The Experience » Puget Sound

May 5th, 2009 by greg

What is this holiday?

According to Wikipedia, Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, which actually is Sept. 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

There you have it, another Hallmark holiday but most importantly, another reason to celebrate with parties, dancing and gastronomic delights.

Once again, I’m writing to you all this week from a hotel room looking out over the downtown skyline of Seattle. Yup, another business trip and another week away from home. I hope my neighbor was able to cut my grass this past weekend or I’ll be bailing it when I get home later this week.

As many of you may have noticed over the past year, my business travels sometimes affords me the opportunity to enjoy a bit of local activities and delicacies. Given my love of two-wheeled modes of transportation, most of my adventures have been centered around various opportunities to experience a variety of street bikes.

A window of opportunity in my business schedule afforded me the opportunity to reintroduce myself to the world of off-road motorcycles. A good friend and business associate who lives across Puget Sound from Seattle invited me to experience an off-road ride up to the top of one of the local mountain ranges. Green Mountain rises up to about 1,700 feet above sea level and is in the shadow of the Olympic mountain range.

I have not been on a dirt bike for over 12 years and was feeling a bit apprehensive about this adventure. My friend Joe assured me it would be an easy ride. I guess from a “locals” point of view, but not from a flatlander like me who has enjoyed way too many gastronomic delights. Well, the ride ended up being an unbelievable experience with an incredible view from the top of Green Mountain. I think I only bailed off a couple times, and Joe only had to “assist” me up a couple difficult climbs. The boys back in Indy will never believe this!

Like all good experiences, the day ended with yet another culinary experience. Several dozen freshly caught oysters and some local fish Joe caught over the weekend was cooked on a camp fire and served up to everyone’s delight. Not a bad way to celebrate the eve of another Hallmark holiday in the Pacific Northwest.