8/29 - Drive to Seattle

Today was another drive day - about 6.5 hours from Bend to Seattle. Lots of RVs and trailers on the road because it is the start of the Labor Day weekend, and lots of 2-lane roads on the way to the Portland area. We were just glad we were going north, because traffic going south, especially around Seattle and Tacoma, was WAY worse going south. Apparently no one in the area goes to Canada on vacation, they all head towards Oregon. It was an uneventful drive with some lovely views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson along the way.

The highlight of the day, however, was the 'cousin party' that Beth had arranged for us. We are staying with cousin Beth for a few days while we are in Seattle, and she invited the Seattle cousins and their spouses and her mom over for the evening. I really enjoy my Seattle relatives, but living 800 miles away, I don't get to see them much, so this was a great treat.

The last time we were all together was a party several years ago to be sure our generation had all met each other before our parents started passing away. This is one of the downsides of having families spread around several states -- Wisconsin, Montana, Washington, and California -- making it tough to stay in close touch while we were growing up. But the funny thing is, we all seem to have a great time together, and tonight was no exception. The added bonus this evening was that some of the grown children of my cousins joined the party too and they were just as fun and interesting as their parents.

Now all we have to do is convince them to visit us in Mill Valley, tho the house will not hold more than a few at a time!