Day 51: Ferndale to Shilshole Bay, WA

Day 51 of our Great North American Road Trip (the sequel) saw us tending to some necessary activities before continuing on our journey, specifically oil change #2, gas fill up, and grocery shopping. 

Once these were done, we headed to Everett for a tour of the Boeing jumbo jet factory. No pictures were permitted on the tour, but we were guided up to a viewing platform that permitted a bird’s eye view of the production processes for the airplanes. We watched plane bodies (called fuselages) get all their parts including tail flaps and wings. This factory is the largest (by volume) in the world and is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

Did you know that a 747’s fuel is stored in cells in the wings? I had no idea. After the tour, we took a look at the complex from the Sky Deck and browsed through the museum where we walked through a space station segment (with drawers and cupboards on all four sides for efficient storage in zero gravity) and saw prototypes for autonomous flying taxis (the next(?) generation of transportation perhaps?). 

One of the current foci of Boeing is on creating fleets of different autonomous vehicles that can communicate and cooperate with each other to accomplish large, complex tasks. Frankly, this sounds to me like a recipe for world domination by AI but what do I know.

Walking through the space station segment.

Space capsule.

Autonomous flying taxi.

Oh boy - not sure this is a great idea…

Our afternoon was spent chilling on the beach at Picnic Point. We watched the tide come in, the trains go by, and even saw a seal/sea lion (impossible to tell which from just its head). The boys collected shells - Alistair is fascinated by barnacles right now - and seaweed. We all learned how much seaweed can look like plastic. We had to google whether what we found was a decomposing plastic bag or seaweed but turns out it was seaweed - crazy! The boys made some local friends and worked hard together to build a dam to stop the spring water from flowing into the ocean. It was an intricate construction project. It was heartwarming to see them playing outside with not a screen in sight. I wish this part of the day could last forever.

Sea monster? More likely a seal or sea lion.

Barnacles!

Train!

Building a dam. Engineers in training?

It has been a very relaxing afternoon to read and rest. Every time we are near the ocean, I wonder why we don’t live closer to the seashore. After dinner we checked some more chores off the list - dishes, collecting and throwing out the trash, and repairing some parts of the trailer that are falling apart (burner elements, cupboard door) with a visit to Home Depot for supplies. Good thing handyman Ian has all these helpers (and fixing skills, of course…and patience - so, so much patience).

Day 50: Whistler, BC to Ferndale, WA via Vancouver, BC

We had the most beautiful weather to conclude the Canadian leg of our journey. The sunny was shining and we finally made it to the Pacific Ocean!

After driving from our dump-adjacent gravel lot sleeping spot just outside of Whistler to North Vancouver, we visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge Adventure Park. On the way we saw a guy in a flying squirrel suit come in for a parachute landing right next to the highway after a cliff jump. So cool!

Capilano featured a huge suspension bridge (no surprise there), a tree top canopy walk, banana slug viewing, totem pole storytelling, guided interpretive nature tours, and more. Walking over the bridge was very wobbly, especially on the return trip when it was rammed with people. Did you know that banana slugs breathe, reproduce, and poop out of the same hole?! Shocking. We saw the Grandma Capilano tree - a Douglas Fir that is 800 years old! Amazing.

Our afternoon was spent exploring Vancouver. We entered the city through Stanley Park, driving all around to see the huge trees, totem poles and mermaid sculpture. We also got to see several seaplanes take off which was really neat.

After parking near the CBC building downtown, our city exploration got off to a rocky start in the Gastown/Chinatown area, with lots of streets closed due to the FIFA World Cup 2026 starting here in two days. We enjoyed walking through the walled Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden that we stumbled upon by accident. It was a welcome moment of quiet and calm for the boys after seeing many people living in the city parks and on the streets. Another highlight was the steam clock in Gastown, though the sign on the clock said the clock was currently undergoing maintenance (even though it was producing steam).

Next we walked along the seawall all the way to Granville Island. We stopped for mango gelato along the way, which we ate while watching the sail boats. We saw a pirate ship firing water cannons and a fancy police patrol ship. The markets on Granville Island were a hit. We bought some fancy meat sticks for hiking and spent a long time looking at all the offerings from shellfish to unicorn cakes. We visited with the silver statue, who was really a man, and checked out Jack and the Beanstalk at the Kids’ Market.

After a slightly harrowing Uber ride back to our truck, we had the pleasure of heading to Auntie Catriona and Uncle Nick’s house in East Vancouver for a very fancy supper. We feasted on perfectly grilled steak and salmon with corn on the cob, fresh veggies, and salad - served on real dinner plates (Ian’s only request). It was delicious and such a treat. Thank you so much Hippman Alexander family for hosting us. It was wonderful to see you!

After supper, hugs and goodbyes, we were off again. We crossed the border into the USA at the Peace Arch, heading into Washington State. We’re back in the USA now for the remainder of the trip, as we zigzag down the West Coast until we reach Northern California and then head into the desert.