Day 14 (Leavenworth - Sequim)

A morning swim in the motel pool has 3 good reasons. First, it wakes you up, second, in this case you can have breakfast there, and third, no one is there at 7:30 am. So even my meager bagel with cream cheese tastes better under the morning sun of Washington than in a stuffy breakfast room, and then you get in your car full of enthusiasm, which will take you to the Olympic Peninsula today.

First of all, we drive through the mountain landscape, which reminds me of the Alps, so at least yesterday's Bavarian village fits in scenically. After an hour, the drive slows down dramatically, and we are stuck in a bit of traffic. Many vacationers seem to have used the weekend to come from Seattle to the hinterland, and now everything is on the return trip.

Even the interstate becomes significantly wider as we continue to enter the greater Seattle area, and when we finally arrive at the ferry that will take us from Edmonds to Kingston, we initially miss the huge backup that has formed and take an extra lap. We don't want to cut in line. When we are back in the lane, it takes a while and we make it to the toll booth where we want to pay our $26 for the short crossing. The young girl in the ticket booth asks us if we cut in line. We vehemently deny it (which we didn't do), and although she initially asks us to take another extra lap, she eventually accepts our assurance that we definitely did not do that. Since then, I have been wondering where she got this information from. But it doesn't matter - we are in lane 3. After a short time, they fill the ferry at a breathtaking pace. No comparison to the ferries in England that I have used several times - here it goes quickly, and the ship is full.

The crossing takes less than 30 minutes, and we enjoy the Puget Sound, which provides a magnificent panorama for the crossing. The unloading is done at a similar pace, and after a while, the exit traffic has also eased. An incredibly long line on the opposite lane shows that the return traffic has started in this direction after the weekend - it is definitely not recommended to leave the peninsula by ferry on Sundays.

The vegetation is less dominated by conifers, and the proximity to the sea is characterized by significantly flatter landscapes. Our motel is an old building with a Japanese owner who speaks poor English. However, the rooms are somewhat shabby but incredibly clean, and little things like a packet of nuts, a couple of bananas, and bottles of water in the room make up for the lack of hip ambiance and make you feel welcome. Sometimes you wish for that more than a loveless breakfast, which is not available here.

The air by the sea is significantly cooler, and yet I enjoy being by the salty water since I arrived here almost 2 weeks ago. The lakes in Canada are huge, but they don't have the taste in the air and the breeze that this coast offers. In the evening, we make a mistake and order too much. The portions at the Oasis Grill in Sequim are simply not achievable, and the appetizer alone would have been enough for me to be full. Once again, it becomes clear what Americans often understand as 'good' food. Lots of fried and fatty food. The side dish 'Tots', breaded potato pieces in the form of small croquettes that I get, would have been enough for 3 people. Never ever again. From now on, only salad as a side dish. Then you can enjoy the wonderful lavender that blooms everywhere better.