Saturday turned into an unexpected “fun-day” for us – with an unforgettable Washington Husky tailgate experience. All courtesy of some wonderful new-found Washington friends!
After a rewarding day Friday on our whale watching trip, we decided to stop for a pizza on the way back home to our campsite.
As always, when head out for a bite to eat on the trip, we try to find local shops and restaurants. It is a great way to really experience both the local flavor, and the people.
And that was certainly the case on Friday night when we walked in the doors of the Resonate Brewery and Pizzaria.
And, as has happened so many times on this incredible journey, it turned into an unforgettable evening, and so much more.
Not only did we manage to get an incredible home-made pizza, but make some great new friends in the process.
The Resonate Brewery and Pizzeria
We always try to sit at the counter whenever we enter a local place.
For one, it gives us a chance to find out what are the best options to eat from those on the front lines. And two, it is a perfect way to meet and talk to locals and learn about their community.
And Friday night’s visit to Resonate certainly rewarded us with both. The staff was amazing, and so were are pizzas and brews.
And it just so happened, we struck up an incredible conversation about our trip with Jim & Stephanie Riley, who happened to be sitting right beside us at the counter along with Jim’s sister.
We absolutely love meeting new people. And as we sat there exchanging stories, it struck us both how incredible people really are all over this country.
A New Day, A New Plan
By the end of the evening, he asked us what our plans were for Saturday. As it happens, Jim and his wife host a big tailgate at the University of Washington before all of their home games.
And he graciously invited us to come down and meet their friends and experience the atmosphere.
To be honest, we had been sightseeing so much, we were planning on heading to a coffee shop Saturday and getting caught up on a little writing. But how could we refuse such a generous offer from such wonderful people.
And so it was, Saturday morning, we headed down to the campus for a Washington Husky game-day experience!
An Unforgettable Day
Jim told us that we would be amazed at the beauty of the campus. And was he ever right! As we parked and walked the campus, it was simply gorgeous!
To say the campus and football stadium are picture-perfect would be the understatement of the year! In fact, words could never describe just how beautiful the setting is.
The stadium’s open end overlooks scenic Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains, and includes a view of Mount Rainier.
It is one of only a few stadiums in the country where people can arrive at the game by land, sea – and even (seaplanes) air!
The tailgating scene was amazing. Parking lots were filled with purple and gold in every direction. And the boats! It was crazy to see all of the boats pulled in and decked out for tailgating.
But what made the day truly incredible was the amazing hospitality of Jim, Stephanie, and their entire entourage of tailgating friends.
We have never met a more friendly, outgoing, and over-the-top group of people that welcomed us in to their day. The food, the conversation, and just the overall excitement in the air was incredible.
One thing is for sure, Jim, Stephanie, and their entire gang made our Saturday with an incredible Washington Husky Experience – Thank you all for a great day!
We say it often, but the best thing about this trip is and will always be the incredible people we meet along the way!
Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary.
CURRENT TRIP STATS
- Day 55 of 365
- States Visited 9 / 50
- National Parks / Monuments Visited : 10
- Stayed In : Issaquah, Washington
- Miles Driven : 54
- Total Trip Miles To Date : 7026.7
- Total Gallons Used : 528.32
- Biking Miles : 0
- Biking Miles To Date : 128.4
- Hiking Miles : 4.5
- Hiking Miles To Date : 136.7