The State of Washington - 11th to 16th June

Washington State

Mount St Helens – 11^th June 2012

Two years ago we drove right up to Mount St Helens but the weather was so awful we couldn’t see a thing.  Allen did get the best photo of his life though and subsequently had it printed on his credit card. 

( Of Cold Lake, not Mt St.Helens )

Cold water Lake 2010

2012

Mount St Helens erupted 30 years ago and blew the mountain out sideways killing 57 people, mostly from suffocation due to the hot ash. 

 

This time it was a glorious day and we not only got some wonderful photos but we were able to listen to the Ranger’s talk on the Observation Deck. 

 

The utter devastation was still apparent after all these years.

Whole forests knocked flat as if from an Atom bomb.

 

It was time to drive the long way back to civilization.

After a bit of a search we found “Thousand Trails RV Park” Chehalis.   It was a huge 300-acre Park with very private campsites in the middle of a forest.  It offered cabins, permanent RV sites, Family Lodge, Pool and everything from walking trails to horse riding. 

 

We had approximately 200 vacant sites to choose from and as we pulled into one, we glanced at the sign next door “Ron & Kathy’s personal site”.   Hey guys, you’re a long way from Kingaroy!

 

We didn’t see many people walking but the squirrels and deer kept us company. 

Tuesday 12th June 2012

Big wash day.  “Linda’s Laundry” was going full speed ahead for approximately 3 hours.  If it wasn’t nailed down I washed it.  

Eagle Tree RV Park, Poulsbo  

– decided to investigate this one as it was in a great location, only 6 miles from the Bainbridge Island Ferry, just what we need when we leave for the Cruise.  It cost $36 per night with coin operated showers.  A bit pricey for a site right on a main road but it had plenty of trees and after a glass of wine we couldn’t hear a thing.    

Sequim (pronounced Skwim), Washington

Our friends Robert and Mary, who we met RV-ing on our last trip, live in the beautiful town of Sequim.  It was wonderful catching up again and we spent a very enjoyable couple of days exploring the neighbourhood. 

From their house they have magnificent views of the Olympic Mountain Range.  On average Sequim gets 17 inches of rain a year and has the perfect climate for growing Lavender.  Hence an abundance of Lavender Farms in the area. 

We were lucky enough to accompany R & M and their two gorgeous Retrievers (Buster & Toffee) to La Paw Spa.   It was our first time seeing a doggie water therapist in action and we both wondered if it was too late for a career change!   Toffee is not keen on water but she seemed blissfully happy in Indy’s healing hands.   They floated around the pool totally oblivious to anyone else in the room.  


      

On one of our jaunts we found “McAlmond House” a Heritage Listed Property built in 1861, we were all drooling and wished we could peek inside.  Guess what ………it was for Sale!!   

Port Townsend perched on the tip of the Quimper Peninsula was a hive of activity.  We loved all the elegant Victorian buildings and even the Burger Bar had a style of its own.

 

  

 

It was once a bustling seaport and known as the “City of Dreams” as it hoped to be the biggest harbour on the West Coast.

 

  

The four of us had dinner at Snug Harbour, we ate Clam Chowder for starters and Halibut for our main meal.  YUMBO.

Dungeness National Wildlife Refuse.  We had a great walk with the doggies along the Spit and it was clear enough to see Mount Baker.  

I think our chatter disturbed a family of deer.  They were certainly interested in us.   

 

We said goodbye to Robert and Mary but the good news is that we are meeting up next month for the Calgary Stampede.   

Sunset in Sequim

 

It was a touch of déjà vu as we rolled into Eagle Tree RV Park again.   Alpal sorted out the local Bus Timetable for tomorrow.  Tickets and luggage tags are all printed.  It’s going to be a BIG day.

Saturday 16^th June

We woke to light drizzly rain and the promise of a wet day unfolding.  

I packed our suitcase, we locked up the RV and walked about l kilometer to the Bus Stop carrying a bag, laptop and pulling a mega big suitcase on wheels.  We must have looked so funny as nobody walks along that road.  It has no footpath and you have to walk half on bitumen and half in the foliage.

Just metres from the Bus Stop a vehicle pulled over and a nice young man got out and asked if we wanted a lift.  We explained we were waiting for a bus to Bainbridge Island Ferry, the man looked confused and said we were waiting on the wrong side of the road!!!   AAARRRGGGGHHH   Alpal’s ‘never fail’ sense of direction had let him down badly.

This gorgeous man turned his car around and drove us to the Ferry, approximately 6 miles in the opposite direction.   His wife was sitting in the passenger seat and she was intrigued with our stories of house-sitting and Aussie lifestyle. 

When we arrived at the Ferry we asked him what his name was.   He said, “Angel” and his wife was “Jenny”.  Our very own Guardian Angel. 

Thanks to Angel and Jenny we caught the Ferry to Seattle and as we got off the boat an Ethiopian man called “Abdi” asked if we wanted a lift.  He was wearing a brown pin-striped suit with oversize shoulder pads.  He asked us to follow him.  I whispered to Allen “Where is he taking us?”  Abdi was a good guy and drove us in his Lincoln Continental to the Golden Princess and there we caught sight of our ship.  

Wow…Wow…Wow…it was ENORMOUS!!!!

 

                                 End of 8^th Blog

Oregon - 5th to 11th June

Oregon  -  5^th June 2012

Allen received his daily dose of books, maps and brochures from the Visitors Information in Oregon.    

 

Stayed one night in a freezing town called Klamath Falls (the word Falls is a lie, there were no Falls anywhere) and Klamath is a mighty quiet place on a cold day.  

Next morning I was on a mission to buy thermal PJ’s with feet in them! 

Crater Lake National Park

 

Being cold takes on a whole new meaning!!  We arrived at  Crater Lake and it’s WHITE OUT.  Snow everywhere.  

The image that welcomed us was stunning: a topaz lake surrounded by thousands of pine trees, snow, blue sky and sunshine.  The snow was fresh and powdery and it crunched under your feet as you walked. 

 

 

The Crater Lake Lodge looked very imposing against the snowy backdrop.   

 

 

We couldn’t drag ourselves away from the magnificent view but by 12 noon I remember my stomach felt like it was touching my backbone. 

 

 Allen parked the RV in a top location so we could eat Lunch looking at the alpine mountains.   

The Island is a new Volcano that has erupted inside Crater of Crater Lake

 

Moved to Diamond Lake RV Park for the night. 

 

Dinner was a complete disaster as ‘somebody’ was supposed to be watching the chook in the Weber but went fishing instead.  No fish and raw chicken – a great night.

Bend - 7^th June

 

With a 200kms trip tucked under our belt we stopped at a town called Bend.  Love the name and the super friendly people.

Very trendy & upmarket shops built from a disused industrial site.

The highlight of the day was a trip to the “Dollar Tree”.   I get very excited about this shop as EVERYTHING is $1.  We soon filled the trolley and made our way to the Checkout Chick.  She asked if we could spare a $1 for the homeless children.  “Yes, of course” we said.

Without any warning she threw her head back and bellowed at the top of her voice “HOO-RAR, HOO-RAR, MONEY FOR THE KIDS!!!“ apparently if she gets a donation she likes to involve everyone in the shop!    

Allen scoured the trusty Woodalls Directory and found a suitable KOA Park for the night.  On our journey we stopped at a low bridge….it said “Height 12ft 10in” we should be OK but judging by the debris embedded in the concrete we thought the Height was incorrect.  Turn around….what’s Plan B? 

For the next couple of days our journey was mainly spent driving through little towns and getting a feel for the less populated areas. 

Madras was a rather odd city in Jefferson County.  The Liquor Store didn’t sell wine and we found a supermarket that didn’t sell groceries.  But HEY it all adds to the joy of RV-ing.

White River Falls 

This time the word Falls actually means it had a waterfall.  The Park was fairly remote but it was a pleasant place to sit and watch the water plunging 90ft over a basalt shelf.   A photographers dream.

Remnants of an old Hydro-electric dam

 

                     showing an antique Gate valve.

Further down the River we saw some native Indians fishing from a platform using a long pole with a net attached to the end.  This was the first time we had experienced platform fishing but this was just the beginning as we were to see it many times during our trip.  

 

The native Indians are the only people who can fish this way and they are allowed to keep unlimited trout and salmon and sell it as a commercial business.   No one else has this right. 

 

Moro population 380 but I think 300 were away the day we arrived.  It was tiny.  

City Hall And Fire Station

The City Hall building was delightful, not sure how many state banquets they hold there.  They probably take it in turns to sit down.    

The landscape was dead flat and there were acres of wheat and barley fields.   I thought they looked like green waves blowing across the terrain.  

Sherman County RV Park (I re-named it Windy City)  We were literally blown into this Park by the howling winds gusting across the open land.  We were rocking and rolling all over the place.  The lids on the RV were flapping 100 mph.    

The "Facilities"

 Allen pulled into the first available site and braved the elements to hook-up.  

My job was to check the facilities.  At only $16 a night I had my doubts.  From the outside the Shower Block looked ancient and believe me when I stepped inside it was very primitive.  I don’t think they’d been cleaned since Elvis was alive.

I met a local lady and asked her if it was always windy in Moro!!  She said, “Yep, I have a bad hair day 365 days of the year”.   That would explain why the trees grow in one direction.    

 

Left Windy City and came across an old deserted Church on the side of the road.  Al 

found a plaque with the name Locust Grove Church dating back to 1895. 

 

  The last service was a funeral held in 1914. 

See the face in the round window?

 

Columbia River Gorge. 

The scenery was rugged and harsh.  It was a very grey day and we got as far as Dalles Bridge and Dam.  Walked along the pedestrian path at the side of the Bridge, it was a hair raising experience as the trucks were speeding across the bridge and  almost brushed against us. 

 

 

Made it up to Rowena Crest Lookout on the Columbia River and it was well worth battling the cyclonic winds because we got a great view from the top.   

 

 

Allen powered on and finally Cascades Lock RV Park took his fancy (still in Oregon).  I swear Al has a sixth sense about where to park.  Within minutes of arriving he’d worked out it was a FREE FISHING WEEKEND so no Fishing Licence required.

The lock was busy with fishermen standing shoulder to shoulder.  They were catching Shad.  Everyone was using a bait of brightly coloured pink, yellow and green fluffy stuff.  Once you attach the fluffy stuff you throw the line in and then proceed to wave your arm around in sweeping half circles.  If you ask me they look like a bunch of fairies.  Remarkably they were very successful.

 

 

The native Indians were also very successful catching Salmon and Trout from their wooden platforms.  The girls worked hard too catching fish and then selling them in the carpark.    

 

 

 

Statue of  Sacawega

The RV Park was beautifully kept with perfect lawns and Spring flowers galore.  Everything looked in pristine condition.

 

The Cascade Locks Historical Museum was totally awesome.  

 The museum was once the Lock Keepers house and the two Museum gal’s were both helpful and informative.  

One of the exhibits was a Fish Wheel.  A man called Sam Wilson designed and constructed the first one.  It’s a gigantic wheel that is attached to the back of a boat and as the wheel turns it scoops up the fish and deposits them into boxes.  Due to depleting fish runs the Wheel was outlawed in 1926.   

The Oregon Pony was the first steam locomotive in the state of Oregon.  It went to work in 1862 moving nearly 200 tons a day.  It is now kept in a climate controlled chamber next to the museum.

Bonneville Lock and Dam

This piece of engineering genius was right up Al’s alley.  

 We enjoyed the most fantastic tour of Bonneville Lock and Hydro-Electric Dam and it was all FREE.

 

 
We started at the Visitor’s Centre where we joined a group of people for a tour of the Powerhouse.  The Ranger gave a talk and answered questions throughout the day. 

The new locks drops or lifts a boat 63ft and can be filled in under 30 minutes.

 

 

The Fish Ladder allows Salmon & Trout to climb 63 feet up river to their spawning ground, after an arduous journey they spawn and die.    

 

A staff member (usually a woman) counts the various species of adult fish moving up the Fish Ladder. The day we were there she had counted 124,648.

 

Giant Herman the Sturgeon is 70 years old, 12ft long and weighs a whopping 204kgs. 

Back at the Cascades Lock RV Park an interesting thing happened to me.  I’ve always had an unfortunate knack of attracting ‘nutters’ .  If there’s a wacko lurking out there he or she will find me.  Today I hit Jackpot or should I say Crackpot.

A fellow camper (Michael) who I’d never met before approached me with a DVD in his hand.  He said, “I want to share this with you!”  I could see it was a home-made job with the title “2011 Turkey Shooting Season”.  I promised I would watch it. 

 

I’ve never seen a grown man dress up as a turkey before but I was in for a treat.  Camouflage makeup, feathered balaclava, even tail feathers it was all there for me to enjoy.  I started to feel uneasy about watching the video and asked Allen to FAST FORWARD.   Big Mistake!!

The next morning he gave me 4 more DVDs to keep as a souvenir of my time spent in Oregon.  Cheers Michael.

  

                                        End of 7^th Post