We didn't end up leaving our house until 6:30. After stopping for some food, we arrived at the truck crossing at around 7:15. The lineup wasn't too bad--they just checked everyone's trunk. We got through in 25 min. 

The weather was perfect for driving--overcast, but dry all the way through. The sun even came out a few times. Also, traffic was pretty light (in all the right places ). It took us about 1 hour 25 min. to make it to Seattle . Actually, we would have been there sooner but traffic on the I-5 came to a stand-still two exits before where we were supposed to get off . There was a Huskies game that morning and we saw lots of cars with mascots and flags. 

We got to the Starbucks near the U of W at around 9:05 but unfortunately it was the wrong one. I had looked up the wrong address on MapQuest . After asking some Huskies fans, we found University Village at around 9:25. 

Turnout was good. There were at least 20 VWs: lots of Golfs and Jettas, and 2 other B5 Passats (one chipped, the other with HID!). One of the Passat guys was installing his rear fog and dash indicator in the parking lot. The security guy was cool because he'd cruise-by checking out the cars--he even stopped later to ask questions. Strangely enough, I couldn't get anyone to volunteer to test out the Auto Taser when I was asked to demonstrate it . 

There were also a lot of nice cars driving through the mall. I saw two 2002 Audi A4s, a bunch of nice BMWs, and lots of B5s and B5.5s. We were there until about 1:30. Luckily there was a Ben and Jerry's right next to us and someone brought home-baked Almond Roca cookies, so our stomachs were able to last that long. 

Some of us left to go to Krispy Kreme in Issaquah but when we got off the freeway, traffic in the area was crazy. The line-up to turn down to the mall must have started a mile away! According to the locals, they had been hyping the new Krispy Kreme for about 6 months and there was a 5-hour wait to get into it on the first day! 

So we gave up on that idea and instead stopped for some "gen-u-wine American Bee-Bee-Cue." We left after that and caravanned to Bellingham with one of the other B5s. If I say so myself, we were quite the sight: imagine two sleek Passats, one silver, the other black, windows darkened, streaking down an open freeway at legally questionable speeds, two sets of HIDs ablaze and burning through the darkness.... Can you tell I had a good time ?