WASHINGTON, 2003 AND
2004
Anil Mitra | Home
At the gasoline station there was no attendant at
the pump and so I realized that I had crossed from Oregon into Washington. I
have lived on the West Coast of the US for 21 years but had not until now been
to Washington. I felt a huge thrill…
Driving north that night, Friday, October 15, I passed through the
Washington towns of Woodland with signs for Mount Hood, Longview,
and Centralia with signs for Rainier, Olympia, and
Tacoma which is booming, and arrived at Seattle just before
Spent a few hours on the Evergreen State College in Olympia, tour of
campus, then applied for a mathematics teaching position available at the
Tacoma Campus
It took about thirty minutes to orient myself to the streets of
Seattle. I used my map but was tired. Found the International Hostel
[IH] and checked in
Friday and Saturday, I visited University of Seattle, applied for a
teaching position in Engineering and made contact with philosophy faculty with
interest in metaphysics, then spent a couple of enjoyable hours at Pike
Place Market, then on to the water front and aquarium, Pioneer
Square and the Elliot Bay Book Co., the International District,
Seattle Center and Belltown, the later walked around the Experience
Music Project, architect Frank Gehry, $450, 000, 000 project of Paul Allen,
Microsoft cofounder
There was a tour conducted by a volunteer at the IH of downtown
Seattle; I met some fellow tourists and we promised to hook up… but did not
It is similar to San Francisco in its layout, in
that it is next to a large body of water – the Puget Sound, and in that the
city is quite hilly. I enjoyed my time in Seattle but I think I would not enjoy
living there; Bellingham, with Western Washington University, 50 miles north,
80,000 people, Mount Baker nearby to the east has some appeal
Saturday evening, a tour of pubs… at first hesitant because tired and
lonely but then with the lovely buzz of spirits I livened up. Local beer at
Pike’s Place Brewery near the IH, Remy Martin at a locals bar on the main drag,
the local girls friendly, on to a desolate sports bar, and then to one of
Seattle’s show case night shows where I had a wonderful time of appetizers,
music – not all that great but lets pretend, dancing, here met some wonderful
gps, friendship
If I liked cities, I would love Seattle; if I longed for University
life, I would love the University of Washington campus
Sunday – piroshkis at the famous Pike Place Piroshki Shop; drive
north to Anacortes on Fidalgo Is. and ferry to Lopez, Shaw,
and Orcas of the San Juan Is. of N. Puget Sound… back to
Anacortes and down Hwy. 20 to the Keystone Ferry on Whidby Is. – no
ferry because of tidal condition that night so slept in my truck near the
marshes and marsh life with civilization and its lights here and there and
across the bay
The San Juan Islands are in the Sound half way
between the Washington mainland and
Tuesday – ferry to Hwy. 101, Port Townsend -> Sequim -> Port Angeles -> Olympic National Park and Hurricane
Ridge enveloped in mist… collected spring water shared later at work with
coworkers I did not see much in the way of vistas because it was
overcast, misty, windy, cold and raining but it was lovely to be among the
trees, rocks, mountainsides and creeks, and the ledges where I peered out into the
grey nothingness. Of all places, I am happiest when I am in nature. The
rainfall varies significantly in the Peninsula and exceeds 120" of rain
a year on the Western slopes of the Olympic Mountains. The lower
slopes are home to rainforests – I think I read that they are the northern most
rainforest.->
Port Angeles -> Lake Crescent
beautiful clear aqua blue and wind whipped waves -> Sol Duc Hot Springs ->
-> Sapho Hwy 113 -> Clallam Bay -> Sekiu -> Neah
Bay on the Makah Reservation
… one of the high points was a visit to the Makah
Indian reservation. Driving toward the northwestern end of the Peninsula I saw
a sign that said “Most North West Point in the Lower 48 States: 45 miles.”
Although time was limited, I did not resist the temptation to go to the “end of
the road.” The road to Cape Flattery, the most northwest point, was rugged,
often close to the edge of cliffs that went down to the Pacific Ocean. Inland,
the day was cloudy and calm; at the Ocean it was clear with high winds – and
waves smashing upon the rocky shore. The road went through Neiah Bay, the main
town on the reservation where I bought a permit to visit Cape Flattery. In 1999,
the Makah resumed the traditional whale hunt that had ceased in the
1920's. Thus far there has been one hunt [1999, successful] even though
permission had been obtained to hunt annually. I do not know why the hunt has
not been repeated. Perhaps it is due to the objections from environmentalist
groups… A few miles before the Cape, the road became unpaved and muddy. The
last ¾ mile was an easy trail down to the point atop what I estimated to be a
100 – 150’ cliff that overlooked the translucent pale blue ocean swell that
carried sea birds up and down with the motion. A sign said that the birds
and other life were attracted by the nutrients carried down to the ocean by the
deep canyon creeks to the sides of the point. Beyond the swell stood Tatoosh
Island with Cape Flattery lighthouse… I wanted to stand on
the point but the situation appeared precarious. I lay flat on the ground, legs
pointing inland, and reached out with my arms to touch the point
-> Cape Flattery and back to 101 -> Hoh rain forest where I took a short hike
In a parallel universe, in 2004, on Sunday, after the piroshkis and the Experience Music Project -> on to Bellingham, then on Monday morning, Western Washington University, application for teaching in mathematics and contact with philosophy faculty, then in the evening, Hwy 542 West. First on to Mout Baker Vineyards, 11.5 mi. east of Bellingham, 1.5 mi after crossing the Nooksack River [mmm.]
…Nooksack river valley, Glacier and excellent steak at Graham’s and nuclear soup across the road, to the road up to Mt. Baker and Coleman Glacier, then on to Mt. Baker Ski lift under Mt. Shuksan [blue-green Glaciers.] The glaciers are impressive for being at a relatively low elevation at this latitude: because of the degree of precipitation, above 6000’ feet [5000’ for north faces] is under permanent snow