Here is the difference between preparing for a road trip without a baby vs. with a baby:

Without a baby:

1. Pack M&Ms
2. Stock up on great 80s CDs (Spandau Ballet and Thompson Twins come to mind)
3. Hit the road

With a baby:

1. Pack several days worth of baby food, diapers, baby wipes, and several emergency pacifiers
2. Pack Baby Mozart CDs and beef up your lullaby repertoire
3. Identify all possible purchase points for whole milk
4. Organize a variety of toys and books in a dedicated “entertainment suitcase”
5. Book really big hotel rooms (suites, preferably) along the way with enough space for luggage, stroller, toy suitcase, baby bed, and baby play space
6. Map out driving itinerary that keeps baby in car for no longer than 60 minutes at a time
7. Contemplate laundry options while en route
8. Reserve very big car with age-appropriate baby seat
9. Scope out child-friendly activities in all cities of destination

By the time we landed in Seattle, we were seriously rethinking “Roadtrip 2008”. But when we laid eyes upon our rental SUV – a hefty conglomeration of orange sheet metal that P-Diddy himself would be proud to drive – we knew the trip must go on.

Day 1 - Anacortes:
Arrive in SEATAC airport and head northbound. Soenke almost crashed our Diddy-mobile trying to get a closer look at the huge Boeing Field, visible along the west side of Hwy 5. After 90 minutes of LA-quality traffic we broke out into wide open highway. A rest stop, a few impressive Cascade mountain sightings (Glacier Peak, Mt. Baker) and 26 lullaby renditions later, we rolled into Anacortes.

Anacortes is a truly happy, lazy fishing town on Fidalgo Island. I suppose its main claim to fame is the daily ferry connection to Victoria, BC. I love Anacortes. It has a main drag with a historic, artsy district, several top-notch grocery stores, and a slew of cheap motor inns. You can also park your yacht in the marina or kayak with the orcas. If I had unlimited wealth, I’d have a vacation home in Anacortes.

But back to our trip – we rolled into the Anacortes Inn just in time to witness the afternoon cheerleading session in the motel swimming pool (?!). In response to our request for a “child-tolerant fish restaurant” the gal at reception directed us to Randy’s Pier 61… where we discovered genuinely happy staff, really good crab legs, and a great view. I waxed nostalgic watching the sun set over Puget Sound, and Sophie kept us loudly apprised of the ongoing seagull movement around the exterior of the restaurant.

Day 2 - Victoria:
At 7am sharp, we were queued in the ferry line at Anacortes ferry terminal. It was foggy, cold, and I had packed exactly one long-sleeved shirt. We dined in our car on a luxurious breakfast of store-bought bagels, cold cuts, and stolen spoonfuls of Sophie’s fruit-in-a-jar. Thankfully, the sun broke through during the ferry ride, and we were treated to a visual feast of nature’s bounty – rugged islands, sea birds, deep blue water, and fluffy clouds. Sophie did not seem to take pleasure in this portion of the journey, and we were very relieved when she conked out in daddy’s arms.

Our arrival at Sidney on Vancouver Island was met by very serious Canadian immigration officials who seemed to find it unusual that we had a variety of citizenships in one auto. After assuring them that Sophie was, in fact, our child, we were allowed to cross Canada’s hallowed borders. I promptly got us lost, but with only 2 roads out of Sidney (both leading to Victoria) we eventually found our destination.

The Chateau Victoria is most assuredly the finest accommodation we booked on this trip. Our suite had a panoramic view of Victoria’s inner harbor, the backside of the Empress Hotel (and a beautiful backside it is!), and the outer water approach of the ferries and cruise ships. Soenke and Sophie quickly amused themselves watching the seaplanes take off and land from the harbor while I took a nap on the most comfortable hotel mattress I have ever had the pleasure of reclining upon.

With a successful travel day behind us, we were feeling perhaps unduly euphoric about our baby/road-trip combination, and made the ill-fated choice to dine at the hotel’s fine top-floor restaurant overlooking the city. The entire meal was spent trying to keep Sophie from removing the tablecloth (and all its contents). We took turns tag-teaming her so that the other could quickly eat. It was, well, an exhausting and expensive learning experience. Interestingly, our adjacent tablemates were German.

Thus conclude Days 1 and 2 of Roadtrip 2008.

Photos:

The Seattle skyline…

Rest stop #1

Our rapper-mobile:

The views from/of Randy’s Pier 61

Waiting in line at the ferry terminal:

Views from the ferry:

Sophie and Papa, in various stages of wakedness:

A short video of the view from our Chateau Victoria balcony: