The place where I live....

[killdeer43]

....is between two of North America's most beautiful cities.
Closer to Vancouver by 40 miles, which involves a couple of border crossings while Seattle involves a lot of white-knuckle driving. I don't visit either one without a purpose. 8)

Of course, my backyard is quite accessible and beautiful and a lot less populated, thank you very much. :wink:

Joe

 

[frettedstrings]

I love the Mountains ! Here in Michigan, all we have are cities that named after Mountains:

Mt. Clemens
Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Morris

and a few others ! :lol:




-frettedstrings

 

[killdeer43]

I love the Mountains ! Here in Michigan, all we have are cities that named after Mountains:

How does Flat Rock fit in, Tim? :wink:

Joe

 

[Scratch]

Breathtaking scenery, Joe. City living is overrated IMO... :wink:

 

[dreadnut]

So where exactly are you, by Bellingham? Beautiful shot of the mountains by the way!

 

[killdeer43]

So where exactly are you, by Bellingham? Beautiful shot of the mountains by the way!

Bellingham it is. :wink:
I shot this on the way home from Sandy Point yesterday. This spot is north of town, by the airport.

Joe

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Quite unlike North Dalota, where you can stand on your tip toes and see the whole state.

Joe, why is the driving there dangerous?

 

[jmac]

I fondly remember not so long ago when driving in and out of Canada didn't require a passport or enhanced drivers license.

 

[killdeer43]

Joe, why is the driving there dangerous?

Too many people think they're better drivers than they really are, and there's texting, and eating, and rushing aplenty.
All Seattle traffic squeezes into a narrow strip between Lake Washington and Puget Sound and it's your basic bottleneck.

The knuckles whiten north of Everett and stay that way until south of Olympia. :wink:

Joe

 

[frettedstrings]

I love the Mountains ! Here in Michigan, all we have are cities that named after Mountains:

How does Flat Rock fit in, Tim? :wink:

Joe

No Mountains in Flat Rock, Joe ! The Native Tribes that lived in this area were most certainly correct in calling this area, FLAT ROCK. If you dig 4 inches into the ground, you hit solid clay and rock !


-frettedstrings

 

[ArchtopAnimal]

......... which involves a couple of border crossings while Seattle involves a lot of white-knuckle driving.

Is the National Boarder between Canada and the USA a straight-drive-through , or do you stop for paperwork ?

 

[killdeer43]

Is the National Boarder between Canada and the USA a straight-drive-through , or do you stop for paperwork ?

No way is it a "straight-drive-through" and I always carry my passport.

It's been a tough border crossing (4 crossings in the county where I live) since 9/11 and there's always a major flow of drugs to deal with, too. You will see reader boards a few miles before you get to the border, letting you know how long the waits will be so you can change your mind about crossing or not.
Different times of day/days of the week, 30 minutes to an hour is not unusual.

The key is to cross early in the morning and find the sweet spot in the afternoon between 3-4. Still, you will have to wait....show your passport/papers, answer a few questions, maybe allow a quick or detailed search of your vehicle, etc.

Last time I had my D-50 in the trunk, guards pulled it out of the case, looked inside, and in the process p*s*ed me off with their cavalier disregard for my GUILD!!!

You never know what to expect so make sure you're clean. :wink:

Joe

 

[davismanLV]

That's a beautiful picture, Joe. I'm sure it's great to live there. There's such beauty in nature everywhere.... northwest, southwest, wherever..... thanks for sharing that great "juxtaposition" photo.....

 

[killdeer43]

That's a beautiful picture, Joe. I'm sure it's great to live there. There's such beauty in nature everywhere.... northwest, southwest, wherever..... thanks for sharing that great "juxtaposition" photo.....

Thanks, Tom.
I often like to include a little perspective to convey the idea of scale. In some cases, that 10,780' volcano just dominates the landscape. :wink:

Cheers,
Joe

 

[rampside]

.show your passport/papers, answer a few questions, maybe allow a quick or detailed search of your vehicle, etc.

Living in Northern MN and my daughter being an ice hockey goalie, we've made several trips into Canada the last few years and it's always the same story at the border crossing. The guard will ask "what's in the big black bag?" and I will reply "that's goalie equipment, would you like to take a look?" and the answer is always "have a nice day" and they wave us through. If you are familiar with ice hockey, you will understand why. :lol: :lol: