Formerly seasoned travelers, it has been over 2 years since we have been on a plane and the packing, parking, check in process feels so foreign – do we still have to separate liquids?
The airport is reasonably busy and I am surprised at the sea of cars parked in long term parking and the parking garage. unfortunately the mask mandate was overturned just this week, such timing, and half the people on the parking shuttle and waiting area are maskless. we choose to wait near those with masks on. i feel excited, apprehensive and anxious. fortunately it is a short flight. The plane is almost full; I had booked a window and aisle and trade my window for the middle, feeling grateful for the young asian guy wearing a mask who is leaning far over to the window, probably more scared of me than I am of him. I turn the air vent to high.
it is now lunchtime and despite our big breakfast, my stomach is rumbling, but I am not about to remove my mask. strange times!!
We land to gray misty skies and head north to Anacortes, a 2 hr drive through pretty heavy 5pm Seattle traffic. is this still pandemic traffic or is Seattle no longer telecommuting? Anacortes is a lovely harbor town, still off-season sleepy, with limited dining, but we find great salmon and cod at Anthonys, and eat in our room at the Salish Inn. The small new hotel reminds me of a modern European hotel, simple, clean and unadorned. We take an after dinner drive through a deserted historic and quaint downtown, a reminder that these are the places most affected in the past 2 years. It is a ”yacht” town and one looks cool lit up against the dark sky. We take an afterdinner stroll through a local market for fruit, cereal and snacks. I am amazed at the variety of muesli cereals, then Ray points out the entire row of frozen pizzas! I guess Annacortes has healthy eaters and fast food eaters!
