by Jacquie Elliott
I just returned from a lovely visit to one of our partner stations, KBCS, located on the beautiful Bellevue College campus. It’s a great station that broadcasts from a quaint little home next to the campus.
Fortunately, I arrived during pledge drive and got to meet a few of the dedicated volunteers who help keep the station on the air. KBCS is a community station with many local and original programs, and it was definitely a cool place to visit. I enjoy visiting public radio stations, as each one is unique with it’s own personality. I volunteer at 88.9 KPOV in Bend and so I know how important community support is to these stations. That’s why I love that I am able to help stations like these raise money through car donations. I believe I have the best job ever!
My husband and I left from Chemult, Oregon on the Amtrak Starlight Express. We arrived in Tacoma in the evening and stayed overnight, then rented a car so we could visit the surrounding cities. We visited the Tacoma Glass Museum, which was fantastic to see. They had glass blowers visiting from Finland who were making glass birds right there in the museum. Since I dabble in fused glass, I was more than fascinated by this process.
On the weekend we visited Olympia and Seattle, and stayed at the Inn on the Market, just above Pike Marketplace. It was a blast, and the weather was a perfect sunny 65 degrees. There was so much hustle and bustle at the market, with people carrying bags of fresh fruit, fish and large bouquets of flowers (which you can buy there for just $5). 
I, being a die-hard Starbucks fan, was excited to go to the original Starbucks, although with a Starbucks literally on every corner, I was still amazed at how long the lines were at each one.
We also got to see all the “Occupy” protestors in each city that we went to. With lot’s of music and people carrying signs, it felt like a flashback to the sixties.
Washington is one of America’s most beautiful states. I am grateful my job not only gives me the opportunity to make a difference, but also gives me the chance to travel to visit radio stations and non-profits across the country.
