Fall Visit « Life in the Upper Left Coast

I started writing this in early October and here it’s the middle of November and I am just now getting around to finishing it. As most of my post seem to have been lately this one is about Peter’s visit. Of course there will soon be another because I pick him from the airport the 13th.

On the trip photoed below however we had a rare bit of leisure time before the term started so we decided to take a road trip. We drove up to Seattle and spent two days exploring and eating. We then adjourned to Bellingham to visit my step-brother and his partner. We had a lovely time, taking a walk and cycling downtown for some dinner and beer. Since Erik and Erin had plenty of bikes we used theirs. This little mini cycle instilled an unholy lust in me for a cycle-cross bike. Light weight, agile and fast but still sturdy enough to jump curbs and use tires suited to mild gravel I want one of these bikes like I have seldom wanted anything. It only made it worse to take one on a test ride from Corvallis Cyclery. Back to the visit. Deciding that another trip down I-5 was a terrible idea we detoured through Mount Saint Helen’s Naitonal Park on the way home and drove all the way to the crater lookout. Then down to I-84 and back to I-5. While this is a gorgeous drive I don’t recommend trying to do it all in one day like we did. We were exhausted for days. The visit was rounded out with Fall Festival in Corvallis and the great band Stairway Denied.