View of Seattle from Space Needle
Washington was such a big surprise for me when I found their Pateros. The state of Washington, WA, to differentiate it from Washington D.C. which is the national capital in the East Coast, is the westernmost state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. And yes, I found their Pateros in Okanogan county when my niece Edel Gonzaga and her friend Glendyl Smith took me to its neighboring Chelan county’s city of Wenatchee, the so-called “apple capital of the world.”
Edel got to know about Pateros when her husband, Pastor Conrado “Ado” Gonzaga of Lynden United Methodist Church (UMC), went there in 2015 with some church members to help build houses which had been ravaged by a wildfire, the worst fire in Washington’s history. Edel and Ado were my hosts in Moses Lake, where the good pastor was transferred and became the first Filipino pastor in the city’s UMC.
The author (far right) with Glendyl Smith and Edel Gonzaga in Pateros
During our visit to Pateros, I found a record in its museum about Charles Nosler, a veteran of the Spanish-American War in the Philippines. In 1899, he arrived in Ives Landing with his family and renamed it Pateros, after noticing the many ducks in the place which reminded him of a village he had known in the Philippines. Pateros was officially incorporated on May 1, 1913, exactly 15 years after the Battle of Manila Bay. On its centennial, Pateros, USA received a delegation from Pateros, Philippines, in commemoration of their sister cities relationship.
Pateros will not be the only surprise awaiting me on my first visit to WA. My two-week stay in the evergreen state and a long drive traversing the Pacific Northwest to get to Oregon in the south and to the border of the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north was a fun-filled, educational, mind-boggling, and heartwarming experience. Pastor Ado, as we fondly call him, became our “driver/tour guide” in the whole amazing trip.
My first day in WA on June 12, Independence Day back home, covered Moses Lake Museum, Moses Lake Library, a thrift shop for seniors, and WinCo grocery which offers an overwhelming array of goods. There, I got seven kinds of apples from over 30 types in Washington state alone—cosmic crisp, pink lady, fuji, honey crisp, gala, granny smith and golden delicious—which I baked into my version of apple pie I used to cook in Beijing where we lived years ago.
Dry Falls, the world’s largest waterfalls—without water
Moses Lake Museum offered glimpses of what I would later see with my own eyes: Dry Falls, world’s largest waterfalls without water, catastrophic remnants of the great floods in the Ice Age 15,000 years ago (its elevation of 460 meters vs Niagara Falls of 168 m). The retreat of the floods during the Ice Age gave birth to the canyon below, the Lower Grand Coulee. Beside it is the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydropower producer in the US generating more than 20 billion kilowatt hours a year for 11 states, namely, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona, as well as Canada.
Another exciting find at Moses Lake in Grant County, which turned out to be peaceful, relaxing and exhilarating, was the Healing Waters of Soap Lake with the “world’s first human figure sundial,” and the Connelly Park. Our afternoon visit was capped by the “flight,” a sample-sized experience of four different craft beers at Ten Pin Brewing Company, which was awarded Best Brewery in 2016. It was a novel experience for a non-beer drinker like me.
There was Tillamook ice cream, which became my favorite, so creamy and a delightful partner to my apple pie a la mode
View of Mount Hood with windmills in the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
From my Moses Lake base, Pastor Ado drove us to Oregon Trail. The joy ride was scenic and lovely, with numerous windmills atop the verdant hills and valleys, and the view of Mt. Hood. We made a pit stop at Oswald West State Park, where a marker of conservation of natural resources honored Oregon Governor Oswald West (1911-1915) who set aside 600 miles of the ocean shore for public use, from the Columbia River in the north to the California River in the south.
Another pit stop was Astoria, Oregon’s quaint port city with its five-mile river walk, hiking trails, aquatic center, parks, boat moorages, the Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria Riverfront Trolley, and the Astoria Column.
Our next stop before settling down for the night at Seaside City was the Tillamook Creamery located in the city of the same name in the southeast end of Tillamook Bay in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve been intrigued by the name taken from the Tillamook people, a Native American tribe who lived in the area until the early 19th century. There was Tillamook ice cream, which became my favorite, so creamy and a delightful partner to my apple pie a la mode. In the creamery, we saw cheese manufacturing, and got free tastes of different kinds of cheese.
Our Oregon trail ended at Seaside City where we spent the night at Inn at Seaside. The city is beautiful, with the beach and mountain, and a lovely promenade built in 1920. A leisure walk in the promenade was a pleasant treat, with the view of the sea and the picturesque houses that seem to come out of children’s fairy tales. There was the monument of American explorers Lewis and Clark, and the spot where their expedition extracted salt by boiling Seaside’s saltwater.
The author at Lewis and Clark Monument in Seaside Promenade
According to historical records, the Lewis and Clark Expedition began in 1804, when US President Thomas Jefferson tasked his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to explore the Missouri River in the hope of finding a water route linking the Columbia and Missouri rivers. This water link would connect the Pacific Ocean to the Mississippi River system, thus giving the new western land access to port markets out of the Gulf of Mexico and to eastern cities along the Ohio River and its minor tributaries.
Lewis chose William Clark as co-leader for the mission, which lasted over two years. The Expedition had to overcome harsh weather, unforgiving terrain, treacherous waters, injuries, starvation, disease, and hostile Native Americans, even as they also met hospitable ones. Nevertheless, the approximately 8,000-mile journey was deemed a huge success, providing new geographic, ecological, and cultural information about uncharted areas of North America.
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is considered the ‘soul of Seattle.’ Here I found the iconic first Starbucks store
Winged Victory Monument for World War I heroes, Olympia, WA
The author and Ephraim Gonzaga in front of Columbia Legislative building
Sleepless in Seattle
On this Pacific Northwest trip, on our way to the Emerald City of Seattle of the Evergreen State of Washington, I feasted my eyes on the abundant evergreen forest reserves. Did you know that Seattle is not the capital of WA, but Olympia, where the stately Legislative building is? Our indefatigable driver/guide Pastor Ado, despite a backache, made a pit stop in appreciation of the place where the Winged Victory Monument is prominently displayed in the lovely park beside the Legislative building. The monument was erected in honor of those who died in the service of the country during World War I.
Seattle’s iconic landmark, Space Needle, built for the 1962 World Fair
Seattle is Washington State’s largest city surrounded by water, mountains, and evergreen forests; and contains thousands of acres of parklands. It is home to a large tech industry, including Microsoft and Amazon. I got “Sleepless in Seattle” when we walked from our hotel to the iconic observation tower, the Space Needle, which was built for the 1962 World Fair and drew over 2.3 million visitors. It has the world’s first and only revolving glass floor. You’ve not been to Seattle if you had not climbed Space Needle, said my generous host, who proceeded to buy our tickets after we had a look at the adjoining MoPop Museum of Pop Culture and Armory.
Author in the first Starbucks store
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is said to be the original farmer’s market. It was built in 1907, and is an incubator of small businesses. It is considered the “soul of Seattle.” Here I found the iconic first Starbucks store, which at the time of our visit was celebrating Asian-American and Pacific Islander month offering Heritage Exclusive iced ube latte and halo-halo frappuccino. “Mabili ito at mahaba ang pila (This sells well and the queue is long),” said the Fil-Am girl serving in the store.
Fruits at Pike Place Market in Seattle
Pike Place also sells the freshest seafoods, fruits, and flowers. And it was Pike’s Athenian Seafood Bar & Restaurant which was featured in Sleepless in Seattle, the classic starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. A few blocks from the restaurant hides an unassuming alleyway where “The Gum Wall” is located. The colorful hidden art of chewed gum started in the 1990s and has remained an intriguing attraction. I wonder if the unsanitary art continued during the pandemic.
I was fortunate to be in Washington during cherry picking
Raspberry Capital of the World
From Seattle, we took a long drive to Whatcom county’s Sumas City in WA bordering Canada. Whatcom is claimed to be the raspberry capital of the world. Pastor Ado did not complain about the backbreaking drive, even as he suffered from backache, all thanks I suppose to the non-stop Pinoy songs that kept us entertained. His many years of living in the US have not dampened his love of things Pinoy.
The author (far left) with Steve and Pastor Bob, Keziah at Samms Acreage in Sumas
Our hosts in the bucolic and beautiful acreage in Sumas were Steve and Cayla Samms, who have become good friends of Pastor Ado and wife Edel when the former was pastor in nearby Lynden UMC. The Samms warmly took us in and served us a most healthy dinner of veggies grown in their garden and a dessert of fruity and nutty brownies Steve baked, and ice cream. Add to that the sweetest cherries I ever tasted! I was fortunate to be in WA during cherry picking, and it was Rainier cherry, the golden yellow variety with pink and red blush, more than the dark wweet variety, that delighted us. Washington State is the top producer of Rainier cherries.
Lynden street decorated with flower pots and towers
Sumas could well be one of the high points of my WA trip. What a joy to meet Steve’s father, 93-year-old Pastor Robert Samms, Ph. D, who lives in a cottage beside theirs. Pastor Bob lived in the Philippines for 22 years as missionary in Mindoro, Cavite, Pagsanjan, and Quezon City. He founded the Institute for Training in Ministry upon his return to the US, and served as its dean. Steve himself was born in the Philippines. Pastor Bob would put to shame other Filipinos who can’t speak good Tagalog. I felt so blessed to make this wonderful trip and meet this amazing gentleman. Sprightly and sharp, with amazing memory, he, without a cane, led us on a long walk in their forest trail. Steve pointed out a spot where we caught a glimpse of Canada. The good pastor gifted me with a book by his late wife, Maryann E. Seidel Samms, More Exciting than a Circus: My Story; his own book has been out of print.
The next day, we proceeded to Lynden City after passing by endless blackberry and raspberry fields. It was a beautiful day for a walk along the boulevard of the picture-perfect city. Fresh flower baskets and flower towers are a sight to behold, making one’s heart sing for this sheer beauty which is a joy forever!
International Peace Park
We have covered a lot on our Pacific Northwest tour, yet the tireless pastor and my niece Edel still had some trick up their sleeve. In March last year, when I decided to go to the US for the June wedding of my niece, Bernadette Pelina, in California, and a trip to Washington State to visit my sister Edna’s daughter, Edel, and her family, I applied for a Canadian visa thinking I could travel there by land from WA. After completing the application online and having my biometrics taken. I was told to wait for email on sending my passport by courier for visa stamping; I never received it before my flight to Los Angeles last May. But on this visit, my wonderful hosts surprised me with a side trip to America’s landmark International Peace Park spanning the border between Washington State (US) and British Columbia (Canada). I was able to pose for pictures stepping on the Canadian soil in its border with the US.
In 1952, the renowned Black singer and leading advocate for peace, social justice and human rights, Paul Robeson, held a concert on a flatbed truck parked on the American side of the Peace Arch border crossing, to demand justice. He had been banned from leaving the US to sing in a concert in Vancouver, Canada. The concert on the US-Canadian border was attended by 30,000 people from both nations, as the FBI and RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) could only look on. The Peace Arch concert became an annual event until 1955, when Robeson was finally allowed to enter Canada. A Supreme Court ruling restored his passport in 1958.
What an irony vis a vis my case seven decades later. Edel laughingly exclaimed: “O, Auntie, hayan, nakatapak ka na rin sa lupa ng Canada! (Oh, Auntie, you still managed to step on the Canadian soil!)”. I happily thanked the couple for their thoughtfulness, and added that, actually, Washington State was good enough for me, and the trip was super special because of what they had done for me.
Snoqualmie Falls, east of Seattle
People of the Moon
Early in my stay in WA, Edel brought me to a Quilters meeting in the home of a member of the Snoqualmie tribe named Linda. She was given recognition as legitimate member of the tribe, and was honored with a quilt by the elders. The quilt showed the famed Snoqualmie Falls, now displayed prominently at the center of her lovely quilts in her Othello home.
Quilting is an American folk art traced back to the first immigrants who crossed the oceans from countries like Holland, France, Italy and England. It became a tradition in America, where people, mostly women, handcrafted family heirlooms and strengthened the ties that bound them as women, as shown in the US movie, How to Make an American Quilt. Linda is one of the most passionate quilt hobbyists in Washington State, who went as far as buying a digital sewing machine designed for quilts; it is as expensive as a car.
The Snoqualmie Falls quilt I saw in Linda’s house was now the actual 82-meter waterfalls right before me
After a most satisfying, nature-filled, and wondrous discoveries along the Pacific Northwest trail, I never expected that my gracious hosts would surprise me with another wonder on our way back to Moses Lake. The Snoqualmie Falls quilt I saw in Linda’s house was now the actual 82-meter waterfalls right before me. The alluring nature’s wonder east of Seattle holds a spiritual importance for the Snoqualmie people, also called “People of the Moon.” The fantastic sight to behold became a source of electric power in 1899, and to date, has two hydropower plants serving the community.
My two-week trip to Washington State ended with yet another surprise, when another member of the Quilters’ group, who’s also a member of the Moses Lake UMC, offered to take us to Leavenworth, a Bavarian-style village in Cascade Mountains of central Washington. Marci drove us to this Christmas-like village of Alpine-style buildings, thousands of nutcrackers in the Nutcracker Museum and store, and the “hidden park,” the Waterfront Park on the Wenatchee River where there was a warning on possible bear sighting.
Leavenworth and nearby ski areas
Leavenworth is like the Swiss Alps and is the gateway to the nearby ski areas and wineries. We got excited upon seeing a sign of the Edelweiss Hotel as Edel’s full name is Edelweiss. The day also happened to be her daughter, Keziah’s 17th birthday, so it made the day more meaningful. Keziah, who was born in the Philippines and who speaks Filipino fluently, was chosen to be one of three Moses Lake’s Student Ambassadors to its Sister City in Japan, Yonezawa, besting many middle school students in the city.
When my husband Mario, my favorite travel buddy, passed away in 2021, I thought I would not travel again. Ever. But knowing him, he would have wanted me to continue traveling for as long as I can, even without him. One of the world’s greatest story tellers for children of the 20th century, Roald Dahl, said: “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.”
I think I found some of those greatest secrets in this trip to Washington State.
