Rewind to our third day on this trip. We are on 101 heading to Arcata where we are visiting Sanctuary Residency. Our blue Subaru piled high with camping gear, clothes and coolers cruises along the highway. Cruising along next to us, a blue Subaru piled high with gear. A woman in the back seat waves enthusiastically at us. An adventurer recognizing a fellow adventurer. We wave back. 30 miles continue like this. They wave, we wave. Finally,at a red light, we roll our windows down and tell them where we are headed. They tell us if we are ever in Olympia, we have a place to stay. They hold up a piece of paper with a scribbled number.
A week later after Laboratory Residency in Spokane, we use the number. We drive five hours west to Olympia, Washington. River, the driver of the aforementioned Subaru, lives in a large house that used to be a musical hub, housing traveling musicians and artists. The house is called Guest House and is also the home of their record label, Guest Records. River invited us to a BBQ - bonfire at his friends house where Alicia ran into musician she had met in Oakland at Frowntown! Small world. We had a lovely time and met some very welcoming cool people. Adventures happen in surprising ways and we are very grateful to have met these wonderful folks! Check out their label:http://guestrecs.com
And so begins the mini vacation of our trip. Our planning worked out where we had a couple days in between visiting residencies to visit friends and travel through new places. Our first time in Canada, we take a ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, B.C., where our dear friend Ava lives. Ava is a painter we met at a residency in Colorado two years ago. She lives in a lovely neighbourhood in Victoria where she is involved in the active art community. We visited several artist studios while there and they were all inspiring in their own ways. You can view Ava’s paintings at: http://avapchristl.tumblr.com/
We take a ferry to Vancouver, where we are staying at hostel on Jericho beach. There is a folk festival happening that weekend and it is teeming with people. We meet up with Alicia’s old friend from high school for beer and nachos and walk around Vancouver. In the morning we have breakfast with an artist named Heidi who created a residency in her home, Hammock Residency. Hammock residency is currently on a hiatus but keep your eye out for future activity.
Seattle later that day. We have several friends who live there and we have a quick visit with them. A couple ferries later, we find ourselves on Harstine Island, after stopping at Vashon for a visit with an artist who lives in a former church. We are spending the morning drinking coffee, eating toast and catching up on correspondence.
Today we head to Mt. Rainier where we are visiting an old elementary school converted to a writers’ residency in Mineral, Washington.
Adventures are afoot, eh.
