Day 5, Travel Day

Denis decided he wanted to check out the Nature Trail at Champoeg State Park before we left on our car journey. We had tried the day before, but our bikes weren't allowed on the trail. When we hiked it, we knew why. It is narrow, with poison oak, and several fallen trees that need to be stepped over or walked around. It did, however, have wild berries which Denis couldn't resist picking and trying. They were pretty delicious.

The drive up 5, with large tractor-trailers passing on both sides was a little unnerving. Luckily, Denis is a good, steady, calm driver. Seeing all the trucks made me wonder what the average salary of a long-haul driver is. I was surprised to find that it is about $53,000. That hardly seems enough for someone who is away from their family for days, maybe weeks, at a time. I have a renewed appreciation for what these essential workers do to help keep our economy running.

We cut over to 101 at Olympia and drove up the east side of the Olympic peninsula. It was pleasant and welcome change from the highway. It is lush and green and mostly parallels the bay. There are few services along the road so we were happy I'd identified the last Chevron station for miles. The few gas stations along this route are off brand and are able to command a price they might not if in a more populated area.

We finally made it to Port Townsend and to our friends Bill and Susan. To reward ourselves and to stretch our legs, we walked down to Elevated Ice Cream . It is delicious homemade ice cream with some interesting flavors. The ice cream is sold by weight instead of by the scoop. I guess that's one way to make sure one server is being overly generous with their scoops while another is on the conservative side. 

We  sat overlooking the harbor enjoying our ice cream thankful for safe travels and good friends along the way.