The Blues Road: Having Fun on Route 101

The Waterfront at Seattle

The Journey starts on 101

I can think of no finer way to leave a city than the ferry from Seattle across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. None of the usual terror of negotiating an American urban freeway system, just a short drive to the terminal and a mini-cruise to boot! The Seattle rain held off and the sun shone as the city disappeared into the mist.

Almost "Ferry Cross the Mersey"

The ferry takes you onto quiet roads more reminiscent of New England; beautiful fall colours and a relaxed pace of life. The parallels with New England were even more apparent when we visited the small town of Port Gamble. Saltbox houses line the small main street leading down to the deserted harbour. The town’s past prosperity came from the lumber trade and the now abandoned ferry terminal. The magnificent general store has been turned into a restaurant and gift shop. What must have been a three story “emporium of everything” has lost its soul and its purpose. A reflection of the fate of this sad but attractive little town.

The main street of Port Gamble with the general store on left

The old physicians house at Port Gamble: Shades of New England

The guidebooks identify Port Townsend as the start of Route 101 despite the fact that the road starts way down the state. This is one of the oldest towns in Washington. Its prosperity is reflected in magnificent commercial architecture and fine Victorian villas up on the hill overlooking the main street. The railways sadly focused on Seattle and the town’s importance dwindled. Jack London spent a night in jail here on his way to the Klondike Goldfields in 1897. He reputedly got into a brawl when he changed steamers. The town has obviously seen a revival, with galleries, restaurants, B&Bs and gift shops. A clear contrast from the depressing empty high streets at home in recession hit UK.

Jack London

One of the grand buildings of Port Townsend

The star attraction for us was an Ice Cream Parlour called “Nifty Fifties”. The shop is not original but everything in it is and the owner has collected items from across the US. Its like walking back 60 years into an “American Graffiti” fantasy, complete with a great selection of records on the juke box. I don’t know how the other customers tolerated our rendition of songs such as “Crazy” to the dulcet tones of Patsy Cline, but we had a great time, topped off by Liz’s ice cream soda.

The highlight of the visit was undoubtedly the cashier at the Bank of America who thought that Martin’s Yorkshire accent was sexy. We were delighted for him but at the same time somewhat perplexed.

The "Nifty Fifties" Ice Cream Parlour

A great selection on the Juke Box

Cream Soda at the parlour

Port Angeles looked rather grim and industrial, so we drove into the heart of the Olympic National Park on 101. The park covers over a million square miles and has a diverse and unique flora and fauna. It was the threat to this magnificent landscape from logging and human encroachment that led conservationists to persuade Teddy Roosevelt to declare in a National park in 1938. The great man visited the Park and stayed at Crescent Lake Lodge where we spent the night in one of the cabins overlooking this beautiful lake. This is a great setting and the Lodge and cabins have a unique position. One can describe the accommodation as quaint rather than luxurious. The last make over must have been many decades ago. Americans tend to be more critical of accommodation than we do and I am surprised that it has survived as it is. It seems to have been living off the Roosevelt legacy for too long!

Lake Crescent Lodge

Lake Crescent

The surrounding mountains are majestic, often lost in the clouds. The moist atmosphere has led to a wonderful temperate rainforest with gigantic ancient trees set in a primeval forest, with lichen and moss giving the lower branches a ghostly appearance. Thank goodness that the logging was stopped soon enough to save them.