Cascade Peaks

July 23, 2017
We headed out to Cascade Peaks for our annual trip with our kids and the Hughes family. We usually stay 5-6 days but this time we are staying 8 days. Gail and I to Dog Lake just east of the White Pass summit to check out fishing. It was kinda windy so casting was difficult. I had no bites and didn't see any one catch anything. We'll come back with the others to try again. Meanwhile back at the park the gang was all set up. We decided to go into Packwood and have dinner at the Blue Spruce Saloon.

July 24, 2017
Today it was pretty hot so we all lounged around in the park. Some hiked to the Cowlitz River for a few hours to stay cool.

Hart Hughes and son on law, Erik body floated the river a few times.

July 25, 2017
I gathered at the kids site at 8:00 so we could go fishing at Dog Lake. It was another beautiful day and quite a few people were at the lake. We fished for 3-4 hours and caught 6 fish. It was a good time.We got back to the park and cleaned the fish so we could fry them for dinner.

July 26, 2018
We all went for a hike at Ohanapekosh to Rainbow Falls. It was about a 2.5 mile hike and absolutely gorgeous.

After the hike we stopped at the Spruce for a few cold beers and snacks. We had dinner with the others at their site and stayed to enjoy a nice fire.

July 27, 2017
Well it was another beautiful warm day. We all spent time at the pool and the river. In the evening six of them decorated their bikes with glow sticks and took a ride around the park in the dark. The park was really getting busy for the weekend.

July 28, 2017
We took another shot at fishing today. We only caught 2 but I had one on that jumped and flashed its side. It was probably 3-4 pounds but it spit the hook before I could land it. Then it was back to the park for lunch and some time at the river.

July 29, 2017
The park was very busy for the weekend so the pool was too crowded to use so we spent more time at the river. Hart and Amy's son Ethan wanted to have a fire on the beach so we went to the river in the evening and had a fire. It was a special time.

July 30, 2017
We packed up in the morning and headed out for Rockaway Beach, OR. It was a nice drive on Hwy 101.

Camano and LaConner

July 4, 2017

We left the house at about 12:30 heading to Dave and Teddi Edwards place on Camano Island for the 4th of July. When we arrived at about 2 I got set up and Teddi had a few things she wanted help with around the property. I helped her and by 3:30 we were ready to begin the festivities. Three more couples joined us on the deck overlooking the water. There were appetizers and beverages for all followed by a wonderful dinner. As it began to get dark fireworks up and down the beach began. It was amazing as usual. Teddi, Gail and I stayed up until almost midnight watching the spectacle. Then off to bed in the trailer.

July 5, 2017

We got up at about 8:30 and went into the Edwards' home for breakfast. We reminisced the previous night's revelry sitting out on their deck. Our next stop was a 2 night stay in La Conner. It was only about a 40 minute drive so we left at 11 heading to La Conner RV Park.. The park is a very rustic Thousand Trails park with limited sites having full hook ups. We found a pretty nice site, got set up and went into La Conner to explore the town. There are lots of shops, galleries and restaurants to visit. We had lunch at the La Conner Brewing Company and headed back to the park.

July 6, 2017

After breakfast we went back to La Conner to check out a few more businesses and have a late lunch. We pretty much covered the town as much as we needed to and headed back to the park. Our neighbors had three little dogs that they left in their 5th wheel when the went somewhere. They barked consistently for over three hours until they came home. Not a pleasant experience.

July 7, 2017

We were up and out of the park by 9:30 and home before noon.

Tri Cities June 2017

June 25, 2017

We were on the way to Kennewick at about 10:30 this morning. It was a beautiful sunny day. There was a lot of construction along the route which slowed us down and an accident near Ellensburg where a pickup towing a 5^th wheel had flipped in the median. Traffic was stop and go for several miles in both directions. We stopped in Prosser for a great lunch at Wine O’clock Bistro. We got to Kennewick at about 4 and I tended to getting us set up in 100 plus degree heat. We are staying at Columbia Sun RV Resort. The park opened in 2013 and is very nice.

June 26, 2017

After a leisurely breakfast we went out to visit a few wineries and other sites. We stopped at J Bookwalter’s restaurant, Fantasy, and tasted a few wonderful wines and had a snack. Then on to Atomic Ales for a cup of their “world famous” potato soup and a sandwich. This was a good choice. We each had a cup of soup and sandwich. The soup is very rich so we each saved half of our sandwich for dinner. We made one more stop and returned to the RV park. It was 103 degrees and quite calm. I went to the pool for a quick refreshing swim but it was out of order. At about 3:30 Gail heard on TV that there was a thunder storm coming. By 4 the temp had dropped about 25 degrees, thunder and lightning was all around us and it was raining hard with some hail mixed in. Then the power went out in the park and surrounding areas. When the power came back on and the storm subsided there were places in the RV park where some rigs were surrounded by water. It was still about 80 degrees at 10 PM so we sat out for a while.

June 27, 2017

It is only supposed to be in the 80’s today so that will be a relief. We headed out at about 11 to visit Goose Ridge Winery. Alyson, our hostess is very nice and treated us to a nice selection of their wine. When we were leaving she suggested we stop at the Country Mercantile near the winery. We expect a mercantile to be a barn like building with lots of collectibles and other merchandise. This place was a brand new building that looked like a fancy location for a hotel and winery. They make their own breads and pastries, candies and chocolates, salsas and cheeses. They also have a deli where they make sandwiches to order. We bought some bread, barbecue sauce, a marinade and a couple other things. Then we went to the Ice Harbor Brewery and Pub to share an order of nachos for a late lunch. Back at the park I went for a swim and later we sat out until about 10:30. It was a nice clear night with a great sunset.

June 28, 2017

Another beautiful day for us. We drove about 55 miles to Walla Walla to visit the town and some wine tasting rooms. After a few tasting rooms we went to the Bakery Restaurant for lunch. Gail had a grilled cheese sandwich that had three different cheeses on it. It looked and was delicious. On the way back to Kennewick we made a stop at Cougar Ridge Winery for one last taste. We bought a Portuguese wine that we were told pairs well with stew so we'll see later.

I forgot to mention a few days ago that we met two new friends in the park. They are Liam and Ellie, six year old twins from Pullman. They are really fun little people. They come see us all the time riding their bikes in circles at out site. The day we arrived at the park I saw Ellie riding her bike with training wheels on it. Yesterday the wheels were gone. I told her, "Ellie your training wheels are gone." She said, "Yeah, my grandpa took them off." When we got back to the park today both of them were happy to see we were back.

Our friend Ellie

June 29, 2017

Today we drove into the Tri Cities to drive Columbia Park Trail. This is a 5 mile drive along the Columbia River from Richland to Kennewick. After that we went to lunch a Anthony's Homeport. It was great with a view of the river. When we got back to the park I went for a swim. Ellie was in the pool and her older brother had sprayed water in her eyes and she was crying on her Grandma's lap. As I was lounging in the pool she saw me and smiled. The next time I turned around she had jumped in right next to me. We played for a while until she had to get out of the pool. When we were sitting at our site Liam and Ellie came over to see us. When they were going back to their site I told them we were leaving in the morning. Ellie said she was going to get up early so she could see us again.

June 30, 2017

As I was packing up to leave Ellie rode up,  laid her bike down and came running to me with her arms outstretched for a great big hug. As she was riding away she turned and told us to be careful driving. What a little sweetheart. We had an easy drive home taking about 3.5 hours.

Prosser and Chelan 2017\

May 29, 2017
We left Kent at about 10 AM heading for Prosser. It being Memorial Day we thought we might hit some traffic on Hwy 18 and I90. It was smooth sailing East bound but West bound was heavier. When we got over Snoqualmie Pass there was a multiple car rear end accident that had traffic going West all but stopped. From that point on traffic was awful for at least 25 miles. When we arrived in Prosser we heard that one group that left at about 10 heading to Puyallup took 6 hours to almost get to Snoqualmie Pass. Another told us it took their kids 3 hours to go 30 miles on I90. It was hot, 95 in Prosser but a light wind made it bearable. We visited Desert Wind Winery and then went to Jeremy's 1896 Roadhouse Pub for lunch. Good pizza and cold beer.

May 30, 2017
Today was another hot day but tomorrow it is supposed to be cooler. After breakfast we headed out to visit more wine tasting rooms. All of  them had AC on so it was comfortable. We had lunch and headed back to the park . Later in the evening it got cloudy and we had some thunder and light rain. Not enough to send us inside.

May 31 and June 1, 2017
The weather has cooled off so it is a bit but more comfortable. We spent these two days visiting wineries, gift shops and other local businesses. This was a fun trip as it usually is to Prosser.

June 2, 2017
We left Prosser at about 9:30 heading to Chelan for another four day visit. . We got set up and went to lunch at the Apple Cafe which is a landmark but we had not eaten there before. Well, we ate there so now we don't have to do it again. The food was very mediocre and service the same. Then back to the park and wait for my sister Terry to arrive. She pulled in at about 7 so we sat out by the fire after she got set up. It was windy earlier but lessened after sun down.

June 3, 2017
We headed out to wineries at about 10:30. We don't usually come here on weekends so we found it was very busy everywhere we went. There was also a car show in town that added to the crowd. We had a very nice lunch at the North Shore Cafe in Manson. Gail had a cup of Salmon bisque with her lunch that was wonderful. We will definitely return on our next visit.

June 4, 2017
We visited a few more tasting rooms and went back to the park today. It was a nice sunny day but with wind in the afternoon again but it died down in the evening.

June 5, 2017
We had a leisurely morning and then walked into town. A couple of the shops have changed since we were here last. There was not much wind so we sat out most of the afternoon.

June 6, 2017
We hit the road for home at about 9:30 AM and arrived before noon with no stops. The next outing begins on June 25.

2017 Arizona and California

Feb 20, 2017

We left the house this morning at about 9 AM heading for Canyonville, OR to stay at the 7 Feathers RV Park and Casino. The drive was pleasant with light rain and clearing when we went through Portland. When we arrive at 7 Feathers it began raining harder. I got us hooked up but when I turned the water supply on there was water leaking through the floor of the trailer. We found that the water supply line valve for the toilet had broken. We cleaned up the water, washed and dried the towels we used and tried to locate a mobile RV repair business. No luck so we went to the casino. We each allowed $20 for gambling and after about an hour I was up $7 and Gail was up over $90. We had a drink and went back to the park. In the morning we’ll try to find a repair place in Grants Pass.

 

Feb 21, 2017

We called Caveman RV in Grants Pass this morning and they said to come in and they will see if they can fix the valve. The technician, Mark, was very nice and had us repaired in about an hour. The cost was $123 so we paid with our casino winnings and a bit more and hit the road. Caveman RV made a miserable situation vanish. So it was off to Sacramento Exposition RV Park for one night.  We made a stop in Redding for In N Out Burgers for lunch. The weather said to expect rain and wind but we had none after leaving Grants Pass. The damage to the Sacramento area from earlier rains this year was tremendous. The fields were flooded, rivers over their banks and houses virtually under water. The homeless people were displaced and their belongings were floating down the rivers and spread everywhere. Tomorrow we are off to Barstow.

 

Feb 22, 2017

This was a long day driving over 440 miles. The wind was blowing so hard that when we drove into it I had to increase pressure on the gas even going downhill. When it was a helping wind we could almost “coast” uphill. It was windy all night at the KOA where we stayed.

 

Feb 23, 2017

Today was the final leg of this part of the journey into Peoria, AZ. The weather was not as warm as it usually is, only in the low to mid 60’s. We have a nice big site in the Pleasant Harbor RV Resort. We got set up and enjoyed the day.

 

Feb 24, 2017

After breakfast we did some laundry and sat around our site. Just a relaxing day in pretty nice weather.

 

Feb 25, 2017

Today we met up with our friends Greg and Donna Wozny and went to the first Mariner’s Spring training game. The sun was out and the M's won 11-3. After the game we went to their home and sat out before going out to get pizza. This was a fun day.

 

Feb 26, 2017

Today we went grocery shopping at Fry’s, a Kroger store. The store is new and very nice. They were sampling cheese, sushi, wine and other goodies. They even have an area to sample beer or just buy some snacks, beer and watch TV.

 

Then we met Greg and Donna and drove to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot. Montezuma Castle is a 5 story 20 room dwelling carved into the side of a cliff built between 1100 and 1300 by the Sinagua farmers 100 feet above the valley floor. Sorry I didn’t get any pictures.

Feb 27, 2017

Today the weather was getting cooler and some rain coming. Greg and I played golf in the afternoon and it was cold and wet. After golf I got a text from home and saw it had snowed. What’s going on with the weather? After golf it started raining hard. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it rain as much for so long. Tomorrow it is supposed to get warmer and drier.

 

Feb 28, 2017          

We met Greg and Donna at the Wildhorse West Restaurant for probably the best hamburgers we have ever had. There is nothing fancy about this place. Picnic table seating with checkered table cloths, beer in bottles and great food. Only burgers, hot dogs and sides for them. Then we all went back to the park to enjoy the rest of the day.

 

Mar 1, 2017

After doing a load of laundry I went to Greg and Donna’s home to go golfing with Greg. It was a beautiful day about 70 degrees and little wind.  Then back to our park for dinner and prepare for the drive to Palm Springs in the morning.

 Mar 2, 2017

We headed out for Palm Springs at about 9. It was a very nice day for the drive. After getting set up we called our friends Teddi and Dave. We later met them at Melvyn's, one of our favorite spots, for happy hour and out to dinner.

 

Mar 3, 2017

After breakfast I went to play pickle ball. I met a nice man who gave me a few tips and explained the rules. When we were done he gave me a pickle pin as a token showing I was educated in the game.





 

Later in the morning I went to the pool and played water volleyball for about 1.5 hours. In mid afternoon we met Teddi and Dave and another couple for drinks and dinner.

 

Mar 4, 2017

We met our friends in town and walked around checking shops and people watching. It was another beautiful day in the 80's.



 

Then out to dinner at a great Mexican place we discovered last year.

 

Mar 5, 2017

Today was very windy. In the area we stay it was 40 to 50 mph with gusts over 70. We went to Teddi and Dave's and the wind wasn't nearly as strong. We went to Melvyn's for their afternoon jazz. Another fun day.

 

Mar 6, 2017

We hung around the park until mid afternoon. I went to the pool for a bit and Gail walked around the entire park which is about 2 miles. Then it was off to Teddi and Dave's to have a nice potluck dinner for my birthday. It was a wonderful day.

 

Mar 7, 2017

Just another beautiful day in the desert today. It's getting warmer throughout the week. I went to the pool in the afternoon to play competitive volley ball. The main differences being there is a lot of setting and team play. Later we headed back  into town to for a dinner with more friends.

 

Mar 8, 2017

This morning we drove to Temecula. This is a very quaint community. Old town has lots of shops and restaurants to visit. It was first settled bi Native Americans until the late 1700's when Spanish and Mexicans moved in. Later Americans moved there for farming and granite mining. Most recently people have moved there from San Diego and Orange County because of cheaper housing. Now there are over 100 wineries in the area. We had a great lunch at Ponte Reserve Cellars. Then back to the park and another dinner out. We've only cooked once since we left home.

 

Mar 9, 2017

More volley ball in the sun and happy hour at Melvyn's.

 

Mar 10, 2017

I played volley ball one more time and then we went to Teddi's and had appetizers and a nice light dinner with birthday cake for Teddi's husband, Dave

Tomorrow we start our trek home.

 

Mar 11, 2017

He headed North toward home. The first night was in Chowchilla, CA, the second in Redding, CA, the third in Woodburn, OR. We got home on the 14th. We put just over 4000 miles on this trip.