Northwest Day 7: Ferry Tale

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Odometer: 1244

We drove to Seattle via Bainbridge Island, which we were curious about because a few friends had moved there in the past. The road to the ferry didn’t show us that much of the island, but what we saw was very nice. We took the 11:30 am ferry to Seattle. It’s a gorgeous day, with views of downtown Seattle with Mount Rainier in the background.

Celeste tries the SR-71 cockpit

A friend of Celeste’s had recommended the Museum of Flight, and it was early enough that we went there next. Located at Boeing Field, the museum celebrates Boeing’s role in aviation history, although not exclusively Boeing. Being adjacent to a sizable airfield, there were several significant aircraft on static display, including a Concorde and one of the 707-style (VC-137) “Air Force One” aircraft. Indoor exhibits ranged from early aviation history (I learned that the Wright Brothers aggressively enforced their broad patents until World War I) to the space program, with many smaller aircraft, including an SR-71. We all enjoyed the museum a great deal.

After checking into our hotel, we found a nearby Irish-style pub for dinner. We returned to our small suite and set up the pull-out bed for Celeste, only to find that one side was broken, probably by a child jumping on it. We requested and received a roll-away bed, only to find that it had a similar problem, and an uncomfortable mattress besides. Celeste slept on the couch; it’s unfortunate that the hotel didn’t catch the problems.

Mileage today: 78 miles (+ferry)

This article is part of a series about our recent driving vacation to the Pacific Northwest. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.