Lake Chelan

Sept 23, 2013
When we hit the road at about 9:30 for Chelan the clouds were pretty thick so we looked forward to the end of our journey in the sun country. It sprinkled on us during the drive but we had some sunshine too. When we pulled into Chelan it was cloudy and drizzling a bit. We had lunch and went to check in and set up at Lakeshore RV Park, one of our favorite places. After getting set up we went to Lake Chelan Winery to pick up some wine waiting for us from the Fall release. When we left we drove around looking for another winery we heard about and explore the area. Then back to the park for dinner. It got pretty cold and quite windy so after dinner we stayed in for the evening. The weather is supposed to get better through the week.

Sept 24, 2013
Up this morning to a bright sunny sky but only 47 degrees. It is Fall after all. After breakfast we walked to the office to make reservations to return in May then into town to pick up a couple things we like to get when we are here. Then back to the park for lunch. A walk of about 2 miles works up an appetite. The weather forecast was for mostly clouds but it turned out to be a real nice day. We sat out and read and walked around the park for the afternoon. After dinner we sat around the fire until after 10. A great day in Eastern Washington.

Sept 25, 2013
We woke to a beautiful sunny day. After breakfast we took a drive to explore Manson and the area. We walked to a farmer's market which was pretty low key and strolled the main street. We stopped in at the Lake Chelan Brewery for a taste of their craft beers. Next time we are in town we plan to go there for lunch. Then we drove along a ridge above the lake and our RV park on the way back to the park. There are some pretty nice views from up there. As we were having lunch my sister Terry arrived in her motor home. She is staying for two days. We went to a few wineries for some tasting. One was Benson Winery. It's up on a hill overlooking the lake and vineyards. Here are a couple of pics of the view.

When we got back we sat out in the sun until sundown and went to our site for dinner. After dinner Terry and our camping neighbors joined us at our site for the remainder of the evening. The wind was blowing pretty hard so we had to put up barriers to be comfortable.

Sept 26, 2013
It was a bit cloudy in the AM but looked to be a pretty nice day. At about noon we headed out to visit a Chelan Ridge and Rio Vista Wineries. Chelan Ridge is a very nice place where the wine maker is the host for wine tasting. This was a very informative visit. Rio Vista is a family owned winery right on the Columbia River. During the summer they have more visitors arriving on the river than from the road above the winery. Then it was back to the park for a late lunch and to enjoy the sun at Terry's lakeside site. When the sun went down it was dinner and another nice evening by the fire. More beautiful sunsets from Chelan.

Sept 27, 2013
Time to go home and the day was supposed to be wet and cold so we were up early to hit the road by 9 AM. The drive home was wet but without any serious issues. This was our last trip for the summer but we have already begun making plans for 2014.

Lake Chelan

Sept 23, 2013
When we hit the road at about 9:30 for Chelan the clouds were pretty thick so we looked forward to the end of our journey in the sun country. It sprinkled on us during the drive but we had some sunshine too. When we pulled into Chelan it was cloudy and drizzling a bit. We had lunch and went to check in and set up at Lakeshore RV Park, one of our favorite places. After getting set up we went to Lake Chelan Winery to pick up some wine waiting for us from the Fall release. When we left we drove around looking for another winery we heard about and explore the area. Then back to the park for dinner. It got pretty cold and quite windy so after dinner we stayed in for the evening. The weather is supposed to get better through the week.

Sept 24, 2013
Up this morning to a bright sunny sky but only 47 degrees. It is Fall after all. After breakfast we walked to the office to make reservations to return in May then into town to pick up a couple things we like to get when we are here. Then back to the park for lunch. A walk of about 2 miles works up an appetite. The weather forecast was for mostly clouds but it turned out to be a real nice day. We sat out and read and walked around the park for the afternoon. After dinner we sat around the fire until after 10. A great day in Eastern Washington.

Sept 25, 2013
We woke to a beautiful sunny day. After breakfast we took a drive to explore Manson and the area. We walked to a farmer's market which was pretty low key and strolled the main street. We stopped in at the Lake Chelan Brewery for a taste of their craft beers. Next time we are in town we plan to go there for lunch. Then we drove along a ridge above the lake and our RV park on the way back to the park. There are some pretty nice views from up there. As we were having lunch my sister Terry arrived in her motor home. She is staying for two days. We went to a few wineries for some tasting. One was Benson Winery. It's up on a hill overlooking the lake and vineyards. Here are a couple of pics of the view.

When we got back we sat out in the sun until sundown and went to our site for dinner. After dinner Terry and our camping neighbors joined us at our site for the remainder of the evening. The wind was blowing pretty hard so we had to put up barriers to be comfortable.

Sept 26, 2013
It was a bit cloudy in the AM but looked to be a pretty nice day. At about noon we headed out to visit a Chelan Ridge and Rio Vista Wineries. Chelan Ridge is a very nice place where the wine maker is the host for wine tasting. This was a very informative visit. Rio Vista is a family owned winery right on the Columbia River. During the summer they have more visitors arriving on the river than from the road above the winery. Then it was back to the park for a late lunch and to enjoy the sun at Terry's lakeside site. When the sun went down it was dinner and another nice evening by the fire. More beautiful sunsets from Chelan.

Sept 27, 2013
Time to go home and the day was supposed to be wet and cold so we were up early to hit the road by 9 AM. The drive home was wet but without any serious issues. This was our last trip for the summer but we have already begun making plans for 2014.

Maryhill State Park

Sept 5, 2013

There was a terrible storm brewing for the Pacific Northwest off the coast that promised wind, thunder storms and a lot of rain. I saw on line that between 8 and 9 this morning there is a break in the rain. The thunder storm started just after midnight and at about 5:45 AM I heard and saw the storm. When I got up at about 7:30 I hustled and got the final things ready to put in the trailer for our trip to the Columbia Gorge. It was raining pretty hard so I went to the store for a couple last minute things. I got home at about 8:15 and the rain had stopped. We got everything in the trailer, pulled it out in front of the house and hit the road at 9AM just as the rain began. We drove through Olympia in mixed rain and bright hazy skies. We arrived at Maryhill State Park on the Washington side of the Columbia south of The Dalles, OR. It was warm, high 70’s, so after we got set up we went to the Maryhill Winery. What a nice venue this is. We were there two years ago and liked a port wine they have. After a tasting we purchased a new choice and their latest port release. Then it was back to the park to enjoy the afternoon and evening. That’s when the fore mentioned storm caught up with us. We had all the rain, thunder and lightning and wind forecasted. First in the late afternoon, then again after dinner. The forecast is for warmer and dryer the next few days. No worries, we are here for the Hood River Fruit Loop tour. This is a celebration of the farmers and their crops so we have 30 plus places to visit and enjoy the harvest.

Sept 6, 2013       

It rained through the night but by 10 AM it stopped, hopefully for the duration of our trip. We drove to Hood River to begin the Fruit Loop tour. Our first stop was Pearl’s Place. This is a small building with quite a selection of fruit. We bought a couple of items. With all of the stands on the tour we have limit our purchases so we don’t end up with more items than we can, or should, eat. Then it was on to The Gorge White House. This is a very nice stand with a small restaurant and a beautiful home that is on the National Registry of Historic Places. There is quite a display of memorabilia in the house and the adjoining fruit stand.

Next we went to The Fruit Company which is a commercial packing facility with a self-tour showing the history of farming in the Gorge area. Manual and mechanized planting, picking and processing are displayed. It was quite interesting. Then we visited Smiley’s Red Barn, Rasmussen Farms and Apple Valley Country Store and Bakery. It was almost 2 PM so we went to lunch at Spooky’s Pizza. We discovered this place two years ago and they have very good pizza. We shared a sandwich and a pitcher of beer and went back to the RV park. The weather was nice throughout the day and evening. We went inside at about 11.

Sept 7, 2013

After breakfast we drove to Hood River to complete our tour of the Fruit Loop. We visited 5 more fruit stands/ bakeries on our trip today. We got back to the park at about 3 and had a light lunch. It was a beautiful day on the river with virtually no wind and the temp near 80. We took a walk around the park checking out the clientele. There is a good mix of families and retirees. We have a new cook stove for cooking outside instead of using our range in the trailer. It’s a two burner propane unit that really puts out a lot of heat. We cooked up a couple of steaks for dinner and ate outside.

Sept 8, 2013

After breakfast we took a drive on the old Columbia River highway. It starts along the Columbia and climbs to the Rowena Crest viewpoint about 400 feet above the river. This area was formed 12,000 – 15,000 years ago by the melting of an Ice Age. 

This is a photo of the original road we took to get here which was built in the 1920’s.

Here is a view of the mighty Columbia from Rowena Crest.

There is a 3 mile round trip trail at the crest that takes you to a viewpoint 1000 feet above where we were. We did not climb this. Several reasons, it was hot, it was a mountain climb which we avoid when we can, and there is a danger of poison ivy and rattlesnakes. We stopped at River Tap Pub for lunch and watch the last of the Seahawks game. Then it was back to the park to enjoy the beautiful day.

Sept 9, 2013

Another beautiful morning on the Gorge. It is supposed to be 90 this afternoon. We had some things to do in town so after breakfast we went into The Dalles for gas, propane and some groceries. Later in the day we went to The Maryhill Museum. This area was settled by Sam Hill who prior to settling here had a mansion in Seattle. He also was responsible for the construction of the Peace Arch on the Canadian border. This is a fantastic place full of collections showing the history of the Maryhill area, the friendship of Sam Hill and Princess Maria of Romania, the artist Rodin, and the native Americans from around the US. Originally the museum was the palatial home of Sam Hill. It was built in the early 1900’s, had 7 bedrooms each with their own bathroom suites and many rooms for entertaining. In one of the exhibits showing Sam Hill’s accomplishments as a road builder there was a shovel that as used in a project near the Siskiyou area in 1913. It was marked with the names of people involved in the project, one of which was W. C. Leever, county commissioner. I have some genealogy work to do to see if he is related to me. If you are ever in the area go visit the museum. It is wonderful.

Sept 10, 2013

We got up and packed to drive to Prosser, about 85 miles north to visit Washington wine country

Maryhill State Park

Sept 5, 2013

There was a terrible storm brewing for the Pacific Northwest off the coast that promised wind, thunder storms and a lot of rain. I saw on line that between 8 and 9 this morning there is a break in the rain. The thunder storm started just after midnight and at about 5:45 AM I heard and saw the storm. When I got up at about 7:30 I hustled and got the final things ready to put in the trailer for our trip to the Columbia Gorge. It was raining pretty hard so I went to the store for a couple last minute things. I got home at about 8:15 and the rain had stopped. We got everything in the trailer, pulled it out in front of the house and hit the road at 9AM just as the rain began. We drove through Olympia in mixed rain and bright hazy skies. We arrived at Maryhill State Park on the Washington side of the Columbia south of The Dalles, OR. It was warm, high 70’s, so after we got set up we went to the Maryhill Winery. What a nice venue this is. We were there two years ago and liked a port wine they have. After a tasting we purchased a new choice and their latest port release. Then it was back to the park to enjoy the afternoon and evening. That’s when the fore mentioned storm caught up with us. We had all the rain, thunder and lightning and wind forecasted. First in the late afternoon, then again after dinner. The forecast is for warmer and dryer the next few days. No worries, we are here for the Hood River Fruit Loop tour. This is a celebration of the farmers and their crops so we have 30 plus places to visit and enjoy the harvest.

Sept 6, 2013       

It rained through the night but by 10 AM it stopped, hopefully for the duration of our trip. We drove to Hood River to begin the Fruit Loop tour. Our first stop was Pearl’s Place. This is a small building with quite a selection of fruit. We bought a couple of items. With all of the stands on the tour we have limit our purchases so we don’t end up with more items than we can, or should, eat. Then it was on to The Gorge White House. This is a very nice stand with a small restaurant and a beautiful home that is on the National Registry of Historic Places. There is quite a display of memorabilia in the house and the adjoining fruit stand.

Next we went to The Fruit Company which is a commercial packing facility with a self-tour showing the history of farming in the Gorge area. Manual and mechanized planting, picking and processing are displayed. It was quite interesting. Then we visited Smiley’s Red Barn, Rasmussen Farms and Apple Valley Country Store and Bakery. It was almost 2 PM so we went to lunch at Spooky’s Pizza. We discovered this place two years ago and they have very good pizza. We shared a sandwich and a pitcher of beer and went back to the RV park. The weather was nice throughout the day and evening. We went inside at about 11.

Sept 7, 2013

After breakfast we drove to Hood River to complete our tour of the Fruit Loop. We visited 5 more fruit stands/ bakeries on our trip today. We got back to the park at about 3 and had a light lunch. It was a beautiful day on the river with virtually no wind and the temp near 80. We took a walk around the park checking out the clientele. There is a good mix of families and retirees. We have a new cook stove for cooking outside instead of using our range in the trailer. It’s a two burner propane unit that really puts out a lot of heat. We cooked up a couple of steaks for dinner and ate outside.

Sept 8, 2013

After breakfast we took a drive on the old Columbia River highway. It starts along the Columbia and climbs to the Rowena Crest viewpoint about 400 feet above the river. This area was formed 12,000 – 15,000 years ago by the melting of an Ice Age. 

This is a photo of the original road we took to get here which was built in the 1920’s.

Here is a view of the mighty Columbia from Rowena Crest.

There is a 3 mile round trip trail at the crest that takes you to a viewpoint 1000 feet above where we were. We did not climb this. Several reasons, it was hot, it was a mountain climb which we avoid when we can, and there is a danger of poison ivy and rattlesnakes. We stopped at River Tap Pub for lunch and watch the last of the Seahawks game. Then it was back to the park to enjoy the beautiful day.

Sept 9, 2013

Another beautiful morning on the Gorge. It is supposed to be 90 this afternoon. We had some things to do in town so after breakfast we went into The Dalles for gas, propane and some groceries. Later in the day we went to The Maryhill Museum. This area was settled by Sam Hill who prior to settling here had a mansion in Seattle. He also was responsible for the construction of the Peace Arch on the Canadian border. This is a fantastic place full of collections showing the history of the Maryhill area, the friendship of Sam Hill and Princess Maria of Romania, the artist Rodin, and the native Americans from around the US. Originally the museum was the palatial home of Sam Hill. It was built in the early 1900’s, had 7 bedrooms each with their own bathroom suites and many rooms for entertaining. In one of the exhibits showing Sam Hill’s accomplishments as a road builder there was a shovel that as used in a project near the Siskiyou area in 1913. It was marked with the names of people involved in the project, one of which was W. C. Leever, county commissioner. I have some genealogy work to do to see if he is related to me. If you are ever in the area go visit the museum. It is wonderful.

Sept 10, 2013

We got up and packed to drive to Prosser, about 85 miles north to visit Washington wine country

Prosser, WA

Sept 10, 2013
We arrived at Wine Country RV Park in Prosser just after noon. We had lunch and sat out in the sun until my sister Terry arrived at about 3. We helped her get her RV set up. Then we made our plans for the next couple of days. After dinner the three of us sat out enjoying the warm evening.

Sept 11, 2013
After breakfast we drove around to several wineries and a distillery for some tasting. We had a great time tasting and checking out the gift shops at the tasting rooms. Of course we found some things in the shops that we didn't know we couldn't live without. Then it was back to the park for lunch and sitting around in the heat. In the evening our friend Greg Wozny came by to have dinner with us. Afterwards we all sat around the fireplace. Greg left at about 10 and we stayed out until about 1 AM. We are wild and crazy campers.

Sept 12, 2013
More of the same for wine country. The three of us went for more wine tasting on another hot 90 + degree day in Prosser. Then a visit to Chuckar Cherries for some samples and purchase a couple sauces and a stop at a very cute gifty shop. After getting lunch at Sub Way we went to camp for the remainder of the day. I went for a swim and lounged around the pool to cool off later in the afternoon. We had a light dinner and sat around the fire with Terry until about 10 and went to bed to rest up for our trip home in the morning. It was still 75 degrees at 10:30 at night.

Sept 13, 2013
We were up and the rode home at about 9. We went to an orchard in Yakima to pick up some apples for saucing. It was a nice drive but got cloudy when we reached Enumclaw. Welcome back to Western Washington.

Prosser, WA

Sept 10, 2013
We arrived at Wine Country RV Park in Prosser just after noon. We had lunch and sat out in the sun until my sister Terry arrived at about 3. We helped her get her RV set up. Then we made our plans for the next couple of days. After dinner the three of us sat out enjoying the warm evening.

Sept 11, 2013
After breakfast we drove around to several wineries and a distillery for some tasting. We had a great time tasting and checking out the gift shops at the tasting rooms. Of course we found some things in the shops that we didn't know we couldn't live without. Then it was back to the park for lunch and sitting around in the heat. In the evening our friend Greg Wozny came by to have dinner with us. Afterwards we all sat around the fireplace. Greg left at about 10 and we stayed out until about 1 AM. We are wild and crazy campers.

Sept 12, 2013
More of the same for wine country. The three of us went for more wine tasting on another hot 90 + degree day in Prosser. Then a visit to Chuckar Cherries for some samples and purchase a couple sauces and a stop at a very cute gifty shop. After getting lunch at Sub Way we went to camp for the remainder of the day. I went for a swim and lounged around the pool to cool off later in the afternoon. We had a light dinner and sat around the fire with Terry until about 10 and went to bed to rest up for our trip home in the morning. It was still 75 degrees at 10:30 at night.

Sept 13, 2013
We were up and the rode home at about 9. We went to an orchard in Yakima to pick up some apples for saucing. It was a nice drive but got cloudy when we reached Enumclaw. Welcome back to Western Washington.

Fort Stevens, OR

August 26, 2013

We can’t check in at our next destination until after 1 and it is only about 60 miles away so we got up,  had a nice breakfast and leisurely packed up and got on the road at about 11. We stopped for groceries and gas to fill some time. Heading north on 101 near Gearhart there was a bad car accident that delayed us for over 30 minutes. We arrived at Fort Stevens State Park on the northwest corner of Oregon at about 1:30.  It was raining. We got set up and went for a walk to the wreck of the ship Peter Iredale. When we got the ocean the wind was blowing harder than we have experienced maybe ever. The wreck is only a small part of the hull of the original ship. It was about a 2 mile walk round trip. The rain had stopped so back at our site we sat around enjoying the surroundings. This is a real nice park with lots to do and a lot of families enjoying themselves. After a real good dinner we sat around our fire for the rest of the evening.

August 27, 2013

After breakfast we drove to the historic area of Fort Stevens. This is part of the 3700 acres of the whole campground and fort. There is a historic walk we took that took over two hours and was probably over 2 miles. Fort Stevens was dedicated on July 4, 1865 to guard the Columbia River from invaders intent on taking the territory. It went through many changes through its history before being decommissioned in 1947. The fort is the only place in the US that was attacked during WWII. On June 21, 1942 a Japanese submarine fired on the fort. No one was hurt and we did not return fire because the fort commander didn't want to show where the firing batteries were. Also because the sub was out of range. The walk around the fort was very interesting. There was also a military museum we visited on the site. Then it was back to camp for lunch and enjoy our last day of this trip. One of our neighbors has been here a week or so fishing in the Columbia. The last two days they have gone out at about 6 and are back by 10 with their limits. They had smoked some of the salmon and were nice enough to give us a couple pieces. There’s nothing wrong with fresh warm smoked salmon and an ice cold beer. We spent the day reading and relaxing. After dinner we sat out enjoying the fireplace protected by our awning in a light drizzle.

August 28, 2013

We hit the road for home at about 9 in clouds but a promise of sunny skies. We got home just after noon and got unpacked while the weather was favorable. Next trip Sept 5 to the Columbia Gorge.

Fort Stevens, OR

August 26, 2013

We can’t check in at our next destination until after 1 and it is only about 60 miles away so we got up,  had a nice breakfast and leisurely packed up and got on the road at about 11. We stopped for groceries and gas to fill some time. Heading north on 101 near Gearhart there was a bad car accident that delayed us for over 30 minutes. We arrived at Fort Stevens State Park on the northwest corner of Oregon at about 1:30.  It was raining. We got set up and went for a walk to the wreck of the ship Peter Iredale. When we got the ocean the wind was blowing harder than we have experienced maybe ever. The wreck is only a small part of the hull of the original ship. It was about a 2 mile walk round trip. The rain had stopped so back at our site we sat around enjoying the surroundings. This is a real nice park with lots to do and a lot of families enjoying themselves. After a real good dinner we sat around our fire for the rest of the evening.

August 27, 2013

After breakfast we drove to the historic area of Fort Stevens. This is part of the 3700 acres of the whole campground and fort. There is a historic walk we took that took over two hours and was probably over 2 miles. Fort Stevens was dedicated on July 4, 1865 to guard the Columbia River from invaders intent on taking the territory. It went through many changes through its history before being decommissioned in 1947. The fort is the only place in the US that was attacked during WWII. On June 21, 1942 a Japanese submarine fired on the fort. No one was hurt and we did not return fire because the fort commander didn't want to show where the firing batteries were. Also because the sub was out of range. The walk around the fort was very interesting. There was also a military museum we visited on the site. Then it was back to camp for lunch and enjoy our last day of this trip. One of our neighbors has been here a week or so fishing in the Columbia. The last two days they have gone out at about 6 and are back by 10 with their limits. They had smoked some of the salmon and were nice enough to give us a couple pieces. There’s nothing wrong with fresh warm smoked salmon and an ice cold beer. We spent the day reading and relaxing. After dinner we sat out enjoying the fireplace protected by our awning in a light drizzle.

August 28, 2013

We hit the road for home at about 9 in clouds but a promise of sunny skies. We got home just after noon and got unpacked while the weather was favorable. Next trip Sept 5 to the Columbia Gorge.

Nehalem Bay, OR

August 24, 2014

Today we awoke and broke camp for our next stop at Paradise Cove RV and Marina about 70 miles south on the Oregon coast. In our camping directory this looks like a real nice park with two pools and very nice sites. We haven’t found any of that yet. Where we are parked we have a view of the marina on Nehalem Bay through the spaces between the big rigs in front of us. The sites are gravel and pretty close together. The clubhouse on the lower level is nice with clean showers and meeting area. We’ll do some exploring tomorrow to see if we can find the other areas. We drove to Rockaway Beach for a pizza lunch. There was an old steam engine train that was traveling the old tracks giving people rides that was pretty cool. After lunch we needed some groceries so we drove to Garibaldi to shop. Most of the towns in this area are very quaint. Then it was back to camp to sit around and enjoy the sunny day. At about 7 PM the steam engine that was in Rockaway Beach came up the tracks that cut through our park. I guess this happens occasionally because there were people standing near the tracks to see it. I think it was going to Nehalem.  At about 10 it came back south en route to Rockaway Beach.

August 25, 2013

Not much to say about this day. The weather was mostly sunny. The park is very boring. There are no families with kids playing around the park. I think the kids are at the upper area where the pools are. We drove up there and found there isn’t anything that we like about this place. Fortunately we are only here until tomorrow

Nehalem Bay, OR

August 24, 2014

Today we awoke and broke camp for our next stop at Paradise Cove RV and Marina about 70 miles south on the Oregon coast. In our camping directory this looks like a real nice park with two pools and very nice sites. We haven’t found any of that yet. Where we are parked we have a view of the marina on Nehalem Bay through the spaces between the big rigs in front of us. The sites are gravel and pretty close together. The clubhouse on the lower level is nice with clean showers and meeting area. We’ll do some exploring tomorrow to see if we can find the other areas. We drove to Rockaway Beach for a pizza lunch. There was an old steam engine train that was traveling the old tracks giving people rides that was pretty cool. After lunch we needed some groceries so we drove to Garibaldi to shop. Most of the towns in this area are very quaint. Then it was back to camp to sit around and enjoy the sunny day. At about 7 PM the steam engine that was in Rockaway Beach came up the tracks that cut through our park. I guess this happens occasionally because there were people standing near the tracks to see it. I think it was going to Nehalem.  At about 10 it came back south en route to Rockaway Beach.

August 25, 2013

Not much to say about this day. The weather was mostly sunny. The park is very boring. There are no families with kids playing around the park. I think the kids are at the upper area where the pools are. We drove up there and found there isn’t anything that we like about this place. Fortunately we are only here until tomorrow

Long Beach

August 19, 2013
Off to Long Beach this morning for 5 days at the annual kite festival. We left the house with sun in our eyes so it looked good for the drive. After leaving Hwy 101 near Montesano it got pretty cloudy and we were driving through mist by the time we approached the beach. It was cloudy and pretty windy until early evening when the sun broke through. The town looks pretty much the same as two years ago with no additional vacant businesses. We are staying in the Sandcastle RV park about 1/2 mile from town. Don the owner is really nice and mindful of our needs. He stacks the rigs in close so we don't have much of a "yard" but we don't plan on spending a lot of time in the park.

August 20, 2013
We woke to a beautiful sunny and windy day. Perfect for the kite fliers. After breakfast we drove to the Astoria area to do some shopping and preview a park we are staying in next week. Back in Long Beach we had lunch and walked to the beach to watch some competition and general activity. There was a group of quad line, that's four control lines, kite fliers rehearsing for an event. At one time there were 36 kites and another 16 kites doing synchronized maneuvers. Really amazing.

 There are always some very decorative kites that are anchored in the sand. Some are 100 ft long.

We also watched some kite fighting where several kites launch and try to knock each other out of the sky by crashing into each other or cutting the opponent's line. Then we stopped at the Castaway's Bar and Grill for a drink and a cup of fantastic clam chowder. Back to the park for the remainder of the day enjoying the great weather. We had a light dinner and sat out by our fire until about 10.

August 21, 2013
After breakfast we walked into town to see if there was anything new going on. More kites, sun and wind. A real strong wind. We walked back to the park on the paved trail along the beach with the wind dead in our faces. Quite brisk. After lunch we again walked into town to watch kite ballet. In this competition a flyer or pair of fliers fly their kites to their choice of music. Pretty entertaining. Then back to the park for dinner. The wind died down a little in the evening so we sat out enjoying the full moon and a mild night.

August 22, 2013
After breakfast we got drove to Oysterville on the North end of the peninsula to explore the old community and get some fresh oysters. Didn't find any of them I wanted so went to Ilwaco  and various other locations to find some. After lunch we drove, tired of walking, into town where Gail checked out the stores and other attractions while I went to the beach to see what the kiters were up to. I found a couple from California that we met here two years ago. Jim and Lynn are avid kite fliers traveling up and down the West coast attending numerous events from March-October. They were part of the 36 person flight I talked about and pictured earlier in the week. As I was watching some of the kites the wind stopped! I mean the kites were falling from the sky. It was very weird. I walked back into town and met up with Gail. I found some oysters at a fish market, brought them home and ate them. Pretty good but not as I had anticipated. We had our camping neighbors, Gil and Sherry Martin from Osoyoos, BC over for cocktails after dinner. They are a fun couple traveling the Washington Coast.

August 23, 2013
Well it was a cloudy day at the beach but the wind was up so lots of people were having a great time. After breakfast we walked into town and watched them. In one area the four line Revolution kites were gathered en masse and were putting on quite an exhibition. There were 64 kites in the air doing synchronized moves. Very impressive. Then back to camp for lunch and just sitting around. We were getting pretty lazy so went for a walk north of town for a change. Most of the RV parks and motels are full for the kite festival. We went out to dinner at the Lightship Restaurant. In the 80’s when we started coming here it was the Potlatch at the Chautauqua Motel where we stayed. The restaurant had gone through some changes over the years, none for the better, but now its quite nice. Gail had prime rib and I had New York steak. Both were very good and more than we usually eat. We watched the Seahawks beat up on Green Bay so that was a great desert. Gil and Sherry, our neighbors, went into town to watch the lighted kites and fireworks display. It was very cloudy and even rained during the time these events were to happen. We could hear the fireworks but the clouds were so low most of them went off in or above the clouds so they looked like muted flashes.

Long Beach

August 19, 2013
Off to Long Beach this morning for 5 days at the annual kite festival. We left the house with sun in our eyes so it looked good for the drive. After leaving Hwy 101 near Montesano it got pretty cloudy and we were driving through mist by the time we approached the beach. It was cloudy and pretty windy until early evening when the sun broke through. The town looks pretty much the same as two years ago with no additional vacant businesses. We are staying in the Sandcastle RV park about 1/2 mile from town. Don the owner is really nice and mindful of our needs. He stacks the rigs in close so we don't have much of a "yard" but we don't plan on spending a lot of time in the park.

August 20, 2013
We woke to a beautiful sunny and windy day. Perfect for the kite fliers. After breakfast we drove to the Astoria area to do some shopping and preview a park we are staying in next week. Back in Long Beach we had lunch and walked to the beach to watch some competition and general activity. There was a group of quad line, that's four control lines, kite fliers rehearsing for an event. At one time there were 36 kites and another 16 kites doing synchronized maneuvers. Really amazing.

 There are always some very decorative kites that are anchored in the sand. Some are 100 ft long.

We also watched some kite fighting where several kites launch and try to knock each other out of the sky by crashing into each other or cutting the opponent's line. Then we stopped at the Castaway's Bar and Grill for a drink and a cup of fantastic clam chowder. Back to the park for the remainder of the day enjoying the great weather. We had a light dinner and sat out by our fire until about 10.

August 21, 2013
After breakfast we walked into town to see if there was anything new going on. More kites, sun and wind. A real strong wind. We walked back to the park on the paved trail along the beach with the wind dead in our faces. Quite brisk. After lunch we again walked into town to watch kite ballet. In this competition a flyer or pair of fliers fly their kites to their choice of music. Pretty entertaining. Then back to the park for dinner. The wind died down a little in the evening so we sat out enjoying the full moon and a mild night.

August 22, 2013
After breakfast we got drove to Oysterville on the North end of the peninsula to explore the old community and get some fresh oysters. Didn't find any of them I wanted so went to Ilwaco  and various other locations to find some. After lunch we drove, tired of walking, into town where Gail checked out the stores and other attractions while I went to the beach to see what the kiters were up to. I found a couple from California that we met here two years ago. Jim and Lynn are avid kite fliers traveling up and down the West coast attending numerous events from March-October. They were part of the 36 person flight I talked about and pictured earlier in the week. As I was watching some of the kites the wind stopped! I mean the kites were falling from the sky. It was very weird. I walked back into town and met up with Gail. I found some oysters at a fish market, brought them home and ate them. Pretty good but not as I had anticipated. We had our camping neighbors, Gil and Sherry Martin from Osoyoos, BC over for cocktails after dinner. They are a fun couple traveling the Washington Coast.

August 23, 2013
Well it was a cloudy day at the beach but the wind was up so lots of people were having a great time. After breakfast we walked into town and watched them. In one area the four line Revolution kites were gathered en masse and were putting on quite an exhibition. There were 64 kites in the air doing synchronized moves. Very impressive. Then back to camp for lunch and just sitting around. We were getting pretty lazy so went for a walk north of town for a change. Most of the RV parks and motels are full for the kite festival. We went out to dinner at the Lightship Restaurant. In the 80’s when we started coming here it was the Potlatch at the Chautauqua Motel where we stayed. The restaurant had gone through some changes over the years, none for the better, but now its quite nice. Gail had prime rib and I had New York steak. Both were very good and more than we usually eat. We watched the Seahawks beat up on Green Bay so that was a great desert. Gil and Sherry, our neighbors, went into town to watch the lighted kites and fireworks display. It was very cloudy and even rained during the time these events were to happen. We could hear the fireworks but the clouds were so low most of them went off in or above the clouds so they looked like muted flashes.

Packwood, WA

July 28, 2013

Another beginning of another trip. We drove to Lacey to pick up Carley for our annual trek to Cascade Peaks near Packwood, WA. After getting her stuff and two bikes loaded we were off to Peaks at about 10:30. It was a sunny ride through Yelm, McKenna, Eatonville, Elbe, Morton and Randle arriving at about 12:30. We got set up, had lunch and Carley and I went fishing. Our usual fishing spot on Skate Creek was a lower than last year and we didn’t see any fish. We explored up the creek and found a new site we will try in a day or so. Back to the park after a couple hours to enjoy the sunny day. We all took a walk to see where we can access the Cowlitz River. We found a trail we can use when the others, Carley’s sis and Mom, Tracy and her family and the Hughes’ family arrive. Carley rode her bike around and played on the various toys until dinner. After eating we sat around the fire til about 10 when Carley went to bed and we retired at 11.

July 29, 2013

There were clouds on the hilltops when we woke but they burned off before 9. We had a nice breakfast and took a drive to find a productive fishing spot. In Packwood we stopped at the sporting goods store to ask questions. I asked when Skate Creek will be stocked. Bad news, they aren’t stocking it anymore  but he said there are still fish in the creek. The owner suggested a couple spots near White Pass so we drove about 15 miles to Knuppenberg Lake/Pond. It’s a pretty clear mountain pond almost to the top of the pass. Carley and I hiked in and fished for about an hour. We had a couple bites and one on but none landed. The fish were feeding on the surface so it might be better for fly fishing. On the way back we stopped at a Viewpoint of Mt Rainier. We have never seen her from that close from the east side. What a beautiful site here are a couple pictures.

Then back to camp for lunch. Carley went for a swim but the pools aren't heated enough for me so I stood in the shallow end for a while and sat on the side watching her. Later Carley and I took a bike ride all around the park just to check it out. It’s still about the same but the new owners are making efforts to clean it up. We all sat out in the sun until dinner time and back out for the fireplace until the bugs drove us inside at about 10.

July 30, 2013

The day started a little cloudy but the sun came through at about 10 to give us another beautiful day. Carley and I checked out a couple of fishing sites on Skate Creek but didn't have any luck. Our friends Hart and Amy Hughes and their kids arrived at about noon. They had been camping at Ohanapecosh Campground on Mt Rainier for three days. This is the fourth year they have joined us at Cascade Peaks. Their kids, Ethan and Emily, are 8 and almost 6 respectively. We have known Hart since he was in fifth grade with our daughter Tracy. We feel they are part of our family. After they got set up Hart and the kids and I went for a swim in the pool. Then back to camp for another lovely afternoon and evening. Whenever we see a truck with corn in it, our favorite snack and meal, we yell, "CORN!!! Oops there goes one now.

CORN!!!!!!!!!!!

July 31, 2013

After breakfast Carley and I went to Iron Creek to see if there we could get some fish. I caught one little skulpin but no trout. When we got back a neighbor told me he and his grandsons had been to Knuppenberg Lake and caught some pretty nice fish. He told me what they used so we’ll  have to go back and try again. Our daughter Tracy and family had gotten to the park while we were fishing and about an hour later Stephanie and Caitlin arrived so the family gathering is complete. This is a joyous time for us every year. We have such a great time playing and just messing around. Carley moved her stuff to her mom’s site so it’s just us in the trailer again. The “kids” are tenters so their site is a short walk from where we are set up. We got a little rain today and some pretty impressive thunder. It's the first time we have gotten rain when staying here in August since the first year five years ago. Later in the afternoon all the kids went for a swim while we, the guys, talked fishing strategy and other plans for the rest of the trip. Gail and I went back to our site for dinner and rejoined the gang for some fire time before retiring for the night.

August 1, 2013

I realized this morning that I always start my blog with the weather. This is strange to me because I have some diaries of my Great and Great Great Grandfathers that always start with the weather. When reading them I think, why did he always start with the weather? Who cares?. So I’m not going to do that because it was cloudy again today. All day. Geez, I can’t do it. We spent the day roaming around the park and visiting with other campers. We had all the little kids, six of them, at our place for the traditional dinner of Chili-ghetti and breadsticks. Here are a couple pics of what it looked like.

My buddy Ethan Hughes wearing his chili-ghetti.

Then we went to the other camp to enjoy their fire. We came back to our site at about 9 for the remainder of the evening.

August 2, 2013

I picked up Hart and Erik at about 9 this morning to go fishing. We went to Knuppenberg Lake where Carley and I had tried earlier in the week. Erik caught a nice trout fly fishing. We went back to the park where two of the granddaughters cleaned and ate the catch. I went back to our site and Gail and I read and sat out for the day. After dinner we joined the gang again at their place for a while. After dark at our site we were visited by 9 of the gang on bikes festooned with glow sticks. It was quite a festive site.

August 3, 2013

The dads took the kids, six of them, fishing on Skate Creek this morning. We caught a few small trout but nothing we could keep since there is an 8 inch minimum size. We had a good time and some of the girls explored the area and found a new place for us to try tomorrow. After lunch everybody went to the Cowlitz River to sit on a sand bar, dig a very large hole and cool off in the river. Gail and I stayed a while then left them to their fun. After dinner the group came to our area and we played a couple games of horse shoes. Gail and I then sat at our fireplace until we were again joined by some of the clan with more glow sticks on their bikes at about 10 PM. This is always such a cool outing.

August 4, 2013

Well, here I revert. We woke this morning with the sun shining gloriously with a promise of 80 plus. Hart, Erik and I took 5 kids to breakfast at the park store which opened their new café for biscuits and  gravy before venturing off to another fishing trip. This time it was pretty productive as far as catching but since we couldn’t keep trout under 8 inches we had cold cuts and leftovers for lunch. We did have a pretty good time since most of us caught fish. The term we use is “Whaddup fishes?’ Then it was back to camp for an afternoon for all except Gail and I lounging in and near the Cowlitz River. Gail and I took a walk to where the clan was enjoying the day. We didn't stay because it was too hot. At about 6 when they were leaving the river it was still over 85 degrees. Gail and I enjoyed the majority of the afternoon in our site chasing shade. Not the sun we chased earlier in the week. We went to the kid’s site for the evening and then back to our site. I have to tell you this. We have a Native American couple parked next to us from Shelton, WA. They are in the area to do a traditional “Cedar strip’ of trees. They have a crew of about 15 people to do a control strip of Cedar bark in several areas to supply them with basket making and other materials. The best part of this chat is that the lady next door brought us two pieces of high mountain blackberry pie and a pint Haggen Daz ice cream. We have had some darn good pie in our day but this was the best. The berry filling was perfectly cooked and the crust was flaky and sweet. What a great treat having this at the end our day.

August 5, 2013

We got up at about 8 to ready ourselves for the trip home.We had a wonderful time again at Cascade Peaks. When we were packed we walked to the kids' site to say our goodbyes. They will be another few hours packing up all the camping gear. We drove home through Olympia to drop off the twins' bikes since Steph didn't have room in her SUV. Then home at about 1:30. We are home for about 2 weeks then off the the Kite Festival in Long Beach.

Packwood, WA

July 28, 2013

Another beginning of another trip. We drove to Lacey to pick up Carley for our annual trek to Cascade Peaks near Packwood, WA. After getting her stuff and two bikes loaded we were off to Peaks at about 10:30. It was a sunny ride through Yelm, McKenna, Eatonville, Elbe, Morton and Randle arriving at about 12:30. We got set up, had lunch and Carley and I went fishing. Our usual fishing spot on Skate Creek was a lower than last year and we didn’t see any fish. We explored up the creek and found a new site we will try in a day or so. Back to the park after a couple hours to enjoy the sunny day. We all took a walk to see where we can access the Cowlitz River. We found a trail we can use when the others, Carley’s sis and Mom, Tracy and her family and the Hughes’ family arrive. Carley rode her bike around and played on the various toys until dinner. After eating we sat around the fire til about 10 when Carley went to bed and we retired at 11.

July 29, 2013

There were clouds on the hilltops when we woke but they burned off before 9. We had a nice breakfast and took a drive to find a productive fishing spot. In Packwood we stopped at the sporting goods store to ask questions. I asked when Skate Creek will be stocked. Bad news, they aren’t stocking it anymore  but he said there are still fish in the creek. The owner suggested a couple spots near White Pass so we drove about 15 miles to Knuppenberg Lake/Pond. It’s a pretty clear mountain pond almost to the top of the pass. Carley and I hiked in and fished for about an hour. We had a couple bites and one on but none landed. The fish were feeding on the surface so it might be better for fly fishing. On the way back we stopped at a Viewpoint of Mt Rainier. We have never seen her from that close from the east side. What a beautiful site here are a couple pictures.

Then back to camp for lunch. Carley went for a swim but the pools aren't heated enough for me so I stood in the shallow end for a while and sat on the side watching her. Later Carley and I took a bike ride all around the park just to check it out. It’s still about the same but the new owners are making efforts to clean it up. We all sat out in the sun until dinner time and back out for the fireplace until the bugs drove us inside at about 10.

July 30, 2013

The day started a little cloudy but the sun came through at about 10 to give us another beautiful day. Carley and I checked out a couple of fishing sites on Skate Creek but didn't have any luck. Our friends Hart and Amy Hughes and their kids arrived at about noon. They had been camping at Ohanapecosh Campground on Mt Rainier for three days. This is the fourth year they have joined us at Cascade Peaks. Their kids, Ethan and Emily, are 8 and almost 6 respectively. We have known Hart since he was in fifth grade with our daughter Tracy. We feel they are part of our family. After they got set up Hart and the kids and I went for a swim in the pool. Then back to camp for another lovely afternoon and evening. Whenever we see a truck with corn in it, our favorite snack and meal, we yell, "CORN!!! Oops there goes one now.

CORN!!!!!!!!!!!

July 31, 2013

After breakfast Carley and I went to Iron Creek to see if there we could get some fish. I caught one little skulpin but no trout. When we got back a neighbor told me he and his grandsons had been to Knuppenberg Lake and caught some pretty nice fish. He told me what they used so we’ll  have to go back and try again. Our daughter Tracy and family had gotten to the park while we were fishing and about an hour later Stephanie and Caitlin arrived so the family gathering is complete. This is a joyous time for us every year. We have such a great time playing and just messing around. Carley moved her stuff to her mom’s site so it’s just us in the trailer again. The “kids” are tenters so their site is a short walk from where we are set up. We got a little rain today and some pretty impressive thunder. It's the first time we have gotten rain when staying here in August since the first year five years ago. Later in the afternoon all the kids went for a swim while we, the guys, talked fishing strategy and other plans for the rest of the trip. Gail and I went back to our site for dinner and rejoined the gang for some fire time before retiring for the night.

August 1, 2013

I realized this morning that I always start my blog with the weather. This is strange to me because I have some diaries of my Great and Great Great Grandfathers that always start with the weather. When reading them I think, why did he always start with the weather? Who cares?. So I’m not going to do that because it was cloudy again today. All day. Geez, I can’t do it. We spent the day roaming around the park and visiting with other campers. We had all the little kids, six of them, at our place for the traditional dinner of Chili-ghetti and breadsticks. Here are a couple pics of what it looked like.

My buddy Ethan Hughes wearing his chili-ghetti.

Then we went to the other camp to enjoy their fire. We came back to our site at about 9 for the remainder of the evening.

August 2, 2013

I picked up Hart and Erik at about 9 this morning to go fishing. We went to Knuppenberg Lake where Carley and I had tried earlier in the week. Erik caught a nice trout fly fishing. We went back to the park where two of the granddaughters cleaned and ate the catch. I went back to our site and Gail and I read and sat out for the day. After dinner we joined the gang again at their place for a while. After dark at our site we were visited by 9 of the gang on bikes festooned with glow sticks. It was quite a festive site.

August 3, 2013

The dads took the kids, six of them, fishing on Skate Creek this morning. We caught a few small trout but nothing we could keep since there is an 8 inch minimum size. We had a good time and some of the girls explored the area and found a new place for us to try tomorrow. After lunch everybody went to the Cowlitz River to sit on a sand bar, dig a very large hole and cool off in the river. Gail and I stayed a while then left them to their fun. After dinner the group came to our area and we played a couple games of horse shoes. Gail and I then sat at our fireplace until we were again joined by some of the clan with more glow sticks on their bikes at about 10 PM. This is always such a cool outing.

August 4, 2013

Well, here I revert. We woke this morning with the sun shining gloriously with a promise of 80 plus. Hart, Erik and I took 5 kids to breakfast at the park store which opened their new café for biscuits and  gravy before venturing off to another fishing trip. This time it was pretty productive as far as catching but since we couldn’t keep trout under 8 inches we had cold cuts and leftovers for lunch. We did have a pretty good time since most of us caught fish. The term we use is “Whaddup fishes?’ Then it was back to camp for an afternoon for all except Gail and I lounging in and near the Cowlitz River. Gail and I took a walk to where the clan was enjoying the day. We didn't stay because it was too hot. At about 6 when they were leaving the river it was still over 85 degrees. Gail and I enjoyed the majority of the afternoon in our site chasing shade. Not the sun we chased earlier in the week. We went to the kid’s site for the evening and then back to our site. I have to tell you this. We have a Native American couple parked next to us from Shelton, WA. They are in the area to do a traditional “Cedar strip’ of trees. They have a crew of about 15 people to do a control strip of Cedar bark in several areas to supply them with basket making and other materials. The best part of this chat is that the lady next door brought us two pieces of high mountain blackberry pie and a pint Haggen Daz ice cream. We have had some darn good pie in our day but this was the best. The berry filling was perfectly cooked and the crust was flaky and sweet. What a great treat having this at the end our day.

August 5, 2013

We got up at about 8 to ready ourselves for the trip home.We had a wonderful time again at Cascade Peaks. When we were packed we walked to the kids' site to say our goodbyes. They will be another few hours packing up all the camping gear. We drove home through Olympia to drop off the twins' bikes since Steph didn't have room in her SUV. Then home at about 1:30. We are home for about 2 weeks then off the the Kite Festival in Long Beach.

Port Angeles, WA

July 21, 2013
We had a spectacular drive through the rain forests of our Washington Coast to just east of Port Angeles. The weather was pretty sunny but there were clouds that are expected along the coast. It was about 150 miles through the forests and windy Hwy 212. We arrived unscathed at Elwha Dam RV Park, "best RV park by a dam site", just after noon. The park is very nice and a short walk to a view of where the Elwha Dam used to be. The dismantling of it began in 2011 and is already complete. Part of the deconstruction plan was to reintroduce the one time fantastic salmon spawning run. It was originally thought that it would take two years for this to happen. Within two weeks there was thousands of salmon coming up the Elwha River. This was a wonderful surprise but rains fell in the hills and washed a lot of silt down the river killing many of the fish. There is still some silt in the river but it is diminishing. We took a drive to Lake Crescent and visited the lodge. The lodge is a beautiful building built early in the 1900's. We sat on one of the sun porches enjoying drinks. Then back to camp for the evening.

July 22, 2013
After breakfast the sun came out so we took the drive to Hurricane Ridge. After stopping at the ranger station for info we drove the 17 miles to the top of the ridge. Spectacular! The observation point is at about 5700 feet so when we looked back toward Port Angeles we were looking down on the clouds and fog. It looked like there was a covering of cotton below us. We then took a couple of hikes to other observation points around the top of the ridge totaling about 1.5 miles. This photo is of what is called a cirque. It is what is left of a glacier when it recedes and leaves an amphitheater like setting.

This photo is looking from the ridge north at some of the Olympic Mountains.

On our way back we stopped and ate the lunch we brought overlooking a massive valley that thousands of years ago was a huge lake. Back to the park to enjoy the sunny day. At about 9 PM the clouds started coming in but not before we saw the full moon.

July 23, 2013
We woke to another beautiful day. After breakfast we drove to Madison Falls. The falls are about 60 ft high ending in a pool of crystal clear water. It was a hike we appreciated of about .1 mile. Nothing like a 5 minute walk to get energized.

On road near the entrance to the parking lot there is a Cedar tree that is probably 10 feet in diameter. This tree was probably over 500 years old because we saw a tree in a visitor's center that was about this size and began it's life in 1364. There are trees older than this still surviving in the Olympic National Forest. We were amazed how these ancient trees are still surviving.

Then we drove into the Elwha National Park to check it out. The park has quite a few camp sites, some along the Elwha River. In one area we found a 6/10 mile hike into the woods. Another nice walk in the forest.
We also drove to Freshwater Bay. This is a county park with beach combing and a boat launch. When we drove in we saw two trucks in the water near the launch. The tide was out so the boaters had to drive their vehicles into the bay so they could get them on their trailers. One boater waited for the tide to come in which made more sense to me.
Then back to the RV park for the rest of our last full day on the road.

July 24, 2013
Up at 7 and on the road home at 8:20. We made several stops on the way but were home by noon. We are only home for 4 days so we have to get everything washed and reloaded for our annual family trip to Cascade Peaks near Packwood.

Port Angeles, WA

July 21, 2013
We had a spectacular drive through the rain forests of our Washington Coast to just east of Port Angeles. The weather was pretty sunny but there were clouds that are expected along the coast. It was about 150 miles through the forests and windy Hwy 212. We arrived unscathed at Elwha Dam RV Park, "best RV park by a dam site", just after noon. The park is very nice and a short walk to a view of where the Elwha Dam used to be. The dismantling of it began in 2011 and is already complete. Part of the deconstruction plan was to reintroduce the one time fantastic salmon spawning run. It was originally thought that it would take two years for this to happen. Within two weeks there was thousands of salmon coming up the Elwha River. This was a wonderful surprise but rains fell in the hills and washed a lot of silt down the river killing many of the fish. There is still some silt in the river but it is diminishing. We took a drive to Lake Crescent and visited the lodge. The lodge is a beautiful building built early in the 1900's. We sat on one of the sun porches enjoying drinks. Then back to camp for the evening.

July 22, 2013
After breakfast the sun came out so we took the drive to Hurricane Ridge. After stopping at the ranger station for info we drove the 17 miles to the top of the ridge. Spectacular! The observation point is at about 5700 feet so when we looked back toward Port Angeles we were looking down on the clouds and fog. It looked like there was a covering of cotton below us. We then took a couple of hikes to other observation points around the top of the ridge totaling about 1.5 miles. This photo is of what is called a cirque. It is what is left of a glacier when it recedes and leaves an amphitheater like setting.

This photo is looking from the ridge north at some of the Olympic Mountains.

On our way back we stopped and ate the lunch we brought overlooking a massive valley that thousands of years ago was a huge lake. Back to the park to enjoy the sunny day. At about 9 PM the clouds started coming in but not before we saw the full moon.

July 23, 2013
We woke to another beautiful day. After breakfast we drove to Madison Falls. The falls are about 60 ft high ending in a pool of crystal clear water. It was a hike we appreciated of about .1 mile. Nothing like a 5 minute walk to get energized.

On road near the entrance to the parking lot there is a Cedar tree that is probably 10 feet in diameter. This tree was probably over 500 years old because we saw a tree in a visitor's center that was about this size and began it's life in 1364. There are trees older than this still surviving in the Olympic National Forest. We were amazed how these ancient trees are still surviving.

Then we drove into the Elwha National Park to check it out. The park has quite a few camp sites, some along the Elwha River. In one area we found a 6/10 mile hike into the woods. Another nice walk in the forest.
We also drove to Freshwater Bay. This is a county park with beach combing and a boat launch. When we drove in we saw two trucks in the water near the launch. The tide was out so the boaters had to drive their vehicles into the bay so they could get them on their trailers. One boater waited for the tide to come in which made more sense to me.
Then back to the RV park for the rest of our last full day on the road.

July 24, 2013
Up at 7 and on the road home at 8:20. We made several stops on the way but were home by noon. We are only home for 4 days so we have to get everything washed and reloaded for our annual family trip to Cascade Peaks near Packwood.