It’s been an indulgent week at Propane Kitchen. Not only did we tour Grand Coulee Dam, hike to a lake still dotted with ice, listen to accordion music played by a man wearing animal fur and marvel at Mt. Rainier & Mt. St Helens, we also stayed with Patrick’s friends and work colleagues, enabling us to take real showers multiple days in a row. I can’t stress enough what a treat that is.

Plus, thanks to a snafu with some reservations months ago, we stayed at the posh Hotel Monaco for free last night, and I’m writing this from a giant-sized bed while Patrick is out getting bagels.

Mt. Rainier

We also had some amazing meals, starting with a leisurely late lunch on the plant-filled patio at Black Salt Café in Crawford Bay, B.C., where we snagged the last bowl of a delicious Thai Curried Squash Soup that was bright and tangy with kaffir lime and a just a touch spicy.

Black Salt Cafe

In Seattle, we sampled flakey, buttery delicacies at Café Besalu. I couldn’t decide between a pinwheel-shaped nectarine pastry and a tender ginger biscuit, so I had them both. For dinner we stumbled upon Local 360, where 90% of the raw ingredients come from within 360 miles of the restaurant. Their focus on quality suppliers comes through in the food – sandabs with roasted sweet corn and morels made us want to lick the plate, and the rabbit pate was rich without being at all greasy.  We also had lamb boudin blanc and a peach, bacon and goat cheese salad that tasted like sunset on a warm summer evening.

Local 360

Our indulgent streak continued with the most decadent dish of all – a wee pot of foie gras brulee with apricot jam from the charcuterie board at Little Bird Bistro here in Portland. It truly made me dance in my seat. Grilled trout and mussels were perfectly done, too, but it was the foie that put satisfied smiles on our faces.  Even the parking ticket we received didn’t spoil our mood.

Soon we’ll be back to boondocking in the Minnie, but for now I’m going to take another long hot shower and use up all these fluffy white towels. It’s a good life.