Tri Cities and Prosser

Sept 18- We left Kent for the Benton City, WA staying at the Beach RV Park. There is no beach or view of a beach but the park is bordered on one side by the Yakima River. The view of the Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain areas and surrounding pastures was quite nice. We had some great sunsets and the weather was warm. It reminded us of a trip we took to Montana and stayed at White Sulphur Springs. We need to go back there. We had lunch at The Palm in Benton City. This is a classic old bar with the usual regulars that were having a pretty good time for it being early in the afternoon. Good hamburgers and some hot wings.
Sept 19- We visited several wineries purchasing a bottle of Tempranillo from Millbrandt Winery which we had not tried before. Pretty good relatively mild red wine. We had a nice night by the fire enjoying the view and sunset. It had been windy but it lessened at sunset.



Sept 20- More wineries, sun, wind and a nice evening by the fire. We went into Kennewick to the Ice Harbor Brewery for different samples and some fries. They had a "fresh hops brew" that was real interesting. Using fresh hops you can really smell and taste the difference between other brews not using them. Don tried fishing in the Yakima River but the only thing he saw caught was by a white heron.

Sept 21- We moved to Prosser to the Wine Country RV Park where we stayed a few years ago. Really nice park. We walked to the Vintner's Plaza where there are 13 wineries to visit. A restaurant, Wine Out, was recommended to us for lunch. What a great tip. We had the best pizza ever. It is a pear and bacon with  sauce and white sharp cheddar cheese. You can pair it with the wines of the restaurant. We each had a flight of three half glasses of red wines that were excellent. We shared the choices we ordered. Then back to the park for the rest of the day. GRAPES....GRAPES....GRAPES

Sept 22- We drove around to more wineries. Our favorite for the day was Desert Wind Winery. They had Gail's favorite, a nice big gift store. We bought a real nice Suds and Seeds Mustard, a refill of a steak rub that we like and sampled some nice wines and purchased a bottle of Sangiovese. Back at the park Don was checking out the store and found some real good deals on wines that we had tasted but at better prices than at the wineries. Later in the evening we were sitting by our fire and and the park manager stopped by and chatted with us. We talked to him about working at the park. He said he would like to have us as workers at his park but he needs a 6 month commitment. We told him we appreciated the offer but we aren't ready to commit to it at this time. Some pics from the park.





Sept 23- We awoke this morning to the Prosser Hot Air Balloon Festival opening lift off. Don saw about 18 in the air at one time. What a nice way to end our week here. Here are a few pics:








We drove home over Chinook Pass all the way in the sun. We ended up with five bottles of wine from our visits.
I think this our last trip for the year so I'll be posting happenings from the local area worthy of posting. Thanks for following along.
Don and Gail.

Tri Cities and Prosser

Sept 18- We left Kent for the Benton City, WA staying at the Beach RV Park. There is no beach or view of a beach but the park is bordered on one side by the Yakima River. The view of the Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain areas and surrounding pastures was quite nice. We had some great sunsets and the weather was warm. It reminded us of a trip we took to Montana and stayed at White Sulphur Springs. We need to go back there. We had lunch at The Palm in Benton City. This is a classic old bar with the usual regulars that were having a pretty good time for it being early in the afternoon. Good hamburgers and some hot wings.
Sept 19- We visited several wineries purchasing a bottle of Tempranillo from Millbrandt Winery which we had not tried before. Pretty good relatively mild red wine. We had a nice night by the fire enjoying the view and sunset. It had been windy but it lessened at sunset.



Sept 20- More wineries, sun, wind and a nice evening by the fire. We went into Kennewick to the Ice Harbor Brewery for different samples and some fries. They had a "fresh hops brew" that was real interesting. Using fresh hops you can really smell and taste the difference between other brews not using them. Don tried fishing in the Yakima River but the only thing he saw caught was by a white heron.

Sept 21- We moved to Prosser to the Wine Country RV Park where we stayed a few years ago. Really nice park. We walked to the Vintner's Plaza where there are 13 wineries to visit. A restaurant, Wine Out, was recommended to us for lunch. What a great tip. We had the best pizza ever. It is a pear and bacon with  sauce and white sharp cheddar cheese. You can pair it with the wines of the restaurant. We each had a flight of three half glasses of red wines that were excellent. We shared the choices we ordered. Then back to the park for the rest of the day. GRAPES....GRAPES....GRAPES

Sept 22- We drove around to more wineries. Our favorite for the day was Desert Wind Winery. They had Gail's favorite, a nice big gift store. We bought a real nice Suds and Seeds Mustard, a refill of a steak rub that we like and sampled some nice wines and purchased a bottle of Sangiovese. Back at the park Don was checking out the store and found some real good deals on wines that we had tasted but at better prices than at the wineries. Later in the evening we were sitting by our fire and and the park manager stopped by and chatted with us. We talked to him about working at the park. He said he would like to have us as workers at his park but he needs a 6 month commitment. We told him we appreciated the offer but we aren't ready to commit to it at this time. Some pics from the park.





Sept 23- We awoke this morning to the Prosser Hot Air Balloon Festival opening lift off. Don saw about 18 in the air at one time. What a nice way to end our week here. Here are a few pics:








We drove home over Chinook Pass all the way in the sun. We ended up with five bottles of wine from our visits.
I think this our last trip for the year so I'll be posting happenings from the local area worthy of posting. Thanks for following along.
Don and Gail.

Sequim

Sept 10
We went to the Olympia Campground in Tumwater for the night. This is a real nice park that is close to Tracy and Erik's house. We had lunch and went to their house for Sydney's pre-birthday party. Friends Hart and Amy and kids joined us. Lots of fun, laughter, good food and a fire in Tracy's new fire pit. Then back to the park for the night.

Sept 11- Now off to Sequim. It is about 100 miles on Hwy 101. A picturesque drive to Sequim Bay RV Park. We had site #1 which is right across the road from the bay.  There is a resident Peahen in the park that forages through the sites. It is a short walk to John Wayne Marina and a nice restaurant ($16.95 for a hamburger).
The Pea Hen:






A couple of views from the park:



Sept 12- We drove to the trail head of Dungeness Spit and walked about half way to the lighthouse which is 5.5 miles each way. On the walk we were watched by a sea lion about 30 feet from shore for a while. Here are a couple photos of an interesting piece of driftwood .










When we got back to the park we had lunch and went to the marina and walked every slip. There are a lot of very nice boats and some that are more our speed if we were boaters. One was the Wyrill. She was originally built in 1911 and is steeped in history. She is about 62 feet long, is newly updated with the latest equipment and is for sale for only $175,000. Let me know when we can go out on your new toy..... To learn more go to wyrill.net. Back to the park for drinks and dinner.

Sept 13- We drove into Sequim and up Bell Hill. There are spectacular views and very nice homes there. Back to the park and took a nice long hike on the Olympic Discovery Trail to Sequim Bay State Park and back through the park and on the Sequim Bay Road.

Sept 14- We went to 7 Cedars Casino and had fun gambling. It was fun because we were able to make our $40 allowance last quite a while. Then out to lunch in town. Back the the park and get ready to go home tomorrow. We think site #8 will be nice on a future trip.

Sept 15- Home today over the Hood Canal and Narrows Bridges. $8.00 for car and trailer.

Sequim

Sept 10
We went to the Olympia Campground in Tumwater for the night. This is a real nice park that is close to Tracy and Erik's house. We had lunch and went to their house for Sydney's pre-birthday party. Friends Hart and Amy and kids joined us. Lots of fun, laughter, good food and a fire in Tracy's new fire pit. Then back to the park for the night.

Sept 11- Now off to Sequim. It is about 100 miles on Hwy 101. A picturesque drive to Sequim Bay RV Park. We had site #1 which is right across the road from the bay.  There is a resident Peahen in the park that forages through the sites. It is a short walk to John Wayne Marina and a nice restaurant ($16.95 for a hamburger).
The Pea Hen:






A couple of views from the park:



Sept 12- We drove to the trail head of Dungeness Spit and walked about half way to the lighthouse which is 5.5 miles each way. On the walk we were watched by a sea lion about 30 feet from shore for a while. Here are a couple photos of an interesting piece of driftwood .










When we got back to the park we had lunch and went to the marina and walked every slip. There are a lot of very nice boats and some that are more our speed if we were boaters. One was the Wyrill. She was originally built in 1911 and is steeped in history. She is about 62 feet long, is newly updated with the latest equipment and is for sale for only $175,000. Let me know when we can go out on your new toy..... To learn more go to wyrill.net. Back to the park for drinks and dinner.

Sept 13- We drove into Sequim and up Bell Hill. There are spectacular views and very nice homes there. Back to the park and took a nice long hike on the Olympic Discovery Trail to Sequim Bay State Park and back through the park and on the Sequim Bay Road.

Sept 14- We went to 7 Cedars Casino and had fun gambling. It was fun because we were able to make our $40 allowance last quite a while. Then out to lunch in town. Back the the park and get ready to go home tomorrow. We think site #8 will be nice on a future trip.

Sept 15- Home today over the Hood Canal and Narrows Bridges. $8.00 for car and trailer.

Camano and Anacortes

August 30- We went to Camano Island to see Gail's best friend Teddi from school. She and her husband Dave have a lovely house on the water. FUN FUN FUN. We took a walk on the beach at low tide. We sat on the deck having cocktails and reminiscing about the school days and what all is going on now. We hadn't seen them in about 10 years. Teddi fixed a great dinner. We talked more until about 9:30 then out to the trailer and bed. We were up about 8 to have rolls and fruit and more conversation. It was a fantastic visit. They spend about 8 months a year in Palm Springs and invited us to visit them next year, possibly in Feb or March. We'll see.
We hit the road about 10AM heading for Anacortes.

Aug 31- We stayed at Fidalgo Bay RV. We weren't near the water but everything was within walking distance. We took a walk across the Tommy Thompson Trestle which was about a mile each way spanning the bay. There was a warning I saw that was curious. It said "Danger- Potential bicycle tire damage due to sharp shells." I realized what this was about when we were walking. Seagulls pick up clam shells, fly up and drop them on the path so they can harvest the meat. Pretty clever birds.

Sept 1- Gail's sister Joan and her husband David drove in from Bellingham for the day. We walked the trail into town, about 2.5 miles each way. We walked the town shopping for antiques and such. We made some nice finds. In fact Joan saw a desk she really liked but didn't have a place for it in her house. About a week later she told her daughter Angie about it. They got in the car and drove to get it for Angie. We had lunch at the Brown Lantern Pub. They had Moose Drool Ale from Montana on tap. I had it before but not the others so after tasting it we all enjoyed it and a great lunch. Then back to the trailer for appetizers, wine and dinner. After dinner we took another walk to a spit of land through the woods at the park. It was a beautiful evening and a great day with family. David and Joan had a short drive home. We relaxed by our fire for the remainder of the evening.

Sept 2- We took a drive to Mt. Erie in Anacortes. There are great views of Fidalgo Bay but the trees have gotten so big it isn't as spectacular as in the past. We went back to the park and watched it fill up for the weekend. All but two sites out of about 200 were taken.

Sept 3-Headed for home. It's nice to take these trips of barely 200 miles round trip once in a while.

Camano and Anacortes

August 30- We went to Camano Island to see Gail's best friend Teddi from school. She and her husband Dave have a lovely house on the water. FUN FUN FUN. We took a walk on the beach at low tide. We sat on the deck having cocktails and reminiscing about the school days and what all is going on now. We hadn't seen them in about 10 years. Teddi fixed a great dinner. We talked more until about 9:30 then out to the trailer and bed. We were up about 8 to have rolls and fruit and more conversation. It was a fantastic visit. They spend about 8 months a year in Palm Springs and invited us to visit them next year, possibly in Feb or March. We'll see.
We hit the road about 10AM heading for Anacortes.

Aug 31- We stayed at Fidalgo Bay RV. We weren't near the water but everything was within walking distance. We took a walk across the Tommy Thompson Trestle which was about a mile each way spanning the bay. There was a warning I saw that was curious. It said "Danger- Potential bicycle tire damage due to sharp shells." I realized what this was about when we were walking. Seagulls pick up clam shells, fly up and drop them on the path so they can harvest the meat. Pretty clever birds.

Sept 1- Gail's sister Joan and her husband David drove in from Bellingham for the day. We walked the trail into town, about 2.5 miles each way. We walked the town shopping for antiques and such. We made some nice finds. In fact Joan saw a desk she really liked but didn't have a place for it in her house. About a week later she told her daughter Angie about it. They got in the car and drove to get it for Angie. We had lunch at the Brown Lantern Pub. They had Moose Drool Ale from Montana on tap. I had it before but not the others so after tasting it we all enjoyed it and a great lunch. Then back to the trailer for appetizers, wine and dinner. After dinner we took another walk to a spit of land through the woods at the park. It was a beautiful evening and a great day with family. David and Joan had a short drive home. We relaxed by our fire for the remainder of the evening.

Sept 2- We took a drive to Mt. Erie in Anacortes. There are great views of Fidalgo Bay but the trees have gotten so big it isn't as spectacular as in the past. We went back to the park and watched it fill up for the weekend. All but two sites out of about 200 were taken.

Sept 3-Headed for home. It's nice to take these trips of barely 200 miles round trip once in a while.

Life with kids in the house

Aug 22- We volunteered to take care of our older daughter's kids for the week. Sydney is almost 13 and Emerson is 6. They are great kids and we kept very busy. On Tuesday we went to the Seattle Center Science Center. We rode the light rail and monorail to get there. It was a great experience for all. The girls had never ridden either mode  and we not the monorail probably since 1962 (World's Fair). We visited an exhibit called Goosebumps, the science of fear. There were hands on applications of seeing various bugs and reaching into a dark box to touch them. The girls wanted no part of this. I showed them that is was harmless but no way. They did other interactive activities. It wasn't too exciting. Then went to an exhibit about nature showing Puget Sound and it's inhabitants, how tides work and other things. Sydney was interested in these but Emerson being 6, she shot through them without much interest. We also visited and area telling about space and exploration. The highlight of the day was the butterfly exhibit. There were hundreds of butterflies in a greenhouse like area flying, watering and feeding. The girls really enjoyed this one. Then on the monorail and light rail home
Wednesday I took them to Saltwater State Park during the low tide. We had a great time looking at all the live and otherwise creatures along the waterline. We turned over rocks to discover crabs, hermit crabs, snails and other life. The girls collected some hermit crabs and snails in an effort to take them home and have an aquarium of sea life. They didn't make it through the night.
On Thursday Nanny took them to the Glee 3D movie. I chilled at the house. Syd is quite a cook. She has made cakes and other baked goods for us all in the past. During her stay with us she helped Gail make homemade pizza and chicken divan. She wants a deluxe Kitchen Made mixer for her birthday. (She did get it a couple of weeks later.)
I met Tracy in South Tacoma Friday evening to hand them off to her. Man, the girls were great but I'm too old for full time kids.

Life with kids in the house

Aug 22- We volunteered to take care of our older daughter's kids for the week. Sydney is almost 13 and Emerson is 6. They are great kids and we kept very busy. On Tuesday we went to the Seattle Center Science Center. We rode the light rail and monorail to get there. It was a great experience for all. The girls had never ridden either mode  and we not the monorail probably since 1962 (World's Fair). We visited an exhibit called Goosebumps, the science of fear. There were hands on applications of seeing various bugs and reaching into a dark box to touch them. The girls wanted no part of this. I showed them that is was harmless but no way. They did other interactive activities. It wasn't too exciting. Then went to an exhibit about nature showing Puget Sound and it's inhabitants, how tides work and other things. Sydney was interested in these but Emerson being 6, she shot through them without much interest. We also visited and area telling about space and exploration. The highlight of the day was the butterfly exhibit. There were hundreds of butterflies in a greenhouse like area flying, watering and feeding. The girls really enjoyed this one. Then on the monorail and light rail home
Wednesday I took them to Saltwater State Park during the low tide. We had a great time looking at all the live and otherwise creatures along the waterline. We turned over rocks to discover crabs, hermit crabs, snails and other life. The girls collected some hermit crabs and snails in an effort to take them home and have an aquarium of sea life. They didn't make it through the night.
On Thursday Nanny took them to the Glee 3D movie. I chilled at the house. Syd is quite a cook. She has made cakes and other baked goods for us all in the past. During her stay with us she helped Gail make homemade pizza and chicken divan. She wants a deluxe Kitchen Made mixer for her birthday. (She did get it a couple of weeks later.)
I met Tracy in South Tacoma Friday evening to hand them off to her. Man, the girls were great but I'm too old for full time kids.

Long Beach, WA

Aug 15- Drove about 75 miles to Long Beach for the week and the kite festival. The weather was great and the drive leisurely. We stayed at Anthony's Home Court. This is a real cute park with 8 cabins and 22 RV sites. The owners are real nice guys that take great care of the park. They are having a tough time making itr financially so are going to shut it down after this season and try to sell the RV site area to a commercial investor or something. They would like to keep the cabin area but taxes and everything make it difficult.

Aug 16- We went to the beach and watched kites. It doesn't seem like as many as when we last went 5 years ago. Went to the Long Beach Tavern, LBT, for a beer and some punch boards. Had the beer and won a can of peanuts. Another beautiful but windy day. Good for the kite flyers but wears you out.

Aug 17- We met our camping neighbors, Jim and Lynn from Southern Cal. They are avid quad line Revolution Kite flyers. We watched them fly for a while. They fly with multiple people and choreograph their moves. Very interesting and entertaining. Jim and Lynn flew in the seniors ballet duo and won 2nd place.
We spent most of the day walking. We hiked on the Lewis and Clark Trail which is paved through the sand dunes from North Long Beach to Ilwaco. We walked about 8 miles. Six on the trail and 2 on the street.

Aug 18- We drove to Nahcotta and Oysterville to get some oysters. This is a very old part of the peninsula with historic homes, school and grave yards. We try to visit this when we are in the area. Don went to the kite area and Gail went antique shopping. We met at the beer garden for lunch and then drove to Cranberry Road to drive on the beach and enjoy the surf. Still another beautiful but windy day but we stayed up late, 10:30 or so, enjoying our fireplace.

Aug 19- Drive 3.5 hours home. Did all the laundry and cleaned up the rigs. WE JUST LOVE THE NEW TRAILER!!!!

Long Beach, WA

Aug 15- Drove about 75 miles to Long Beach for the week and the kite festival. The weather was great and the drive leisurely. We stayed at Anthony's Home Court. This is a real cute park with 8 cabins and 22 RV sites. The owners are real nice guys that take great care of the park. They are having a tough time making itr financially so are going to shut it down after this season and try to sell the RV site area to a commercial investor or something. They would like to keep the cabin area but taxes and everything make it difficult.

Aug 16- We went to the beach and watched kites. It doesn't seem like as many as when we last went 5 years ago. Went to the Long Beach Tavern, LBT, for a beer and some punch boards. Had the beer and won a can of peanuts. Another beautiful but windy day. Good for the kite flyers but wears you out.

Aug 17- We met our camping neighbors, Jim and Lynn from Southern Cal. They are avid quad line Revolution Kite flyers. We watched them fly for a while. They fly with multiple people and choreograph their moves. Very interesting and entertaining. Jim and Lynn flew in the seniors ballet duo and won 2nd place.
We spent most of the day walking. We hiked on the Lewis and Clark Trail which is paved through the sand dunes from North Long Beach to Ilwaco. We walked about 8 miles. Six on the trail and 2 on the street.

Aug 18- We drove to Nahcotta and Oysterville to get some oysters. This is a very old part of the peninsula with historic homes, school and grave yards. We try to visit this when we are in the area. Don went to the kite area and Gail went antique shopping. We met at the beer garden for lunch and then drove to Cranberry Road to drive on the beach and enjoy the surf. Still another beautiful but windy day but we stayed up late, 10:30 or so, enjoying our fireplace.

Aug 19- Drive 3.5 hours home. Did all the laundry and cleaned up the rigs. WE JUST LOVE THE NEW TRAILER!!!!

Netarts Bay

Aug 10- We drove to Netarts Bay RV Park and Marina today. We stayed in a park about 20 years ago called The Happy Camp at Netarts Bay. This was divided and sold to have condos and rentals built several years ago. We went to where the camp sites used to be and could see where we stayed but it was grown over with buildings nearby. We had lunch at the Schooner. This was a little bar that looked out at the bay. It was added on to and remodeled over the last few years. The park we are staying at is real nice with all the amenities. Most of the guests are here to go crabbing and clamming in the bay. Here is our view of the bay from our site.


When the tide is out there are huge sand bars where people dig and rake clams. It is quite a site. We heard from a boat owner that people get so involved in clamming they don't watch the incoming tide and have to be retrieved by boat.

Aug 11- We went to Tillamook, 6 miles away, to the Tillamook County Fair. It is rated as one of the top 10 county fairs in the country. We were really disappointed. No big rides, horses and very few vendors. It appears the community is quite religious. There were quite a few booths relating to the local churches. It was senior citizen day so there were walkers and chairs in abundance. We helped lower the average age which doesn't happen often enough.
We then went to Blue Heron French Cheese Factory and Tillamook Cheese Factory. Tillamook was crazy busy. What a tourist attraction. We looked around but didn't buy anything. Blue Heron was very nice with cheese and wine tasting. We bought some very nice blue cheese dressing and a chili mix.

Aug 12- We went to Cape Lookout. We took a nice hike along the southern edge of Cape Lookout that was picturesque. It was quite a drop to the ocean. There are sand dunes in the area that are very popular with the dune buggies and sand rails. Here are a few pics:

Aug 13- We went to see Cape Mears. There was vandalism at the lighthouse so the light is closed to the public. There is a real nice beach on the way to the park so we watched a surf fisherman. He was kind of rude when we were parking so we wanted to see if he caught a fish or washed down by the surf first. We lost interest before either happened so drove to Oceanside. What a nice quiet community. Then back to our park and lunch at the Schooner. Fresh made crab bisque. Fantastic!

Aug 14- Today was laundry day so we got on the "list" to get it done. We had the 1:00 appointment so we went for a walk in the area. Lots of crabbers in the bay with quite a few crab caught by fellow campers as we saw at the cleaning station. The limit is 12 per person in Oregon. After laundry we went back to camp to spend our last day here.

Tomorrow off the kite festival at Long Beach,WA.

Netarts Bay

Aug 10- We drove to Netarts Bay RV Park and Marina today. We stayed in a park about 20 years ago called The Happy Camp at Netarts Bay. This was divided and sold to have condos and rentals built several years ago. We went to where the camp sites used to be and could see where we stayed but it was grown over with buildings nearby. We had lunch at the Schooner. This was a little bar that looked out at the bay. It was added on to and remodeled over the last few years. The park we are staying at is real nice with all the amenities. Most of the guests are here to go crabbing and clamming in the bay. Here is our view of the bay from our site.


When the tide is out there are huge sand bars where people dig and rake clams. It is quite a site. We heard from a boat owner that people get so involved in clamming they don't watch the incoming tide and have to be retrieved by boat.

Aug 11- We went to Tillamook, 6 miles away, to the Tillamook County Fair. It is rated as one of the top 10 county fairs in the country. We were really disappointed. No big rides, horses and very few vendors. It appears the community is quite religious. There were quite a few booths relating to the local churches. It was senior citizen day so there were walkers and chairs in abundance. We helped lower the average age which doesn't happen often enough.
We then went to Blue Heron French Cheese Factory and Tillamook Cheese Factory. Tillamook was crazy busy. What a tourist attraction. We looked around but didn't buy anything. Blue Heron was very nice with cheese and wine tasting. We bought some very nice blue cheese dressing and a chili mix.

Aug 12- We went to Cape Lookout. We took a nice hike along the southern edge of Cape Lookout that was picturesque. It was quite a drop to the ocean. There are sand dunes in the area that are very popular with the dune buggies and sand rails. Here are a few pics:

Aug 13- We went to see Cape Mears. There was vandalism at the lighthouse so the light is closed to the public. There is a real nice beach on the way to the park so we watched a surf fisherman. He was kind of rude when we were parking so we wanted to see if he caught a fish or washed down by the surf first. We lost interest before either happened so drove to Oceanside. What a nice quiet community. Then back to our park and lunch at the Schooner. Fresh made crab bisque. Fantastic!

Aug 14- Today was laundry day so we got on the "list" to get it done. We had the 1:00 appointment so we went for a walk in the area. Lots of crabbers in the bay with quite a few crab caught by fellow campers as we saw at the cleaning station. The limit is 12 per person in Oregon. After laundry we went back to camp to spend our last day here.

Tomorrow off the kite festival at Long Beach,WA.

Cascade Peaks

July 31- Aug 6-  Gail, Carley, one of the lovely grand daughters and I left for Cascade Peaks on July 31. This is our "home park" in the camping group we are a member of so we stay there free. It is about 6 miles West of Packwood on the Cowlitz River. When we arrived Carley and I went fishing on Skate Creek. She caught a small trout but it was not as productive as in the past. We went back to the park and had a swim in the pool. After dinner we tried fishing again but no luck. On the way back we saw about 40 elk and deer in yards and by the road. Carley was awe struck.
Monday-Carley played around the park and we swam in the pool. Went fishing on Johnson Creek with her. No luck again but we saw where a lot of elk had bedded down the night before.
Tuesday- We were joined by Steph and Caitlin, Carley's sister, Tracy and Erik, their kids and Erik's mom from Alaska and friends Hart and Amy and their two kids. This group set up their tents a ways away from our trailer. Caitlin slept in the trailer for a couple of nights.
Wednesday- We all went fishing in Skate again. Yup. No fish again but all had fun. With all the group in the park there was a lot of traffic through morning and went into Packwood to have some tavern french fries. Just a little treat for us. Went back to the park and joined the gang on the bank of the Cowlitz. Everybody had a great time just messing around. The river was quite high with all the melt off and rain in the hills. Carley and Emerson, the six year old, had dinner and spent the night with us.
Friday- Another nice day around the park. Kids swimming, bicycling and riding the zip line.
Saturday- Time to go home. We really like our new trailer. It has everything we need for our comfort. The truck pulls it nicely and it looks great.

Next week off the the Oregon and Washington coasts.

Cascade Peaks

July 31- Aug 6-  Gail, Carley, one of the lovely grand daughters and I left for Cascade Peaks on July 31. This is our "home park" in the camping group we are a member of so we stay there free. It is about 6 miles West of Packwood on the Cowlitz River. When we arrived Carley and I went fishing on Skate Creek. She caught a small trout but it was not as productive as in the past. We went back to the park and had a swim in the pool. After dinner we tried fishing again but no luck. On the way back we saw about 40 elk and deer in yards and by the road. Carley was awe struck.
Monday-Carley played around the park and we swam in the pool. Went fishing on Johnson Creek with her. No luck again but we saw where a lot of elk had bedded down the night before.
Tuesday- We were joined by Steph and Caitlin, Carley's sister, Tracy and Erik, their kids and Erik's mom from Alaska and friends Hart and Amy and their two kids. This group set up their tents a ways away from our trailer. Caitlin slept in the trailer for a couple of nights.
Wednesday- We all went fishing in Skate again. Yup. No fish again but all had fun. With all the group in the park there was a lot of traffic through morning and went into Packwood to have some tavern french fries. Just a little treat for us. Went back to the park and joined the gang on the bank of the Cowlitz. Everybody had a great time just messing around. The river was quite high with all the melt off and rain in the hills. Carley and Emerson, the six year old, had dinner and spent the night with us.
Friday- Another nice day around the park. Kids swimming, bicycling and riding the zip line.
Saturday- Time to go home. We really like our new trailer. It has everything we need for our comfort. The truck pulls it nicely and it looks great.

Next week off the the Oregon and Washington coasts.

Our new trailer

July 31, 2011- We sold our 18' trailer to a friend so we needed a new "house" for our travels. Don had been looking on line at some, mostly dreaming, so we kind of knew what we wanted. The one we liked he saw on line at a dealer in Helena, MT. We found a dealer in Bonney Lake that was willing to deal. It is a 24' Keystone Bullet. We love it. Gail calls us "condo campers.
Here are some pics:

We are off to Cacade Peaks near Packwood today with Carley, one of our grandkids. Her Mom and sis will join us Tuesday with our other daughter and family and some friends.

Our new trailer

July 31, 2011- We sold our 18' trailer to a friend so we needed a new "house" for our travels. Don had been looking on line at some, mostly dreaming, so we kind of knew what we wanted. The one we liked he saw on line at a dealer in Helena, MT. We found a dealer in Bonney Lake that was willing to deal. It is a 24' Keystone Bullet. We love it. Gail calls us "condo campers.
Here are some pics:

We are off to Cacade Peaks near Packwood today with Carley, one of our grandkids. Her Mom and sis will join us Tuesday with our other daughter and family and some friends.

More July Travels

July 9 & 10- We spent Saturday in Anaconda most all day watching the boys play softball. They won three but were in the loser's bracket so Sunday was a busy day for them. They played four more games but lost out so were out of the tourney 4 games short of winning it all. It made Don realize even slow pitch is a young man's sport.

July 11 &12-  We drove to Cheney staying at Ponderosa Falls RV Park. This is nice park but nothing going on there. We went to Greg and Donna Wozny's house for dinner. I worked with Greg at KCDA for about 19 years. A little reminiscing about work to  help me appreciate retirement. Not the job, WORK.

July 13 &14- We left Cheney for Alta Lake and space 58 in the trailer loop. Note to self-Don't get site 57. There is a tree in the middle of the site. Tracy, Steph and the girls and Oly and Sadie ( the dogs) were there setting up their camp. We avoided this until they were done. HEE HEE. We had dinner at our site with all. It was a great time with lots of laughs, spaghetti, mac and cheese and salad. Yes there were a few adult beverages as well.

July 15-18- The weather at Alta was weird. It is usually very hot, windy and dry. This time the temp was rarely over 80 with some showers. Don's sister Terry and Krisani, her granddaughter, came in Terry's new motor home. It's a real nice 23 footer. Brother Bob and his kids and grandson Jessie came as well as sister Cheryl, her son Patrick with a couple of his friends. It was real nice to see them all. On the 18th the grandkids wanted to have a squirt gun battle. In all about 6 little ones with Don as the main target. It started with squirt guns, going to water balloons, then to buckets and tubs. From there to a nice swim in the lake. We had some good sunsets when the skys cleared in the evening.





July 19-We packed up in quite a rain on the 19th and drove in a hard rain. When we turned West at Wenatchee  the sky was clear and about 75. Icicle River RV Park is real nice. The upper area sites are paved with great grass and landscaping. Our site, #59, was right on the river which was running high with the rain and snow melt. There were two campers in the park that I knew from working at KCDA. What a great coincidence. Yes Steph their husbands are firefighters.
The river was running about 4 feet higher than last year so was really roaring. We almost had to read lips while sitting outside. The view was great.
Here's a pic of the river running down from our site

We also walked Front street in town. Lots of shops, restaurants, pubs, wine tasting rooms, etc. We had a sampler tray of six of the brews made by Icicle River Brewing and dinner at the Soup Cellar. Then a nice evening at the park enjoying drinks, the river and our fire.

July 20- Today we went on a long walk in Leavenworth along the Wenatchee River. The trail was good with a lot of history and info about the area. Then we went to Icicle Ridge Winery. It was a nice day so we sat out on the deck sampling wines. The house is a beautiful log home made from locally cut wood. We had some nice wines and cheese and bought a nice Merlot. Then back to the trailer for a relaxing afternoon of lunch, reading, and enjoying the river and fire.

Gail had a phone call from her best friend form school, Teddi, so they talked and we will be seeing them this summer.

 July 21- Only 133 miles home. We had a great time on this trip as we have on the others. On the road again on July 31. Thenks for letting us share our experiences. Don and Gail

More July Travels

July 9 & 10- We spent Saturday in Anaconda most all day watching the boys play softball. They won three but were in the loser's bracket so Sunday was a busy day for them. They played four more games but lost out so were out of the tourney 4 games short of winning it all. It made Don realize even slow pitch is a young man's sport.

July 11 &12-  We drove to Cheney staying at Ponderosa Falls RV Park. This is nice park but nothing going on there. We went to Greg and Donna Wozny's house for dinner. I worked with Greg at KCDA for about 19 years. A little reminiscing about work to  help me appreciate retirement. Not the job, WORK.

July 13 &14- We left Cheney for Alta Lake and space 58 in the trailer loop. Note to self-Don't get site 57. There is a tree in the middle of the site. Tracy, Steph and the girls and Oly and Sadie ( the dogs) were there setting up their camp. We avoided this until they were done. HEE HEE. We had dinner at our site with all. It was a great time with lots of laughs, spaghetti, mac and cheese and salad. Yes there were a few adult beverages as well.

July 15-18- The weather at Alta was weird. It is usually very hot, windy and dry. This time the temp was rarely over 80 with some showers. Don's sister Terry and Krisani, her granddaughter, came in Terry's new motor home. It's a real nice 23 footer. Brother Bob and his kids and grandson Jessie came as well as sister Cheryl, her son Patrick with a couple of his friends. It was real nice to see them all. On the 18th the grandkids wanted to have a squirt gun battle. In all about 6 little ones with Don as the main target. It started with squirt guns, going to water balloons, then to buckets and tubs. From there to a nice swim in the lake. We had some good sunsets when the skys cleared in the evening.





July 19-We packed up in quite a rain on the 19th and drove in a hard rain. When we turned West at Wenatchee  the sky was clear and about 75. Icicle River RV Park is real nice. The upper area sites are paved with great grass and landscaping. Our site, #59, was right on the river which was running high with the rain and snow melt. There were two campers in the park that I knew from working at KCDA. What a great coincidence. Yes Steph their husbands are firefighters.
The river was running about 4 feet higher than last year so was really roaring. We almost had to read lips while sitting outside. The view was great.
Here's a pic of the river running down from our site

We also walked Front street in town. Lots of shops, restaurants, pubs, wine tasting rooms, etc. We had a sampler tray of six of the brews made by Icicle River Brewing and dinner at the Soup Cellar. Then a nice evening at the park enjoying drinks, the river and our fire.

July 20- Today we went on a long walk in Leavenworth along the Wenatchee River. The trail was good with a lot of history and info about the area. Then we went to Icicle Ridge Winery. It was a nice day so we sat out on the deck sampling wines. The house is a beautiful log home made from locally cut wood. We had some nice wines and cheese and bought a nice Merlot. Then back to the trailer for a relaxing afternoon of lunch, reading, and enjoying the river and fire.

Gail had a phone call from her best friend form school, Teddi, so they talked and we will be seeing them this summer.

 July 21- Only 133 miles home. We had a great time on this trip as we have on the others. On the road again on July 31. Thenks for letting us share our experiences. Don and Gail

July travels

7/5 We left Kent this morning with Anaconda, MT as our ultimate destination. We stayed in Osburn, ID at the Blue Anchor RV Park. It is a real nice park with only 31 sites. It is a home site for people with real fancy ATV's they use to explore old mining roads, camps and other sites. I was told they travel upwards of 100 miles per day. Sounds like a lot of fun. The people parked next to us were bicyclist who rode tandem bikes. Like fancy "bicycles built for two". This sounded like fun too but a lot more work.

7/6 Left Osburn going to Anaconda. The weather was very nice in the 80's. We arrived in mid afternoon and got settled in at Fairmont Hot Springs RV Park. A nice park about a block from the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Quite a posh facility with two large swimming pools, one with a 350' slide. They are heated by 150 degree water from hot springs. Yes the water is cooled with well water to a comfortable temp. There are also several hot tubs and spas, a very nice restaurant and a golf course. We are here to relax and visit friends from here and Kent, some of whom are playing in a big slow pitch softbal tourny Don played in until 2005.

7/7 Don played golf at Fairmont with some friends. It was hot when we started but got windy and rained on us late in the round. There was some lightening too. We went out to a "family style" dinner and ran into some friends from Kent and Tri Cities we hadn't seen for several years. That night, about 1:30AM, the wind came up so we had to go out and lower the canopy so it didn't get torn apart.

7/8 Don played golf again but at Old Works in Anaconda. It is rated as one of the top 10 public courses in the country. It was a nice day except for some of the golf part. Later we went to a softball game in Anaconda and then back to the park for dinner. It was a good night to hang around the trailer for the evening. Tomorrow more softball and whatever we want.

July travels

7/5 We left Kent this morning with Anaconda, MT as our ultimate destination. We stayed in Osburn, ID at the Blue Anchor RV Park. It is a real nice park with only 31 sites. It is a home site for people with real fancy ATV's they use to explore old mining roads, camps and other sites. I was told they travel upwards of 100 miles per day. Sounds like a lot of fun. The people parked next to us were bicyclist who rode tandem bikes. Like fancy "bicycles built for two". This sounded like fun too but a lot more work.

7/6 Left Osburn going to Anaconda. The weather was very nice in the 80's. We arrived in mid afternoon and got settled in at Fairmont Hot Springs RV Park. A nice park about a block from the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Quite a posh facility with two large swimming pools, one with a 350' slide. They are heated by 150 degree water from hot springs. Yes the water is cooled with well water to a comfortable temp. There are also several hot tubs and spas, a very nice restaurant and a golf course. We are here to relax and visit friends from here and Kent, some of whom are playing in a big slow pitch softbal tourny Don played in until 2005.

7/7 Don played golf at Fairmont with some friends. It was hot when we started but got windy and rained on us late in the round. There was some lightening too. We went out to a "family style" dinner and ran into some friends from Kent and Tri Cities we hadn't seen for several years. That night, about 1:30AM, the wind came up so we had to go out and lower the canopy so it didn't get torn apart.

7/8 Don played golf again but at Old Works in Anaconda. It is rated as one of the top 10 public courses in the country. It was a nice day except for some of the golf part. Later we went to a softball game in Anaconda and then back to the park for dinner. It was a good night to hang around the trailer for the evening. Tomorrow more softball and whatever we want.

Yosemite

May 26-Drove 317 miles to Yosemite Lakes RV park. Nice sunny day for a long drive. The RV park is pretty nice. We have a great site beside a creek. The place is filling up fast for the long weekend. Relaxed around the park and met some nice fellow campers.

May 27- Got up at 6AM to go to Yosemite National Park. We were told to go early to avoid the crowds. Glad we did. It was about a 35 mile drive to the center of the park. A bear crossed the road on our drive in. What a beautiful place. Gail had some memories of going there when she was young that were rekindled. She saw the area where she and her family would tent camp.
We saw everything- Half Dome, El Capitan, 3 Brothers, Glacier Point, The Cathedral and Leaning Tower, all rock configurations. The waterfalls were as spectacular-Bridalveil, Yosemite, Ribbon, Silver Threads. Many more because of the amount of rain and snow this year.
It was a sunny day up to about 65 in mid day.
Here are some photos:

This is Yosemite Falls. It is actually two sets of falls. The sound was a thundering roar virtually wherever you were because of the volume of water this year.


Three Brothers. This is a great set of peaks named Eagle Peak, Middle Brother and Lower Brother. All are over 7000ft tall.


Bridalveil Fall is really spectacular. This was taken looking across the Merced River. The Peak right of the falls is Leaning Tower, named for that reason.


Then there is El Capitan. It is 7569 ft and ominous. It was such a clear day there were climbers on it. It takes one person two days to climb the face. Imagine sleeping in a sling hammock on it.


Another shot of  El Capitan with Half Dome in the distance. It is the sharp peak on the right between the trees with the white patch of snow.


And finally the Cathederal.


May 28- It rained really hard most of the afternoon and into the night so we did some tenter watching. Poor souls in the pouring rain. We went to explore the area but at $5.20/gallon for gas we didn't last long.

May 29- Another not very nice day weather wise so we stayed in camp and enjoyed not having to be outside.