Never Enough Travelogues Department

Last week my stepson Becklin was out of school for Mid-Winter Break and so Thea thought this would be a good time for us to take a little roadtrip up into the Cascades and see the sights. As I wrote to my friend Ken regarding the trip:

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Thea had this idea that, since we would get a late start, we should just spend the night in Issaquah, then head to Ellensburg and visit Roslyn along the way. Issaquah was kinda retched--dinner was at this BBQ joint that's a mockery of proper God-ordained Texas Barbecue. The hotel was tiny, puny, had no tub, beds fit for midgets, and an exhaust vent that constantly leaked condensation the whole night. We had a bit of a nervous breakdown around 4 AM because the news was threatening up to two feet of snow up in the passes--but it sounded to me like most of that would be up in Stevens Pass, not around Snoqualmie Pass, where we'd be passing through.

Still, we had Krispy Kremes and each other, and by morning Thea was feeling a lot more optimistic about the trip. So we pushed on and stopped in Roslyn. (Thea's a fan of *Northen Exposure* so for her it was a pilgrimage.) Then on to Ellensburg for a HOT bath and cable TV, both luxuries we don't have at home. All in all it was more like a road trip than anything else, but the view was gorgeous and after the Issaquah Incident things were very pleasant indeed.

FWIW, if you find yourself in Ellensburg, don't eat at Grant's Pizza. Their menu sounds good but the food is less than impressive. Bisquik pizza crust is dag nasty, especially when burned on the bottom and not even folded over a dozen times or so. The Super-1 Grocery has better pizza in their deli--better than Pizza Hut if you ask me--and it's very inexpensive. A slice and a soda puts you back a whopping two bucks. Just make sure you have extra napkins, or better yet, Wet Wipes.

We'll probably go back this summer for a bit, if only because Ellensburg is home to Central Washington University, which has ASL-speaking chimpanzees. Thea knows ASL, so with luck maybe she can talk to the chimps. I want to use her as an interpreter and ask them what they REALLY think of humans. "Tell 'em, 'It's OK, we're on your side, honest.'"

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Ken's reply said, "Chuckie Chimp say: "I heard THAT one before!"

And yes, Becklin was with us and enjoyed the trip too. Thought I'd mention that since I seemed to neglect mentioning it above.