In between:

Getting out of Dodge, everything went smoothly for a change... If you don’t count Liz freezing up at a Y in the road that put us miles in the wrong direction with minutes to the deadline for dropping off the camper van. We made it. The camper people called a cab (we were only a mile or so from the airport) and we were there with hours to spare before our flight.

Hawaiian Air Sydney to Honolulu was great. It was an overnight flight and we expected the abuse normal to domestic U.S. carriers. Instead, we got real food ! Honolulu to Seattle on Delta was a different matter. $120 on top of the ticket price for checked luggage + peanuts thrown at you like you were monkeys in the zoo. And they act like they're doing us a favor, flying the unfriendly skies. Well… #$*& on ya I say!

Honolulu wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Not too big. Great waterfront. Nice ambiance. Waikiki was crowded but nothing to compare to Mexico during Easter. It’s hard to get excited though, after all the beaches we’ve seen. Yeah, I know… Lo siento, pobrecitas!

Food was cheap compared to Australia and gas is almost free! Oz is over $5 a gallon. All you non -smokers will gleefully note that smokes in Australia pay $17 a pack but sad to note that bad rum is $40 for 750ml. I don’t smoke so Ptttthhhh! No sympathy from me!

Day two we drove cross island to visit with relations of one of our YC buddies in Edmonds. Bob is part if the Hawaiian Eye Foundation and was in Tonga right after the Tsunami. He’s also a sailor. His Niece was visiting and we discovered that she had signed aboard a smallish trawler yacht for a voyage from Sydney to Thailand so I gave her links to other sailor’s blogs who were there now.

Hawaii to Seattle was another overnighter, but the climate at the end was something we’ve not experienced in nearly five years! We took a 40 degree drop in five minutes! Good thing we thought to rug-up before we left Honolulu. “TWO TRAVELERS FOUND FROZEN IN SEATAC TERMINAL.” Wouldn’t look good on your record, Seattle.

We’re settling in, but I don’t think I’ll ever be warm. Seattleites are in the habit of running around in the house wearing fleece. I have all these great T-shirts from all across the Pacific and two layers on top. Ok. Raise your hand. Who’s for Global Warming? Aye! There’s one for the opposition ya bark munching ozone lovers. Did Adam wear knickers in the Garden of Eden? I don’t think so.

Since I’ve run aground temporarily, my blogs will soon be covering another dimension in the continuing adventure. We take Home for granted but to other’s it just may be an exotic cruising destination. Indeed, we have some of the best sailing in the world - and I’ll stick to that claim with flintlocks at ten paces – and dramatic scenery to rival anything Europe has on display. In summary, the Pacific NW coast of the US and Canada are unbeatable in so many ways you’ll just have to come see for yourself. Plan on six months in each country, with Mexico in between during winter… then back… and forth. You may never leave!