remember which one we took this picture on, though...

In any case, one need only drive a bit east to find small towns along and past the Cascade mountain range. The town of Roslyn is quite pleasant, has great sledding, and even quaint reminders of its brief glory as one filming site for Northern Exposure.

If you keep going east, eventually you'll hit Spokane, which used to be a major western city at some point. Well, sort of. Anyway, they built neat stuff there, and as long as the burning fields don't aggravate your asthma, it's nice to visit.