Hoodsport

After leaving Port Townsend, we wound our way back south along Hood Canal to the small town of Hoodsport. We found a small park up the hill towards Lake Cushman and spent three nights in Dow Creek Resort.


It's one of our ROD membership parks (Resorts of Distinction), so we stayed free.


The site was very long and private with a fire pit and picnic table as well as room for the awning and our chairs.

The recent rally kept us hopping for three days and we were looking forward to some quiet time and this park provided it perfectly.


We did take a ride to Lake Cushman one afternoon. It was only a couple miles away. Doug remembers camping there as a kid but I don't believe I have ever been there.

We followed the road around the lake for about 15 miles and even stopped to see some waterfalls tumbling towards the lake. What a beautiful area!

Wednesday, we'll be moving back closer to our old stomping grounds.

Port Townsend Rally

Hi there......we are still here and still busy.



Last Wednesday, we vacated our spot at Chehalis and drove north on Hwy 101 through some beautiful views. The weather was perfect and Hood Canal was at her finest.


Winding and turning through a number of small towns, the highway is enveloped in tall, green trees.


Our final destination was the Jefferson County Fairgrounds where we met with quite a few Alpine Coaches along with some very dear friends for a rally appropriately named "Fred Sez". We only see most of this group once or twice a year, so it was a fine reunion.


The next day, the rally organizers had planned a bus tour to Kingston with stops along the way at Port Gamble and Port Ludlow. We were kept in the dark about the surprise stop and were thrilled to find "My Girl" Rock and Roll museum.

This is a private collection of mementos from the fifties mainly with many other treasures from earlier and later.



First, we toured the old fashioned diner complete with an Elvis section and a Marilyn Monroe section.


The we continued to the car museum which included lots of cars I didn't get photos of.


Outside we found racing memoribilia including this cool funny car.


One of our favorites was this small Airstream trailer......


with this sign on it. 1956 Airstream....Twentieth Century Fox used this trailer on the lot of Elvis Presley's first movie "Love Me Tender".

One family has preserved and prepared this fantastic collection and while it isn't open to the public, anyone is welcome to make arrangements to visit. And, it's available for parties and gatherings. Too cool!

Friday was a day to relax, followed by a seafood dinner. Holey moley! We had huge shrimp, salmon, mussels, clams, salads, bread and cake for dessert.

Another dinner on Saturday left us stuffed to the gills with steak, clams, three kinds of salads, baked potatoes and chocolate cake this time. These rallies are dangerous for waistlines.


Our entertainment for the evening was "The Dukes of Dabob". Their dixieland music was a delightful treat before dinner and the after dinner dancing made us realize how out of shape we all are!

Tomorrow, we all go our separate ways.

Oh, By the Way....

We moved last Thursday. Our destination was the Chehalis Thousand Trails park and we had a nice drive. It was a little hairy going through Tacoma due to all of the idiots on I-5, but we made it.

The park is a pretty, green area with lots of trees. We were surprised that in the middle of July, (prime time for camping in Washington) the park is only about half full.


We chose a perimeter site on our first pass through the park, but Doug couldn't get any satellite signal. So, the next morning, the coach in front of us pulled out and we moved into their space.


Much nicer. Lots of room and an easy satellite signal. Yay!!!!


That evening, we walked down to the cabana overlooking several large fields with a magnificent view of the sunset.


We see the sunset right through the front windshield every evening, but there are several trees that want to block the prettiest parts.


And, it would be a shame to miss this.

It's Official!

She said yes!!!


This beautiful lady, Adriana, agreed to marry this fine young man, Mick. (I'm a little biased.)


Mick proposed Friday evening with the help of their furry kids, Scarlet and Chloe. Scarlet delivered the ring to Adriana by way of a pink ribbon tied to her collar, followed by an apprehensive Mick. And she said yes, yes, yes!

Hooray!! There's a wedding in our future and so much happiness in their's.


How can you not love people that enjoy life so much? All our love and blessings to both of them. (And, it's about time....)

Turn On The Lights

We spent most of the afternoon running errands in Cle Elum. The tail lights on the coach were messed up with the brake lights going out when they should come on and backup lights not working.

We didn't want to get on the road tomorrow and not have proper signals for the people behind us, so Napa and Whispering Pines RV Center were the recipients of our dollars today.

The lights are all working properly now and Doug is busy putting things away for an early getaway. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. (I crack myself up sometimes.)

A Walk in the Woods

Last night, Doug had the pleasure of taking the toilet apart and replacing the seals and other parts. It hadn't worked correctly for quite a while and we finally got the parts and the time. Crappy job, but someone had to do it. Now it works like a champ.


The weather cleared up and today was a nice day for a walk. So we followed the footpath across the road to Lake Easton State Park. Doug had the gps programmed with a geocache about a half mile away.


We followed the Iron Horse Trail for a little ways and then the gps pointed us down a side trail along the bottom of a small mountain. We guessed that the cache would be at the top of the mountain and we were right.

The trail zig zagged up the slope where it was nice and cool. But, with all of the trees, the gps had trouble finding a signal. We found the general area for the geocache, but the coordinates were way off.


So, we just wandered and looked for something out of place. Doug spotted it first and let me find it before saying anything.


It was tucked inside a tree hollow and covered with matching wood.


Doug made our entry in the enclosed book and we restashed it. A pleasant walk back down the hill completed the day.

Washington Weather

Well, we are definitely back in western Washington! The clouds moved in and the air got cold. (relatively speaking) By late afternoon, the rain started, followed by hail.


And not just any hail! Great big clunkers of hail! Doug risked life and limb by dashing outside to pick up several chunks of ice off the ground. That's a dime in his hand and the hail was larger.


Fortunately, it didn't last too long but the noise on the roof was incredible. Hope we don't have any dents!

The rest of the day was dark and cold with us wishing for the southwest sunshine. It was a good day to work on indoor projects. Heck.....it's the middle of July.....what is with this weather?

Roslyn Cemetery

We took a ride to the old, coal mining town of Roslyn, bypassing the obvious sights of the Northern Exposure filmings, and finding the old cemetery.


In actuality, the cemetery is 25 separate but adjacent cemeteries on 15 acres. They were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The town was founded in 1886 and the cemetery was also founded in 1886.


We wandered through the "Old Cemetery" where the ornate iron and wooden fences were gradually falling in ruin.


Many of the headstones are being pushed out of place and trees have grown through some gravesites.


Other areas are still well maintained, including the veterans plots.


Most of the cemetaries are marked according to ethnicity or fraternal or civic organizations. This was one of our favorite signs.

It was a touching and emotional afternoon that really brings our own mortality to the forefront. Time to enjoy life before reality gets in the way.

A Day to Relax

What a nice park. We have met our neighbors on both sides and they are all fulltimers. Lots of stories and advice to swap!

After lunch, we took a ride next door to Lake Easton State Park. The John Wayne Iron Horse trailhead is at one end of the lake so we needed to check out the fishing. The guys with lines in the water said there were very few fish left in the lake.


But the lake is beautiful.

Then we drove through Easton and followed some logging roads up into the hills. There wasn't much to see, but the ride was fun.

Lake Easton

We got a bright and early start leaving Crescent Bar (12:30) on our way to Lake Easton.

I have always wanted to stop at the Wild Horses Monument near Vantage, so this time Doug pulled into the scenic rest area.


We followed the path to the edge overlooking the mighty Columbia River. With such perfect weather, the view was spectacular.


Looking towards Vantage was an equally magnificent sight.


However, I was disappointed to find that the Wild Horses Monument was behind us on the mountainside. They were so far away, it was impossible to get a decent picture.

Following a stop at a small fruit stand, we finally arrived at Lake Easton around 3:15. The sites are shady and the temperature is about 15 degrees cooler. Quite pleasant!


Our site is large with a picnic table and fire pit. And there is even a clearing to see the sky for our tv satellite dish. The power is only 30 amp, but with the cooler, shady temps, we don't even need the air conditioner.

Farewell Dinner

The kids joined us for dinner and a visit before we pointed the coach westward.


Emma couldn't resist helping Doug prepare the hamburger patties. She even ate one when they were cooked! (Well, most of one....)


It had become quite windy so most of our visiting was inside.

And the evening ended much too soon. But Bridgit and Chad had to work in the morning. I already miss them.

Party Park

Crescent Bar is a party town. Last Thursday, the people started pouring into the park with tents, canopies, boats, motorcycles, bicycles, kids, pets, music, cars, food and noise.

Now, don't get me wrong, we like parties too. But the rudeness, speeding through the park and noise were a bit much. (One group was ejected when a member couldn't walk all the way to the restroom and used a public area for you-know-what.) Well, Sunday afternoon, the tent people packed it up and headed back to work. Then today, the rest of the still-working crowd ended their 3 or 4 day holiday and moved on down the road.

So this evening it is quiet and peaceful. There are empty sites in front of us and beside us and behind us. Aaaaaahhhhhh...........

Happy-Go-Lucky

No, we haven't disappeared again. We thought bad things were supposed to happen in threes, but they just keep going.

First, the tires absolutely had to be replaced

Next, the engine decided to be contrary.

Then the plumbing shut down and clogged up.

We got that repaired and the air conditioner went "poof". (In a messy, explosive way)

And, as soon as that was repaired, the Directv receiver box overheated and won't power on. We have a replacement being shipped from Directv so this problem is just an annoyance, not a major expense.

The latest is....Doug found ants in the bathroom. Aaaaaaargh!!!!

Anyway, we have been busy. We are fitting in lots of visiting time amongst the problems. And, we even were introduced to a new game called Pegs and Jokers (or is that Jokers and Pegs) by our friends John and Linda H.

Such are the joys of happy-go-lucky fulltimers. Have a Happy 4th!

Twenty Six Years Ago

.......my baby made his appearance into the world and our lives. Hard to believe that that sweet, happy baby has become a fine young man before my very eyes. Happy Birthday Chris!!!!!
Love, me

Too Busy for Pictures

Our days seem to be zipping past too quickly. It's not like we are super productive or anything. But in the sunshine, we visit with neighbors, meet new friends, watch the river run past, throw dinner in the crockpot, read a book and bam!.....the day is gone.

The grandkids came out to Crescent Bar for a visit (along with their parents) and kept us hopping. The pool was closed for repairs so they played Wii games and drew pictures and argued with each other. Just typical kid stuff.

Bridgit and Chad were going to bring their boat to the public launch here but the wind had been kicking up and we decided to postpone the fun. Of course, by evening, the weather was perfect. Oh well.....next time.