My friend Brian and I decided to got for a ride this weekend. This is a story of changing our minds at a moments notice. We started out with planning to ride around the Olympic Pennisula.
On Saturday the day before the ride we change it up and agree to ride to Lake Cushman Dam and Wynochee Lake Dam as these are Washington State BMW club ride targets on the and on Brian's list. We agree to meet at McDonald's in Federal Way at 9:00am and ride to Lake Cushman mostly by freeway.Sunday morning dawns and I am on the road soon stopping to get gas at Costo in Federal Way for about 3.40 a gallon. Nice to see prices less than $4 a gallon. I arrive at McDonalds at 8:35 figuring for once I would show up before Brian. No way as he arrived 15 minutes prior.
We trade stories, have some coffee and I have McMuffin. I suggest we avoid the freeway take an alternate route providing a better view of the mountains around Lake Cushman. We are hoping for clear skies for a photo opportunity.
We go down I-5 and across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge known by all first year Mechanical Engineering students as Galloping Gertie. In 1940 the original bridge went splash to to resonant frequency and aerodynamic issues.
Narrow Bridge in 1940 just before splash down.
Narrows Bridges Today
We head to Waunu, Washington where I wanna take picture a of this tree and Puget Sound.
We follow Hwy 302 through Victor to Hwy 106 once again rejoining Puget Sound and terrific views of the shoreline, like this one.
We decide to continue to Lake Cushman as there was some blue sky in the area and hope for some views.This is what we got. Bummer.
I have done better but I am still looking for the time when I can improve on this photo.
Yours truly at Lake Cushman dam.
The plan was continue to Wynochee Dam, but this ride is about change. I have been leading the entire ride. About 2 miles before the exit before the Little Creek Casino Brian takes the lead. I know something's up and I think I know what.
We now have a RTE.
The Little Creek Casino has a terrific buffet lunch featuring seafood, including steamed clams, salmon, dungeness and snow crab. Yummie! This is a favorite RTE for us and you can see why.
At lunch we agree on more change. Instead of going to the Wynochee Dam we decide to reverse course and head north along Hood Canal on Hwy 101. The reason for the reversal is to avoid rain. Radar on the web page we looked shows rain south so let's go north! So we did.
Along Hwy 101 I shot this photo.
There was fishing boat on Hood Canal working on Sunday.
Not long after it starting raining. So much for avoiding the rain. We could see clearing north east of Quilcene so we knew this would be short lived. And it was.
We get to the Hood Canal Bridge a floating bridge. In 1979 the bridge sunk during a storm. I imagine fans of Led Zeppelin pulled up to listen to The Crunge where Robert Plant ends the song asking the question, "Where's that confounded bridge?"
Hood Canal Bridge today.
Looking northbound from the Hood Canal Bridge.
Looking southbound from the Hood Canal Bridge.
Brian behind me on the Hood Canal Bridge.
We continue to Port Gamble where I shot this photo.
And on to the ferry dock at Kingston where I shot this photo of Brian.
And this photo of our ship coming in.
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