Olympic National Park

Sunday, July 14, and Monday, July 15

Sunday...a glorious, sunny day.

This enormous park fills most of the northwest peninsula of Washington. It will be a two-day adventure. Jonathan saved the best for last!

Coasts, forests, mountains......this park protects the largest old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest. Waves booming on wilderness beaches, rugged peaks, glaciers and subalpine meadows combine to create this spectacular wilderness park. It is home to 8 American Indian tribes. It is also home to a variety of wildlife some of which we hope to see along the way...though I doubt we will see cougars or bears!

For the most part, this is not a "drive-through" park; it is made up mainly of hiking trails. There are also campgrounds and some small vacation homes.

We started out in the pristine rainforest. Very similar to that of Alaska .....Deep and dark! The forest floor is carpeted with ferns. Some of the trees are enormous. Much larger than the ones logged outside the park, since they are allowed to grow. We took side trips along the way with short walks for me. The first one took us to Lake Quinault fed by the Quinault River. A tiny offshoot of the road led to an enormous ancient cedar, which one could walk into, look out through a hole in the side and up though another hole in the top. This tree serves as a nursery log for all sorts of species of plants. Our next turn-off took us along the Queets River Valley, where Jonathan paddled in glacial waters and studied caddis fly larvae! Otter would be so proud!

From there, we drove up the coast where there are a series of beaches, mostly at the bottom of cliffs. Wonderful views of surf and trees skeletons, but no access for me. At Ruby Beach, I managed a short trail to see more sea stacks. But it was at Rialto Beach, much farther north that I walked onto the most spectacular beach. The beach consists, of small flat pebbles. There are more sea stacks. What is most impressive, however, is the litter of bleached tree trunks, some truly enormous. They look like beached white whales. Some still have their roots attached, but they, too, are bleached and almost petrified. This is the work of the unforgiving winds. I had seen Jonathan's photos from last year, but I gasped when I saw this beach.

Since it was Sunday, there were many people on the beach...bundled up. The sun was warm, but the wind cold. Children had buckets and spades, but no bathing suits! People had found shelter among the trunks and were reading or picnicking.

Along the way, we snacked on Mt. Rainier yellow cherries which we bought yesterday. Soooooo good!

Next stop, Lake Crescent....a blue I don't think I have ever seen before! and a quick stop at exquisite Madison Falls.

Final stop for the night...Port Angeles on the north coast of the peninsula, directly across from Vancouver Island. A working shipping and ferry port. Jonathan had booked dinner at the same place he ate in last year. A funky place with wonderful local food...and terrific taped music from every era. I had baked Hamma oysters and Dungeness crab cakes. (Dungeness is just up the road.) Jonathan had pan sautéed oysters.....very different from fried oysters. For dessert, we had them pack up some fruit crumbles for us to take back to the motel.

Monday dawned warm and sunny...beautiful blue skies. Jonathan was more than happy because last year this area had been very misty. So he was able to see all the views more clearly.

We set off at 8am for the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, stopping along the way to view and photograph the snow-capped mountains, especially Mt. Olympus with its Blue Glacier. We saw black-tailed deer ( a sub-species of mule deer...and they definitely have very large ears!) including some Bambis right by the side of the road. Also western chipmunks, marmots and hares....and one raccoon! We heard a pileated woodpecker drilling away! Stunning views in every direction of the coast, including Canada, and the mountains.

Once up at the Center, we walked a path through sub-alpine meadows.... scarlet paintbrush, lupines, cinquefoil, woolly sunflowers, goatsbeard, cow parsnips, yarrow, penstemon, bistort, erigonum (also known as "dirty socks"), red willow herb, gentian, asters....and these are only the flowers we could see from the path!, There are many, many more. And very close to the path, well camouflaged by the flowers, a beautiful tufted lark!

Next stop, Hurricane Ridge itself, where Jonathan hiked a trail for an hour while I stayed in the car to write the blog. A road Jonathan had wanted to take last year and had hoped to take this year is still closed because of snow!

Once back down to the main road, we found a Fonzie fifties diner in Sequim. There was no juke box, but they played all fifties music over the sound system. It was great fun.

We then headed east and then south to find the Mt. Walker road. Mt. Walker is the easternmost peak in the Olympics, but it is not in the national park. From the summit, the views are spectacular, especially of Puget Sound and the Cascades.

Now it was time to think of getting to the airport. We zig-zagged over to Southworth and took the ferry to Fauntleroy, via Vashon Island. From there, it was a short trip to Seatac airport and the red-eye home!

What a wonderful two weeks in the Pacific Northwest! Thank you, Paul and Amy, and my dear, dear son, Jonathan, for making the trip so memorable and such fun!

Columbia River Gorge and Oregon Coast

Saturday, July 13

N.B. Yesterday's post was for Friday, July 12

After a well needed good night's sleep, we were off right after breakfast. A beautiful day with blue skies and nice temperatures. We followed the Washington side of the Columbia River up to the gorges. We got as far as the Bonneville Dam and Locks, at which point we crossed the river onto the Oregon side. We visited the dam and fish ladders, as is our wont! The scenery is very dramatic as the river narrows into the gorges. long the way, we stopped at various overlooks. One led down to a floating dock populated with fishermen. I talked to some of them and asked what they were fishing..mainly steelhead trout as it turned out and one showed me his catch which was dangling in the water from a special hook. He was keeping it cool until he took it home! We saw several osprey nests with females and young...and some fishing dads!

We then drove over to Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. We had a wonderful seafood lunch of crab and shrimp and smoked salmon followed by purchases at the Chocolate Café next door. We then want down to the beach to see the rocky sea stacks that characterize this coast from here south. A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Again, very dramatic.

Then on to Astoria, where we crossed the Columbia....a very long bridge similar to the Tappan Zee, high spans on the Oregon side for shipping, then a long causeway with medium high spans on the Washington side for pleasure craft. But beforr we crossed fhe bridge, Jonathan climbed the Astoria Tower, which he did not have time to do last year. He said the views were magnficent in every dirextion.

From here, we followed Route 101, the coast road all the way to Aberdeen. Along the way: sandy beaches, bleached driftwood - entire tree trunks , fishing towns, logging, marshes with dairy cattle - yes, the cheese tastes salty, coves, inlets. A delightful drive.

Another early night. We are both very tired.

Mount St. Helen's

Off the ship at 8am. Jonathan picked us up and we went to a funky fifties diner not too far from the terminal. Jonathan had sussed it out in advance! We had a terrific breakfast sitting at the counter in white piped black seats. Some of the best bacon I have ever had! All that was missing was a jukebox! After tear-less ( with great effort!) goobyes, we dropped Paul and Amy back at the ship and set forth on our adventure.

We headed south from Seattle on the freeway (we are in the west!!) and then turned off on the scenic roads. We could see Mt. Rainier very clearly as we deove along. All very lush and rural...farming and fruit trees and, of course, timber trees. We stopped at Patty's Place at 19 Mile House an quaint roadside cafe that has probably been there for decades. I had more bacon...on a belt...yummy. And we ordered their famous fruit cobblers to go...for after dinner.

And then we approached Mt. St. Helen's through 30-year stands of Noble Firs to the blast zone...which extended 14 miles. I think we all remember the day in May, 1980 that this volcano blew its top. I quote from the USDA Forest Service site:

"Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche. In a few moments this slab of rock and ice slammed into Spirit Lake, crossed a ridge 1,300 feet high, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River. The avalanche rapidly released pressurized gases within the volcano. A tremendous lateral explosion ripped through the avalanche and developed into a turbulent, stone-filled wind that swept over ridges and toppled trees. Nearly 150 square miles of forest was blown over or left dead and standing.

At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. Wet, cement-like slurries of rock and mud scoured all sides of the volcano. Searing flows of pumice poured from the crater. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments.

A vast, gray landscape lay where once the forested slopes of Mount St. Helens grew. In 1982 the President and Congress created the 110,000-acre National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance."

Little by little the devastation came into view....bleached tree skeletons, rocks slides, mud slides....a real moonscape! And, of course, new life....trees and wonderful sub-alpine flowers. It is astounding how quickly life returning to this devastated landscape.

Although the top of the mountain was visible for only a brief time because of clouds, the enormity and immensity of the scene is truly breathtaking. We took all the side roads to overlooks and trails to see it from every angle. Jonathan took a short hike while I stayed in the car.

Then it was on to Vancouver, WA, just across the Columbia River from Portland to our nice suite hotel right on the river. This is our jumping off point for the Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon coast tomorrow.

Needless to say we were both exhausated and had an early night after ordering in sushi and Thai food. And for the dessert the delicious fruit cobblers we had bought at lunchtime!

Victoria, BC

Thursday, July 11

Last day, even if we do have the evening in Victoria!

Here is something that still makes me laugh out loud:

From the daily bulletin the day we were in Ketchikan:

"It is hard to imagine how the town got the Tlingit name, Ketchikan - "Thundering Wings of an Eagle". For the rugged sole that climbs the 3,000 foot Deer Mountain that overlooks the town, the mystery is quickly solved."

Did you catch the homonymic error?

What next, halibut and salmon mountain climbers in flannel shirts!!! Ha ha!

A lazy day, except for packing which is basically tossing everything in the suitcase....who cares about wrinkles at this point! Breakfast at Café al Bacio, glassblowing demonstration at the "Hot Glass Show", a complete glassblowing venue up on deck 15 by the real lawns. Amazing insallation....and a much better demonstration than in Murano. Lunch in the main dining room, Grand Épernay...our first time there! Excellent lunch of smoked salmon, tuna melt paninis and pear tarte tatin. Very attractive two level dining room - all pale colors...white, grey, crystal, white metal.

We arrived in Victoria BC at 6pm and, at 7, I set off on my excursion to Butchart Gardens and high tea at the grand old Empress Hotel. The gardens were stunning, but I could only manage to walk a small area. Tea was excellent...very English...and the hotel was old-world and charming. But it was 9pm by the time we got to the Empress. And our tour of the city was in the dark and viewed through tinted windows. All I got was the impression of a beautiful city that must be seen by day. I would love to come back.

And so, at 11:30, I am back in my cabin and hoping for about 6 hours sleep. I am self-disembarking with Paul and Amy's help so that Jonathan can pick us up for breakfast, get Paul and Amy back to the ship and then we can have an early start to our trip. If I don't do this, I would be among the last off the ship. Fortunately, I did not pack a lot...for the first time ever!

I hope to continue the blog over the next four days, but that depends on how easily we find Internet cafes....something tells me we won't in the places we are going!

At Sea

Wednesday, July 10

Yesterday was a lovely day at sea...some nice movement under mostly sunny skies. Breakfast again in the Cafe Bacio. Lunch in the Bistro, where I had leek and potato soup, an excellent breakfast crepe, rum raisin ice cream topped with caramel sauce and finally an expresso! Yum!

A bit of shopping with Amy in the afternoon, then worked on the blog and posted Skagway.

Tobermory for drinks in my cabin with hors d'oeuvres, followed by dinner at Murano. I have now tried all the specialty restaurants except the Silk Harvest (Asian) which I missed the night before last because my excursion returned too late. But Paul and Amy said it was wonderful.

Murano is advertised as "contemporary European". And it does not disappoint. Excellent menu including a cheese course. Elegant Oak Room like venue and extremely attentive service...but not too too! We had a wonderful meal. I even managed some 20 year port with the cheese course. So far, I have been fine with beers, scotch and martinis....and now the port. Have not had any wines, though. Playing it safe!

And once again I go to bed by day! 10pm and it is still incredibly bright out there.

Here are some photos of the ship and Amy's Alaska toe socks...they are such a conversation piece! Yes, that is real grass! And all the glass objects d'art were made onboard at the glassblowing venue. More on that tomorrow.

Skagway

Tuesday, July 9

This is as far north as we go. The weather is mixed...some sun, some clouds, a little spritz here and there. Skagway is located at the northern tip of the Inside Passage. Its name means "where the north wind blows". It is indeed windy and one can see the wind's effects on the scarred and bare mountain tops. Not as lush here. There are only 850 year round residents. In 1897, at the height of the Gold Rush, the town grew to 20,000!

Alaska has very few roads. Often, roads just encompass a town and proceed no further. Alaska's highways are its waters. Transportation is by air or water: floats planes and ferries. Almost everyone has a plane or owns an interest in a plane. There are no hospitals here...only a couple of nurses. The nearest hospital is in Juneau, an hour away by plane.

Our excursion started out with a drive through the colorful town which shuts down completely in the winter, continued with a stop for gold panning along the river....I have a few flakes! Then a salmon bake.....baked salmon, fried salmon, ribs, corn bread, salads, corn, chili, beans, cookies...and local beer, nice and bitter. A yummy lunch. The chef is from New Orleans...the left bank, or the "only bank" as he put it!

Then it was off to the highlight...the White Pass and Yukon Route railway. Woo...woo! A 20 mile trip up the White Pass from Skagway at sea level to Fraser, BC at almost 3000feet in replica and restored coaches pulled by diesel-electric locomotives from the 1950's. Was I in heaven!

Skagway and nearby Dyea were the start of the two trails to the Klondike and the gold in them thar hills: the steep and very narrow Chilkoot Trail, also known as the golden staircase, and the longer less steep White Pass Trail where prospectors, or stampeders as they were known, thought they could use pack animals successfully. The Canadian government required that each person, man, woman or child, take enough supplies for one year...about 1000 lbs. which had to be hauled over these treacherous passes. (Yes, the RCMP met the people and checked their supplies before allowing them to continue!). It took the stampeders several trips carrying supplies on their backs. The entire trip from Skagway to the gold fields was 550 miles over treacherous terrain. Once they reached White Horse, they had to build boats to navigate the lakes they encountered. The stampeders endured terrible hardship...but back home, they were facing a Depression and thus terrible deprivation. Out of 100,000 who started out, only about 35,000 made it. About 4,000 found gold and only a few hundred became rich. And then there is "Dead Horse Gulch" where thousands of horses and other pack animals died of overloading and neglect!

By the end of 1897 men began thinking of easier ways to travel to the Klondike....and the railroad men arrived. The most famous was Michael J. Heney who said: "Give me enough dynamite and snoose and I'll build a railroad to Hell." And he did. Construction began in May, 1898 and was completed in 26 months. By then the height of the gold rush had passed, but the railroad evolved into a fully integrated transportstion company until 1982. It now carries only tourists.

It was constructed against all odds, which were highly visible from our windows. Steep grades of almost 3.9%, tight curves necessitating the narrow gauge, two tunnels, a wooden trestle and birdges over rivers and gorged, several very tight u-curves. Some very exiting moments when one could not see the railbed....only straight down into the gorges of the Skagway River!

The scenery was breathtaking in every direction from the coast mountains and forests to the alpine meadows and turquoise tarns with their stunted spruce and hemlocks and barren rockfaces.

In abundance: hemlocks, Sitka spruce and imported birch trees. Yes, the stampeders imported the birch which are not native! Also, lupines, goatsbeard (astilbe), white yarrow, fireweed (like phlox), cotton grass, wild geranium, and, at the summit, white caribou moss which looks like snow.

It was not just a trip up a pass in all its natural beauty, it was also a trip through history.

Back at the ship, we went up to the Sky Lounge for sailaway and waited until we saw the delineation between the glacial waters and he sea waters....a distinctive line in the water. Very dramatic. Then off to a light supper and bed.

Tracy Arm Fjord and Juneau

Monday, July 8

Einstein said: "The most beautiful thing you can experience is the mysterious."

Well, I was roused by my wake-up call at 4:45am and by 5:15 am I was ensconced in a front row armchair in the Sky Lounge...all the way forward. Paul and Amy were already there with coffee and croissants for us! A panoramic view.....of.....

Rain and mist. So now I get the misty! I took some photos, but they are.....misty! And you can see the raindrops. It was too cold and rainy to venture outside, though a few did in t-shirts and shorts!

Tracy Arm Fjord is a thirty mile glacial fjord, off the Stevens Passage, reaching deep into the Coast Mountains between Alaska and Canada and which leads to the South Sawyer Glacier. Old growth temperate rain forest characterizes the lower reaches and active tidewater glaciers at the upper reaches.

And it was definitely mysterious!

Once we transited "the bar", a shallow area of glacial debris, dividing deep water areas, we encountered bergie bits....beautiful bluish ice floes, calved from the glacier.

One announcement I hate hearing is this: "We usually see bald eagles and bears in this area." Ha! I don't believe them any more. And we did not see any wildlife other than gulls.

We arrived at "the bend" which leads to the glacier and came to a stop. The captain and the local pilots conferred and decided that we could not proceed because of the ice. This would be our last chance to turn around and so the captain decided to play it safe. Amazing how these huge ships seem to turn on a dime. Also, we managed to avoid some good sized bergies. However, we did disembark some passengers who had signed up for a trip in a small boat up to the glacier. They will meet the ship in Juneau. Why did I not book this? I have no idea.

So we headed to Juneau. I went back to my cabin and got some nice shots without raindrops, from my balcony....I kept popping in and out of the cabin...it was cold out there.

At 1:45, I set off on my excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier and a whale/wildlife tour. As we drove through Juneau, the heavens opened. Fortunately, I had full rain gear with me and I pulled my rain pants on. I decided, then and there, that this is a nice place to visit, but I could not live in this rainy climate. Wet and wild? I'll take the wild, but not the wet. As an aside, the Southeast Alaska ecosystem is the largest temperate rainforest in the world. It actually extends all the way to Northern California.

We went out from Auke Bay on another double-hulled boat on a wildlife quest. We saw some whales and some sea lions. One whale treated us to a full breach....guess where I was! On the wrong side of the boat. All I saw was the splash! Talk about disappointed! We saw a lot of bald eagles waiting to fish along the tidal flats. No good vantage point for photos.

While we were out on the boat, the skies cleared and it was gorgeous. Once we got back into town and headed out to the glacier, the skies lowered. The Mendenhall Glacier and its neighbor the Sawyer originate in the Juneau Ice Field. There were some nice "calves" in the glacial lake and a magnificent waterfall. The glacier is quite impressive...not as impressive as those in Glacier Bay further north, but still impressive as glaciers always are. And, it is receding as are most glaciers. The Visitors Center showed photos from a mere 20 years ago and the difference is astonishing. I could not do any of the walks, so I made my way back to a shelter to wait for the bus. At that moment, the skies opened again and it bucketed down.

Once back on the ship at around 7:30, I poured myself a scotch and climbed into bed. It had been a very long day. Wonderful, but long.

P.S. In addition to the activities previously mentioned, there is a glass-blowing facility on board which puts on a hot glass show every day. Pretty unusual! I plan to see it before I disembark.

Ketchikan

Sunday, July 7

Ketchikan, also known as the first city of Alaska, because it is the first one you come to as you head north. Haha!

Alaska, the land of the gold rush, the copper rush, the timber rush, the salmon rush, the halibut rush, the crab rush...you name it, they all rushed up here with varying degrees of success. I guess we now have the cruise rush!

We are now in the Inside Passage, a maze of channels, straits, sounds, narrows, islands. Muir and Vancouver explored the area, each looking for something different, Vancouver seeking a northwest passage and Muir the beauties of nature.

Ketchikan, a sleep little town, lying within the 2 million acre Tongass National Forest, was a Tlingit summer fishing camp and is currently the salmon fishing center, known for its canneries. Halibut is also fished. Ketchikan in Tlingit means "Thundering Wings of an Eagle".

We arrived here at 7:00 am and I immediately went off on a tour of Misty Fjords, except that they weren't misty. Ketchikan is the fourth wettest place on earth, with an average of 154 inches a year of rainfall. But, they've been experiencing a drought and so we had the most glorious, sunny day...but no mists!

Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness was created in 1978. filled with waterfalls (but not this time!), wildlife and natural beauty.

It was a wonderful tour...on a double-hulled hi-speed boat that could take us over 100 miles and back in a space of 5 hours with time to slow down or stop to see wildlife: salmon, whales, terns, porpoise, seals, bald eagles. Yup! Extraordinary views of endless forest, snow-capped mountains, granite bowls left by retreating glaciers, colorful lichens and mosses. We also watched the purse seining fisherman...fascinating close up. And if the scenery looks familiar, it is very like the fjords of Norway. I've been having trouble with the auto setting on my camera lens and my photos of the wildlife were not successful.

The naturalist and native Alaskan on board were very informative, especially about tribal culture. We were served a pastry, clam chowder (excellent) and local smoked red salmon.

The little town of Ketchikan is colorful and filled with touristy shops of course.

Tonight we ate in one of the specialty restaurants...The Tuscan Grille, which occupies the entire aft of the ship on deck 5. I doubt there is a restaurant with a better view in the world. It was spectacular...and we were treated to orcas and a whale! Does entertainment get any better! And the food was excellent. We lingered until 9....we hated to leave! But we had to be up very early to get good seats in the Sky Lounge, for the sail up Tracy Arm tomorrow. Early! I mean 5am!

North to Alaska

Yesterday, after a very pleasant stay at the striking W hotel, I headed for the pier and embarked on the Celebrity Solstice. By noon, Paul and Amy and I were ensconced in the Oceanview Cafe on deck 14 enjoying a nice lunch from an excellent buffet with a large variety of choices. By 3pm, our cabins were ready and it was time to nap and unpack. My cabin is very nice indeed and well appointed. A larger bathroom and way more drawers and cupboards than Cunard. Definitely a plus! The entire ship is modern in decor and the cabin is no exception. A lovely white leather couch...not a love seat....a full couch; the deck furniture is teak and stainless...very attractive.

We met for martinis in a nice quiet venue called the Ensemble Lounge and then headed back up to the Oceanview for dinner. We've booked three nights in the specialty restaurants; we are not going to the main dining room at all. We do not like the fixed hours: 6 is too early; 8:30 is too late.

Early night as I was exhausted. I really wanted to stay up...the view of the coastline with the reflections of the sunset (I am on starboard side) were stunning in the haze. But eventually sleep got the better of me at 9 p.m.

Today, Saturday dawned bright, but much cooler. 55 degrees....30 knot winds....12 foot seas....white caps. So it was more than cool outside! The ship takes the seas in its stride, barely any motion. Still following the misty coast of Vancouver Island off the starboard side.

I slept for 10 hours last night and woke early. Met Paul and Amy at 7:30 for cappuccinos and croissants at the Cafe al Bacio. I broke my rules of having breakfast only in the cabin. But then, this ship has so much more to offer than Cunard in the way of alternative eating venues! It was a delightful breakfast.

Two lectures today...husband and wife team. He is a naturalist who has lived just about everywhere and done just about everything in Alaska. He gave a very dramatic overview of the area. Later his wife talked about Ketchikan, our first port tomorrow.

I brought a bottle of Tobermory with me and Jonathan gave me some Somerville snacks, so we had drinks in my cabin, followed by dinner in the Oceanview.

I am making my way around the ship slowly and gingerly, but I will check everything out before I disembark. The decor is striking. The central atrium is flanked on two sides by banks of glass elevators all the way to deck 16. On the other side, are various lounges, quiet areas and the library. And a very large live ficus growing in the middle. The theater is very attractive...simple lines, very comfortable and well-sized armchairs and a lot of leg room. One does not need to stand while letting people past. The shops are very nice..the usual suspects, but also some nice clothing stores. Many drinking venues, some noisy, some quiet. A very cool disco/nightclub called Qasar. Other usual suspects: trivia, casino, bingo, dance classes, my beloved Zumba which I can't do and which Cunard discontinued, spa, various games, fitness classes and more and more....and not to forget Amy's water color classes. She had 25 people this morning.

Photos of Seattle from sailaway yesterday.

Seattle, Washington

Prelude to the Alaska cruise. Arrived here this evening. Paul and Amy surprised me at the baggage claim. They are so sweet. They helped me into a taxi and went back to their hotel at the airport. I am staying in Seattle. I have a wonderful view from my 20th floor aerie. Gorgeous sunset beyond the Space Needle and a glimpse of Puget Sound. Home to Microsoft, Starbucks and Boeing....we passed acres and acres of Boeing plants on the way from the airport.

We flew over the Northern Cascades as we approached Seattle. Incredible views of snow capped peaks. I am pretty sure we could see Mt. Rainier off to the south.

I am too tired to eat, but I want to wait and see the fireworks, so maybe I should eat. But it doesn't get dark until quite late and I am tired. Oh decisions!