Outrunning the Rain
Except for the cold and overcast, we had pretty good luck with the weather so far. Today, it got tricky...
We had been checking weather reports every so often, but last night discovered that rain and thunderstorms appeared to be popping up all along our route home.
This morning’s plan was to travel to Bremerton, Washington, to visit with one of Ron’s friends from high school. While we did not want to change those plans, we wanted to try to outrun the rain. So we had a nice visit with Jon for 90 minutes or so, until we heard a faraway thunderclap. That was the signal for us to go.
Note from Cathy: Ron and Jon have been in touch, but have not seen each other in about 40 years. It was fascinating to listen to these two men talk about their high school shenanigans. I guess teen-aged boys are the same in any generation!
One interesting part of the trip was passing over the toll bridge at the Tacoma Narrows. The original suspension bridge on this site was known as “Galloping Gertie,” because of its reaction to the winds across its deck. This bridge actually fell apart in 1940. It was replaced in 1950, and a second parallel bridge was added in 2007. Now, one bridge carries traffic in each direction.
The rest of the day, we rode through cold and cloudy countryside. Occasionally, we ran into rain that was little more than a cold mist. Ron had to wipe his visor continually, and Cathy’s jeans got wet. Then the moisture stopped for a while, and the wind gusts dried our clothes. The wet-dry cycle continued until we reached the Days Inn in Vancouver, Washington -- where we stayed our first night out.
We watched TV, ate pizza, and generally relaxed.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
