The Right Vehicle for the Task

The Olympic National Park–Washington state
Our May road trip proved most places are accessible given the right conveyance.  In addition to Skeeter, we now have wheelchairs to consider.  Since the girls* joined us, there is a new decision to make everytime we go somewhere–local and otherwise.  Do we take lightweight, small footprint Thelma or maneuverable, but wider Louise?  For this 4 hour trip up to the Olympic Peninsula (after the May trip, they all seem short**), we elected to take Thelma (and Skeeter, of course) for several reasons.  Everything is a trade-off, but it turned out to be a good call.  Our friends, Mark and Leilani, live on a family farm that dates back to the late 1800s. The doors are original and the doorways narrow.  I needed the occasional push over a threshold, but otherwise, navigation was accomplished efficiently with my feet.   However, neither Thelma nor Skeeter could handle the outdoor terrain.  For that, I needed a bigger boat (too obscure a reference?).

The farm
Mark has a great ATV (affectionately called Gator) and used that to give me a tour of the farm and the outbuildings–the barn, the honey shed, the guest house.  He also has more tractors, antique and working, than I knew existed.  They raise apples and honey—not a farm animal on the premises, except the dogs and cats.  It was definitely my kind of farm.  Mark also took me sightseeing in their 'hood' while Earl and Leilani biked along.  Gator made all the touring possible for me.
Gator


Ride the Hurricane
Always looking for an 'event' opportunity, Earl, Leilani, and her friend Mary took in the annual "Ride the Hurricane" bike adventure.  Once a year, the road up to Hurricane Ridge is closed to cars.  The 20 mile course runs from Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge at 5240 feet elevation. They left at the crap of dawn for the bike ride.  "Bye-bye, have fun dears," I would have said if I'd been awake.  Later in the morning, I went on the farm delivery circuit with Mark.  His honey is in great demand, so I got the scenic tour of the Puget Sound/Straight of Juan de Fuca area, while he made his deliveries.  Mark had to boost me up into his truck, but we got there eventually.  The truck was added to my growing collection of navigation vehicles.

After Earl, Leilani, and Mary's bike trek, the four of us visited the town of Port Townsend.  Once again, Skeeter came though, making the town and pier exploration feasible.  Certainly Port Townsend was touristy, but very respectful of the maritime heritage and beautiful historic buildings. The weekend was over before we knew it and I found myself anxious to explore more of the Northwest.
Port Townsend, Washington

The lesson:  A new venue may not be familiar and like home, but, with the right vehicle, it's out there.


*Previous post:  New Wheels: The 'girls'
 **Previous post:  The Road Trip: Part 1 of 5

Comments

  1. Border to Border 2015August 17, 2015 at 4:37 PM

    We were so happy to have you visit and now we are quite honored to be featured in your blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Scooter SagaAugust 18, 2015 at 7:16 AM

    Now, we get to follow you on your adventure via your blog. Earl is so jealous.

    ReplyDelete

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