Hope, B.C. is moments from the Interstate #539 which led us to the border crossing at Langley, BC and then onto I-5. While in British Columbia there is a province is called (GST) at the border you can claim a refund at the duty free Store which they would like you to spend on duty free items prior to crossing the border. There are certain qualifications for the GST Refund; which are; each receipt containing purchases over $50 for hotel stays or goods. These do not include meals or fuel. Beware when exchanging currency at the border as the rate is very low at the duty free shop.  We have traveled through Seattle several times on road trips and have learned that traffic congestion is a way of life for this region. There is no way around it. We opted to make a pit stop at Pikes Street Market and picked up some Alaskan Halibut at the famous fish market, grabbed a cup of coffee at Starbucks and watched the rain while we ate lunch at the pier. The market is filled with something for everyone and has a great panoramic viewpoint of the city. Riding a motorcycle and parking on the near vertical slopes of downtown can be tricky in spots but near the waters edge are plenty of level parking lots with elevators or stairs to the city. The market is worth the stop. We had a good time recapping the trip, reviewing the pictures we took, shopping for unusual items and talking about the ultimate end all too any road trip….. taking a long hot shower and sleeping in your own bed!

The rain followed most of the way home, but as we crossed the Oregon border the consistent drops turned to a slight drizzle. Even though it was late at night with the road trip in the final miles, the change in weather was a nice way to be welcomed home. We rolled into the driveway and began discussing what the final trip to North Dakota in 2007 might look like. It’s hard to believe that in one last trip we will have completed all 50 states, and it only took us 10 years to accomplish our goal. In recounting the adventure JillMarie just had one question, “How did we miss North Dakota?” The Ironman’s reply was “The tornadoes in Ohio chased us down below Chicago during the 4 corners road trip in 2003, remember?” With a smile, Sugarlips response was only laughter. Alaska done, North Dakota here we come!