GHEDI Spring of 2018

The Spring gathering to the GHEDI (Griffin Hill Equinox Disc Invitational) of disc throwers in the Pacific NW can be  a very adventurous group.

(For best viewing of the photos, grab the slide bar at the bottom of your screen and center up the first photo, then scroll down and enjoy.  There has been some issues with photos not downloading so maybe try Edge or Chrome browsers if one is not working)

If anyone who attended has more photos, send them to me for possible inclusion.

Throw in some dicey weather for March 24, 2018 and Bob's Your Uncle.

Historical Note:  This is the second GHEDI with snowfall.  It last happened in March 18, 2012 where we had similar amounts of snow and it melted off by the end of the day leaving a muck as did this snowfall.

The parking at Griffin Hill 30 minutes before tee off.

The snow started at 6:30 AM and by tee off time for the 21 hardy souls invited and accepted for the GHEDI (11th year) it was 3-4" deep in the pastures.  The precipitation started and stopped with blue clouds and sunshine for a lot of the day.  The ground just turned to water and mud!

When playing in the bottom forest, grenades were going OFF (As in BOOM) as the snow fell from trees in LARGE snowball sizes.  In one group containing the Scorekeeper, there was some skullduggery.  He was thinking the others in his foursome were throwing snow balls at him when it was just the trees dropping bombs.  After his comment, his foursome partners started throwing snowballs at him and he was just pelted but didn't realize some of that was man made missiles!

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Here is a shot with a big blue cloud in the sky that was not unusual.  On and off weather all day!
The snow on the ground was melting fast and created a VERY wet footing.  Sometimes 3" of water, especially in the world's largest disc golf tee box!

A mighty group of 21 getting set to brave the elements!
The GHEDI Spring 2018 is set.
Note the cover UP by the fellow in the foreground.  More later on that!

The players dressed for success.  Here is The Miller just after teeing off on 8.  His outfit with waterproof feet, pants, coat, and hat was very typical of the well dressed player.

This is the 2nd Place Trophy.
Originally won by the 1989 Science Olympiad Team from Lakewood High School, coached by Count Ferrari
Winning it again, The Rear Admiral and Biscuit.  The Rear Admiral put it on his mantel!

The awards were multiple with a few returning trophies.  

Furthest traveled:  Aaron (rookie player)

2nd Place on the 10:  Biscuit and Rear Admiral

Most Regular:  Air Bounce

Hot Chick:  Legs

Best Acer: Waffle Dough

Clean Sweep:  Jerry Garcia and the Scorekeeper

CTP #4: Biscuit

CTP #7: Everett

CTP #10: KO

CTP #15: KO

Ace Pot:  Waffle Dough

Best round on the 18:  Cajun (-11)

Forget Me NOT: Cajun

There is a bit of a story on the Forget Me NOT award....  Cajun was assisting the Count with the prize awards and his disc (left on the course, under the snow, was not really in the running with other forgotten items) was sitting on the table by the trophy.  He slyly slipped it into his waist band at his back and this was brought to my attention by sharp eyed players.  It was NOT the loss of disc but the coverup!  To his credit he did a Nixon double Victory wave and shook his jowels!

Perhaps he was intending to coverup all along and that is why he covered his face on the group photo?  Perhaps he is just wise to stay off all social media as the Count advises.  Always use an alias on the web!

Stuff left behind....
North Face rain coat
Nice umbrella
Anacortes Brewing hat
handwarmer pack
baking sheet
grey work gloves
silverware SS knife

All might qualify to win the Forget Me NOT award next time around.

Winter Shaw Race 2018 (almost)

Winter Shaw Race 2018

Written by Count Enrico Ferrari, owner of Jah Mon

The mighty Jah Mon, a Catalina 42, set out for Orcas Island on a Friday.  We had a nice delivery and docked at West Sound Marina on Orcas in the San Juans prior to the race.  After a nice peaceful evening on the dock we awoke to heavy rain and light winds.

We got the boat ready and picked up crew at the ferry landing so then we were 5 total.

Within 50’ of departing the dock the coupling between the transmission and the prop shaft popped off and we had to go sail power instantly.  Not a dangerous situation as the wind was only 6-8k but we all decided to fight the good racing fight on the water another day and start back to Anacortes, ~20 miles distant.

The winds were predicted to blow pretty strong (25-40k) and they started coming in around 11:00 with puffs to 30k in Lopez Sound.  We figured the winds would be stronger ahead so took advantage of Decatur Island and put in a double reef on the main and furled the headsail down to half.  (From a 115% to a 70ish% size).  That was a good move.

Rosario Strait was blowing and heaving about.  We saw wind in the high 30ks with 6-7’ waves.  The boat was solid and moving over the ground from 6-11k depending on the surfing.  We ducked behind Fildalgo Island ASAP but had to come out into Guemes Channel to get home.  We found 48k of apparent wind and our downwind boat speed was 6-9 SOG at that point.  If we claim over 50k  of wind, I think it is justified.

We had been calling Cap Sante Marina about the weather at the entrance and kept getting reports of 8-10k of wind.  Seemed wrong but it gave us hope to sailing into a slip.   Doing that docking without a motor in the 35k we were mostly in all day was not really a good idea.

We took the main down in the shelter of Cap Sante Rock and then started in to the marina while looking at winds over 30k in the bay just outside the breakwater.  The main issue was we would have to get through a small opening going straight up wind for about 50’.  The first effort almost took us into the breakwater which thankfully was not touched by us.  We turned around back into Fildalgo Bay and took a different approach which involved more boat speed and using the momentum of our 30,000 lbs. 

I will tell you it was a near run thing!  We just cleared the opening by 2’ and were able to easily sail down the fairway to a slip but judged the turn wrong and had to tack back.  There was another option of a slip to pull into so we did, and just barely were able to stop the boat without damage.  Everyone on the crew did something to contribute to our success!

We might not have won the race but we all won a great adventure that few would want to repeat.  It was intense!

Cost of eating in Zihuantenjo, 2017 and 2018

This is the start of the 2018 cost and quality of food in Zihua.  Under construction

Prices will be what the tab is, we try and tip at 20% if the service is good but that amount is not listed. NOTE:  The waiters down here get a salary of around $85p a day.
20.4 pesos = one US dollar on this trip.

This blog is intended to assist one's dining choices.  The totals do not include the tips.

We have been to this town for 11 different visits over the years and we must like it because we keep coming back.

Previous visit Articles:

Click here for a look at dining costs in Zihuantenjo for 2017.

Click here for the 2016 blog.

click here for 2014 and 2011

click here for  2014, 2012 and 2011

click here for 2011 with maps

This is the documentation of our dining costs for our visit of Dec 12-23, 2018

Wednesday night (arrival day):
We met another couple from our area and went out to dinner at Patty's on Playa La Ropa

We ordered paella for 4 and we each ordered a salad to split too for each couple.  The other couple ordered  two mixed drinks and we ordered two glasses of wine (It turned out it was two for one happy hour so we had double that.) (two glasses of wine each for us!)

The mixed salad would be a meal for two on it's own.  HUGE and VERY good!  HIGH Marks!

The paella was excellent but the light (at night, candles only on the beach) was not good enough to see the shells and other seafood hazards.  Lots of lobster, shrimps, mussels, maybe fish? and little sausages wiht some veggies and rice.  Very tasty but a bit treacherous to eat

Our half of the bill was $410 p

Thursday afternoon:

We had to go downtown to get some pesos out of the cash machine (Do NOT wait until Friday when all the paychecks need depositing).  That done we went to visit our friend Nahume at Casa Elvira, near the fishing boats on the water near the basketball courts.  He is the manager or owner of this place and we have known him for 8 years as he was our waiter at our favorite beach restaurant on Playa La Ropa, (now called the Cantinita and next to Patty's).

We ordered one order (3 pcs) Tacos Pastor con pollo (not on the menu) and it ws /SUPBERB.  We also had a beer a piece and some chips and pico de gaio.

Total bill:  $175p

Beach drinks in the afternoon:
Canitinita 
One grande Juego de mango, frozen (no booze)
One limonada
Total:  $105p

Dinner:
Cafe Marina (just north (towards the pier from the basketball courts)
Mixed salad (split for two)
Shrimp with pasta (split for two)
Ice tea (2)
Total:   $230

Comment:  Very good food and Juan was our waiter and was from Oakland so no issues in talking with him!  Great food here every time and very reasonable with good people watching as they walk by.

Frday day on the beach:
Cantinita on La Ropa, Lenny and Tony were our waiters
chips and pico de gaio
quesdillas (not on menu)
one Dos Eqius amber
bottled water
liminada
$200p

Friday night:
Daniels by the Sea,  Jimi Mamou playing his rock and blues.  The best music for us!
Princess Salad for the Count
Mixed salad for the girl
chips and pico de gaio (best so far)
Ice tea (5of them)
Total: $365p

Saturday on the beach:

Patty's on La Ropa 

A note of amenities:  Rinse off showers, foot wash basin and the same owner forever.  nice banos
Chips and pico de gaio
2 beers
3 liminadas
quesidilla (best so far)
Total $275 p

Saturday Night:
Daniels by the Sea, live music by Alfredo Moya (Tues and Sat)  EXCELLENT guitar
Chips and pico de gaio
2 glasses of white wine
Mixed salad split (Excellent)
Mixed fajitas split (couldn't eat it all between us!  YUMM)
Total $387 p

Sunday

Sunday lunch
Patty's
Quesidillas
Chips and pico de gaio
3 beers
Total $225p

Sunday night:
Casa Elvira
Sopa de Tortilla (tortilla soup) (2 bowls and awesome!)
two iced teas
Total $180p

Monday:
Monday Lunch:
Carmelita's
Sope con frijoles
Sope con Mahi Mahi
3xs limonadas
side of frijoles
side of rice
Way too much food!  We could only eat 2 of the three sopes served to us but was it ever GOOD!

Total $440p

Monday dinner:
Patty's
Mixed salad with chicken salad (could not eat it all and it was split between the two of us!)
pan
ice tea
fresh strawberry dacquiri
bottle of water
Total:  $225

Tuesday Lunch:
Downtown near the basketball court on the beach:  Started with an A
Best thing about this place was the view and the breeze under a roof in the shade!

Chef salad  (split) and french fries
Two limenadas
Total:  $200p

Tuesday dinner:
Tratorria de Gianni ( Near La Ropa)
Two glasses of white wine, Pino Grigio and Sauvagnon Blanc
Comprese salad
Pasta Alfredo with chicken (homemade pasta) YUMMY (split)
bread with garlic butter
water
$510p

Wednesday on the beach:

Patty's on La Ropa
Two beers
two liminadas
enchiladas
BLT with fries (best BLT I have had down here)

Total:  $365p

Dinner

Casa Elvira
We first purchased a half BBQ chicken at Pollo Feliz for $77p
Then because we know Nahume, manager at Casa Elvira and had his permission,
we brought it over there and added beans, rice, salad and drinks.

That chicken is the BEST BBQ ever!

Total:  $139 + 77p = $207p

Thursday lunch:
Patty's
Club Sandwich (HUGE with fries)
Quesidilla con pico de gaio
Fresh orange juice, grande, frozen
Liminada
water
$330p ?  memory issues

Thursday dinner:
Agave (downtownn and on the second floor)
We were the first dinners for the night at 7:30
We split a house salad
Split a chicken breas
rice and beans ordered separately (surprised the waiter we should order this common food)
two glasses of wine
water
Total:  $380p
Comment:  Nice presentation of food but too chi chi for us.  Nice view looking over the street.

Friday lunch:
Patty's
Chips with refried beans and pico de gaio
Orange juice, frozen (grande)
Liminada grande
Total $120p

Friday dinner:

Marina Cafe:
Pizza with pesto sauce and lots of veggies, half with sausage
two ice teas maybe the best ice tea around!
Total $240
Comment:  One of the best waiters in Zihua, Juan, down from the states 3 years now.
Tasty food always.  Good price too.


From here down is the blog from 2017
As of this writng, we are enjoying our 7th trip to this town in consecutve years, this is written December of 2017.  There were a couple other visits here  too, (3) prior to that.

click here to read about our previous visits.

I guess we like it here.  Certainly the sun and fun make it very fine for 2 weeks.

New activities for us could be taken but being laid back has it's appeal.

This post is just going to document our evening and some of our lunch dining with assoicated costs and rating for the food.\

Breakfast:

Our breakfast is at our BnB and is easy and simple.  Cereal, yogurt,banana, coffee and tea.  Toast is available but is usually too much to eat.


This is the documentation of our dining costs for our visit of Dec 11-22, 2017
Total costs for dining out:

The total expense to feed the two of us for the 12 days was a bit over $5000p or a bit over $300 US.  Not including tips or taxi rides or shopping for whatever....

The log below reflects 10 years of experience eating here in town:  Have fun if you try any of it.



Day 1 (Monday arriving at the airport in Zihuantenjo at 2:30 PM):  Dinner at El Vira's (renamed Cantinita) but with our same waiters on the beach with the moon, feet in the sand.  White linen napkins!

We split  each meal! Our plan unless noted otherwise.

Shrimp cocktail in mango salsa YUMM to all here
Chicken Fajitas
chips and pico de gaio

$440p plus tip

Day 2: 

Lunch was quesidillas just off the basket ball courts towards the fish market.  With 2 beers.  Maybe $175 p.  YUMMY

Dinner: Tried to go to the rooftop at the Sophia Restaurant on our street but the cook had injured himself and will not be back for 4-5 days!

Ended up at Paty's, next to El Viras.


Mixed salad (HUGE and GOOD).
Mahi Mahi with baked potato and veggies.

$375p

Day 3:  Wednesday

Lunch at Elvira's,

Chips and pico de gaio (Lori brought her own chips made at the tortilla making shop downtown and ignored the commercial chips brought to her).  The pico de gaio is amazing!
Fish tacos fried extra crisp for the Count
one large limeada
2 frozen coffees con creama  (some kind of Frape, I think) YUMM!
$175p

Dinner and dancing at Daniels downtown by the basket ball courts toward the Archeological Museum.  Jimmy Mamou is playing at 7 PM Wednesdays and Fridays.  YES!

We shared a Princess Salad, grilled chicken on lettuce with orange and grapefruit.
Two dishes of ice cream with chocolate sauce and Ice teas.
$275p

Day 4:

We have a plan to buy a BBQd chicken at Pollo Feliz and take it to our friend, Nahume who manages the Casa El Vira by the fish boats and he will see it served to us with all the other stuff.  I always wanted to get BBQ pollo but the ambiance at those places does not exist.

This was an astonishing good idea!  The chicken was tasty, the best we have had anywhere!  Nahume served it to our choices of a shared mixed salad (really good and lots) and then plates with rice and beans, followed by the best Flan ever!  Cost $244 plus the $72 for the chicken at Pollo Feliz.

Day 5:  Friday

We had this figured out early.  We spent the day on the beach at Cantinta (former El Viras) and that cost $200p.  Lori was going to have cheese and bean enchiladas but they brought out chicken instead.  Not charged for it.  The Count had beers and fish tacos, extra crisp.  Good stuff..  Add in a limenda for Lori and that was about it.  We did buy some string cheese from a vendor on the beach too for $50p

Out to dinner at Daniel's By the Sea, downtown near the basket ball centro.  Jimi Mamou was playing and starts each Wednesday and Friday there at 7:00 PM.  Lori and I shared an order of chicken fajitas which was good and too much even split!  Add in a couple of ice teas and an iced coffee and we had $344p

Day 6 :  Saturday

An exploration of shopping took us to Carmelita's as it was near the very cool antiiquities store, maybe Casa del Tierra?  Anyway Carmelitas was chosen to direct the taxi and he knew the place and took us right in to the tables!  We might not have gone in because it has NO street appeal but inside was remarkably bright and clean with so many staff bustling around it just astonished us.

I had something called Huevos Montulo (?sp?) and was a layered egg, ham, tortilla, beans, peas, onion, avocado, etc.... Amazing for $110p.  Lori had chiliquiles and liked that but couldn't eat it all.
Total bill was $275p including fresh tangerine juice and fresh OJ for me.

Dinner is to be at Rossi's on Playa La Ropa as they are to have a rock and roll band, Steve is the main guy and we had heard his band before.  VERY good.  We shall see about the food.  Not great memory of that but?  It was excellent.  A good mixed salad (they have ALL been exceptional) and a great chicken/prawn kebab.  With a rum, a water the bill came to $340p.  We split both salad and kebab and couldn't finish either of them.  The band was great too.

Day 7: Sunday

We had a light snack at Cantinitas (sp) and the days bill was $200p, chips and pico de gaio along with a beer or two and a limonada.

We went downtown to get a pizza at Cafe Marina but it was closed so we went to the Mediterreano by the church. Late night service had this very crowded but the restaurant was mostly empty so we had street front seats.  Ribs (beef) were a special so I had those while Lori had Fetticini Alfredo (the best she has ever had).  Both were good and so were the iced teas but they charged us for each one! (30p)  I had 4 and Lori had 2!  Anyway the bill came to $710, our biggest yet!  We had split a greek salad too.  All was tasty!  Great food but a bit more $$$.

Day 8:  Monday

Spent the morning at massages (my 5th and Lori's first) then some chips and pico de gaio.  A VERY  FINE fresh strawberry dacquiri wiht vodka and no sugar was great, and a couple of beers got our bill to $275p.

At 6 pm we went to the ATM at Commercial and then to music at Sirenas ($100p cover, unusual)
Where they do not have food but a couple good guitar players until 8:00 .  (we had water on ice, $40p) Then we went over to Cafe Marina for pesto sauce pizza and 3 beers!  MMMMMM.  $320p  worthy stuff!  A great place to eat!

Day 9:  Tuesday

Flush with our third withdrawal of $5000 pesos at Scotia Bank ATMs( cost $100p each time but no line to wait in) it seems likely we should partake of some paddle boarding.  That went well and we spent the day at Cantintata (sp) again.  The bill was $275, with $160 of it being a HUGE fresh strawberry dacquri made with vodka and no sugar!  YUMMM.

Out to dinner had us change our plans from Memos (across from Coconuts in a back street to the Cafe Marina which is becoming a favorite.  I had quesidillas with shrimp and bacon (couldn't eat it all), we split a salad, and Lori had rice and beans.  Total bill $220p.  No drinks except water.

Day 10:  Wednesday

The beach cost was low as it was just drinks and peanuts ($20p a bag of shelled peanuts) with at total
of $130p for the day on the beach.  Also found out the waiters make $82p per day plus tips....  OUCH

Dinner is to be with Jimi Mamou again at Daniels by the Sea downtown.

We split a salad and each had a bowl of tortilla soup.  MMMMM.  $220p

Day 11:  Thursday

We were invited to lunch today with our neighbors, Mike and Barbara from San Francisco,  in the BnB.  Posole on the menu!

We took a cab across town to a new section we had not been in.  The restaruant, St. Prisca, was down
some stairs and a two man band was playing well and loudly!  It was a fun atmosphere and the tables filled up.  The mescal was sold in pop bottles and Mike decided to live vividly!  He got a 16 coke bottle full.  It was half consumed by all of us.  Very smooth but look out.  Mike was getting vivid input at the end of the meal!

The snack plate was enough for a meal with 3-4 different snacks on it.  The posole was good and 3 of us only ate about half a bowl, Mike ate all of his large serving!  Filled up again!  Cost was $521 for the 4 of us.  Taxi to this remote part of town was $60p.

We had dinner at El Viras (Cantinita's now) and had a mixed salad, coconut shrimp and two glasses of wine for a $580p bill.  The ambiance of being by the sea in the sand for our feet with the moon overhead is amazing!  A must do dining experience.  The shrimp was the best we have had!

Day 12:  Friday

Heading to the beach for a few hours for a massage (number 6 for this trip) and a beverage or two before going to the airport and saying farewell to the warm sun and sea for a while.  Seattle will NOT be this nice.

Disc Golf Road Trip 2017

Road Trip to play disc golf:

The Rear Admiral got a new (to him) car and proposed a 4 day road trip with the McGuffin (a Hitchcock term meaning what the plot revolves about) of playing 18 holes a day while seeing the country and testing the new ride.

He put out the four days on the calendar and I signed up with no idea where we were going.  In the end it was just two retired big guys going where ever the car was pointed.  People would ask us where we were going and we would have to tell them "disc golfing".  Most times they would need an explanation of that sport.

Road tripping is an art form of tolerance for your fellow passengers, the weather, the car, roads, diners, etc...  Done correctly, none of those items are a hardship, in fact they all enhance the experience.  There is a caveat called the "7 Ps" which came to me through a friend in his first year of engineering school at the UW.   Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

The Rear Admiral had done some research on disc courses and coupled with the concept of finding the sun and my thought of going east of the Cascades ASAP he had both Count Ferrari and the Rear Admiral rolling along at mid day on a Monday heading over Highway 90 to points East!

Our route in broad strokes

Disc Golf Courses:

Dawson Park in Suncadia:  Cle Elum, 9 holes, gated entrance no worries, gorgeous, we played it on the way over and then again on the way back.
Downriver:  Spokane, 18 holes, along river with hills and pines, gorgeous
Sunset Park:  Lewiston, 9 holes, park setting with hills and nice lawn, view was amazing
Hell's Gate State Park:  Lewiston, 9 holes, no map of course, #5 target is out of sight behind trees to right, along river
Fort Walla Walla:  Walla Walla, 18 holes, map on line, long
Wide Hollow:  Yakima, 9 holes (going to 18 soon), in a park setting with lawn and grooming.

 Transport:

The car was a question mark for the Count.  A Chrysler?, granted it was nearly the highest end luxo ride that car company makes.  A 300 C, model year 2014 with 27,000 miles on it.   The 300 S is the only step up from this apparently and we did see one of those during the trip.  If we had an  air bag suspension it might have been better and the shifter could easily have been better. but the 300C was AMAZING.

The 300 C Chrysler at the Taco Bus in Yakima

Previous vehicles for road trips, from most recent to earlier trips were:

(for a visual aid on what these vehicles look like, you can click here and scroll about)

Mercedes Benz S-500, 2001

Cadillac Seville, 1976

Nissan Maxima, 1982

An art photo from the camera of the Rear Admiral.
Shows the enormity of the fields that we passed through at 80 MPH
and they seemed endless!

The OPEN road!

Day one:  Monday October 23, 2017

Road Trip Tips:

A cooler is a great idea.  We both brought a medium sized unit and we used one for cold and one for dry food storage.  Ice was renewed in Ziplock gallon bags each day at the motels.  Our cooler lids did not have hinges so the top just comes off, that allows for easier access when the cooler is in the back and the road tripper wants to get a snack out while in the front seat.

Essential ingredients for a Dark and Stormy.
Good thirst slaker!

A kitty is a good idea too.  Just fund it with equal amounts of cash and then spend the kitty.  We didn't have a small baggie to put the funds in and so we just kept the receipts, added them up and split the difference.  Count Ferrari is waiting for his $82 from the Rear Admiral....

Cell phones have really made navigation much easier but a paper map is much better for planning purposes.

A favorite look for a 'Cool Truck'.

A good app for cell phones is WAZE.  It shows where the police are hanging out if you like going fast.  It does suck a battery dry quickly so be plugged in to the car for full time juice.  DON'T FORGET YOUR CHARGER CORDS FOR 12V AND 110V.

DAY ONE of the Disc Golf Road Trip 2017:

We met up at 1:00 pm in Kirkland where Count Enrico dropped off his ride.  The route was to be over the North Cascades Highway but it had closed two days previously so the Rear Admiral opted for tHighway 90, the biggest and fastest route to Eastern Washington.  The weather was sunny and mild in the low 60s which was very warm for October 23!

The WAZE app saw many police by the side of the road so we kept to the flow of traffic and even then we saw a couple of sleeper Washington State Patrols, one in a grey pickup with canopy and another in a grey Suburban.    Both trolling stealthily for speeders.  They were NOT on the WAZE.

Note the larch trees, needles that change color!
Found above 3000 ft. in mountain country.

The time of year was seeing the trees in full color (check the photos).

Our first stop was in Roslyn on the other side of the Cascades.  Carek's Meat Market makes the best ever beef jerky so we got a full pound in two different flavors.  The Count prefers the 'Original' flavor while the Rear Admiral got the Teriyaki.

We found the Safeway (new) at the south end of town, out in the bush and provisioned with some whiskey, rum, chips and sandwich for lunch.   We backtracked a bit and ended up at the disc course in Suncadia.  You have to go by the manned gate entrance but the fellow is fun to fool with and just allows passage if you tell him you are going in to disc.

This is a VERY nice 9 hole course and will soon be an 18 as there were temporary tees set up with spray paint.  The 9 was great and there are very nice restrooms near the first tee.  Playing in the pines with the sun out was outstanding!  The field was wet so we were glad we had booted up in our water walkers.

Following that we got back on Highway 90 and headed for Spokane.  We made arrangements to meet with Hawkeye on the following day for a disc round the AM.  The RA also did a Priceline bid with his phone for a room at the RL hotel  downtown and  then had the $12 parking fee added after our bid price.  We were upgraded to a very nice room on the 10th floor overlooking the River Park and that was $84.  Our most expensive room  for the trip and didn't include a breakfast.

We walked out to dinner at the NUDU Asian Fusion and made it in at 8:40 and they close at 9:00.  Good choice.  The walking downtown saw many less fortunate than us.  The streets were clean and there were walkers in the park after dark that we saw.  This is a very nice river park.

DAY TWO:

Awoke early, dark still at 6:30 now.  Got a cup of coffee in the room and headed down to the car.  It was chilly out!  

We used phones to navigate to the disc course, Downriver,  that Hawkeye selected.  It was an epic 18 hole course!  Along a river with lots of ups and downs with pine trees galore!  This is worth returning to for the views.  It was foggy that morning and the Count was happy to wear his disc gloves.

Target #8 at Downriver, near Spokane.
Count Ferrari walking to an errant approach while
Hawkeye waits patiently.

Count Enrico and the Rear Admiral
test the rock support for the benches.

After the round, about 10 AM we hit the road, Highway 90 again en route to Missoula.  A stop at a one of the best breakfast places put us in good humor!  The Corner Cafe was the place.  Cafe and Diner are two types of road food stops liked by us.  This one didn't disappoint!

The road to Missoula was absolutely gorgeous as the fall leaves and the larch trees were all turned gold to red!  The views through the windshield were all one could ask for.


We zoomed into Idaho and with Montana soon to come.  Wallace, Idaho is worth the stop. A great mining museum on the way into town and seeing the freeway built up over the town from below is a sight too.  This is the last place to get multiple lanes on Highway 90 from the Pacific to the Atlantic and they had to build it over the town!  We got some good fudge filled and lemon curd filled innovative cookies and rolled out towards Montana.

Then we saw a speed limit sign that said 80 MPH!  The RA locked the cruise at 90 MPH and even checked the top end speed on a long straight stretch.  The car went 120 MPH and was limited by some sort of electronic governor.  90 seemed slow after that!

We stopped at truck stops and even went to a Peterbilt dealer to check them out.  A new tractor with sleeper, full dressed was $168,000 and good for a million miles or so!  The new ones even look liked the older ones with a squared engine cover.  RA took many photos of all sorts of trucks.  He has a 'Jones' for them.  The more lights and visors and chrome the better!

An outstanding color for a photo.  This is the look that makes the Rear Admiral holler!
He wants to make an RV out of a 40' trailer with about the last 10' for Big Guy Toys.

We found the smoke jumper school but it was closed and then went on in to our Priceline hotel which turned out to be the Broadway Inn and Conference Center.  Nice rooms but the halls could use a serious face lift.

Dinner was at the Notorious P.I.G.  (Pig Is Good) and we had ribs.  YUMMY !  It was a good food day!

Back to the hot tub at the hotel for the Count while the RA messed with photos.

DAY THREE:

Early start around 8 after 'free breakfast' which was only OK.  The car had ice on the windshield!  Apparently it snowed in Missoula the next day!  This was our furthest point out in our loop.  A Tri-State road trip!  We headed south to find Highway 12 and the LOLO Pass road.  High marks for scenic here!  Might have even been frost on the road in a couple of spots.

This residence (?), found in  town outside of Lewiston,  was given to the Rear Admiral.
He and his wife will move in Nov. 1

We pulled into Lewiston and the RA 'Yelped' a taqueria  which was OUTSTANDING!  Then out to find Sunset Park for a round of disc in a groomed park setting with views of the Snake River valley that went on for ever! A beautiful course with lush green grass to walk about on.  Not much chance of losing a disc here!  Lots of up and down too!  Weird technology on the hole targets.  Solar powered lights?  Not sure.  The RA called the college that installed them to find out.  Not a definitive answer.  She thought they might be for lights at night but we couldn't see any bulbs.

Please leave a comment on this blog if you know what the heck this
is doing on top of the target.
It is a solar cell that charges for some reason.

The next round was a Hell's Gate State Park on the Snake River.  A fine nine hole in a river bottom that makes good use of the limited up and down available.  No course map at the course, we got some help from a local who steered us to the #5 target from the up bank tee.  It is hidden behind some shrubbery to right of the #7 target we thought was #5.

After this round, we saddled up and headed to Walla Walla which we attained in a couple of hours.  We got there in time to catch about 8 holes at Fort Walla Walla Park.  It was tough to find the tees to match the targets but the RA got his phone out and found a course map that helped but it was still tough.  This course has some length to it.  Not my favorite thing in a course.

We found our Quality Inn on Priceline and the Count discovered he had left a jacket behind in Missoula and he lost a pair of reading glasses on the Fr. Walla Walla course (a function of old age?) .  Check your room closely before leaving!

Dinner was put to Yelp and a discovery of a 5 star Whoop 'Em UP Cafe took us there.  $$ Creole food and it was fabulous.  We both had File Gumbo!  YUMMY.  As we were finishing, 6 witches came in to have some wine and fun.  They were a good group in pre-Halloween celebration.  Well done costumes.

The Witches of Walla Walla at the Whoop 'Em UP
Cafe.  They brought their brooms out to party ON!

DAY FOUR:

Wiccan witches of the west,

Magic moments are the best

When the leisure expert wizard is left

To put the six witch’s to the test. 

-by Joy Love-

We motored out of Walla Walla after a reasonable 'free' hotel breakfast toward Yakima.  A friend, Jesse Ingram, had moved to Yakima about 9 years ago and he designed a course the Count wanted to play.  It was excellent.  Wide Hollow Course in some park in Yakima.  9 holes in a lush green grass setting with enough trees to make it interesting.

Lunch was at the Taco Bus   (see photo at the top of the blog) which is our favorite taqueria ever.  We had tortas.   Taqueria Jauciense!!!   YUMMY again!

After that we took Highway 821 along the Yakima River to Ellensburg and then on Highway 10 to Cle Elum to fuel at the Safeway.  This car was remarkably fuel efficient averaging 27.5 MPG.  With only an 18 gallon tank and burning regular it still got us over 400 miles a tank.

A round of disc, repeating on the Suncadia  9 hole course saw Count Ferrari finally catch and beat the Rear Admiral for a one stroke lead at the end of 9 holes.  The Rear Admiral had really stepped up his game since retirement!

From Roslyn we took Highway 90 to the West and to Kirkland where we parted company around 5:30 PM.  A good trip!

The Count being entertained by a coven in Walla Walla.

GHEDI 2017 Fall Tournament

The GHEDI 

(Griffin Hill Equinox Disc Invitational) 

occurred on September 23, 2017

Group photo of the players! (23 counted)
Photo by Sonia

This event dates back to 2008

The score card!
Photo by Joy

The loot for the awards.  Many returning trophies.

Attendance was limited, for the first time, to 32 pre-registered players.  All others were welcome.  As it turns out there were only 23 players.  We did have 32 registered at one point with 3 on the standby list.  Those who missed, missed out on a great day!

Legs driving #7 of 10.
Photo by Joy

The weather was perfect in the high 60's and sunny.  The amount of players did not crowd the course and the food was too much, as usual!

The tee box on hole 8 of the 18.
Photo by Joy

The target is just visible on the tree
with the survey tape showing.
#8 on the 18.
Photo by Joy

The course was in fine preparation with Jerry Garcia coming by on Thursday to assist in the final pruning and burning of limbs.  We also prepped a couple of the tee pads.  The Countess had raked the entire estate and with the Count's tractor driving we compiled HUGE piles of branches and fir cones.

Horses check out the discs.
Photo by Joy

Rain came 4 days before the GHEDI, allowing the piles to be burned.  We had gone about 80 days with only one day of rain the entire summer.  The piles of branches were very dry and burned easily.

Legs and her escort of RBGs

Really Big Guys!

Legs showing the path her disc took
on it's way to target #15.

That's right, through here!

The awards ceremony by Count Enrico.

Taking a break at the clubhouse between rounds.  Scorekeepers on the right working hard to set up the teams for best disc on the 10 hole round.
Note:  Previous scorecards mounted on garage door dating back to 2008.

Ozetta (the white horse, Nick, Cajun (reigning course champion), B Eh?, the Count.
Quite a team playing on the 18 hole pitch and putt course.
Photo by Legs!

Wildlife in the pond at Griffin Hill.  Note water level is very low.
Agatha, the hippo usually has just her head above water.
Clingmon, the swamp monster, is looking for chow always!
Photo by Joy

Entrance to Griffin Hill.
Photo by Joy