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.