DAY 72: Whew! That Was Close!

Today I parked at one of those parking spots that had a cement curb in front of me. And it was definitely a close call, no thanks to Sparky.

If you look carefully, the curb came ever so close to scratching my paint!  Yikes!

From the driver's seat, I think the car was judging between its front nose, and the tree that was planted directly ahead (you can see a tree in the background as an example of how it's positioned).

According to the sensor, I still had a good 58 cms left before I decided to stop. My spidey-senses felt like I was getting too close. And when I got out of my Tesla, sure enough, I was right.

I'm an anxious person by nature, and it served me well this time around. Teslas are not perfect at predicting the world around them -- not at this yet -- and it's best to keep that in mind.

***

Today, I had a rough day at work. It's not that it was a particularly bad day (though it is generally quite stressful around the office these days), but for some reason it was really getting to me.

So there's NOTHING like getting into your pre-conditioned cabin of your Tesla at the perfect temperature, drive without the normal stress -- even through rush hour -- blasting your favorite music on a superb sound system, taking off on open roads just because you can, and knowing that you are not paying for the fuel to have this experience. I drove in freedom, and honestly, it really helped.

I have the opportunity to rent an apartment right on campus where I work. I've been on the waiting list for over 2 years now, and back then, it made a lot of sense. I didn't want to drive in traffic every day and pay gas. I didn't want to spend a lot of time commuting.

But after having my Tesla for over 70 days, I'm starting to look further out to a place that might give me a garage where I can charge overnight, even if the commute is longer.

Perspectives and expectations really do change when your paradigm shifts. What a wonderful gift this Tesla is.

***

Saturday will be a day out with a couple of friends. A 45 minute drive is way too short. So I suggested a 1.5 hour drive!

Then on Sunday afternoon, I'm back in Portland for an overnight stay. Not quite enough time yet to go all the way to San Francisco, but I'm working on trying to figure that out.  Stay tuned for lots more pics. I have a lot of other places to go (and a return back to my favorite place from last time).

***

Today's Odometre Reading: 7323  kms.

My Referral Code: somi22310

DAY 70: Beach Buggy 2: Tesla Edition

First this happened



(who said Tesla doesn't have marketing?)

Then this happened:

Then today, THIS happened!!



It took 3 tries to get the hang of it. I was rotating the steering wheel WAY too much! On the first run, I tried it with a co-worker who got a ride home with me. She got first place on her first try using the on-screen controls... (damn.)

I think this is what Elon Musk means by this car being not actually a car, but a thing to maximize enjoyment. This is just incredibly fun!

***

This morning, I finally got the beautiful Tesla water beads on the roof of my car. It's like every owner has to experience this once and take a picture... and today it was my turn!

***

Had a very full day yesterday as well, though mostly hanging out with an old work colleague at Hilltop Diner in Langley, BC. I have lots of pics, but not enough energy to speak through it. Then again, maybe the pictures speak for themselves...

Turkey Sandwich

Hot Turkey Sandwich

Lemon Meringue

Pistachio

And of course, love the fact that I could keep watch on Sparky from my table!!

***

Today's Odometre Reading: 7227 kms

My Referral Code: somi22310

DAY 68: Automatic Battery Preconditioning Works!

I couldn't help myself. I went back to Anacortes, Washington today... this time with a co-worker friend. Some amazing new discoveries and experiences.

Let me just get this out of the way first... Rockfish Grill in Anacortes was a bust. The semi-glorified Fish and Chips is not measure up to some of the casual reviews. Panko breaded pre-frozen fish, factory waffle chips, and bottled salad dressing -- not to mention ketchup mixed into the what only tasted like Thousand Island Dressing instead of tartar sauce. We were both quite disappointed.

***

Okay, on to the good stuff!!

Preconditioned Battery

Similar to last time, I headed to the Burlington Supercharger and YET AGAIN forgot to take a picture! But here's a shot from Google Maps.

From Google Maps: You can see the shadows of the superchargers on the ground.

About 20 minutes prior to arrival, I received a notification on my screen:

I remember this software update, and I assumed this was always happening the background. But this time, I actually received a notificaton, and so I was excited.

Sure enough, the charging was definitely faster than what I have typically experienced. Fantastic!!!! However, I did raise the charging limit up to 100% (expecting not to let it go that far), so that we had time to have our nature visit and just rest.

Complimentary Breakfast

I learned my lesson from last week about eating greasy breakfast, and instead headed into the Fairfield Inn & Suites, the establishment that hosts the Superchargers. This is really the first time I've ever headed into the host building. I was ready to be looked at like a leecher who just came in to use up their washroom supplies for free.

But I was SO pleasantly surprised. It felt like the host actually welcomes Tesla owners in, makes them feel at home, gives them a free coffee fill up, and even treats them to breakfast! YES! The we were lucky today to catch the continental breakfast at the very end as they were getting ready to clear it out. As a result, they said just to help ourselves to anything available. There was hot scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, Canadian ham, oatmeal, make-yourself waffles, yogurt, fruit.... not too shabby.

I'm told that the hot coffee is available 24 hours a day (as is the washrooms), and if you come earlier for breakfast, they will only charge you a minimal $5 to help yourself. There's a super comfortable seating area in the lobby, a small but very stashed snacking area for the road, cold fruit-infused water, complimentary wifi, and just a very pleasant atmosphere!

Ya know, this makes up for the fact that there are limited options for food around. I'm beginning to really like the Burlington Supercharger!

Anacortes

Today, we headed directly to the Anacortes Farmers Market again. Same vendors, but now with a friend.

This time, I bought the goat's milk soap! I didn't want to have that regret again.

Ariba Pizza for the wood-roasted pizzas! And fresh (and kinda dirty) strawberries on the side.

M&M Pizza with added arugula

Afterwards we headed back to the main strip of Old Downtown Anacortes, and went back to Pelican Bay Books and Alley Cat Antiques.

But there were so many other great places to visit.

First, here's a place I will likely be eating lunch at next time! Pita J's was a fabulous little find, and the menu looks scrumptious! As I had already eaten, I opted for their Greek fries, which had pepper and feta, and a lemon wedge.

Doesn't seem like much... but the combination was fabulous, and the price of $3 is pretty much unbeatable. They were deep-fried fresh, and you could tell the quality was outstanding. Pita breads imported from Vancouver (heehee), beef from Australia, and top rating with health inspections (which is a weird thing to say, but abundantly important considering I was feeling queezy from eating a bad strawberry earlier). The menu just makes my mouth water.

Perhaps our favorite stop was Anacortes Oil & Vinegar Tasting Bar. Believe me, this artisan find really made me an instant fan.

Just the sheer options of white and dark balsamics, and the infused olive oils was incredible. And if you give them a bit of time to warm up and give you some favorite combinations, I guarantee, you will be walking out with a bounty!

Our favorite has to be the combination of the white balsamic honey ginger together with the lime infused olive oil. One sip, and by sour tummy was healed! It's a must for roast poultry, and she even suggests a touch of white balsamic in sparkling water as a refreshing drink.

And after shopping at the more pricey antique shop named after a cat, we found a Thift Shop with killer deals and adorable offerings!

Another score at Anacortes, and a list of more sights to see there! Yes, I will be going back!

I do have a new eatery to try. I heard that the clam chowder is served with the clams IN SHELL! (the flavor of the broth I can only imagine will be wonderful!)

***

I did have to take Sparky through the shower today. It's been over two weeks of excursions, and I just couldn't take his spotty exterior any longer!

One of these days I'll post what I do to prepare Sparky for the car wash. There's several steps to do. And some key areas to wipe off after you're done so the soap doesn't stain or dry on the paint. This'll be a future post.

***

Today's Odometre Reading: 7028 kms

My Referral Code: somi22310

DAY 67: Autopilot Is Better -- In Ways You May Not Realize!

I'd imagine all Tesla owners remember the first day they experienced Autopilot in the wild. That sensation of watching the car turn by itself to follow the road, and that freak-out moment wondering if the car really will stop behind another stopped car... was thrilling! That "first" never get old.

But after a while, using it on a regular basis, you begin to learn its quirks and shortcomings. Tesla still brands their Autopilot as "Beta" and that's a good thing. No one needs to be rushing ahead with pretending a Tesla actually drive itself yet -- even if it might feel that way. But a seasoned Tesla owner (I'm not there yet, but slowly), knows the small nuances of what Autopilot is capable of.

I have a brutal commute going home from work. I wake up early to avoid traffic in the mornings, but most days, I'm caught in traffic coming back home... and I mean stop and go traffic half of my one-hour commute home. I used to own a manual transmission ICE car, so you can imagine how excited I was to try Autopilot in my Tesla on this route.

Here's my first experience, as captured by a "Pro Tip of the Week" that I was selected for on my favorite Tesla Podcast, Ride The Lightning, hosted by Ryan McCaffrey

(skip ahead to 58:18)



So I figured this out pretty quickly by the third day of ownership that setting my car length to 3 or higher does get Sparky to brake a little more gently. The level of gentleness increases with the car length setting. I also didn't realize I could press the accelerator while Autopilot was engaged. And in fact, that little tip has helped me in a lot of other situations as well! I am learning slowly how to do this thing called "EV Driving!"


BUT TODAY, I noticed something else on my stop and go commute. There's a good portion of my route where the road winds back and forth for most of the way. This is the route where I'm typically stuck in slow-moving traffic -- which makes Autopilot even more of a godsend. However, a few of the turns on this route are right at an intersection. So when you go through the intersection, you actually need to steer the car into a turn to arrive in the lane after the traffic light. And of course, the lane marking ends at a intersection and picks up again on the other side.

Well, let me tell you that in situations where a lane doesn't go straight, and then interrupts only to start again slightly off of the mark, Teslas can get really confused, and typically this is where owners will break it out of Autopilot and take over. In these intersections, you can picture the Tesla facing forward for a moment towards the shoulder of the road on the other side of the intersection. Often times it would look like it was drifting towards the shoulder, and then would quickly jerk itself back within the lane when it arrived on the other side.

(I'm going to update this blog with a picture from my dashcam the next time I get footage.)

There are three-to-four tricky turns on this route home just like this, and for almost all of them, my Tesla would get confused, and then do the quick "jerky" correction.

BUT THIS IS WHERE I'M GETTING EXCITED!!

I've had 3 software updates... count them... THREE!!!  And each time, I swear this abrupt corrective movement by my Tesla softened up considerably.

Well, 2 days ago was my most recent update, and today -- my first time back on this route home since that update -- I noticed that the jerking motion is virtually GONE! I mean, seriously... it's like Sparky has ridden this route so many times that he knows now how to make those tricky turns.

I am totally amazed! Yes, this car gets better over time in that I get cool new features and optimizations. But it's these little improvements that amaze me. My car is actually learning to drive itself out of "Beta-Mode" and I'm so, so excited!!!!

I think we need to have a graduation ceremony when the "beta" status is finally removed. :)

***

The other new thing I noticed today was a new indicator on my centre console.

I charged my car at work today and increased the battery level to almost 100% to get ready for the road trip tomorrow. I probably got to about 97% before I left. And I noticed a dotted line in my energy status line:

I got a notice about ... "something"... I don't recall, but it had to do with regenerative braking and a request to adjust the charging limit. It was reset to 80% even though I had well over that in the battery.

Here's a snapshot after I got home...

My guess on that dotted line is that regenerative braking would only work until where the dotted line starts. After that, it's limited or not functional. But honestly, I'm not completely sure. (Feel free to comment if you know for sure what that dotted line represents).

Something new to take note of... always so much to discover. Sparky keeps my curiosity entertained, and that's great for a geek like me!!!

***

Odometre Reading Today: 6611 kms

My Referral Code: somi22310

DAY 65: My Dentist Got A Tesla!

A couple years ago, I met my new dentist, and his absolutely awesome hygienist, and somehow we got on the topic of Tesla. I fan-girled it big time with the hygienist and as I talked about it, I found out the dentist was just entertaining the thought at the time. Every time I have visited, the Dr. Wong and I are talking Tesla! I heard his commute to work is long and mostly highway, so it's made to have a Tesla where you can relax and drive, and not have to waste money on gas.

Today, I went in for my 6-month cleaning and was told HE GOT HIS TESLA! When he found out I arrived, he came out right away, showed me where it was, and had plenty of questions (which of course I was more than happy to answer!). Standard Plus, red multi-coat. Beautiful! He got it literally TWO days ago! I guess he was excited to show it to me? HAHA!

He took me out to his car, and immediately saw his inner rubber trim on the windows had some beveling problems, like almost every Tesla I've seen. I showed him on the app how to make a service appointment.

His other car is a beautiful Mercedes with lots of bells and whistles, which now his wife drives. He pointed out some differences where his Mercedes seems to work better -- like the tilted side mirrors where he feels he can see more than in the Tesla. He's super eager to get self-parking to work, and I told him the tips I've learned about it. Apparently, the Tesla parallel parks faster than his Mercedes, and in his Mercedes, he can hit the brake while it's self-parking if he wants it to go slower. He did that in the Tesla the first time, and of course, it dis-engaged.

It was a real reminder today that there's just SO MUCH to learn in the car. Part of the journey is discovering so many little tid bits that you just can't get out of an initial orientation. I'm being less critical now about the short orientation at delivery. The most important part is to get the driver moving safely. The rest of the learning will come in time.

***

My software update failed yesterday. I thought I would have to wait days to get another software update notification. But today I got one at work while my car was parked in the parkade. The problem is, it had a super weak LTE connection.

I decided to try it anyway in the car. I got a video of that hack my service technician showed me where if you tap, you can make the countdown disappear.



It seemed to get stuck on the "Update in progress" screen, and then my car shutdown and turned off while I was inside. There were little bursts and bangs while I was there -- which was a little disconcerting but I've heard from other owners that it's nothing to worry about.

The scary thing is that I couldn't reboot, I couldn't start my car... I didn't know what to do. While I was trying to call Tesla for assistance, as soon as I got the automated voice answer, my car rebooted on me, and then it said "Software Update Complete"... proceeded shortly by "Update Failed". I looked at the version of my software and it shows the new software version. Not sure if I have it or not. Maybe I need to turn on Dog Mode at 20% capacity and see if I get my notifications.

My guess is that it was updating but Tesla has not programmed in a status bar (something they really need to do). Then it probably restarts on its own. All of this happens unbeknownst to me because I'm always updating it through my app in the comfort of my home.

This really proves, I'm old. I'm very tech-saavy -- especially for my age -- but I'm still scared of it! LOL!

***

Today's Odometre Reading: 6501 kms
(this means, I've driven an average of 100 kms a day since owning the car!)

If you are looking for a dentist, Morgan Heights Dental Centre in White Rock is TOTALLY worth the drive. They do not skimp and scrape on cheap cleaning crap. They actually care about the quality of your teeth care! Dr. Wong is amazing (though I heard that Dr. Alebani is as well), and my favourite Hygienist is Pat -- someone who absolutely loves her job and has the best bedside manner I've ever met!

My Referral Code: somi22310

DAY 64: I Finally Figured Out Searching in Tune In

Yes, it's day 64 of ownership, and I have only just now figured out how to find my favorite podcasts in my Tesla through Tune In. I have been replying to tweets and posting in Facebook asking about this and not getting any clear response.

Somehow the voice search doesn't pull out my favorite Tesla podcasts, like Ride the Lightning, and Tesla Daily. Now my "recents" are full of mistakes that it made while searching.

Someone suggested that I need to sign up with Tune In with a free account -- which I realize now you can't do in the phone app because it only gives you the option for a free trial. No signing up in the Tesla as well. I did go to their website, and it turns out I was able to make a free account there.

Then I went to my Tesla in anticipation... hoping to see something different when I signed in. One change: it shows my email address that I used to sign in with (I won't talk how sensitive I am about displaying personal information even if it's only when I'm in the car... )

Then I spotted it.... the magnifying glass icon.

*insert FACEPALM here*

Like seriously, how long has that been there?

I loaded up all my favorites and was proud of myself. I tried using it today to listen to my podcasts, and while it doesn't seem any better than my phone, at least my iphone Podcast app gives me a lot more control, not to mention, I have it set up to delete episodes I've already heard. I wonder if the subscription service provides this. The thing is, I am not prepared to plunk down more money on yet ANOTHER music subscription that I don't need just so I can play these in my Tesla when it work perfectly well on my phone. Sorry. I won't do it.

Steve Jobs set this in motion -- to have full functionality of Apple apps as soon as you bought your phone. He would not be on board with all of the "subscription" services that Apple is trying to create to generate more income. But I digress...

Why Tesla won't provide Spotify service to North Americans is beyond my comprehension. For the time being, I will continue to connect my phone (as it loves to disconnect on a regular basis), and fumble around on my apple apps to play what I want in the car. It's really not much different from the ICE cars I could have bought -- which is a horrible thing to say about Teslas.

FYI: Yes, I'm still in love with my Sparky!

***

Ooh! I just saw this on my phone!

Let's do it!!

***

Odometre Reading Today: 6391 kms

My Referral Code: somi22310

DAY 63: No More Than A Gas Car

I told someone today that I have already taken my Tesla on a trip to Portland. The response was "Really? And it made it?"

Yes, with only one stop for Supercharging. No different than a gas car that would have had to do.

Truthfully, I stopped twice. It took 7 hours there, and I was the only driver. So it felt better to stop and rest, and top up faster rather than try to run it to the full battery capacity.

***

Did you catch the interview with Elon Musk and Todd Howard at the E3 Conference? Elon spoke about releasing two new games to the Teslatari series. So it looks like I'll have to search for "Cup Head" and "Beach Buggy Racing 2" on Steam.



What I REALLY want are more of those "mindless" games like Mine Sweeper, Solitaire, Tetris, Bejeweled. These are games that work really well with a touchscreen and doesn't require having to fumble (or even carry around) a game controller. Because if you have tried to play any of the other games (except for 2048), playing it onscreen puts me in a big ball of stress.

Anyway, this E3 interview was a lot of fun!

***

Made some purchases on Amazon.

DEWHEL Jack Lift Point Pad Adapter for All Tesla Model 3 Models

I'll probably get my tires rotated before I take off on my month-long road trip this August. I've been talking about getting my Tesla for 2 years with my mechanic, Joe,  who used to work on my Honda. I really want to bring my Tesla in for the tire rotation, and I'm thinking I will need these Jack Lift Point Pads to make sure there's no damage to the underside. When I asked him if he has worked on a Tesla before, he said he always researches the car thoroughly before working on it, and this would be no different. I figure, this is just a wheel rotation so it's pretty low risk. And he's a very trustworthy mechanic -- hard to find these days! No wonder he's in such high demand all the time!

Memory Foam Car Neck Pillow Soft Leather Headrest for Driving Home Office Black 

I'm finding that the head rest in the Tesla doesn't fit my posture. In fact, it feels like my head is being pushed forward while the top of my back is not able to rest comfortably in the seat unless I slouch like crazy. I was hoping this kind of neck rest would help.

Nope, not working. Now it's protuding way to far out.

I was thinking of returning it, but then realized that it will come in really handy if I need to nap or even sleep in my car on my road trip(s), and my chair is in a complete reclined position. So I'm going to keep it around. I don't consider every purchase on Amazon a winner. I may just make it work, or I'll find someone to give it to!

JAMSWALL Xbox 360 Wired Controller,2.4GHZ Game Controller Gamepad Joystick Xbox

Yes, I caved and bought one. I can't resist experiencing everything this car offers -- including Tempest! (Wow, I LOVED that game in my teenage years!)


***

Today's Odometre Reading: 6349 kms


After Thought: Why haven't I posted my Tesla Referral Code on my blog yet?
https://ts.la/somi22310

DAY 62: I'll Leave When I'm Good and Ready!

Now that the weather is getting hotter, I'm finding myself forgetting to condition the battery through my app about 20 minutes before I start driving.

I realize now after 60 days of ownership that this really is unnecessary with a long range battery, as the only real consequence is that I lose a little bit of efficiency at the start of the drive while the battery gets to it's optimal temperature during the first few minutes. So I lose a few kms! With 500kms of range on a regular basis, that's a very small price to pay. I mean, my Sentry Mode steals more kms than that, and I'm just fine!

But now that it's getting hot, I have a second reason to make sure I remember to condition my battery ahead of time -- and that's the bonus that goes along with it -- preparing the cabin temperature. With black "leather" interior (actually vegan leather), I really want the cabin to be cooled down before I get in. Today I was in a skirt, so it was extra desirable to have the car seats cooled down before it touched my bare skin.

So what do I do when I forget? I turn on the conditioning to cool the car, and then wait around comfortably, pull out my phone to check my FB or email, talk to people, take a trip to the bathroom... whatever!

I will get going when I'm good and ready! :)

I recall in my Honda Civic, suffering in the cabin with the air conditioning blasting, waiting for the air conditioner itself to cool down enough to spew out cool air while I drive (sometimes rolling down the windows in the meantime), and then waiting for the cabin temperature to slowly come down. Often, it took the entire ride to my destination to get comfortable, which is pretty useless.

I notice with the Tesla, the cool air (or warm air if needed) feels more instantaneous, and the job of cooling down the cabin is so much faster!

I explained it this way: I'M SO SPOILED! 
(It's about time! I've suffered with POS cars for long enough!)

***

Today's Odometre Reading: 6307 kms

DAY 61: The Border Guard Knew To Check the Frunk!

Okay, I'm gaining respect for those bloggers who have faithfully posted regularly for years. I was told it's like a side job, and you should treat it like one. I guess it's like my "hobby" as a professional pianist -- there are just days you don't want to practice, but you have to.

***

Today was my fourth road trip/excursion in my Tesla. (Recap: Portland, Pemberton, Kelowna). It was to the lovely (and I mean it!) town of Anacortes, Washington.

Stop off the side of the road -- viewpoint and picnic tables.

***

The border guard at the border crossing took an unusually long time asking me questions while walking around the car. I say "unusually long" because I was in the NEXUS line where they just ask you one or two quick questions and shoo you through. I wasn't worried. She had her reasons.

Border Guard: Where are you going today?

Me: (2 second pause to remember where)... Anacortes.

Border Guard: What's in Anacortes?

Me: Just a day trip.

Border Guard: That's a pretty long way for just a day trip.

Me: Oh, I'm just enjoying driving my Tesla around on weekends.

Border Guard: When did you get your car?

Me: (with the Tesla smile) mid-April.

Border Guard: So I guess you are really liking your car then?

Me: Oh yeah!  :)

Border Guard: What's in your trunk?

Me: Just some shopping bags and plastic crates for when I go to Costco.

Border Guard: (BIG GRIN) And what's in your front trunk?

Me: (grinning back) Oh you know about the frunk!

Border Guard: Yeah, these cars have a lot of cargo room!

Me: Just a sunshade for my front window.

Border Guard: Have a good trip!

Warmed my heart. Gotta love it!

***

One of the reasons I'm driving all over the place (besides the 6-months of free supercharging) is because I really do enjoy driving my Tesla around. Right now, I'm treating these excursions as trial runs to prep myself for my big cross-country road trip later this summer. I'm visiting Superchargers, and seeing what my physical and mental state is after each driving interlude.

***

The Burlington Supercharger (sorry forgot to take a picture of it) is located on the I-5 just before the turn off to Anacortes. So it's a perfect place to top up -- though you will hardly need it unless you go further down south of Anacortes to Deception Pass and camp there. It's a perfect location located at a hotel where you can get something to eat and use the washroom. There's also a Bob's Burgers there -- the place I chose to get some breakfast.

They make their own ketchup?!?!

Okay, one thing I am NOT learning very fast (but desperately need to) is that I should not be filling up on greasy food and then hitting the road where I'm sitting and in a fast moving vehicle for hours. I'm not a teenager anymore -- the food just won't digest like it used to!

The two cups of crappy coffee kinda helped though. LOL!

***

Had to stop off at a viewpoint at the entrance of Anacortes (where that big "Anacortes" sign at the top of this blog is).

However, I did NOT anticipate how much I would love Anacortes. I hung out downtown where there were lots of unique boutique shops and eateries, and a nice low key vibe.

I found this absolutely charming used book store, Pelican Bay Books. If you are a book-lover, you are going to love the floor to ceiling book shelves full of books!

The seating was absolutely inviting! Sit down with a coffee and treat, or lounge on the sofas next to the piano (which I did not bravely play today, but promised I would come back with my iPad full of music and play a little something).

I strolled around downtown a bit more. It's such a quaint and inviting area, Downtown Anacortes! Antiquing, diversity of eats, an outdoor piano (I did play that one a bit, but honestly, not very good condition -- not to my surprise).

Yes! A RECORD store!

However, the downtown streets were oddly empty and open, except for the guests dining at the various eats.

Then I spotted a sign... "Farmers Market".  OOH! I HAD TO GO to that!!!

I drove Sparky nearer to the location. There's something great about going to a Farmer's Market in a smaller town. Parking is close, free, and available!!!

And there's something about driving a Tesla in a smaller town... pedestrians walk freely through the streets, and because they aren't used to electric cars, they just assume they'll hear a car coming and move. I politely followed pedestrians a couple of times, and then slowly drove past them when they were out of my way to see if I could startle them with a "Holy! I couldn't hear that car at all!"

Nope. Not today.  (chuckle)

Farmer's Market in Anacortes was.... AWESOME! I kept saying to myself, "I must come back with friends!"

Crabcakes

Fish Taco

Wood-Burning pizza oven right out of their trailer! The line ups were ridiculous for this one!

Hm, interesting Christmas Present?

Fresh-Made Pasta

***

But the attraction that brought me to Anacortes was the Tommy Thompson Trail! I slathered on my sunscreen, put on my sunhat, and walked the 1.2-mile long old train truss -- now converted to a paved walkway -- across the inlet.

The trail actually starts in Downtown Anacortes and is a 3.3 mile long trail -- one way. It's all paved and mostly flat so it's a great biking trail, particularly if you are a beginner. Me, I decided to start at the "water part" and walk. Where I parked is a huge trailer park. It made me wonder if I would be able to plug into one of the stalls if I ever needed a bit of a charge while I walked the trail. Didn't need it today, and chances are, probably a rare need with a long-range Tesla.

"We" in various languages (more on the back)

Perhaps not the most picturesque with the coal plant (one of two in sight) spewing massive amounts of CO2 into the air.

I am grateful for another wonderful trip with Sparky. He was good to me once again and took the wheel for most of the drive down.

I am living the best days of my life right now.

Odometre Reading: 6273 kms.