Day Trip – Page 47 – Sequim Daily Photo

Seattle shoreline

We went to Seattle for a couple of days recently. The city has changed a lot since the first time I visited decades ago but it’s always stayed interesting. Now that I live in Washington state I have the pleasant option of sailing into town on a ferry. See the three construction cranes in this photo? It’s just an inkling of what’s going on in Seattle.

A lot of the waterfront and the city is under construction. Because we don’t go there often it’s always an adventure to see where we’re rerouted when we try to go from Point A to Point B. DH lived here years ago but so much of the city has changed his insider knowledge is dated.

Christmas angel

This is one of the most interesting Christmas angels I’ve ever seen. Found in a shop in Poulsbo last week.

Sluy’s Bakery

Back in Poulsbo again, here’s Sluy’s Bakery, a Poulsbo institution. Established in 1966 it offers classic sweet pastries, cookies, and breads that keep people coming back for more. Last week its windows were decorated with gingerbread houses made by owners and employees.

Lots of little houses were on display. Look carefully and you can see some of the sweet rolls displayed in the front window.

On my earlier post about Poulsbo on Wednesday a couple of comments expressed curiosity about the attraction of the Pacific Northwest to Scandinavian settlers. Authors Ruth Kirk and Carmela Alexander address this in “Exploring Washington’s Past”: Conditions on the Kitsap Peninsula paralleled Norwegians’ home-country landscape: a long coastline with many harbors where they could pursue fishing; dense timber for logging; and, once the trees were cut, stumpland to transform into farms.

Velkommen to Poulsbo

Poulsbo is a town on the Kitsap Peninsula. It’s about an hour’s drive from Sequim and is notable for it’s quaint downtown. Like much of the Pacific Northwest it was an early destination for Scandinavians and some shops and local events celebrate Poulsbo’s Norwegian heritage.

In the 1880s Poulsbo was 90 percent Norwegian and this was the common language spoken well into the 1920s. A welcome sign coming into town says “Velkommen” and is posted next to a large carved Viking figure. Rosemaling, a painted folk art design, decorates buildings here and there in Poulsbo.

It’s beginning to look a lot…

…like Christmas. And I’m not ready.

I innocently went to the post office for stamps yesterday and joined a line that snaked out the door. To be sure it’s a tiny post office. But it’s the longest line I’ve seen for quite a while. And I have two packages to mail that, well, I haven’t even picked out yet.

This is a Christmas display in Poulsbo, a little town on the Kitsap Peninsula about an hour’s drive from Sequim. I’ll show you more of it in coming days.

It’s back!

This oil drilling rig, Polar Pioneer, was parked in the Port Angeles harbor last April as it was outfitted in anticipation of a trip to the Arctic. Its subsequent visit to Seattle prior to its embarkation generated protests. By summer’s end its owner Royal Dutch Shell announced disappointment with its oil exploration efforts and subsequently abandoned the venture. Polar Pioneer is now back in the Port Angeles harbor to offload equipment and supplies. It’s expected to stay for perhaps a month or longer and its future destination has not been announced.

Washington geology

People living on the West Coast of the U.S. learn a little about geology in a tangible way: through earthquakes or the Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption. In Tacoma the Washington State History Museum has well imagined exhibits that bring this sometimes esoteric discipline to life.

In addition to wall photography that illustrates geologic eras and events, there’s a video map display that graphically illustrates the dynamic forces that formed the lands and mountains we know in Washington State. The map progresses through eras showing joining of drifting plates, volcanic eruptions, ice flows, and the tilting of the plate that created the Olympic Mountain range. Fascinating stuff!

This exhibit impressed us so much we brought home a new book on Washington geology and later purchased a second one on the recommendation of a friend.