June 29, 2015. Back to the Oregon coast!

CAMPGROUND:  Newport Marina and RV Park. Full hook-ups. Cable.  On-site brewery!!  $32/night.  5 stars

LOCATION:  Newport, Oregon about midway on the coast

WEATHER:  Hot inland, but perfect 60s and sun on coast

We left the Columbia River RV park this morning after enjoying watching cargo ships pass by...

We are so sad to hear about the wildfires in central Washington.  They are in the area where we were just a few days ago.  We actually drove through Wenatchee, the heart of the fires.

Today, we drove south and west through busy Portland, then the beautiful lush Williamette Valley  chock full of vineyards and wineries.  

Our destination was Newport.  We knew that it would be cooler here.  We were here a few weeks ago, and it is on our way to George's friend's house where we are storing the camper while we fly to the Midwest later this week.

This RV park is at the marina and on the Rogue Brewery premises.  George is in heaven!  We strolled around the marina, then walked just a few steps  to the Rogue Brewery for dinner.  They have a relationship with TV star Chef Marimoto, so feature some Japanese items on the menu.  We started with decadent Kobe beef balls with Oregon blue cheese.  Then fish and chips made with local halibut.  I had an "8-hop IPA" and George had an "Aged Dead Guy Ale".  

June 28, 2015. Visit to Portland

CAMPGROUND:  3rd night at Columbia Riverfront RV Park

LOCATION:  Woodland, Washington, near Portland

WEATHER:  Cloudy and cooler. Highs in 80s

We drove in to Portland and met the couple where we will be house-sitting in September.  It was so nice to meet them ahead of time.  We had brunch on their deck, and met Lola, our cat charge.  They have a beautiful home and yard.

On our way back, we stopped at a wildlife refuge.  It is a driving tour with a CD narrated guide.  We saw lots of birds, including Sandhill cranes and great blue herons.  We stopped along the way for a 1.5 mile hike.  On the hike, we spotted ugly nutria and a mink.  George looks like a serious birder!  

Back at the RV park, we did laundry between dips in the pool.  

DINNER:  My brother's orzo salad recipe.  Orzo with cucumber, feta, and garlic in a vinegarette with dill and oregano.   

June 27, 2015. Day trip to Mt. Saint Helens

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Columbia Riverfront

LOCATION:  Woodland, Washington, 35 miles north of Portland

WEATHER:  Still hot. Highs in 90s

We drove about 60 miles to the observation area near Mt. Saint Helens.  The visitors' center was very well-done.  After the movie with amazing footage of the eruption, the curtain opened to a window with the view of the volcano.

A tourist was setting up his drone to hover over the volcano to take pictures..

And it's off....

After our visit, we stopped at the appropriately named Ashtown Brewery in a nearby town for lunch.

Back at the RV park, we took a swim in the pool to cool off.  We watched the sunset from our campsite.

DINNER:  Japanese zaru-soba, a cold buckwheat noodle dish.  Side salad.  Too hot to eat hot food tonight.

June 26, 2015. Columbia River respite

CAMPGROUND:  Columbia Riverfront RV Park.  Very nice commercial park. Full hook-ups.  Right on the Columbia River. Great bathrooms, laundry, library.  Pool!  $35/night.  5 stars

LOCATION: Woodland, Washington.  SW part of the state. 30 miles north of Portland, OR

WEATHER:  Hot! Sunny. Highs in mid-90s

We drove west through the SW corner of Mt. Rainier National Park.  As soon as we had cell service, we started searching for RV parks with electricity hook-ups and a swimming pool......in order to deal with the record-breaking heat.

We found this one, right on the Columbia River.  It is lovely.

We took a dip in the swimming pool.  Lovely!

The grounds are very well-kept.  This is a huge rosemary bush...

We watched some cargo ships go by and the sun set over the river.

We used the park's gas grill to cook our dinner, so we wouldn't  heat up the trailer. Like many RV parks, people seem to stay inside their rigs.  We don't understand it.  We were the only ones out enjoying the river, pool and amenities.  

DINNER:  Grilled salmon burgers and potato salad.  

June 25, 2015. To Mount Rainier!

CAMPGROUND:  Cougar Rock Campground inside Mt. Rainier National Park.  Like most national parks, no hook-ups, but great nature.  Woodsy sites.  So-so bathrooms.  3 stars. $10/night with senior pass.

LOCATION:  About 130 miles southeast of Seattle

WEATHER:  Record heat wave.  Highs in 90s.  100s in valleys. Cooler at higher elevation

We drove about 200 miles southwest from Leavenworth to Mount Rainier, through miles and miles of orchards....Apple, peach, pear and cherries.  Lots of  fruit stands.  As we got closer to the park, we rose in elevation and the landscape transitioned to pine trees.  There are some beautiful mountain lakes nestled in the forests.  

We got our first look at Mt Rainier from about 100 miles away....we turned a corner, and it was just there!

As we were driving along beside a canyon with a lake below, we suddenly heard this really loud whoosh.  It really scared us.  What could be wrong with the car?  We then realized it was a jet flying super low, almost parallel to us over the canyon, doing some tricks.

We stopped at the first campground inside the park and looked for a site.  Nothing available.  So, we drove on, westward through the southern edge of the park.  We kept getting glances of the volcano, growing as we approached.

We stopped for a late picnic lunch in one of the prettiest spots on top of one of the mountains, called Paradise.  The mountain wildflowers are at their peak.  Just beautiful.  The ranger told us that they normally don't bloom until mid-August.  Climate change? 

Another great view, this time with a small lake in front...

We originally had planned to stay here 3 nights, but now have decided to just stay one night. The main activity is hiking, and at 90+ degrees, it is just too hot.  We arrived at the park's second campground.  Every site is reserved, many for the weekend starting tomorrow, so we found one of those sites....open tonight, campers arriving tomorrow.  That will fit into our revised plans.  We will keep driving tomorrow, hoping to find a park with A/C for the weekend.  We have about 5 days in Washington/Oregon before we fly to the Midwest.

Our nice neighbors tonight are  a mom and her 6-year-old.  He was excited about a dinner of s'mores.

DINNER:  Beans and rice with some sausage cooked in the grill. Salad on the side. 

June 24, 2015. Leavenworth est gut!

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Alpine RV

LOCATION: Leavenworth, Washington in central part of state

WEATHER:  A bit cooler. Highs in 80s

We decided to stay another day here.  A heat wave is hitting the Pacific Northwest.  100+ degree temps are predicted for later this week.  At least we have electricity (A/C) here.  

We cooled off by going tubing.  Fun!  It was about a 2-hour ride down the Wenatchee River that flows through town.  There were small rapids that made it exciting.  Afterwards, we dried off in an outdoor bier garten.

George got into the act by wearing his suspenders and shorts to fit in with lederhosen-wearing locals.....

This is a fun town.

We walked into town for a dinner at a German restaurant.  We shared a platter of Jaegerschnitzel.  Sehr gut!  There was a musician playing peppy German music.  

Since the days are so long, we strolled back while it was still light!

June 23, 2015. Are we in Bavaria?!?

CAMPGROUND:  Alpine RV Park. Typical commercial park. Full hook-ups.  Beautiful showers. Packed in. Noisy, as we are right off the highway. No TV,  but wifi. $33/night. 3 stars

LOCATION: Leavenworth, Washington in central part of state

WEATHER:  Hot!  Highs in low 90s.  :-(

We drove one of Washington's most scenic drives (per the tourist brochure) across the state east, then south, then curved west in the Cascade Loop, around the North Cascades National Park.  The landscape transitioned from tall pines and mountains, up to alpine meadows and glaciers, then to dry, then to fertile, hot valleys.  

Our destination was Leavenworth.  Again, we selected this place after reading about it in our book "1000 Places To Go  Before You Die".  I read that when the town's economy began to hurt, that the business people got together and decided to make it into a faux Bavarian village.  It worked!  It is very cute and draws a lot of tourists year-round, skiing in the winter, enjoying water sports on the river in the summer, and ongoing winery-hopping!  

We wanted to stay near to town, and someone had recommended the KOA.  I checked and it was $70/night!  We found this place across the street, and got settled in.  We have electricity, so I immediately turned on the A/C!

Then we walked in to town, a nice 3/4 mile walk away.  George's antennae  immediately led us to Icicle Brewpub.  We sat outside and cooled off with their misters.

Everything is Bavarian style with German decorations and lettering.

Lots of nice murals.  Flowers everywhere...

Even Starbucks is Bavarian!

 

On our way home, we spotted this deer that did not shy away from George.

DINNER:  I made curry with the leftover chicken thighs we had grilled the other night.  

June 22, 2015. Day trip to La Conner

CAMPGROUND: 3rd night st Newhalem Campground, one of the campgrounds in North Cascades National Park

LOCATION: North central Washington

WEATHER:  Very nice. Highs in 70s

We use these 2 books plus conversations with other campers to somewhat guide our route and destinations.......

We had planned to leave today, but I talked with 2 different couples who were on their way to La Conner, Washington.  Sure enough, it is listed in the book 1000 Places to Go Before You Die.  So, we paid for another night here (a bargain at $8.00/night), and hit the road for a day side trip.  Great to be able to be flexible! 

La Conner is about 1 1/2 hours away, back west near Puget Sound.  It was an undiscovered fishing village, now an artists' colony, and full of shops and restaurants.  Cute!

  

George quickly spotted the LaConner Brewery where we had a beer on their flower-filled patio.

Then, we had a superb grilled salmon sandwich at the Oyster and Thistle English pub for lunch.

As we visit different places, we sometimes think about where we might settle down one day.  This might be one option. It has a lot of advantages.....  It is close to the San Juan Island ferry, ferry to Vancouver Island, Seattle, and the mountains.  

La Conner is in a fertile valley.  They have a tulip festival in the spring and grow more tulips than all of Holland!

On our way back, we took a drive into Mt. Baker National Forest.  The views of mountain glaciers, streams, and waterfalls were awesome!

DINNER:  A one-skillet meal, with leftover meatball pieces, potato and sweet potato wedges, onions, and garlic.  Side was a scrumptious heirloom tomato we bought at a vegetable stand.  

June 21, 2015. Exploring North Cascades National Park

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Newhalem

LOCATION: North Cascades National Park in western Washington

WEATHER; Perfect. Highs in upper 70s

We did a lot of hikes in the park.  For one hike, we took the wrong trail, one labelled Flood Evacuation Route. I was a little apprehensive to start it, with this name.   In the event of a flash flood, it would definitely get one above the flood waters fast, as it was straight up!  After 15 minutes of walking sideways to climb up, I gave up.  We went/slid back down and found the correct trail, right nearby.

Most of the park is inaccessible by car.  It is very rugged.  We watched a movie in the visitors center and had a wonderful view of the glaciers from there.

We drove to Diablo Lake, part of the national park, and enjoyed a picnic lunch.

 

Note the snow in the mountains.  The water is an unusual green/blue as it has glacier melt.  

Everyone seemed to leave today, so we have the campground mostly to ourselves.  We went to vacant campsites, and scrounged up campfire wood that they had left.  We haven't had to buy wood for about a year!

DINNER:  The rest of the scallops sautéed in garlic butter.  Served with creamy pasta and broccoli.

June 20, 2015. Island-hopping!

CAMPGROUND: Newhalem  Creek inside North Cascades National Park. Like most national parks, no hook-ups.  Very woodsy, private, paved sites.  Good grill and picnic tables. Nice bathroom, no showers.  4 stars. $8/night

LOCATION: North Casacades National Park. Nearest town is Concrete, WA.  About 100 miles northeast of Seattle

WEATHER: Nice. Highs in 70s

We packed up from Fort Flagler.  Our neighbor, another AirStreamer, had recommended the ferry back to the mainland.  We looked into it, and decided it was the better option since we are pretty far north already.  If we drove, we would have to go south to Tacoma, them back up northeast, all around Puget Sound, with busy traffic.  Instead, we drove to nearby Port Townsend.  We caught the ferry there to Whidby Island.  We arrived at the terminal just as the ferry docked.

 

Here we are in line at the ferry terminal.

We loaded the ferry.  We were front and center!

We  disembarked about 35 minutes later on Whidby Island, mostly rural and undeveloped.  We stopped for lunch there and had locally harvested steamed mussels and clams.  Yum!

From Whidby Island, we crossed back into mainland Washington via a bridge.  Then we drove about 50 more miles east to the national park.  This is called the American Alps.  We'll spend a few days here hiking and exploring.

DINNER:  Grilled chicken, baked potato baked in the coals, and peas. 

June 19, 2015. busy in Bremerton

CAMPGROUND: 2nd night at Fort Flagler State Park

LOCATION; on tip of Marrowstone Island, in NE section of Olympic Peninsula

WEATHER:  Cloudy/rainy in AM; Sunny and mild in PM. Highs in 60s

We drove south about an hour, through fishing villages, to Bremerton.  

  We had a busy day....laundry and oil change in the truck.  How lucky.....there was a brewery tap room near the car dealership so we walked there while the car was being serviced.

On our way home, we stopped for groceries.  We bought a bag of fresh oysters for $12.  There were 15 huge ones inside!  

George shucked most of them and we ate them on the half shell.

We steamed a few of the 

biggest ones on the campfire grill

This campground is hopping!  Every site is filled.  There are several groups, all partying.  Lots of kids riding bicycles around.  Summer camping is definitely here!

DINNER:  Sautéed scallops in garlic butter.  Rice and salad.  A seafood day!

We watched Doc Martin on Canadian TV. 

June 18, 2015. From urban to remote Olympic Peninsula

CAMPGROUND: Fort Flagler State Park. Full hook-ups. Nice bathrooms.  Right on Admiralty Bay. 4 stars. Would have been 5 stars, but spendy at $46//night

LOCATION:  On tip of peninsula, across from Port Townsend, Washington

WEATHER: Cool. Sunny. Highs in 60s. Windy 

We drove about 60 miles around bays, following the perimeters of islands and peninsulas.  Our destination was Fort Flagler State Park, which a camp host in OR had recommended.  It is very remote.  It is surrounded by water on 3 sides.  Very popular.  We got the last site  for Friday night when I reserved online.

We drove through picturesque fishing villages on our way.  

We have been all around the Olympic Peninsula....

1= Kakaloch, the ocean part of the Olympic National Park

2= Heart of the Hills, the mountain part of the Olympic National Park

3= Bainbridge a Island, across Puget Sound from Seattle

4= Fort Flagler State Park, on part of the islands in northwest

After setting up, we took a hike on the beach, then another one inland, visiting the remains of the fort here from the early 1900s.

It started sprinkling when we returned from our hike, so we stayed inside for the evening.  We have a little TV.  

DINNER:  Thawed hamburger patties.  Warmed up fava beans, and added sautéed onions.  

June 17, 2015. Seattle sight-seeing

  CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Fey City Park

LOCATION:  Bainbridge Island, across from Seattle on the Puget Sound

WEATHER: Beautiful. Highs in 70s

Yesterday when we took the ferry to Seattle, we paid $12 for parking near the Bainbridge ferry.  Today, we decided to try the bus.  The buses around the Island are mostly for commuters, only running in the AM and PM rush hours to and from the ferry.  They have a service whereby you can call  to be picked up by a bus during the off-hours.  So, we called and arranged a 10:00 pick up time, which would be perfect to catch the 10:25 ferry.  The bus was running a little late, however, and we arrived at the ferry terminal at 10:28.  Darn!  We strolled around Bainbridge for awhile and caught the next one.

Once in Seattle, George wanted to check out their "Big Bore" project, digging a huge tunnel to run Interstate  5 under the city, instead of through it.  We walked around the dig sight, in the old town.  We walked around historic Pioneer Square.  Since the weather is so nice, everyone was outside.  This square was full of food trucks and people.

These guys were playing chess with huge pieces.

We found a cute Italian restaurant with outdoor seating for lunch.

When we arrived back on the island, our plan was to stop for a pint at the Ale House, then buy a Dungeness crab at the nearby market, then hop on the bus back to the campground.  Cute building.

  We had been told that the island doesn't have bus stops....you just flag one down.  So, we stood with our Dungeness crab purchase waiting to flag the bus down.  Unfortunately, we had been misinformed, and the bus just whizzed by us.  What to do?  I was worried about the crab getting warm.  The next bus was an hour away.  So, we called the bus service, explaining what happened.  They sent one of the their off-hours buses to pick us up.  What great service!  

Back at the campground I had to run to the bathroom, and asked George to hurry to refrigerate the crab.  When I came out if the bathroom, I found him chatting up some ladies, with the crab package forgotten.  What a guy!

We hiked along the beach at the park, watching big  ships and sailboats go by.  Perfect!

DINNER:  Dungeness crab and salad.  I made some warm garlic butter to dip the crab legs in.  Yum!

June 16, 2015. Beautiful Bainbridge Island

CAMPGROUND:  Fey Bainbridge City Park. On Puget Sound waterfront.  Water, but no electricity.  Grills and picnic tables.  $23/night. 3 stars

LOCATION:  Bainbridge Island, Washington, across Puget Sound from Seattle

WEATHER:  Sunny. Highs in 70s

We left Olympic National Park, and headed east then south, passing beautiful lavender farms on our way.  Our destination was Bainbridge Island,  from which we could catch the ferry to Seattle for day trips.

We strolled around the town of Bainbridge Island. It is darling.  It seems very high-end.  Most of the people commute to Seattle for work, or are just wealthy and live here.  We had steamed mussels for lunch at an ale house right on the harbor.

Then, we took the 35-minute ferry over to Seattle.  It was a nice, sunny day, so we could see Mount Rainier far away.

Seattle is really bustling with activity.  We walked around the famous Pike Place  market, watching the fishmongers throw fish in the famous seafood market.

 DINNER:  Sushi at Sushi Japonesa.  It was sushi happy hour, so the prices were reduced.  Heaven!  

June 15, 2015. Olympic National Park, new zones

CAMPGROUND:  Heart of the Hills Campground inside Olympic National Park.  Small sites. Nice bathrooms.  No hook-ups. $10/night with senior pass. 3 stars

LOCATION:  Outside of Port Angeles, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula. Near Juan de Fuca Straight. 

WEATHER:  nice. Highs in 70s, as we went inland

Sadly, it was my turn to drive again as we headed into the rain forest, leaving the Pacific.  I saw a police car's lights so I slowed down.  Huge logs had fallen from a logging truck onto the road.  It could have been bad.  I'm going to try to avoid following thise trucks on the road!

We left the coastal area, zone #1 of the national park, and drove to the Hoh Rain Forest, zone #2.  How different!  We hiked Mossy Trail, which was full of spruce and maple trees dripping with moss and ferns.  Kind of creepy!

Some really tall trees.....200-300 feet tall.  We could hear birds singing, but couldn't see them as they were so high up.

We drove farther west, passing beautiful Lake Crescent.  We got set up in the campground.  It is practically empty.  It may be because the sites are so small that anything larger than our trailer wouldn't fit.  We drove up to Hurricane Ridge, so called because it is so windy.  As we were driving up and up the mountain.......darn, I was driving again, we started hearing a strange sound.  We checked all our gauges; everything seemed to be ok.  Checked the heater and A/C.  Ok, too.  The higher we got, the more persistent the sound.  It sounded like a rattlesnake.  We were getting worried; there was no shoulder to pull over on.  Finally, George figured it out.....it was our water bottle reacting from the change in air pressure.  Whew!

As we were driving,a beautiful sun dog appeared.

This is zone #3 of the Olympic National Park, the mountains.  We could see Mount Olympus and glaciers in the distance.

Lots of deer happily munching on grass.  The Chinese tourists were thrilled.

From the top of a path, in the opposite direction, we could see Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland.  

Back at the campground, we relaxed and read around a campfire.  

DINNER:   Spaghetti using leftover meatballs from last night.