Day 1 of pre-PCD road trip:
Anchorage Alaska, to Tacoma Washington, Mt. Rainier, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Total Miles: 400
... and away we go!
As I mentioned in the OP, timing didn't work out for me to drive down through Canada, even though I wanted to. But I'll be coming back that way! So I shipped the old totaled car, 2006 Infiniti QX56, down from Alaska to Tacoma, WA. And then my trip started with a flight to Seatac Airport.
Most flights from Alaska leave late at night, or in the morning dead hours, so people (and airplanes) can make it down to the lower 48 states to make a connection somewhere else. So it wasn't unusual for my flight this time to leave at 3:30 AM. UGH!!!
That did mean that I couldn't get more than a quick nap before having to get up and go the airport. I crashed hard on the plane, and landed just after 8 AM in Seattle. Good timing to go straight to the port and pick up my car.
One note: I'm starting this journal a little time shifted by a few days, so I won't be boring you with 10 full days of Orlando when I get there. So my trip actually started several days ago, and in about a week, this journal will catch up to be real-time every day.
My first Lyft driver didn't pick me up at the airport, so I had to call another driver. (My Uber driver was also 20 minutes late picking me up in Alaska, but I made it). Sigh. 2nd driver was fantastic, a nice Iraqi gentleman, and we had some nice talks on the way to the port to pick up my (daughter's) car.
Pickup from Tote Maritime was super easy from the Port of Tacoma. Just a few minutes after arriving, I was loaded and ready to hit the road.
That's the old car, right there. Out with the old, and then a week from now, in with the new!
To explain context, I bought the Infiniti QX56 down in the lower 48 in 2006, then brought it with me when I moved up to Alaska. Infiniti's GPS systems of that era, didn't include Alaska map data. Like... anywhere. Not possible to buy. So when I drove up through Canada, the map just became blank after the Canadian border, almost like I was driving off the end of the world.
So the map has been blank for the last 16 years in Alaska. Not a big deal, as there's other ways to navigate. It's just funny, to now see the screen finally start working again, after all this time, because she's now back in the lower 48. (with 16 year old map data, lol)
Okay, this may be no big deal for most people, but we don't have Chick Fil-A's in Alaska. I just had to grab an early yummy chicken goodness lunch before leaving the greater Tacoma area and head east.
I mean, really... who doesn't love a good Spicy Chicken Deluxe sandwich? Oh so good.
Since it was a fairly small detour, I decided to swing by Mt. Rainier National Park on the way eastward. In good weather, Mt. Rainier is visible from much of the greater Seattle/Tacoma area. I lived there for 4 years, but never actually went inside the park, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to include it in the trip.
Here, you can see Rainier from Tacoma. It's just a little hazy today, but clear blue skies and the mountain is out. The view will become much better and more dramatic as I get closer.
A little traffic at the entrance to the park, being a beautiful sunny day in an otherwise rainy Washington week, just before Labor Day. Washingtonians do like to get out and take advantage of the beautiful state. The park boundaries around Rainier are very much Pacific Northwest forests, with big trees.
I have a lifetime pass to US national parks, which I certainly exploit on my road trips, getting in these places for free. Woot!
I entered the park from the south, where the main road winds back and forth up the hills through the forest. Very pretty drive, although fairly slow.
Not too far from the entrance is a public area with hotel, restaurant, etc. I thought this old gas station was quite cool.
Getting closer to the top, an overlook gave a stunning view of Rainier.
The road summits at "Paradise". Reportedly named so, as the daughter of an explorer that discovered the site, with views of Rainier exclaimed "this really is paradise!"
Stunning views. Sadly, the park road that continued on, down from Paradise, with some very popular views, was closed for construction. So I backtracked to the southern park entrance, and took back roads out to eastern Washington as planned.
These backroads turned out to be more "backwoods" than I planned, even though they didn't appear to be so on Google maps. Pretty rough, winding through the woods. The Infiniti suspension is pretty good, a luxury SUV, but it's not the same level as BMW, and this kind of wore me out.
In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have added on the Rainier detour to what was already a long day with the flight, and start to the trip. But... it was quite pretty.
Past Yakima, the mountain roads started opening up a bit. Still hilly and beautiful, with features.
This is a big part of Eastern Washington state, agrarian farming with apples and fruit.
And then, leaving the hills, Washington transitions to flat farmland. Pretty to see from the foothills.
Leaving the hills, I picked up I-90 going east. You can see how flat is is, in contrast to the drive to this point. Since this portion of the road trip is a bit more of a "drive and get there" to drop off the car, I-90 will actually be my primary route for the next 2-3 days. I'll be doing a lot more turning and multiple roads on the way back.
Spokane, Washington, is on the eastern edge of the state. I'm not the biggest fan, mostly because of military experiences. I've done several military survival schools, learning how to survive in all sorts of global climate environments, and social/political scenarios.
Fairchild Air Force Base, on the outskirts of Spokane, is one of the primary survival school locations, which includes training on captivity and being interrogated. I'll just say that particular school isn't fun.
Shortly after Spokane, I entered Idaho, where I finally stopped my weary body in the city of Coeur d'Alene. I'll show that part tomorrow!