Heading East!

START:  Seattle, WA              TODAY:     115 Miles
END:      Marblemount, WA   TOTAL:   5,859 Miles

Twenty-five miles north of Seattle laid the largest building in the world by volume – the Boeing factory.  In 1966 Boeing was awarded a contract to build 25 747s for Pan American World Airways, thus construction started on this huge building to assemble massive airplanes.  With over 50,000 employees, the plant is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The entire Disneyland complex could fit in this building with enough room left over for a 16 acre parking garage. 

The tour was 90 minutes, a mile ½ of walking, a bus ride to the plant and back and very interesting.  Since Ron worked for Boeing back in his college years he was fascinated by the endless facts presented during the tour.  

Leaving the coast, we realized turning east meant we would be headed home.  Since we were only about 30 miles from the Canadian border, we had come about as far from home as possible.  Eager for more adventure, but admittedly missing our kids and grandkids, we made the turn leaving water behind and welcomed the trees. 

The North Cascades Scenic Highway intertwined with the Skagit River which enticed us into the Snoqualmie National Forest.  

The Alpine RV Park was just outside the west entrance to The North Cascades National Park. After a few chores, we decided to run into The Visitor’s Center to get a map of the park so we would be prepared for tomorrow’s visit.  

A short trail led us to our first glacier sighting, one of 300 glaciers in the park.  Cascades NP has the most glaciers of any of the national parks – who knew.  We viewed The Picket Range with Pinnacle Peak on the left.

A brief stop in the small village of Newhalem, which was a company town of Seattle City Lights that built three hydroelectric plants on the Skagit River in the 1920s, allowed us to visit the swing bridge and Ladder Creek Falls. 

 Temps reached 86 today – a real shocker after a high of 69 for the past few days.