6/10/02 11:44 PM Pacific

I think that today officially qualifies as the most driving we have done this entire time. So now, sitting in our hotel in Lynnwood, if I can get caught up on everything we did yesterday I will be very happy.

We stuck around in the morning just long enough to shower, pack and grab some food before we sped away from there. My lungs don't feel quite recovered even now. The drive towards the North was as pleasant as all our driving has been and the time passed quickly. Before long we had gone through Burlington and were into Sedro-Wooley. We stopped briefly there to pick up some maps of the park (that being North Cascades National Park), but did not linger long in that poor excuse for a visitors' center. Maps in hand we were able to figure out where we wanted to go, which turned out to be what I think was the real visitors' center.

As we drove on East and the mountains grew steadily ahead of us we were struck by how the character of the state was changing. The further we got from the ocean the more it seemed like we were in one of the Rocky Mountain states like Colorado.

Not too long after, the Skagit River appeared off to our right. What a gorgeous body of water that is, and what a colour! The water in that river (and in the lakes that feed it, as it turns out) is the most amazing turquoise you can imagine. Apparently there is a type of glacial silt which dissolves finely into the water and produces that particular hue. We stopped plentifully along the way and got pictures like these.

Eventually we got up to the main visitors' center where we bought some souvenirs including a book that lists day hikes in the park. Using this book we were able to find the scenic overlooks that provided these views

and the trail that led us to this river. If there is a perfect river on this Earth then I think this might be it.

We made one more stop where we saw some adorable mini-bears, a couple of huge ravens and a beautiful Steller's Jay. Then it was time to turn around and go looking for our Bed & Breakfast. It wasn't too late in the day, mind you, but we were getting worn out by all of our activities and wanted to rest. As it turns out we stopped just a bit short of one of the most spectacular areas of the park, but that just means we have it to look forward to.

We made our way back to our b&b—the Cascade Mountain Inn—with no difficulty whatsoever and got checked in very easily. I've already given my general opinions on the whole b&b experience so I'll try to be a little more detail oriented. I will just say that as nice as it was I think I prefer the impersonality of the normal ho/motel time. Too much attention makes my teeth itch.

I've a bit more to say about Sunday, of course, but I don't think I can wrap it up in less than thirty minutes and I want to go to bed now. I guess I fall a bit behind again. G'night.