Since it is over 350 miles to Arlington from my house in Spokane I started out Tuesday afternoon to be able to get my registration Wednesday afternoon at Arlington at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center. I wanted to go across Highway 2 this time to see if it was better than I-90. Started out pretty hot in the 90s when I left Spokane and seemed even warmer when I got out in the country. Hardly any vehicles on the road Tuesday afternoon, so I buzzed right along. Many of the wheat fields had been harvested, but several were still waiting for the combine.  Tuesday it was clear, but Sunday when I took this photo it was smoky.

Left the wheat fields and got into the orchards, and their huge stacks of bins for the upcoming apple crop.

Then started up the North Cascades Highway to the North Cascades National Park.

This photo from the Washington Pass Overlook, shows the road climbing toward Washington Pass and the switchback up to the top.

Headed into Arlington, and up to the Byrnes Performing Arts Center to pick up my packet for the conference that starts Thursday. I went to the line that contained the letter “H” packets, and they said I needed to fill out a survey first, filled in the survey, then went back to the table with the packets, told them my name and they had a marker in the packet to see the help desk first, so over to the help desk, where they said I had not paid for my meals and wanted a check to pay for them now, seems my check I sent a week or so before had not arrived yet. I had not brought my checkbook so paid in cash. Took the packet and back to the mini to check out the classes and headed for dinner. Got to bed early and was one of the first ones there on Thursday morning. Found out my picks for Thursday would have to be changed as Luana Darby had not come, so more checking the classes.

What a day! What a day! What a day!

Judy Russell, the Legal Genealogist, educated and entertained us throughout the day with information and stories (oh, the stories she told!) about research trips to the courthouse, wills and no wills and using court records. She was self-deprecating, witty, smart, and “pretty in pink”! If you don’t already subscribe to her blog, you should consider it — it’s full of information we all should know.

Forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog post that my break-out sessions included DNA and GPS (Genealogical Proof Standard) with Angie Bush (that was the second workshop I’d taken with her — she’s great!) and Genetic Originals of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England with Olympia’s Steven W. Morrison. Excellent sessions! Today I learned all about “America: Land of the Farm, Home of the Plow” with Jean Wilcox Hibben and Janice Lovelace’s “Beyond Online — What’s at the Courthouse?” I’m now armed with enough knowledge to make the most of an upcoming trip to the Grays Harbor Courthouse in Montesano to learn more about my pioneer ancestor Patrick Murphy.

At the end of the day, my brain was overflowing with information and good intentions, so it’s a good thing I have an amazingly complete set of workshop syllabi and my scribbled notes. A big congratulations to the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society — your hard work paid off in delivering a first-rate event!

Fellow blog team member Charles Hansen and I are here in Arlington at the Northwest Genealogy Conference, hosted by the Stillaguamish Valley GS. This 3-day event is packed with classes, networking, new ideas, and inspiration.

On Wednesday afternoon, I attended a Beginning Genealogy workshop, taught by the dynamic duo of Winona Laird and Janet O’Conor Camarata. Even though I’ve been doing genealogy for 30 years, I still got a TON of tips, tricks, organizational tools, and new resources! Great handouts, too!

Today (Thursday) was the first “official” day of the conference. The headliner was Angela Packer McGhie — and she was terrific! Her plenary sessions included how to make a research plan, federal land records, historic newspapers, and the Family Search Wiki. I’m so inspired! I want to try it all!

From an impressive menu of possibilities, it was hard to choose my two break-out sessions. Finally settled on Cyndi Ingle’s “Advanced Googling for Your Grandma” and “Genealogical Assumptions — Friend or Foe with Angie Bush. Cyndi never disappoints and she really packed a lot of information into her 60 minutes. Whew! And Angie Bush…great session! There was a standing room only crowd eager to hear her engaging discussion about common assumptions we make, like assuming words have the same meaning now as they did way back when. I’m still chuckling about her story asking her daughter to throw her her “thongs.” You know — the kind you wear on your feet!

Tomorrow’s a whole day of DNA and more. Will get to hear CeCe Moore for four sessions AND I’ll have to pick two break-out sessions. Will be hard to choose!