STOATMOBILE WORLD TOUR! (all are welcome)

I could really use a vacation about now. I don't care where we go as long as someone else is driving and the tour guide is exuberant. Earl Grey with a drop of milk would be lovely.

And it's wonderful to meet you Stoat.

Aha! Sort of.



Not quite the same translation.

OK then, whose going to be our first tour guide?

Which place will it be?

Me, I'm happy to go anywhere!

Siberia, even!

Oops, Tardis® (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Here we go (but it ain't the same without ridinghood).

The ground crew has given their thumbs-up after their final engine check, and so it's time to set off on the first leg of our journey!

Travelers arriving after this post please be not dismayed; as the stoatmobile has a Star Trek quality transporter system that will automatically beam any additional passengers directly to the stoatmobile, wherever on Earth it may be, where a First-Class window seat will await you in addition to all other amenities enjoyed by the passengers who boarded previously.

Since I have not as yet heard a strong desire indicated by any current passengers to assume the role of Tour Guide right away, I will take the reins in that regard for this first leg of the Tour, and hopefully as we progress others will make their wishes known for leading tours on subsequent installments.

A special note to A2K-er Aa, who is having site login troubles and is viewing our journey without (yet) being able to actively participate.....please know that you are missed and I hope that you will be able to login soon. You have a First Class window seat and a side-table laden with Godiva chocolates and champagne waiting for you whenever you can make it on board :-)

Since the Stoat Cave and the stoatmobile's home base are both in Washington State, I'm thinking that a nice little tour to get us all started would be to the lovely San Juan islands, which is an archipelago in the Northwest part of Washington, bordering on Canada



Here is a high-altitude view to get everyone situated to our general location. This is the Northwest corner of Washington State, with Canada to the North as well as Canada's Vancouver Island to the Northwest. Almost dead center in the photo is the city of Anacortes, and the San Juan Islands are just to the West.




Here is a closer view of the San Juan islands. You'll see Anacortes again in the lower right. Anacortes is significant to the San Juans because that is the closest city to the departure point of the Washington State Ferries which take passengers and / or vehicles to several of the Islands, as well as to Canada.

So, I'm hoping all of this is okay with everyone. Is everyone comfortable? Does everyone have lots of their favorite food, drink and chocolate nearby? Good!

Since this is August and so is the high tourist season for the San Juan Islands, we will fly up there so that we can avoid the freeway traffic as well as the very long lines to get onto the Washingto State ferries.

The seat belt sign is illuminated, and we are now initiating engine warmup procedures. The tower indicates a clear runway and we are cleared for takeoff.
Taxiing to the takeoff position, and down the runway we go. Accelerating gradually so as not to spill Montana's champagne, we gently leave the warm embrace of Mother Earth and ascend, ever so gracefully, to the beckoning sky.

NEXT: ARRIVAL...WITH A SURPRISE

Ooooo, I've been to Lime Kiln Lighthouse a few times in hopes of spotting a pod of orca's. Do you think we'll see any?

<Psst> Hey lady, does this contraption stop anywhere near Deception Pass ?

Hey! just south of Moran State Park I see Olga. Is that where MsOlga lives?

This is great.

<stretches>

A sofa with a view ... and friends.




Who's got the back-scratcher?

Far out -- Washington is one of 14 US states I haven't visited. I'm looking forward to the journey, Stoat.

Aha, Aa will be taken care of shortly. In the meantime, we had our 'moon in Seattle (and the West Coast). {cuddles w/RP}

Thought you guys might like a bit of cheescake while we enjoy the sites.

Mmmmm, Montana, did you make that yourself?

Thanks

No, I didn't make this one. I picked it up at Google Images on my way over here :-D

It looked so good, I couldn't resist!

<murmuring>: What a relief to be *inside* the Stoatmobile at last, after 24 hours of extravehicular clinging to the outside and peering in through the portholes and windows. My gratitude goes to Capt. Stoat and to extrremely valuable player Jespah for correctly punching my ticket so I could gain entry. I hope the Stoatmobile establishment will honor my frequent flyer miles from previous Stoatmobile sojourns

Hi, everybody! As you see, I'm finally aboard, in my usual fashion, with no carry-on (or even carrion) luggage but clutching a one-volume edition of the Oxford English Dictionary to my heaving bazoom. Just eavesdropping a bit, I know that my nearby seatmates are the right types as judged by the budding conversation about a word - in this case, "tardis".

The cheesecake looks superb, but I believe I'll start with a glass of that famous and festive adult beverage that Capt. Stoat is so renowned for
providing his passengers. Here's my get-down-to-business toast: "Sip some soon!"

Aa!!!!!! Hey, long time no see! Boy, this is gonna be a great trip.

<saves a piece of cheescake for Aa :-D

It's great to see you Aa :-)

<gasp>!!!!!

It's Aa! <thud>

<shakes> Good to see you, Aa.

So, we're in WA state - this is great!

This is awfully exciting! (If someone would just be so kind as to pass a champagne flute through the door of my kitty carrier...)

Kitty carrier?

<opens carrier door and lets Syphercat out to play with the rest of us>

Here you go kitty.

Montana! littlek! Thank you both for the warm greeting.

Somewhere in this Pacific Northwest region there is a deciduous rainforest, so I hope all the Rainforest folks will have a chance to join us.

There will be no lack of tour guides, I do believe, with Capt. Stoat already getting us off to a superb start. And I have a faint memory that both MsOlga and ossobuco are also well experienced tour guides.

I'm captivated by those two maps of the San Juan islands. Maps are compelling to me, even those of such recent vintage that they no longer carry a printed note of caution at the edges: "Beyond this place there be dragons."