Mann Tours is always about 4 hours early for everything ..not today!

We thought it was going to be so smooth today. A two hour journey to the hotel and return our hire car by 6pm……. no

We went back to Dungeness Spit to say goodbye to our 🦅 eagles. We were so pleased an eagle was there on a post eating a long stingray type fish. We were able to get so close to it to photograph. We literally got hundreds of snaps among which are some really excellent shots as it stayed there for ages.

We set off on our journey calling for a coffee and lunch at Port Townsend. This time it was sunny and the town looked so inviting. We strolled around thinking we had loads of time.

So now it was about 12.30 and plenty of time….

We got as far as the bridge over the inlet and decided to stop at the viewing area to see the bridge and wide expanse of water. There was a submarine being escorted by navy boats towards Juan de Fuca inlet and the Pacific Ocean. A young sailor was there and gave us a running commentary on all we saw. It was so interesting. All about the IBMs similar to those deployed in Scotland. We got in our car to set off again but were stopped by the police. Next thing we knew all traffic was stopped and  the bridge was raised. We had to stay there for well over an hour until the submarine slowly was escorted passed.

I haven’t got my laptop it’s packed away so no photos today. But grandad said he’d send them for his grandchildren to see over the weekend.

We set off again after being made to wait until all the backed up traffic passed by …more time wasted…. Then the police let our only 4 cars go so mean of them, they could have let our few cars go first.

Well we still had reasonable time left for the 6pm deadline we thought. Next thing….

We were following instructions from the sat nav . Then I noticed on the road it was painted local traffic /ferry traffic. Vince said don’t worry the sat nav says go straight on…

“board ferry” commanded sat nav.  It cost us $16.50 !  It took 45 mins to cross over the inlet.

Oh well that will save us time we thought…….but no we were thrust straight into rush hour traffic jams towards and through and out of Seattle.

We got to the hotel after 5pm and emptied the car to take to the car rental. The sat nav didn’t know where it was and took us round in circles. So when we finally got there we had 5 minutes to spare PHEW.

back in the hotel it is full of 16 to 30 year olds all dressed up bizarrely in costumes as there is a my little pony convention in the hotel all weekend. The funny thing is there as just as many boys/ men as woman

More news tomorrow as we board the Princess cruises on the “Ruby Princess”

And  a week off driving for Vince!

xxxxx