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Gig Harbor is a small fishing town across the Tacoma Narrows from Tacoma. It's where Mel's parents Patty and Tom live, and they took us to town one afternoon for lunch and a stroll along the harbor. Mount Rainier The first time we went to Tacoma, we saw Mt. Rainier all of about five minutes over the course of a four-day weekend. This time, the white haired monster blew away the clouds with his hoary breath. We were excited when we first drove into the Tacoma area and saw the behemoth.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Yah, sure, to get to Gig Harbor, you have to cross the Tacoma Narrows, part of Puget Sound. Cherie's not a big fan of heights, and fortunately she didn't know about the history of bridges over the Tacoma Narrows. Had she known, I suspect this would have been her perception of the bridge we were about to cross. The first bridge, the famous Galloping Gertie, collapsed in 1940 when a strong wind blew it into the Narrows. I remember seeing the film when I was a kid, and it was Tom who confirmed this was the very spot captured in historic video of it's time. Click on the photo at left or at the You Tube link here to see the demise of the original bridge.

Friends and Family Tom and Patty opened their home to us in Gig Harbor while we waited for Matt's return from Iraq. It felt like a big family reunion once Matt and Mel were home, and the good times rolled in like a tide over our families.

The Tempo of the Tides After lunch at the Tides Tavern on our outing in Gig Harbor, we checked out the boats and small shops along the waterfront.

Tom protects Cherie and Patty from a fisherman poised to cast a net (a hair net?) over the ladies. Lucky for them, there is a catch and release program for mermaids.

Seattle

Pegha, Pete's girlfriend and a loyal Tucson Starbucks employee, showed us around the original Starbucks across from Pike Place Market in Seattle We also had a hearty lunch at Kell's Irish Pub near Pike Place Market. Ah, coffee and beer, just the remedy for a hangover from the previous day.

We took the ferry to Bremerton on our way home from a day of sightseeing and eating in Seattle

The Seattle skyline viewed as the ferry crossed Puget Sound

A scenic, peaceful harbor on the way to Bremerton

Sunset Strolls

	A couple of nights our families went for sunset walks along the beach at Carr Inlet. The ladies, below left, would take leisurely strolls; the men below right, tried their luck at heaving stones into the water. Not much has changed since junior high, apparently.

Mel and Matt spend an afternoon making plans on the back patio, a map spread out on the patio, chips and beer within reach. Worked for a few minutes, but they had other things in mind, as you can see if you mouse over the photo at left.

Seafood Dinners The Tacoma area has some very good seafood restaurants, which Tom and Patty gladly introduced us to. At Anthony's, on the Sound, Patty also introduced Cherie to the local brew, Mac and Jack's, which, surprisingly, Cherie really enjoyed...the only beer that has ever won her seal of approval. The restaurant's views made us feel like we were on one of the ferry's that sailed past the picture window, below.

One of the highlights of the trip was seeing our friends Jim and Mary, front right. They were neighbors and classmate when I spent 14 months at Syracuse University.

Mt. Rainier can be seen from Patty and Tom's backyard...on a sunny day.

Back to Nature
	Mel has an uncommon ability to get close to Nature, and sometimes Mother Nature returns the favor. When Mel took us to Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge for a walk, she flashed us her best Groucho Marx look by snuggling up to a hairy caterpiller.

Kids' Treat Matt and Mel took us to one of their favorite restaurants and hangouts in Tacoma, Steamer Cafe, on the edge of Titlow Park on the Tacoma Narrows. We ordered at the cafe and took our food out to the park, where we could watch the gulls, the water, the Tacoma Bridge, and bask in the sunshine.

Mel and Matt also met us at the Puyallup Fair, where we pigged out on corn on the cob, fair food, walked through the expos, admired the oversized animals and vegetables, and generally gawked at Mother Nature. Reminded us of the Michigan State Fair of our youth, except this fair also had a wine and beer area where we could taste the wines of Washington and Oregon. Dang, twist our arms. At left, an exhibit of fruits and veggies that looked like Pike Place Market in Seattle.

Speaking of youth, we figured if the kids could ride piggy back, we could too. Ohhhhhhh, ouchhhhhh, are those smiles or grimaces we're showing? (Mt. Rainier appears over Cherie's left shoulder.)

Birthday Wishes Come True
While we were in Washington, we celebrated both Matt's and Cherie's birthdays.		One of the two celebrations for Cherie's birthday was at Patty's home, where Cherie blew out her candle and made a wish. Voila ... The Perfect Man appeared out of nowhere, over Cherie's right shoulder, like an apparition on "I Dream of Jeannie." Unfortunately, The Perfect Man looks, nor acts, nothing like me.

Rooster Night Patty and her family are into roosters, and are proud to crow about it! Here Ryan, Patty, and Mel show off their fowl passions.

"Yeah, sure," Ryan is thinking, "the ladies can do all the finger pointing they want, just keep me out of it."

Port Townsend

Tom spent some of his childhood years in Port Townsend, on the northern edge of the Olympic peninsula, on the Pacific Ocean. One day he offered to show us around this Victorian era town. It reminded us of Bisbee, a charming hippy-artistic enclave caught in a time warp. The Hastings Building, right, in downtown Port Townsend is a tasty gingerbread concoction. Above is the logo of the Port Townsend Brewing Company, who's lookout shouts "Thar she brews!" Their tasting room is a great bar with lots of brews to choose from. (I bought a souvenir glass, but alas, it was empty.)

The Port Townsend Lighthouse, left, still stands guard over the harbor, just as the big gun bunkers of Fort Warden once protected the area.

As a young lad, Tom lived with his family at Fort Warden, on Artillery Hill, near the bunker above. In the building at left lived an old woman who the kids believed was a witch, so they steered clear of the spooky looking house and woman. I have to agree the building has an other-worldly aura, with a tree growing next to it that looks suitable for wood to make a crooked witch's broomstick.

The Ann Starrett Mansion, now an Inn, is another of the many architectural jewels in this out-of-the-way town. The Jefferson County Courthouse, below, dating to 1892, is a great example of soaring public pride at the turn of the previous century. The clock tower is particularly striking (get it, clock -- striking?, oh well) structure. However, with all the wine drinking over those two weeks, it could easily turn into your worst nightmare when the bells start clanging and your head starts banging. Run your mouse back and forth over the tower picture at right, below, to share our pain. By the way, Cherie thinks the tower looks like someone's head, with their teeth at the bottom, a nose, eyes, and a crown sitting atop the head. Methinks she had even more to drink than me.

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