Thursday 12th March

Having some trouble with sleeping, perhaps it’s still adjustment from the time zone shift, perhaps it’s the fact I’m trying to shake off a non-debilitating but darn annoying cold. Ah well, I’m sure things will level out. Another great day in Seattle. Started on the correct note with coffee and fruity doughnuts back at Top Pot Doughnuts round the corner from our hotel. Then it was time to jump in the car for our first proper driving excursion. We headed about 45 minutes east on the I-90 to the towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend, the land of Twin Peaks. First stop was Snoqualmie Falls, as featured in the opening credits of the program, a breathtaking waterfall to also be admired on its own merits. Atop the falls sits the Salish Lodge & Spa, the exterior of which is better known as the Great Northern Hotel where Agent Dale Cooper spent his stay in the area. Then we travelled another 3 miles east into North Bend, parking up round the back of Twede’s diner, also known as the Double R. We went in for lunch and the mandatory coffee and cherry pie, which was indeed good enough to satisfy any FBI agent or road tripper. Plenty of memorabilia on the walls and locals to tell you about the program being filmed. Sadly the place was gutted by an act of arson 10 years ago so the interior was somewhat different. This was our first taste of smalltown America, and what better place to start could there be!
On our way back we stopped in the Fremont district of Seattle to see the enormous concrete troll under the Aurora Avenue Bridge, a local art project. Then it was time to hit the town for the evening, we had found a few places in the Lonely Planet guides that we wanted to try out. Hit the jackpot first time with the Two Bells Tavern, a bar with a fine selection of ales and Colin, the friendliest and most talkative of barmen. We looked round a few more places in the Belltown district, known for its strange mix of divey but wholesome joints and newer trendy bars and eateries. After being put off by a few of the latter we found the perfect place to eat, Mama’s Mexican Kitchen, which had already caught my eye when we had passed by the previous morning. Had a cracking Elvis Presley burrito! After being turned away from a cool looking bar called The 5 Point because driving licenses were not adequate ID, we headed back to Shorty’s to finish the night with beer and pinball.
So, time to leave Seattle. It is such a great place, I’m sure we have only seen a fraction of what it has to offer but time is limited and there are a lot of places to go. Time to head west to the Olympic National Park, this is where the road trip really begins!