Wild West Winthrop

I never thought that I'd be wishing for rain, but it's so hot today some rain would be very welcome about now.  We've tried everything. Jim washed the car and the motor home today and still no rain.

Main Street Winthrop

It was so hot this morning I slept in until it was well past 7 o'clock.  The birds were out, but it's too hot for most of the critters I usually see on my morning walks.  In this heat my favorite bird is the rain bird, Kathe walks so slow I can creep up on one and get all wet.  Then, when they spray her she gets a nice surprise!  After our walk it was back to the air conditioned motor home for us both!

Kathe with a citizen of Winthrop

Today Kathe and Jim went into the town of Winthrop which was settled in 1883 when the lure of gold brought the first permanent white settlers here.  Today the town of Winthrop has been restored to look like an authentic old western town. (sort of)  It's a big tourist attraction in the summer with all sorts of shops and galleries and people walking down the wooden sidewalks of main street.

The area is surrounded by National Forest, State Game, and Wilderness areas.  In winter it is a prime destination for cross country skiers and in summer people come here to fish and mountain bike ride.

The view from Sun Mountain Resort

Tonight they went out for dinner at the Sun Mountain Resort.  They both had steak for dinner and did not bring home a doggie bag!

The Rain Came

My hair, the way I like it

The rain finally came and cooled us off.  The temperature went down to 82 last night as the dark clouds moved into the mountains.  It just sprinkled on and off until this morning when it started pouring.  I waited as long as I could but by 6:30 I had to go O-U-T.  I don't mind the rain one bit.  It's fun to run through the puddles and stick my head into the wet bushes.  Everything smells so fresh that I have a hard time concentrating on what it was I wanted to do outside in the first place.  After 2 loops around the campground I was soaking wet and Kathe's shoes were sloshing.

When we got back to the motor home we played."catch me if you can," another of my favorite things to do when I'm wet. Kathe chases me with a towel until I let her catch me and sort of dry me off.  A good shake all over the sofa and I'm good to go.

Rain water is very good for your hair and your fur. Once I was dry Kathe brushed me and she thought that I looked beautiful, but then I fixed it the way I like it.

The view out the windshield this morning

After breakfast we drove down the mountain through some very beautiful scenery, with glaciers and tall fir and cedar trees.  Jim was wishing he was driving a sports car instead of a 40 foot motor home. That was especially true when we were passing one logging truck after another, and climbing to an altitude of 5400 feet and back down.

We arrived safe and sound at the Riverbend RV Resort in Twisp, Washington.  We have a nice site with a river view.  The best part is that we have power!  We can run 2 air conditioners, microwave, washer and dryer while I'm on the computer.  This is living!  Not that I didn't like the National Park, but it was so hot there even the squirrels were underground.

The view of the river from site #43

We are in an area of Washington called the Methow Valley and there are lots of things Kathe and Jim have planned for the next three days.  Wonder what trouble I can get into?

Dam, Dam, Dam

Gorge Dam

It's cooler today, so Kathe says I can't complain about the heat anymore.  It's cloudy and much cooler.  It looks like it might even rain tonight. I thought that might cool things off, but then I remembered that rain on the roof of a motor home is sort of like Chinese water torture.
Hope there is no thunder or lightning because that might cause a forest fire.

I sat in the shade all morning with Kathe while Jim went for a short bike ride.  We enjoyed the cool breezes and the peace and quiet of the forest.  It's Sunday night and almost all the campers have left, there are only 2 other campers left in our loop.  We left our air conditioner and generator on at dinner when all the people are driving around choosing their sites for the night, guess we were too noisy and chased them to the another loop.

Ross Dam

Kathe and Jim went exploring this afternoon. They took a picnic and went down the Highway to the Gorge Dam, Diablo Dam and Ross Dam. These 3 dams are owned Seattle City Light to provide electric power 89% of the electricity used in Seattle. The Gorge Dam is over 300 feet high, the Diablo Dam is 389 feet high, and the Ross Dam is 540 feet high.

They were able to drive across the Ross Dam and the winds were so high that a coin tossed into the air comes right back to you.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area

My Fur Coat

The Bridge across the Skagit

I thought it was hot yesterday, but today was even hotter.  I couldn't get to sleep last night until it finally cooled down around midnight.  I wish I could take off this fur coat, I'd sure be a hecka of a lot cooler.

Jim went for a bike ride in the heat this morning while Kathe and I tried to find some shade under some trees in the back of the campsite.

The campground was full last night and deserted this morning, guess everyone else was looking for a cooler place to be.  Since we were alone we turned on the air conditioning a couple of times today and ran the generator, but as soon as we went outside again it was like opening the oven door.

The Cool Skagit River

Kathe and Jim went for a hike on the Trail of the Cedars.  Last time we were here Kathe didn't want to cross the river on the suspension bridge so they skipped this hike.  This time she ran across it and back.  The hike was an interpretive trail that told the history of the forest and the power plant that was built here to harness the Skagit river and bring electricity to Seattle.

The Interpretive Trail

The Forest here has two levels. In the 1920's there was a great fire that burned all the trees except the Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar.  Some of those remaining trees are over 600 feet tall.  The second forest is the one that grew up under those trees and is mostly made up of Maple and Sycamore trees.  The trail circles through this forest and back along the Skagit River and then back over the bridge.

It's so hot, I'm eating ice cubes!

Hot Doggie

Dog on Duty

We are at the Newhalem Campground in the North Cascades National Park.  I thought it would be cooler up here in the woods.  Boy, was I wrong!  It was 93 degrees outside the motor home this afternoon and 92 degrees inside.  Since we are dry camping, that means we are self contained and there is no water, electricity, or sewer.  We have to run the generator at least an hour and a half twice a day to keep our batteries charged and our electronics in working order. Maybe we can run the air conditioning a little while. Jim's in charge of that.  I'm in charge of keeping predators away from the campsite, and doing a darn good job of it.

Into the Woods

The site we were supposed to be in (the one Kathe reserved on the computer) was beautiful except we couldn't make the turn to back into it. So, once again we had to search for a site that we could fit into. That's not as easy as it sounds, because it means driving around the loops and trying to find a site that isn't occupied.  It took a little while but we backed into a great site in the B loop. Hope the ranger approves, cause we're not moving!

We had a mechanical issue last night but Kathe and Jim worked together to fix the problem.  A Teflon glide that helps the bedroom slide in and out was cracked in half. We've had this problem before, so Jim was carrying the part we needed to fix,  And, with his handy-dandy bottle-jack and a couple of 2 by 4's they were able to slip the part into place and solve the problem.  It was tense for a while but things worked out.  We ordered an additional set of the glides in case it happens again.

Cool, Clear Water

Kathe and Jim took a short little hike down the River Loop along the Skagit River.  It was cool and shady and a bit like a rain forest with all the ferns and beautiful trees.  The water was glacier run off, clear and cold but too swift to swim in.  Lucky us, we're here for three days.

It's A Wild Life

Where's Waldo

Padilla Bay at Low  Tide

Kicking back today at Bay View.  After I took Kathe for a walk this morning she and Jim went back to sleep until almost nine o'clock.  When Kathe finally jumped into the shower and Jim ran some water to shave they both realized that Jim forgot to turn on the hot water heater last night.  No swear words. Kathe just put her pajamas back on to wait for the hot water, and Jim shaved with ice cold water.  Half the day was gone before those guys even finished breakfast.

Yesterday I mentioned all the unripe blackberries out side our kitchen window. Today there was a chipmunk right out there eating the green berries.  I would have done something about it, but I have had quite enough experience with blackberry thorns on my morning walks.  So, I'll wait until he comes out in the open before I launch my attack.

Oh, Dear

Kathe and Jim ran errands today as tomorrow we will be headed to the North Cascades National Park. There are no services up there so they had to stock up on bread and milk and bananas before they head to the wilderness. They stopped at Camping World because they are still having troubles with the cable that connects the car to the motor home.  Jim got a new one but had to rewire it, hope that does the trick and we won't have a dead battery when we get to the next campsite.


Kathe went out to take a few pictures of Padilla Bay.  It's a tidal bay that is entirely flooded at high tide and at low tide the mudflats are exposed. It's a habitat for many birds and animals.  This morning the Ranger said that an eagle was caught up in some fishing line down at the bay and had to be rescued.

It's a really peaceful area with homes and farms along the shore.  On the way back to the campground tonight a doe and her two fawns jumped out across the road.  Kathe stopped just in time.  She still had the camera out and took a picture as they walked away.

Don't know if we will have Internet up in the National Park, so don't worry about me if you don't hear from me for the next three days

A Little Rain Must Fall

Our coach in site #11

It was a long day today. a long drive on Highway 20 up and over Stevens Pass.  The downhill side was beautiful but steep.  It was a 6% grade for 7 miles.  Too bad Jim didn't get to enjoy the scenery, because there were lots of beautiful forests and flowing rivers all the way down.

At 3:00 we arrived at the Bay View State Park near Mount Vernon, Washington.  We encountered our first rainstorm just as we were about to pull into the park and had to check in. I stayed inside until we were parked and the rain stopped.  I don't mind the rain one bit, but something about "eau de wet doggie"makes Kathe mad, especially when I've just been to the groomer.

A walk in the campground 

We were supposed to be in site 21 but it was just a little short for us.  Kathe went to the ranger and explained the problem and he gave us a list of 3 other sites that might work for us. Jim chose site 11 which has a peek-a boo view of Padilla bay.   If the blackberries were blooming we could just reach out the kitchen window and pick a basket full.  It's still too early and all the berries are green.

After we got settled in Kathe and I walked down to the beach to check things out.  The beach isn't much, especially at low tide, but I did see a couple of bunnies and a chipmunk on the way, so I can live with it.  I think I can have a lot of fun here for the next couple of days.

Jim's happy because there are lots of trees around and Kathe is happy that we fit into a a site with a few feet to spare.  It's hard to pick a campsite on the computer because they don't show you things like the trees or rocks which might be in the way.  You never know what it will be like until you get there.  Just keep your paws crossed and hope for the best.

View of Padilla Bay

Pigging Out

Fluffy

I'm beautiful again!  This morning I went to a real dog groomer and had a wonderful bath. Kathe tries to groom me but there is nothing like a real groomer to make you feel all clean and fluffy. It's never a sure thing in these smaller towns, but I got lucky this time. Remember what happened in Florence when I was groomed in the welding shop? Never mind, I'd like to forget about the time that I was mistaken for a Pomeranian.

While I was at the groomer Jim went for a bike ride.  As Kathe and I were coming back from the groomer he flagged us down.  Kathe almost drove by him, but stopped in the nick of time. He was tired of riding and it was getting so hot that he really wanted us to drive him back home.

Country Cowboy BBQ 

Kathe and Jim have pretty much seen everything, done everything, and eaten everything they wanted to here in Leavenworth.  Today they drove 11 miles to the town of Cashmere for the best barbecue in Washington.  They ate here at Country Cowboys BBQ several years ago and couldn't miss the opportunity to fill up again at lunch.  If you are ever in this area don't forget to stop here at the sculpture of the big brass pig.  And you must order the curly fries!

It's really hot today, in the nineties and we're chilling inside with two air conditioners blowing full blast. We are moving tomorrow closer to the coast where it's cooler.

The Curly Fries

Yodel Lady Who

Downtown Leavenworth

Leavenworth is a little touristy town in the middle of Washington.  Every single building, including the Safeway has a Bavarian theme. We've been here before so we didn't need to spend much time shopping with the crowds on the Markt Strasse or Main Street.  Jim bought a really great T-shirt and Kathe bought an apple strudel and a creme danish.  Priorities! Every single store had a sign that said no dogs allowed, so guess where I spent the day.






Here is a picture I took on one of my many walks today. There is a little path through the woods and over the bridge that I like.  I make Kathe take me down there at least three times a day. It's a winding pathway through the kids symphony camp next door. There are little cabins where they practice hidden in the woods. So, while I'm walking there's beautiful music playing. Tonight I heard a little girl playing the cello and a young boy on the piano.

Stevens Pass Ski Resort

Kathe and Jim took a drive up Highway 2 to Stevens Pass today,  It was a beautiful drive up to the ski area to an altitude of 4000 feet.  The Pacific Crest Trail crosses right through the area.  A day ski pass for seniors is $15 for a 13 hour day.  It's an awful long drive for a bargain.

The highlight of Jim's day was dinner at the famous King Ludwig's Bavarian Restaurant.  They had a couple of great German beers.  Jim had delicious dinner of roasted pork, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and spaetzle. Kathe just had a roast chicken so at least someone was thinking of me.  I saw the doggie bag and it was awesome
.

BOOM CRACK POP SIZZLE

First class Accommodations 

Kathe and Jim should have known better. Indian Reservations allow FIREWORKS!!!  I thought since the Forth of July is still a few weeks off that things would be peaceful on the Reservation.  Not so.  We were having a nice quiet evening when all of a sudden BOOM, CRACK, POP, SIZZLE! We were under attack. I hate fireworks, even with my Thunder shirt and two calming pills I was a nervous wreck all night.  Kathe and I finally got to sleep around 3 AM.  I sure hope they don't celebrate the Forth of July in Canada.

We left Yakama this morning and headed to Leavenworth, Washington.  Before we left I took this picture of the other accommodations at this Resort.  They had no-vacancy in the tepees last night. I'm glad we have a motor home because these "authentic" tepees are built on a 4 inch thick slab of concrete, have no running water, no electricity and no air conditioning.  And no windows in 90 degree heat!  Funny how they cleared out so fast this morning.

Icicle River

Our home for the next three nights is the Icicle River RV Resort.  It's in the woods outside of the Bavarian town of Leavenworth.  We didn't get a site on the river this time, but we're still happy to be in this beautiful area. I've been down to the river to explore a little and it's cool and refreshing.  I didn't get down into the water because that's just for big dogs.  I saw a Lab and a Golden splashing and swimming in the rapids.

Jim was feeling lazy this afternoon so he took a bike ride to the blueberry farm a few miles down the road.  Kathe was feeling lazy too, but it didn't seem to bother her.  She's eating blueberries on the sofa!

The Big Screw

Jim tries to put air in the tire

We're in Toppinish, Washington tonight at the Yakama Nation RV Resort.  We almost didn't make it due to a little "adventure" we had this morning.  When we started to pull out of our site in Cascade Locks the tire monitor started beeping, telling us that something was wrong with the driver's side front tire.

Matt fixes the tire

Jim stopped everything and got out his handy-dandy air compressor. We had a flat.  As fast as he was filling the tire, air was hissing out.  Thank goodness for Google!  Kathe found a mobile tire guy at the Les Schwab  in Hood River.  Jim talked to him and ask if he could come the 16 miles to Cascade Locks and bring a new tire.  A new tire wasn't needed (he brought the wrong one anyway) because he found a screw stuck in the tire and was able to patch it on the spot. Are we lucky or what?  It could have been a big problem if it went flat while on the freeway.

A few days ago we heard a loud bump on that side of the RV while driving on the freeway. When we stopped and looked under the coach and didn't see any damage, but now we guess we must have run over a piece of wood with a screw in it and it just took a while for it to work it's way into a problem.

the big screw

So, at around 2:00 we finally pulled out of the KOA and hit the road.  Thankfully, nothing else that exciting happened today and we arrived here too late to do anything in town. Kathe took me out for a walk, now it's margarita time so I guess nothing else is going to happen now!  Too bad for them because there is an Indian Casino right across the street!

Up Up And Away

Pretty slow around here today.  The reason being that none of us slept very well last night due to the train tracks right next to the campground. There was only about a two hour period when there weren't any trains blowing by. It seemed like every time I got back to sleep another engineer played us a tune on his whistle. So, that's why I napped most of the day.

Jim kept busy this morning.  He cleaned all ten air conditioning vents and washed the windshield while Kathe just sat on the sofa sticking a needle back and forth into a canvas.  As I said, I was napping!

Around lunch time they decided to take a drive up to the town of Hood River to do some sight seeing. It's a cute little town that overlooks the Columbia Gorge and is known as the Windsurfing Capital of the World. After enjoying lunch and a glass of Oregon wine they drove down to the beach to watch the windsurfers and kite surfers. It was a Friday afternoon and the beach was crowded with all kinds of people and colorful kites and sails. It was hard to capture the excitement in pictures taken from the beach.


Well, I haven't heard a train whistle in a while, maybe I should jump into bed early this evening. We have a long drive tomorrow to Yakima, Washington.

The Mighty Columbia

The Bridge of the Gods

Don't know what all the fuss was about, I thought Ainsworth State Park was great.  On one walk alone this morning I counted 9 bunnies and 5 chipmunks. It doesn't get much better than that!  Sure, the vitamins were rolling off the table this morning and we had to jump up into the coach from a running start, but that's all part of the adventure isn't it?

Cascade Locks

Kathe and Jim didn't sleep well last night because they were worrying about how they were going to get out of the tight spot we were in without damaging the coach.

The Ranger Lady said that she couldn't believe we actually got into the space in the first place. We managed to squeeze out this morning by moving one big rock and tying back the wild rose bushes with bungee cords. Sigh of relief!

Anyway,we have moved on to tamer pastures, the KOA in Cascades Locks, Oregon.  It's civilization with a dog park, free pancake breakfast, and of course trains running all day and night.  We are only 9 miles down the highway and right on the Columbia River.

Native American Fishing Platforms

Kathe and Jim went exploring this afternoon. First, they took a drive across the historic Bridge of the Gods, a cantilevered  bridge that crosses the Columbia River.  Indian legend speaks of a natural bridge that once spanned the river and when a landslide from the North Shore blocked the river it created the Cascade rapids.

The Cascade Locks were completed in 1896 to tame these rapids and improve navigation on the Columbia River. The Locks were subsequently submerged in 1938 when the Bonneville Dam was built and formed Lake Bonneville.

Part of one of the Locks is still above the water and is a great fishing spot.  Native Americans can fish with nets from fish platforms that hang down into the river.  White people are forbidden to use these nets and these platforms are handed down in Native American families for generations,

Unhappy Campers

Multnomah Falls 611 ft

OK, so today wasn't the best day!  Our morning started out just fine until the steel door of the trash bin flew open and bopped Kathe in the head.  She had a bump like a ping pong ball, and boy was she mad!  She put a bag of ice on her head, but she wouldn't let me lick it.

When we left Silver Falls we decided to take the "blue highway" to Ainsworth State Park.  Blue highways are the ones on the map that aren't Interstates.  Kathe and Jim thought it would be a more scenic drive.  Unfortunately, when they made a wrong turn in the town of Silverton they had to make a U-turn and tied up traffic on Main Street for several minutes.  Finally, someone backed up so we could make the turn and we were on our way.

We arrived at Ainsworth State Park and were very disappointed.  Ordinarily we love the State Parks of Oregon, but this is the first exception to the rule.  It's so tiny we barely had enough room to drive around the loop to our reserved site.
Our site is supposed to be able to accommodate a rig our size, but it almost didn't.  There was extreme maneuvering on Jim's part and much tearing out of hair on Kathe's part before we were sort of in our camp site.  We are so off level that everything is running down hill.  I am NOT sleeping on Jim's side of the bed tonight because I might fall off. We will not be staying here for three nights as we planned, we have to move on tomorrow to a level campground.

Horsetail Falls 176 feet

While we were here Kathe and Jim decide to do a little sightseeing.  They drove the Historic Columbia River Highway to see...more waterfalls! Multnomah Falls is the one of the most visited sites in Oregon and the second largest waterfall in the nation.  Horsetail falls is just a few miles down the highway the Oneonta Gorge and sprays water from a height of  176 feet.

Where will we be tomorrow?

In a Rain Forest

Lower North Falls 65 ft

Who knew.  We're in the middle of a rain forest. Today we found out that Silver Falls is a Temperate Rain Forest that gets 80 inches of rain each year.  There is more living mass and nutrient resources here then any other ecosystem on the planet.  It's been sunny and warm here in the campground, but all around us are the waterfalls and pools of a rain forest. We've only seen songbirds and small animals, but in the remote areas of the park are 8 species of owls, as well as black bears, cougars and coyotes.

Salmon Berry

We've been wondering about a berry that looks like an orange raspberry that we have seen all around this park. The Ranger told us that it's a Salmon berry that the Northwest Indians used to cook with their salmon.  It's pretty, but doesn't taste very good.  So there won't be any salmon berry cobbler or muffins, just this picture.

North Falls 136 ft

Things around here are VERY quiet tonight.  Jim went for another bike ride this morning and then they both went for another hike.  I guess yesterday wasn't enough for them, so they had to hike to another two waterfalls today. The hike to Upper North Falls was a nice shady hike with no steep climbs and only about a half mile one way.  After that they hiked to North Falls which had a drop of 78 steps to the trail that passed under the falls.  They weren't strenuous hikes, but I guess the effect was cumulative because they are both pooped tonight.

To tell you the truth, I'm a little tired tonight myself.  There are just too many sights and smells here, it's almost too much for me.  I sort of almost  caught a squirrel this morning.  Kathe was walking with me and not paying attention when out of nowhere a little guy ran right across my path. I took off after him, but Kathe woke up and pulled me back right as he disappeared up a tree. Darn!

Still Falling

The trail to Double Falls

This morning even I had a hard time getting out of bed.  Don't worry, I took Kathe for a long walk this morning at 6 AM as usual, but then we both went back to sleep.  They had to wake ME up at 9 AM and pull me out of my warm bed.

Once I was up it was business as usual.  They don't call me a terror terrier for nothing.  Today I chased 3 fat robins, a butterfly, 2 squirrels and a bunny rabbit. But who's counting.  I had a little sneezing fit after sticking my face so far down into a squirrel hole that I got my nose full of dirt. After all that activity, I had to take a nap.



Jim went for a great bike ride this morning but he still had enough energy to go for a hike with Kathe after lunch.  They set out for the North Falls but it was too crowded so they decided to hike to Double Falls.  Double Falls is the tallest of the 10 falls in the park at 178 feet. On the trail they also saw Drake Falls, Twin Falls. and Middle North Falls.  It was a very difficult and steep trail with a lot of switchbacks but it was a great hike.  When they got back they were really sweaty and tired. And thirsty.

Double Falls 178 ft

Luckily, Jim wasn't too tired to grill some Angus burgers for us tonight.  I got a whole burger for myself, but I'm going to eat a little bit tonight and save the rest for breakfast tomorrow.

There are still 2 more falls that they haven't seen yet, so I guess it's a good thing we still have another day here.

Middle Fork of North Falls 106 ft

We're Falling

Winter Falls

We pulled into space number 29 early this afternoon at the Silver Fall State Park in Sublimity, Oregon.  Our campground is sort of in the middle of no where, but that's nothing new for us.  Kathe sure can find these out of the way places!

There are lots of very tall trees here and ferns and green grass and chirping birds.  The Oregon natives refer to this park as the Grand Canyon of Oregon.  It's that popular! There are 10 beautiful waterfalls and 25 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horse back riding.  They even allow my kind on most of the trails, as long as we're attached to a human.

Along the way up the I-5 today we drove through the grass seed capital of the world, Linn County. Thrilling! Then we past corn fields, vineyards, and Christmas tree orchards to arrive here in the middle of the woods for our three day adventure.

South Falls

Kathe and Jim hiked to two of the ten falls today and shot these pictures.  I wonder, if  Kathe clocks over 10,000 steps on her fitbit, how many steps do you think I walked today? I figure at least 40.000, No wonder I'm too tired to chase the fat little robins tonight.

We are having trouble with the Internet tonight so I'm cutting this short.  Verizon isn't working at all here so Kathe is using her AT&T iPhone as our hot spot.  Hopefully I can write again tomorrow night.

Nuts

Hazelnut Trees at the Dorris Ranch

I was up with the sun this morning as planned. I took Kathe for a walk around the campground and she went right back to sleep when we got home.  Jim never woke up until it was almost 9 o'clock. You would think they were on vacation or something.

Middle Fork of the Willamette River

I was beginning to wonder about them, it's been over a week and they haven't been to an obscure museum or anything yet.  You know they always find something crazy to do in every town.  Today they were true to form when they decided to visit the Dorris Ranch.
It's a nut farm!

Really. There's a 285 acre hazelnut ranch here which has produced nuts every year since 1905. There are more than 9200 trees which produce 56 tons of nuts a year.  It's now a national historic site and public park along the middle fork of the Willamette river.  There are lots of walking trails through the orchards and open natural areas for picnics and events.  They were setting up for a wedding this afternoon.  Just imagine some day telling your children that you were married at the nut farm!


After the nut farm Kathe and Jim went to the Lane County Historical Museum. They just love looking at old stuff, but I guess there wasn't much to see because they came home before lunchtime.

This afternoon I suffered the humiliation of a bath in the kitchen sink but was rewarded with a very long walk with Kathe along the river which helped cheer me up.

Tomorrow morning we travel north to Silver Falls State Park.