trip3

Page 3 of 7……

Crater Lake to Seattle (Rt. 62, Rt. 234, I-5)
S: Covered the distance. Backtracked a hundred and some miles, then up 5 (65 limit in Oregon), burning the candle at both ends, to Seattle. I was up near 100mph at parts, once we hit the 70mph speed limit in Washington. Seems like cars that can safely go these speeds, for the most part, keep a reasonable speed. Me, I drive at the limit thru towns and near exits. I only go to speed when the road is reasonably clear and we have a long straightaway. Today's total mileage, ~700 in roughly 11 hours, including stops. Not recommended. Stop in Portland at worst (better, find a campground just south) if you're driving.
T: My job on this trip was navigator, which involves selecting questionable routes and showing some level of uncertainty at highway exits, and I started filling this role quite well as we approached Seattle. <grin>. I-5 into the city was full of cars darting in and out of lanes, and though they seem to signal fairly reliably they cut it pretty close. We of course missed the correct exit to the hospital but meandered our way down Broadway under much slower but comfortable traffic conditions.
S: The terrain and scenery stay pretty much the same all the way up I-5 thru Oregon and Washington. It’s pretty country, but it’s the same throughout. Not unlike the coast route, which I think is overrated (but if you haven’t done it, by all means check it out - I’ve done it two or three times between SF and Seattle and between San Diego and SF). If I want to go to the damn beach, I’ll go to the beach. It’s great as a destination, but I don’t care to follow it, with attendant winding two-lane roads (dangerous at best; if under construction, forget it!), colder weather, fog at night, etc., for 400+ miles. For traveling, gimme a sun-baked straightaway in the flatlands! I’ll go off on the twisty stuff for camping and tourism stops. We got to Seattle and the hospital, though, where my sister was having her twins. Oddly, the hospital staff at two different station directed us right up to sis' room, which was not appropriate at all without (a) checking that she and her husband wanted visitors and (b) checking us for some sort of proof that we had a reason to be there at all. Awkward moments followed w/the proud future parents... I shouldn't have been there, but thank the hospital for encouraging me toward their room without at least telling me what was happening. Mom was called in, and we waited for her. Then wanted to give her the first look at the new members of the family, and chose to get a hotel rather than staying at Pam's or Lori's as planned T: I got to meet Pam this night. The hospital ushered us to her very room, which we certainly didn’t expect. Steve went to talk with her quickly and the doctor came out and invited me to go right in. "I haven't even met her yet!" was my protest...it seemed so weird that they wouldn't call to see if these people wanted visitors at 11 pm at night, and we kept expecting to arrive at a waiting room full of family. They had just decided to get to the delivery room, and as Pam was wheeled by on the gurney she laughed and waved to me, "Nice to meet you!". That's probably the biggest example of grace under pressure I've ever seen, though the triple pass on the way to Crater Lake was pretty impressive. S: If we Millers are nothing else, we’re adaptable to whatever life throws at us. T: Heh, you got to prove that later when Pam tossed that baby over the bassinet at you.

Steve’s new niece and nephew