I've been reminded from time to time to ...
Be "flexible" with travel plans,
so that you can enjoy the many hidden "gems" that pop up along the way.
After visiting Denali National Park we continued north to Fairbanks where we hoped that we could find another repair shop that was willing and able to diagnose and service our van. Doug is fairly certain that there is a problem with the head gasket which, unfortunately, may not be a quick or inexpensive fix. When we got to town, we were warmly greeted by our friend, Maria and her sweet labradoodle named Maxie.
Does anyone want to give me another slipper to chew up??!!
The next day we touched base with the repair shop in Fairbanks and felt optimistic that they’d be able to diagnose and repair the issue. The catch? They couldn’t get us in for another week which meant spending even more time in Alaska. With that realization came the nagging worry that “winter” could be lurking just around the corner. Baby Beest is still chugging along, but asking her to haul us 2,000+ miles back to the Lower 48 felt a bit too "RVenturous" even for us.
There's a whole bunch of beautiful "nothingness" between here and there!
While we were discussing our options, Maria had a brilliant idea ... why not ship it back to Washington state like she did with her van a few years ago?
With that suggestion, the wheels started turning as Doug began calculating a fresh batch of possible solutions.
Three days later we were back in Anchorage. After prepping Baby Beest, she was ready for her first solo cruise from Alaska to the glamorous port city of Tacoma, Washington where we promised to meet her in a week.
We didn't know much about Tacoma other than it is an industrial port city that lies in the shadow of Seattle. As we boarded our plane bound for Sea-Tac International Airport, our expectations were not very high ... we just hoped that Tacoma would have better weather and be less expensive than Anchorage.
Like this fisherman's wife who was blown away by her "gift" from the sea,
we, too, were pleasantly surprised by this gem of a city that lies on the banks of the Puget Sound.
From the sun-filled walks along scenic paths,
... to abundant sweet blackberries along the way,
... to cozy coffee shops,
... and more than a few craft breweries,
... we found ourselves continuously saying,
"Wow, Tacoma, That Was a Pleasant Surprise!"
We booked a stay in an Airbnb in central Tacoma to hang out for five days while we waited for our van to arrive. Along with the beautiful evening appearances of Mount Rainier, our large attic room came with its own private bath and continental breakfast offerings ... all for less than half the price of similar offerings in Anchorage.
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Tacoma is the hometown of the famous glass artist Dale Chihuly and the location of his Museum of Glass. The sun reflected the beauty of the colors and contours of his art works that were displayed on the Bridge of Glass and in the surrounding park area.
From there we continued on the harbor path that led to the former warehouse area that is being transformed into condos, restaurants, and much to Doug's delight ... breweries.
Strolls through the revitalized downtown area rewarded us with views of stately architecture
... while the surrounding neighborhoods showcased much-loved Victorian houses with pristine gardens that thrive in the relatively mild year-round climate.
On the west side of the city, Point Defiance Park offers a green "escape" from urban life. During our visit to the park, we barely scratched the surface of 700+ acres of forests, gardens, beaches, trails, and cultural attractions.
We walked two and a half miles along the shore of the Puget Sound while enjoying the marine scenery.
A community of slumbering seals along the shore and playful porpoises in the water provided entertainment when we finally reached the outermost edge of the park.
A late lunch at Anthony's, a popular restaurant in the nearby marina area, gifted us with a memorable waterfront dining experience.
Refueled with delicious seafood tacos, we decided to forgo the bus ride back and instead continued our stroll along Ruston Way Waterfront, a trail that connects the park with downtown Tacoma. When we finally got back to our Airbnb, our feet were definitely feeling the effects of our nine mile "urban hike", but the beautiful and constantly changing scenery made those miles fly by.
With our urban hiking legs well broken in, we decided to take advantage of a $3 bus ride in order to visit Tacoma's "big sister" to the northeast, Seattle. As usual, Doug worked his magic (and consulted Google) to find a new brewery that also served up delicious fish and chips,
and a new coffee shop ... that actually turned out to be quite "old" in that it was the original Starbucks that opened its doors in Pike Place Market on March 30, 1971.
A stroll though this entertaining marketplace along Seattle's waterfront
... followed by a birds-eye view from the top of Seattle's most iconic tourist attraction, the Space Needle
... filled our second visit to downtown Seattle with fun new memories!
And just like that ... after five days in Tacoma, we took an Uber over to the busy Tacoma shipping docks to be reunited with Baby Beest. While her short "vacation" did little to resolve her engine issues, we were now in a much better position to have them taken care of.
And more importantly, I am once again reminded of the importance of being "flexible" in order to embrace the
Pleasant Surprises
that are always waiting to greet us just down the road.
Next up ...we'll continue to enjoy the Puget Sound area with a visit the San Juan Islands and a meet-up with fellow Hymer van owners in Port Townsend before making our way to Portland, Oregon where we hope to find some “pleasant surprises” regarding the prognosis of Baby Beest’s current engine "woes". Keep those fingers crossed!
