I continued the hot highway drone northwest into the tawny hills of Oregon, and entered Washington surprised to be surrounded by massive fields of crops. After 500 miles, searching for lodging in Ellensburg, and being weary and wary of braving the hoofed wildlife of Snoqualmie Pass, I paid much for little lodging.

Following the next morning’s free carb-fest breakfast I continued northwest through increasing humidity and elevation, crested the pass and began what seemed like an endless descent into the  flow of Seattle traffic. I peeled off at Redmond and after many wrong turns inside the city-campus of Microsoft, joined my amigo Richard for lunch. He’d failed to mention that his left hand had been surgically replaced with a Blackberry-type device.  I kid…Richard was kind enough to bump a meeting to make time to see me, buy me lunch and introduce me to a few of his motorcycling colleagues. Thank you Richard!

Idling up to the Canadian border, I expected a fairly quick process to be let in, and with a victorious rowing through the gears I’d be on my way to Vancouver. The interview with the surly man in the customs/immigration booth was very thorough, and the fact that my stated origin of New Mexico didn’t match my Arizona license plate garnered me a second interview (although the second official was more attractive, blond, and female and less surly than the first). 20 questions? I wish. By the end of the interrogation the questions turned from officialdom to personal interest to “Good luck” and I was on my way.

Note to self: I started the trip in Arizona. I started the trip in Arizona.I started the trip in Arizona.