2023 June-July… California, Oregon, & Washington
June 28, 2023- July 29, 2023
Bakersfield CA
We knew as we were packing up and hitching up that it is time to go as the heat was getting bad!! We are always excited to be getting back on the road though this year seems like a whirlwind with all the travel in Europe then Joanne’s quick trip to FL and a day and a half later getting on the road till early December.
This will be the first time we are hitching up the new MINI and using the new hitch (Roadmaster) and using the Tow Defender. We had gotten everything hooked up in January at an FMCA rally in Indio. Roadmaster attends this Rally each year and it was convenient and they did a terrific job setting it all up.
First stop is getting gas at Sam’s Club (about 5 miles down the road). We always do this because we know it is easy in and easy out. Unfortunately while getting gas Mike noticed something going on with the tow defender so after we gassed up we pulled to the side of Sam’s parking lot to investigate. Mike got RoadMaster on the phone and in about an hour had that challenge solved. Apparently when the battery went dead in the Mini and had to be replaced after coming back from Europe the entire system had to be reset.
With that fixed we headed for I10. Then we notice the tow brake system in the MINI seemed to be acting up and it seemed the brakes were always on. Mike called RoadMaster again this time for the brake problem. As we had to find a place to pull over we ended up getting off the exit after the one we had just gotten on and pulled into a parking lot literally 1 mile from where we started out (DSRV)! Another hour and this problem is fixed. Things often start like this each year as we begin our RV adventure after the snowbird season.
A few more miles down the road the alarm on the refrigerator started going off! Joanne see’s the error code reading “no flame.” Since we don’t want propane coming into the frig Joanne just shuts off the frig and our plan is to just leave it off until we get to our campground and Mike can take a look at it. Phew! What a way to start!
We finally pull into our first campground of this summer trip in Bakersfield, CA. River Run Campground and RV Park is located on a river though our site was actually on a canal (with lots of industrial stuff on the other side!). This is a very nice campground and we enjoyed our time here just relaxing after all the travel we had been doing. Except for the heat! But we have a FHU (Full -Hook- Up) site so we can run the AC (and we did!). We were on site 12 which had two shade trees and is close to the bath house. The showers were excellent and very few people using them. Joanne had a skunk surprise her when she went to use the showers on the first night but luckily no spray!! We did hit up Costco and got gas in the MINI and then when departing got propane in the RV directly from the campground and then another quick stop at Costco to gas up the RV.
A good relaxing two nights stay.
July 1, 2023
Coarsegold CA
As we tried to make reservations in Yosemite we quickly realized just how popular this park is; about ten seconds after the reservation window opened all sites in Yosemite were fully booked! At the time we did book a private park right outside the entrance but when we had to scrap camping at Sequoia because of mudslides and road damage (and the campgrounds were not going to open this season) we had to change our route and ended up canceling the original campground and found this Sierra SKP park. We have been members of Escapees for years but this is our first time camping in one of their Co-Op Campgrounds.
The people are very nice and our site gets shade until around 3:00. It’s over 100 degrees so feeling like we can’t do much. Driving with the top down does not sound appealing for a scenic drive, hiking is def out, even walking around the local town, “Coarsegold”, does not sound like fun. We are here for a week so hoping the weather cools even just a little bit. We did get tickets for a tour at Yosemite for the day after the 4th and hope it’s not too crowded or hot to enjoy it! Nonetheless we are using our time here to once again relax at the site in the shade.
So we did head out around noontime to take a drive to Kings Canyon and Sequoia. The drive there was brutal with the heat but once we got up into the mountains it cooled off and was quite nice. We drove first over to Grant Grove to the General Grant tree. So much of the roadways are closed but also much of Kings Canyon is just back country hiking / camping.
Once we finished there we drove over to Sequoia (but got there too late; the visitor center was closed so no passport stamp). We stopped at the Lodgepole visitor center but it was closed (and very crowded). From there headed to General Sherman tree; supposedly the largest tree in the world!. Although it was well after 6:00 it was still very crowded. It’s a steep walk down to the tree then steep walk back up! It was hot but doable since it was a little cooler up in the mountains. The drive was very nice but very hazy out so didn’t get very many pics. At least we feel like we got these two parks in. With the road damage and all the areas closed there wasn’t much more we could have done. We arrived home around 9:30 for popcorn and showers!
July 2, 2023
Coarsegold CA
Another day of heat. And of course it is 4th of July week and a Sunday. We relaxed at the campground with tea early then afternoon we thought we would do the trolley in Oakhurst so headed there. It is supposed to be The Gateway To Yosemite so thinking it might be a town like Jackson Hole. It’s not! So we did visit the visitor’s center and the woman suggested that we head to Bass Lake; not far away. We looked at the map and thought we could drive along the lake. The crowds were crazy! Cars lined the roadway along the lake trying to cool off. This went on for miles, and miles, and more miles…! We made our way to the dam and then headed back out. We did drive down the opposite side and stopped at the village but not really our thing so looked at a few craft vender tents then left. Kind of a let down of an afternoon. We are trying to be good as we both packed on some pounds while in Europe so no afternoon cocktails, no restaurants,… It’s paying off but a painful process!!
July 3, 2023
Coarse gold CA
Since it is 4th of July week and in a touristy area we decided we would use a few days to just relax, catch up on some things around the RV. After mopping the floor and doing some dust removal Joanne worked on her jigsaw puzzle a bit while Mike worked on his computer. The website for DSRV is taking up more time and energy than he thought it would. Once he hired GoDaddy to help out with the IT stuff he thought it would be much less time consuming than it has become. Challenges along the way seem to stop him at every step and he has had to spend hours on the phone trying to get some assistance. He’s making some progress but it has been stressful for a volunteer job!
Joanne has always loved working on her jigsaw puzzles. She always had a puzzle going in the dining room of the house where she could go after work or for half an hour of time here or there. It’s been a little more challenging to create this same effect in the RV but for Christmas “Santa” brought her a jigsaw puzzle padded mat that can hold the puzzle so she can keep it going along the way. This has needed some tweaking but it’s been the best thing we’ve found to work so far. She got a good bit done today :-).
Later in the afternoon we found a tractor path to follow around the outside of the park but being in complete sun the entire time we just got overheated and decided it was not a good idea! We had water and thankfully on the way back to the camper we could get into some AC in the clubhouse. But it totally wiped us out for the day!
Tomorrow being the 4th of July we will probably do the same as today minus the walk!
July 4th, 2023
Coarse gold CA
We came to this park because it is an Escapees park and we have never stayed in one before. The price was right and has full hook ups (and with temps over 100 this was definitely important, and it is fairly close to the south entrance to Yosemite. When we checked in we were asked if we wanted to do a tour of the park and we said what the heck… may as well! So this morning at 8 am, LuAnn (a widow around 85 yrs old) came on the golf cart to pick us up. It was a very good tour and she gave some history of how the park was formed. This park was completely built by Escapees members doing all the work. What is nice about the park is the character of the layout. There are many hills and roads that weave many layers of campsites into the mountain. Some have better views than others but once you “own” a lot you can change sites at no cost if someone else decides to move off. It was an interesting concept and although we would definitely stay here again, purchasing a lot here would not be for us. The tour lasted about 2 hours and we finished in time to make breakfast and watch the 4th of July golf cart parade while we were eating! The parade was actually better than we thought it would be! Then we had another day of relaxation! Reading, work on the computer and talking about our day planned for tomorrow in Yosemite! We have a Valley Floor Tour reserved for the morning so will need to leave around 5:oo am in order to get the Yosemite Valley Lodge for parking and to pick up our tickets. Early to bed for sure!
July 5th, 2023
Yosemite National Park
When we began our trip this summer we suddenly realized we will be near Yosemite and going into the park during 4th of July week! Yikes! Whose idea was this!! So Joanne got to investigating and found a tour within the park that got great reviews so looked into it. We booked two seats on the Valley Floor Tour for 10:00 for this day after the 4th of July. Our thoughts are that with the crowds of the holiday week this tour would enable us to see the most of Yosemite Valley in a good amount of time and with the least aggravation from crowds. How true this was! We departed the campground around 5 am and hit a tiny bit of traffic as we entered the South Gate to the park. We got to the Yosemite Valley Lodge around 7am and there were actually only a few parking spots left! But we got one and planned to leave our car there for a good part of the day. Once parked we picked up our tickets and still had a few hours before we had to line up for the tour. Next to the lodge is a cafeteria so we got some tea and relaxed in the park for a bit. We would have liked to sit outside but it was COLD out! But as the ranger said; it starts out chilly but gets hot during the day! We are dressed for the weather though. After we finished our tea we walked the trail to Yosemite Upper and Lower Falls- an easy walk right from the parking lot. The falls are really flowing this year because of the amount of snow they got this year now melting off. It was beautiful!! We spent some time there then still wanted to get water from the car before the tour and rearrange some things into a backpack for the two hour tour. By the time we did that and hit the rest rooms (in the lobby of the lodge where we pick up the tour) it was just in time to que up for the tour!
The tour was awesome! We have never done this before ($80.00 for the two of us) but it was so worth it! We had a beautiful day, the ranger giving the tour was great, it was in an open air tram so great for taking pics, and hit all the highlights of Yosemite Valley! We were so happy we did this! The tram gets right of way so we didn’t have to fight the traffic or worry about getting parking spots at all the top places to stop for pictures! Unfortunately it has been so hot out there were no climbers to watch on El Capitan. We saw Upper and Lower Falls, El Capitan, Half Dome, Tunnel View, and just the scenery in the valley… spectacular! We also had an absolutely gorgeous day!
Once we finished the tour we walked over to the visitor center (a little disappointed) where Joanne gets her passport stamped and we watch the film, “The Spirit of Yosemite”. Then we wandered through the Ansel Adams Gallery before taking a stroll along a path over the Merced River for pics.
Finishing up in the Yosemite Valley we head back to the car and start South. We decided to make one last stop for the day at Mariposa Grove to see the giant Sequoia’s. Here we had to either walk or take the shuttle into the actual grove so we opted for the shuttle. The walk up to Grizzly Giant is only about 1 mile there and then back again. Once you get to the grove we were glad we took the shuttle, instead of walking from the parking lot. We were hot and tired from the early rise.
From here it took about an hour to get back to the campground where we still had to make dinner, get showers. We both were exhausted from this special day in Yosemite and sound asleep by 9:00pm!!
A fantastic day in Yosemite National Park!!
July 7, 2023
Travel Day
This travel day we do not have very far to go so we take our time getting loaded, hitched and on the road. The drive seems good then we hit “the pass”. I call it a pass because it drives us through some very steep embankments, with no guard rails, narrow road places, and some high wind areas. Its real name is “The Gold Rush Trail”! At one point we need to stop and cool the brakes and thankfully we found that spot at a gorgeous overlook. So we pulled in, got out and while Mike checked a few things and snapped some pics, Joanne got out and stretched. Once we felt it was good to go, off we went! We will be dry camping for the next two nights so we do have a full load of water which adds some weight coupled with these very steep grades. We are thinking our mileage won’t be great but that is the least of the stress on this beautiful steep drive.
Once we pull into the Recreation Area we see it will be a beautiful stay as we are on a site overlooking a lake. When we first arrive we quickly meet the camp host as we are a little confused as to which campground we are in (there are two). When she hears which site we are on she doesn’t think we will fit and offers a different site. Joanne explains that we selected this site when reserving because of the view so after looking at our site (30) and the one next to it (28) she tells us that although 28 is an admin site she will allow us to move over one site to that one. We fit perfectly! As the day went on it got cooler out and we are looking at a good night of sleeping! Tomorrow will most likely be a day of R & R looking out over the lake and if it’s nice enough we will take a walk around the lake!
July 8, 2023
Angels Camp
This morning we woke up with a little chill :-). But we know once the day gets going the heat will set in once again. Today is our only full day here and not much around to do. It appears there is a path around the lake so mid day we put on our hiking shoes and get moving. It doesn’t take long to realize the path actually does not go all the way around the lake but we walk it until we can’t find another connection then between the heat and the lack of path we head back to camp. We still walked about two miles and it did feel good to move. With the awning out we have a narrow slice on our pad that we can sit in the shade under the awning overlooking the lake and that keeps us happy. Late afternoon we give Deb and Tony a call (Skype) and chatter with them for awhile when we begin to hear emergency vehicles on the road into the recreation area. They don’t come to our campground but they head out to the boat launch area which isn’t far away. We see the smoke and then we can actually see the flames shooting into the air. This is a bit unsettling so we hang up with Deb and Tony and watch for a bit then decide to pack up in case we need to depart quickly. The fire is very close and given the dry conditions and wind things could shift pretty quickly and with only one way in/out of the campground we could easily get trapped…. There are at least 20 emergency vehicles and 7 airplanes overhead watching what is going on and some of the planes are actually dropping some kind of fire retardant onto the fire. This goes on for several hours but by the time it is bedtime most of the emergency vehicles are gone and the planes are no longer flying overhead so we feel safe to stay the night and we are scheduled to leave tomorrow anyway. It has been a good relaxing stay here at Glory Hole Recreation Area aside for that few hours when we thought we were going to have to “bug out” to avoid the raging forest fire not far from out campsite….
July 9, 2023
Travel day
We have a long travel day today so we get out before 9:00. There is nowhere to dump but our next campground has full hook ups so we will be able to take care of that job once we get settled there. The drive is good and we are able to make it to Redding Costco for gas right before we get to the campground ($4.05 per gallon) and pick up some groceries. We pull onto the campground around 5 and once Mike wipes the bugs off the windshield we are able to sit for a spell and relax with a beverage. While in Costco we picked up a $4.99 rotisserie chicken so dinner is easy. There are actually a few things to pick from to do tomorrow (our only full day here); Mt. Shasta, Lake Shasta, Lassen Volcanic National Park. We start a chat with the neighbors and they had gone to Lassen today and they said it is awesome so that is our pick. They recommend downloading the NPS app which will allow us to play an audio tour of the park (we usually use Just Ahead but this park is not included). We head off to bed with a good feeling for tomorrow.
July 10, 2023
Lassen Volcanic National Park
We are excited to be exploring a park we had never heard of and didn’t know we would be this close to! Off we go to explore Lassen Volcanic National Park. The drive up to the entrance is not amazing but it is pretty and we can see some of Mt. Shasta on our way. As we head into the park we realize that we forgot to download the NPS audio tour and are mad at ourselves for forgetting. We try to download it at the north entrance museum / visitor center but no service. So we will just have to do without. We do get to watch the film which gives some history of the park and then we find a two mile easy hike (walk) around Lake Manzanita. This is a great walk to take pics on as the snow capped Lassen Peak is reflected in the lake and there are some kayakers on the water. We finish the walk then head back to the car to begin the park drive. This will take us from the north end of the park to the south end. We had wanted to do it opposite but our gps took us to the closer gate which was the north side. Some hints if you go there; put the Kohm-Ya-Ma-Née Visitor center (the larger of the two visitor centers) into GPS to begin at the South Gate. And download the NPS app and be sure the audio tour is loaded before you get to where there is no service! Once inside the park (after getting the NP sign pic) we headed to the visitor center. There was a short film and we noticed a short trail around the Mazantine lake which gave us plenty of opportunities for gorgeous photos. Next we started the drive from the north end of the park to the south end. After we finished at this park we would recommend doing the other way (begin at south entrance and end at the north), but either way the park is beautiful with much diversity, still a lot of snow and plenty of pull outs to get pics. For a park that is lesser known we felt it was well worth the stop!
July 11, 2023
Travel day
Our drive today is not too long but we are looking forward to getting to Crater Lake so we do get out around 9:00am thinking we should be pulling in around 1:00. The drive is spectacular with views of Mt. Shasta and driving along Lake Shasta for awhile. Then we change over to Klamath area which is just beautiful. We pull into Crater Lake just as planned and see that our campsite, although a pull through, will put the wrong side of the camper to the picnic table. So we decide to pull in the opposite way- which will require pulling into another driveway and doing about a 10 point turn. With Joanne giving directions all was going well… until it wasn’t😫. She didn’t see a big rock which then Mike backed over denting two rear compartments and damaging some of the tow system. This is a costly mistake and who knows when we will be able to get it taken care of. Hopefully this won’t ruin the time we have here at Crater or the next few weeks. Hey, at least we are both ok and everything else can be fixed.
July 12, 2023
Crater Lake
Today is our 43 anniversary!! Happy anniversary to us! And we get to spend the day exploring Crater Lake National Park! Unfortunately we are still being careful with food and drink after three months cruising and in Europe so we have decided not to eat or drink out today. But we spend an awesome day in Crater Lake NP. Our campsite seems to be awesome and it is fairly close to the Rim Village visitor center so that is where we begin. The only problem is we can’t find the visitor center!! But we explore the Rim Village area (walk some of the rim, then make our way into the old, historic hotel where we find a little connectivity!).
Once finished at Rim Village we begin the rim drive and stop at a bunch of pull outs. The views are amazing and we feel so fortunate to have such a gorgeous day for exploring. As we make our way to the last stop before we have to turn around (part of the east rim drive is closed) Mike suggests doing the hike down to the lake. This is the only place you can get right down to the water. The signage does say it is an aggressive hike with over 700 ft elevation over 2 miles but Joanne finally says yes and off we go.
The walk down is great! Beautiful views and not bad. But the climb back up is a total grind! We stop to catch our breath several times but make it up successfully feeling happy with our accomplishment!
Once home we do celebrate our anniversary with some gin and tonics and grilled chicken:-)
July 13, 2023
Crater Lake
Though we have no connectivity at our campsite, neither of us really mind; we are enjoying the quiet of no TV, music, news, or social media. We know we can check on anything we want at the visitor center / hotel if we want. Today we had set aside to hike but not sure which hike to do. We look at various options then finally decide to hike the Watchman Overlook hike (another pretty steep climb up to a fire observation platform) which has awesome views.
Although it is a steep climb up it is nowhere near as challenging as yesterday’s hike. Once finished we decide we can do another short hike that is not as challenging. This one is Discovery Point Trail which departs from a pull out and leads to Rim Village. Gorgeous views and a good trail. Once we get to Rim Village we sit inside the hotel for a bit to rest, use the rest room and check email… then we take the trail in reverse to get back to the car. A great afternoon of hiking!!
We had a terrific day in the park and then stopped at Walmart (right outside our campground) for a few more groceries before getting home. We had planned a different dinner but it was after 6 by the time we got home so we just had the leftover chicken for dinner with a big salad. Another night of great showers at the bath house (very clean, hot water and great pressure and we know we will be dry camping at for the next few weeks!
Friday 7/14-7/18/23
Smiling River National Forest Campground
Camping with our “Snowbird” neighbors form DSRV – Debbie and Dennis Stoller
Over the winter we had arranged with Debbie and Dennis to camp with them in Oregon along the Metolius River. When we got close to the campground we messaged them and they met us at the turn off. Good thing they did otherwise we might still be trying to find them!! They guided us in and we got situated on our site. A great campground and site for primitive, dry camping. Pit toilets and no showers. There is a water spigot across from their site but we came in full and empty (makes sense to camping people!) and we knew we would be fine for toileting and showering in the rig, (and we were!)
Once settled we headed over to their place for dinner and catch up. After dinner we took a walk up the river trail which was very nice.
We had a very dark and quiet night for sleeping:-)
Saturday:
Today we spent a good portion of the afternoon walking on the lava beds of Lava Lands National Monument. A very cool experience. There was a walking path right through a portion of it and the visitor center was a wealth of information. There was a ranger talk we were able to catch a good portion of. This was very interesting!
We got back and Dennis made a great cast iron Dutch oven stew for all of us. Next up learning how to play Pinochle!! This is a difficult game to learn! A lot of rules that don’t seem to make sense. But a fun day no matter!
Sunday:
We got over with tea around 9 but hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. They were having coffee and had eaten breakfast so we were off key!! We finally decided to finish coffee/ tea hour and begin our day around 11:00.
We hiked up one side of the river and back the other side. Next up we headed to the mouth of the Metolius River- not far from the campground. Lastly we headed to the fish hatchery. Back to camp where it was Joanne’s turn to make dinner! Shrimp and Mussels over spaghetti. After dinner we played some Rumikub.
Monday:
For our last day Debbie suggested we head to Smith Rock State Park where we got to hike some along the river. This was an awesome day and we highly recommend to anyone in the area to go here. There are easier hikes and harder hikes for whatever skill level you are at! On the way home we hit up a Mexican restaurant in Sister’s (a very cute town near the campground). This is our last night here so we stay up playing Dominoes then say good night.
Tuesday: 7/18/23
Cape Disappointment WA
We bid our farewells to Dennis & Debbie and begin the drive North/West to Cape Disappointment. The drive is beautiful along Oregon’s Columbia River… Most of the drive isn’t too bad until we hit Portland traffic. Since we are so close to Vancouver, Washington the headquarters for Roadmaster Inc. the manufacturer of our new tow bar system on the Mini Mike decides to make a small detour to have them check the shock spring and some other things since it’s not far out of our way. Roadmaster was great and accommodating and in an hour we are back on our way and think we will head back over to Oregon and drive across Rte 30 to get to our next campsite in Cape Disappointment. Unfortunately when we get to the bridge we need to cross it’s closed! We had already made the turn and can’t back up or turn around and we find ourselves in the port area. We are trying to figure out how to get back to the road and finally flag down one of the port workers. He is very kind and escorts us back to Rte 4. The road we take all the way to Cape Disappointment. It’s not a difficult day but the final 50 miles or so is hot with sun beating in the driver window and lots of windy roads with no guard rails. By the time we pull in Mike is exhausted and we still have to dump and take on water (Smiling River Campground had no dump station). The dump station is awesome so that is good. (Saying a Dump station is good must be an RVer thing….) Our site is actually pretty good until next morning we find sap and pine needles all over everything!
A quiet, peaceful but cold and windy night
Wednesday 7/19/23
This is our only day in Cape Disappointment so we will try to do as much as we can. The weather we wake to is very overcast and it seems that’s typical in this area with the marine layer from the coastline… We finally decide to just stay in the park and do the “hikes” to the two lighthouses.
Mike is a bit “disappointed” in the sap that fell from the trees onto his new car cover; but at least the car cover was on and the sap didn’t get all over the car and roof! Joanne is “disappointed” at the pine needles getting into the camper all over😫. But we’ll survive.
As I said, we start out the day with a thick marine layer similar to San Simeon but we are hoping it will lift by early afternoon. We head out to North Lighthouse and because it’s in the park the drive isn’t far. The walk is easy and we can see the light keepers residences have been restored and are used as vacation rentals. This particular lighthouse is in very good condition! Can’t walk up to the top and sometimes the coast guard monitors are there to ask questions but they are not there now. We spend a bit of time enjoying the views and getting some pics then head back to the car. The next lighthouse (Cape Disappointment Lighthouse) is closer to our campsite. The walk out is more like a hike and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is near the area of the lighthouse (so it is like a 2 for 1 hike!!). This lighthouse looks like it gets more wear and tear. The coast guard base is also out there so some of the area is fenced off for the base. More pics, more views, then we head over to the interpretive center. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is divided into two sections: one section is a marine exhibit displaying information and artifacts that have been retrieved from all the boats that have sunk in this area. It is a very dangerous area (the mouth of the Columbia River) and there have been many shipwrecks here over the years (hence the two lighthouses in such very close proximity to each other!). This part of the museum is free. By the time we get to the Lewis and Clark half of the museum we don’t have much time left so although the cost to enter is not much we end up skipping it.. We arrive back and get a walk out to the beach to get some pics of the beach and the lighthouse that is visible from this area. We try to sit out for a bit but it is just too windy and cold so we end up inside and prepare for tomorrow’s departure. Mike see’s that Costco is just across the river in Oregon but the gas is easily $1.00 less per gallon and when trying to fill 75 gallon tank that makes a difference! So we plan to cross the bridge and gas up in Costco before beginning our way north to Olympic and the 7 Cedars Casino we have our eyes on camping at.
Thursday 7/20/23
Olympic National Park
The drive over to Oregon to gas up is actually very easy though time consuming and this easily adds an hour to our drive time today. Continuing on to Washington State the drive is fairly easy and we arrive at 7 Cedars Casino by 1:0pm. There are only a few RV’s parked so we have plenty to choose from and although we never thought we would be able to get one of the only 8 water/electric sites we are pleasantly surprised when we do. We haven’t had electric for the last few campsites so this is a real FREE-Bonus for our time visiting Olympic National Park. After parking and getting set-up/level Mike heads down to register us. Everything is very nice, quiet and easy. He comes back with our tag and his player card and then security pulls up to unlock the electric box. Both of us are very happy with this arrangement. Not only is it three nights of free camping but it is very nice, clean with no dirt or pine needles around!!
Joanne gets to vacuuming the pine needles from the last place and Mike cleans the bugs off the front. It’s nice to have cool enough weather to open the windows. We begin to get a plan for exploring here but also know Mike’s college friend DJ and wife Leila are planning for us to visit and we must get some laundry done. So it looks like we will have to do Olympic National Park in one day. At this point Joanne is beginning to get burnt out and begins a conversation with Mike about slowing down a bit. We see a rib special at one of the casino restaurants (7 Brothers) and so head that way around 6:00pm. Joanne gets her player card and we put our name in the restaurant for the wait list. While waiting we use the $5.00 player rewards on the 25 cent slots and Mike is instantly successful winning $50.00. Free camping with Electric/water and now a free Rib Dinner! We aren’t making this up…. The meal is a delicious dinner with just too much food for Joanne to finish. Between the glass of wine, dinner, and not having to make or clean up dinner… A great day!
Friday 7/21/23
Olympic National Park
We have a relaxing morning and head out to the visitor center around 11:00 am. As usual we look for the film (not very good at this park) and chat up a ranger for ideas. She suggests that with the convertible we take the drive over to Ruby Beach and then we could also hit up HOH Rain Forest and the Marymere Falls hiking trail at Crescent Beach on the way back. The drive takes about two hours and the last hour we are kind of disappointed as it gets monotonous. We finally arrive at Ruby Beach and the hike down is not long and it was well worth the drive! The beach is full of old logs that have floated and settled there and some huge rocks that jut out of the ground. It was very cool to wander around and get pictures. There were a few people swimming but I can’t imagine how cold the water was!!
Once we finished at the beach we know that The HOH Rainforest is right around the corner so we head there. We take a road called Rain Forest Main rd. and drive on that for quite awhile before we begin to wonder if it is the correct road. We hadn’t seen any signage and have been driving for quite awhile. We finally decide to turn around and just skip the rain forest since we couldn’t find it. Once we got back to the main rd. and turn right to head back to the main area and Sequim about 1 mile past the road we were just on is the sign and road for The HOH Rain Forest! Mad that we just drove for almost an hour on the wrong road, we take the turn and head to the visitor center and hope to do a walk / hike from there. This was well worth it and we did the Mosses walk and then the river trail. Both are fairly short very nice, interesting walks through the rain forest. The total of both walks is probably about 4 miles.
Next up, the drive back to Sequim. We knew from the beginning the drive to Ruby Beach and the rain forest area would take about 2 hours so we know we won’t get back to where the camper is until later and we also know we will miss the waterfall trail. Sadly we only have this one day because we are expected at DJ’s for a visit on Bainbridge Island tomorrow. On the way back we decide to try to drive up Hurricanes Ridge to catch the sunset and are able to do that (though that drive is 17 miles!!). At the top of Hurricane Ridge the views are awesome and although we miss the sunset by a few minutes we still have great views. There are some trails at the top but it is getting dark and is too late to do any of the walks or hikes. We stay about 20-30 minutes then head back down being careful because there are a lot of deer near the roadway at this hour.
Once back at the camper we are tired from the day, we eat something and prepare for laundry tommorow and a visit with DJ and Leila.
Saturday 7/22/23
Bainbridge Island
As we haven’t done laundry in quite awhile and will be visiting friends for the next few weeks we decide this morning would be a good time to get caught up on laundry. Joanne found a laundromat in Sequim, WA not far from the casino with great reviews. So we head out. We have to drive through the main area of Sequim, to get there, and find it the cutest little town! It is probably more crowded than usual because it is Lavendar Festival Weekend. It looks like it would be a very cute place just to wander around but unfortunately we do not have time on this visit. We get to the laundromat and get the laundry started. We have quite a bit because the past three campsites we have stayed at were really dirty we each have two pairs of sneakers that need washing! The laundromat is one of the best ones we have ever been to; very large with plenty of machines, clean, friendly staff, a great space to fold…. There is an attendant helping lots of people though we have been to so many laundromats over our full timing travels we can easily figure things out without help! While the laundry is going Mike see’s that Costco is right across the street so he goes to pick up a few things and get gas (and see if it would be worth it to bring the RV over to gas up tomorrow).
Once we get back to the camper we see we don’t have much time before we need to leave for Bainbridge Island. Joanne quickly gets the bed linens organized and back on the bed before we leave…
The drive from Sequim to Bainbridge Island is about 90 minutes and we arrive in time for happy hour. DJ and Leila live in an awesome home right on the Peugeot Sound with views of Seattle, the space needle, and ferries running back and forth between Seattle and various islands. We watch 2 cruise ships depart as we sit and watch all the water activity. Dinner is delicious and we visit until around 9:oopm when we say goodbye knowing we still have the 90 minute drive back.
All in all the visit in the Olympic National Park area has been great though not long enough to have done everything we want to do.
Sunday 7/23/23
Lake Chelan, Washington
Today we are heading to Lake Chelan to visit college friends Pat and Rick (Bingo) Grindley. They have summered at the lake for about 20 years but recently sold their winter home in Woodenville,Washington two years ago and now they go back and forth between the lake house and the SoCal house (in winter). We have been invited many times to come see them at the lake but have never had the opportunity until now. We will park the RV in the driveway and stay in the apartment they have above the house while we are there. It will be nice to stretch out a bit and have a nice private bathroom to use for a few days!
As we depart the casino we are thankful for this free, nice campsite for a few days! We struggle with the braking system on the MINI for a bit before we get things just right but in the process Mike notices the sound of the RV brakes is not good and we know we must get them looked at sooner than later. We stop to gas up the RV at the first station (7 Cedars Chevron) as we leave. The gas is less and because we now have player rewards cards from the casino we get an added discount.
The drive is pretty but long and we actually don’t pull in till around 3:30. Pat is on her way home from their daughter’s bridal shower in Seattle so Rick gets us situated. The lake house is spectacular and we get drinks and get cozy on the back patio overlooking the mountains and lake. What a life!! We have chicken and salad for dinner and sit talking about memories from the past. We stay up too late, drink too much but it was a perfect start to our Lake Chelan stay…
Monday 7/24/23
Lake Chelan
Rick wants to drive us up a mountain and Pat has to babysit Milo so it is three of us that do the drive. We head out in his SUV and the road up the mountain is pretty much off-roading! It is fun though a bit intimidating but the views at the top are amazing! As we head back down he tells us about some of the areas of town before we get back to the house.
With Pat finishes her babysitting we head into Leavenworth for a late lunch. This drive is about 90 minutes there. We park and walk the cute German town. Lots of shops and restaurants. We decide first on a restaurant on the second floor overlooking town. The food is OK and we each get drinks and sit for a bit to chatter. Once we finish lunch / dinner we head back out to hopefully wander through some shops (Pat and Joanne were looking forward to the Christmas Shop) but since it is now after 5 most of the shops have closed for the night. Disappointing, but still a great little town and a great day. By the time we get home we get cozy on the back patio with more stories and catch up time… 40 years is a lot to catch up on!!
Tuesday 7/25/23
Lake Chelan
As we have been thinking about the brakes on the Motorhome for the past few days Mike makes some calls to see if we can get them looked at / worked on. The Grindley’s have graciously said we could stay with them as along as needed so this would make it easier if we need to be out of the RV for a few days. But no luck in finding a shop around this area that can take us so Mike branches out a bit and finds a Ford dealership in Pintincton Canada that is right on our way and can take us. Our plan is to drop the RV and head to Kelowna/Lake District where our good friends from Canada Guy & Wendy from Desert Shadows live.
Once we have a plan for how to get the brakes fixed Rick gets the boat set up and we head out on the lake for a few hours. What a great way to end our time here! We had planned to do another drive once we got off the boat but we got too cozy on the back patio and ended up just staying there!! We truly enjoyed our time here and look forward to a trip back at some point. We say good night knowing we will hit the road tomorrow bound for Canada!
Over the last month we have visited some of the TOP National Parks in the country, seen some spectacular countryside, visited with so many GREAT FRIENDS, and made some new Revolutionary Journey memories…. Canada here we come….
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