Day 25, June 11, 2025
Miles traveled: 4,397
We were in Seattle. Morgan is a friend we met back home in Baltimore. Actually, David met him during the MOCO Epic, a 40 mile mountain bike event in Montgomery County. He met Morgan, rode with him a bit and immediately invited him to share our house in Davis, West Virginia for the Canaan Mountain Bike Festival! I was a little concerned but David usually has a good sense of people and it was certainly true this time. Morgan is a joy and so are his wife and kids. They hosted us for a delicious dinner at their home.
Actually, Morgan lives in a suburb of Seattle called Kirkland. Sound familiar? It should, because it’s the Costco house brand. Upon searching, I was disappointed to find that there was no Costco museum in Kirkland. Bummer. Forgive my enthusiasm, but I have been resistant to joining any of the warehouse club outlets like Costco and Sam’s club, etc until very recently. I blame the aging process. I needed hearing aids but darned if I was going to pay $7,000 for a pair. A friend told me that Costco has a hearing center where you can get a $1,500 set of hearing aids, including testing and fitting by a professional. Couldn’t sign up fast enough and now I’m hooked.
I found the Northwest coastal weather to be a bit discouraging. It was cold and damp this morning.
David has appreciated my ability to ‘rough it’. Living out of a van is a challenge I’m usually willing to accept. Shower once a week at best; sponge bath in between. Sketchy bathroom facilities, where they even exist. Laundry at a laundromat only when everything has been worn over and over. Keeping warm. Keeping dry. Keeping cool. Keeping critters at bay. Setting up a very rudimentary kitchen at every campsite. But I love it!
It’s freeing because everything is stripped down to basics. Not having a detailed plan is very freeing. We do what we want, everyday. And the biking, hiking, visiting and sightseeing has been wonderful. Getting to know a beautiful location intimately because you’ve spent a few hours on the dirt is a great way to go.
This morning, I was having none of it though, because I was cold, tired and damp. David took a bike ride while I sulked in the car. Then the sun came out and just like that, I was back in business. Ready to roll.
We’ll be in Pacific Northwest for a few more days so I better get my act together and break out the raincoat!
Jane
The Voyage of the Tramper 