Hot soup last night and breakfast in the morning… after 16 days on the road it was great to eat some home cooked meals. Linda thanks again for your warm hospitality.
After leaving Linda’s beautiful home we were off to another dealer for some additional service. Again, although we were there for a couple of hours it wasn’t a wasted day. While there, we were able to meet with Michael Reagan of the Fallen Heroes Project: http://www.fallenheroesproject.org/. It was a great pleasure to meet the man that has done so much to honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice. Please check out the site for additional information about the project and this very important work.
With a late start and a long ride ahead of us to Oceanside, Oregon and more work to be done in the Seattle area, Chris and Derek stayed in Seattle while the rest of us prepared to leave. Before leaving though we met with Chris’s “adopted” family, the Santiago’s, in the Tacoma area. The Santiago’s, a family of patriots, were very interested in the work Camp Hope is doing for disabled Veterans and promised to help spread the word.
Oceanside and another cold, wet ride… here we come.
At Linda's in Seattle
With Mike Reagan at the Harley-Davidson of Seattle in Lynnwood
After leaving Durkee, Oregon and the stories of close encounters on Oregon’s mountain passes we decided to stop for the night in Baker City, Oregon. We all needed the rest and were able to get plenty of it. Right off of I-84 we found a very nice motel, the Eldorado Inn, and the staff was absolutely fantastic. Thanks Melody and Lana!
In order to stay on schedule though we had a lot of riding to do. From Baker City we would have to make it to Seattle, Washington—Kristen’s hometown and our final destination for the evening. However Kristen also has family in Othello, just east of Ellensburg in Central Washington, and we had to make a stop there.
What a wonderful family! In Othello we met Kristen’s grandmother and grandfather, Ludean and Larry; an aunt and uncle, Janelle and Mike; and two of her cousins. Ludean and Larry invited us into their home for some refreshments and made sure we didn’t leave with an empty stomach. They all were very excited about the ride and the purpose behind it, and asked about getting involved. Janelle is an owner of a local fitness center, Anytime Fitness, with franchises across the US: http://www.anytimefitness.com/en-us/clubs/1323/Othello-WA-health-club. She brought us by the gym where she plans on posting our brochures, and while there she mentioned her idea of spreading the word across all of the franchises by getting Anytime Fitness corporate offices involved. The word is getting out, and the beneficiaries will be our Veterans.
From Othello, we were off to Seattle and Kristen’s home. When we arrived, her mother, Linda, welcomed us with a warm house and some hot soup. The soup was great! And after the cold, wet ride across I-90 between Ellensburg and Seattle, it definitely hit the spot.
Don’t forget to check Video Clips link for updates… talk to you soon.
Kristen, Larry and Ludean
Janelle and Anytime Fitness