We are starting an adventure to the West Coast. We have a number of goals for this trip:
- Attend the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley. Although tulip farming was happening when I lived in the area as a lad, there was no festival. When we had the summer place on Samish Island, we were never there in the early spring when tulips were in bloom. This trip will allow us to experience one of the highlights of the area I was born. Acres of tulips in bloom will certainly be spectacular.
- We’ll visit my aunt Georgia, the last living relative from my Mother’s generation. Her daughter, cousin Nancy, is putting together a family gathering. Nancy’s husband is editing a copy of the 8 mm family films that my father took and I had digitized.
- I will spend some time sprucing up my parents gravesite. This may be my last opportunity to do so.
- We plan to visit a number of friends in the area as well. People we became close to when we had the Samish Island place.
- After Skagit Valley, we will travel to Vancouver BC and take the Rocky Mountaineer over the Canadian Rockies to Banff, Lake Louise then Calgary.
The challenge will be to get to the Savannah Airport in time for our 5:30 am flight.
Backpacking Bill 