We spent our last day on the island hanging close to home. Laura and I went out to the Padilla Bay Reserve in the morning for a walk around the bay, and I went out a couple of time to shoot pictures, but other than that it was a day for packing and getting things ready for departure. Saturday morning we were up early, said goodbye to the neighbors, and headed out.
The drive from Samish Island to Seattle was uneventful, which was fine with us. Rental return went smoothly, but when we got to SEATAC there was an incredibly long line for United check-in. We had resigned ourselves to a long wait, when a lady appeared with a wheelchair for Laura’s mom. We had requested assistance, but since we hadn’t checked in, we weren’t expecting help this soon. The lady was very assertive, and pushed ahead of angry travelers, with Laura and I in tow. I felt bad for those waiting, and gave our apologies, but I was also glad I didn’t have to stand in that ridiculous line.
As we where whisked through security, I was a bit concerned. This woman had no visible ID, and there was nothing to indicate that she was an airline employee. At least the security guards seemed to know her, so that was of some relief. She accompanied us all the way to our gate.
We arrived in plenty of time to kick back, get some lunch, and relax for awhile. Of course, if we had to stand in the long line, things would be different.
The flight from Seattle to Washington DC was smooth and problem-free. I took a few shots out the window of volcanoes poking up through clouds and of the sunset. At Dulles, we had a brief layover, then were on our way for the final leg home. After retrieving luggage and bailing out the car, we finally made it back to the house around midnight. Long trip, but we were glad to be home.