Accommodation woes

Unfortunately leaving Portland meant leaving Deb and Dan's house where we've felt very welcome and have had great company and great food including home roasted coffee, margaritas and home baked peach pie, not to mention the raspberries and blueberries from the garden, not that there's many of those left after Ruby went berry picking! We set off for Olympia but found accomodation for a Saturday night incredibly scarce so decided we would stay in Tacoma, just south of the capital. When we got to Tacoma things were just as bad and we ended up at the only place we could find remotely affordable thinking, what's the harm, we're only there one night ? What a night!

It seems that most other hotel guests were long term residents and despite signs everywhere prohibiting the smoking of marijuana (nicotine smoking in the rooms seemed ok) there seemed to be a fair bit of that going on. The room was equipped with a kitchenette but you had to go to reception to borrow even a glass to avoid these things being stolen. We kept our shoes on as the carpet was a bit sticky and the stairwell made us think there must be a lack of toilets in the area. We were kept awake late into the night with lots of comings and goings and even when it did go quiet the bed was the most uncomfortable and noisiest bed I've slept on. Ruby the trooper noticed none of this of course and was happy when Oscar and I decided the best thing to do early in the morning was leave and go to i-hop for breakfast.

That experience left us a little worried about the next 7 weeks, especially as we'd also had trouble finding something in Seattle, finally securing a place a few days ago only because the owner had only just listed with airbnb. Our trepidation  proved unnecessary as we arrived at the apartment we had booked. It's a fantastic two bedroom place on the hill within walking distance of everything we need and close enough to downtown to walk if we wanted. Ruby's favourite furnishing is the four foot giraffe in her room, Penelope. It has all turned out well, no need to stay where my husband wanted us to.....