Destination: Tacoma, WA Rachel's house and Edmonds, WA CLIK's house
We departed at 8:30 AM after saying our goodbyes. They were more "see you soons" as we were planning to drop Sky and Monica at Rachel and Chad's house in Tacoma, then head to CLIKs in Edmonds, where we would stay for the night, before heading south. Quinnbo was very happy to have his travelling partners with him. He did not lose his dislike for rumble strips during his vacation in the TCB Dog House.
Van and I were happy to be driving Schuyler and Monica to Tacoma, on our way to Edmonds. Super excited was Monica, who sat with me in the back passenger seats, while Schuyler took the second mate's chair. The drive went quickly despite the rain, as Monica and I are never at a loss for words. Sky and Van had time to chat as well. The 3.5 hour ride was comfy and enjoyable with new passengers to converse with.
We arrived at Rachel and Chad's and enjoyed seeing their cute, downtown bungalo, purchased after moving to Tacoma almost 3 years ago.
Chad was away saving lives and we were sorry to miss him. We said hello to Dobby, their rescue pup behind the guest room door, who had social disabilities. Kudos to Rachel and Chad for working so hard to make a good life for this rescued pooch.
We enjoyed seeing Rachel's cute neighborhood and especially, their neighbor's festive and full holiday display of blowups surrounding the perimeter of the house.
After leaving our two passengers with Rachel, we headed to Kohl's in Tukwila, WA and purchased a 1.5" memory foam mattress topper to increase the comfort of TCB's Murphy bed. Although we had one more night in a real bed at CLIK'S, I wanted to be ready when we returned to TCB lodging.
We arrived in Edmonds, WA at 3 PM, in time for a walk around their beautiful neighborhood park. Quinnbo enjoyed the walk with Austin, their black rescue pup. I enjoyed Ian as tour guide, who knew every inch of the many trails (marked and unmarked) weaving throughout the park.
We had a complete tour of CLIKS charming house. They were in a major, six month long renovation to transform the ranch from a Brady Bunch style 70's home to a contemporary gem.
We enjoyed Linda's yummy chickpea and veggie stew with a side of Chris's grilled chicken, one of the healthiest meals we've had along our adventure. The evening entertainment was watching Quinn and Austin ruckus inside the living room and outside in the fenced-in backyard.
We enjoyed a cozy night's sleep under a quilt I made for my mom sometime around 1988. I think it was one of the first five quilts I'd ever made - a "Quilt In A Day" log cabin pattern by Eleanor Burns. Other than a bit of fading, the quilt held up well. We appreciated the bed after an exciting time in the Olympics.
Thank you TCB for your comfortable ride with Sky and Monica. This day of travel and seeing our families' homes was extra-special.
