NUTS

Well, I guess this is the end of another adventure for me. We are in Coalinga where they grow lots of almonds and pistachios. It's our last stop on the I-5. We usually stay here even though it's not so great. It's the only RV park before we start our transition to the 101 and get back home. They have new management here at the Almond Tree RV Park and it's improved a little since we stayed here last  December, the sites are level now and have nice new gravel instead of the muddy ruts of the past. They still have a long way to go before they get the Good Sam seal of approval! Or mine!

So ends a great couple of months in our motor home. None of us are too anxious to get back home to reality, but every good thing must come to an end sometime. I'm just happy that we are spending the next 3 nights at the beach in Oceano before we actually have to go home.

Remember some of the great times my humans had; wine tasting, whale watching, catching fish, boat rides, fresh crab dinners, black cod and homemade cioppino, exploring tide pools, bike riding, hiking, waterfalls, farmers markets, fresh peaches and cherries, bald eagles flying right over our campsite, and wonderful shared alfresco dinners every night.

I'm already planning and looking forward to next summer and another Adventure!

ANOTHER LONG DAY

Here we are at the Flag City RV Resort in Lodi California. It was another long drive on the I-5, bumpy and hot for about 5 hours. We don't usually like to drive that far, but we have to if we want to make Oceano, CA by Friday.

Our scenery today was mostly the varied agriculture of California. We passed lots of nuts, fruit, olives, grapes, and corn growing on both sides of the freeway. The most interesting fields were the sunflowers and the rice patties along the Sacramento river. We also saw some beautiful purple flowers that will become eggplants.  The sunflowers were almost all dried, but here is a picture of the rice growing in large fields in water from the river.

It was a little busy driving through the city of Sacramento where the freeway was 4 lanes of traffic, but things calmed down a bit once we got out of the city. Then it was back to sharing the 2 lanes with the big rigs.

Another long drive tomorrow to Coalinga and the ugly Almond Tree Resort, thank goodness we are only staying one night. It's not my favorite park by any means, but there isn't much to choose from on the I-5. Can't wait till we hit the beach on Friday.

THE LONG WAY HOME

Once they turn the coach south, it's the beginning of the end of the vacation. We have a few days left, but we have to spend them driving 200 miles a day in order to meet our commitment to be in Oceano for the weekend.

We drove today for a good 4 hours uphill and downhill and downhill and uphill on the Interstate. There were several long 5% and 6 % grades and lots of big rigs sharing the road with us.

It was 108 degrees when we arrived here at Mountain Gate RV Resort, just outside of Redding, California.  We are between Mount Shasta and Shasta Lake. We've never camped here before, but it's right off the highway and convenient. It's really warm and very dry with golden hills and green trees all around us. Earlier we saw a Mama Doe and three fawns in the "playground" area just munching on the dry grass. I took a picture but it looks like a funny 4 headed animal they are all so close together on the hillside.

Tomorrow we will drive another 200 miles for another one night stand in Lodi, California.

NOTHING HONEY

Today we did absolutely nothing. It's the hottest day yet here in Canyonville.

Kathe's tablet died last week and she's been waiting to get near a town with a Costco or a Walmart Superstore to get a new one. Today was the day they set out to find one. First they went to Costco in Roseburg, but they were sold out. They had better luck at the Walmart, they bought the I Pad, but ended up spending about an hour there shopping. Talk about shopping, they also hit the Dollar Tree, Home Depot, Petco, and Albertsons before they returned home to me.

By then it was 4:00 and the day was shot! Now it's time to eat dinner and take another nap before bedtime.

Tomorrow we head back to California, darn! We'll be in Reading tomorrow for one hot night, it's 108 there today.

LAZY SUNDAY

Nothing much to do here in Canyonville if you don't go into the casino. We sleep late, take long walks, eat, nap and eat again, then take another walk, and nap until it's time to go to bed! Sounds delightful to me. It's still a vacation.

This morning Kathe and Jim picked a bunch of wild blackberries here at the Resort. Kathe has been trying to find ripe berries everyplace we go, but this is the first time she found some. They picked and froze a bunch for a cobbler or pie, so she's a happy camper.

After lunch today Jim and Kathe decided to find a local winery and taste some wine.

They found a small winery in Canyonville called Falk Estates that was open today. It's been hard to find wineries that are open during the pandemic but they have found a few on the trip in Washington and Oregon. The Falk family bought a ranch in 1960 which has grown to more than 500 acres. In 1914 the family decided to plant a nine acre vineyard, and in 2016 they had their first harvest. The family works together to make wine. Last year, just as their tasting room was completed, it burned down. Tasting is now done in the living room of their beautiful ranch home along a creek. Here are a couple of pictures of the deck and outdoor areas. They enjoyed the unique wines and came home with 6 bottles.

COVERED BRIDGES

Looking for something to do in Canyonville, Oregon? Kathe found that there are several covered bridges in this area, so thanks to Google Maps, they had something to do today besides go shopping! There are supposed to be 50 covered bridges remaining in the state of Oregon, so they were happy to find two within a few miles of Canyonville.

The Neal Lane Bridge or The South Myrtle Creek Bridge is one of the shortest covered bridges in Oregon. The wooden bridge is just 42 feet long and the narrow windows make it appear even shorter. Kathe and Jim drove over it in the jeep and noted that it is 12'3" high and can only accommodate a load of 3 tons. Better not try this in a motor home. The bridge was built sometime in the 1930's.

The Horse Creek Bridge was built in 1930 and is 105 feet long. You can no longer drive across this bridge but Kathe and Jim walked across it to the city park on the other side of the creek. This bridge was dissembled and moved here from Lane county in 1990. The original purpose of a covered bridge is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather.

There is a 30 mile loop in the area of Cottage Grove, Oregon where there are many more covered bridges, but those will have to wait until the next Oregon trip.

SEVEN FEATHERS

A great, but curvy drive from Diamond Lake to the I-5 in Roseburg, Oregon. We are on our way south and it was nice to spend almost the whole morning in the pine trees. We won't see those big trees again for a while, and I'll miss my chipmunks.

We arrived at Seven Feathers RV Resort, in Cayonville, Oregon, one of the best RV resorts in North America according to Good Sam. It really is beautiful, with every amenity a camper could want. Only problem is with Covid all bets are off. Kathe and Jim usually come here to gamble at the huge casino, but not this time. They will just have to find something else to do. Speaking of which, without Kathe and Warren, my humans don't seem to know what to do with themselves. It's hard to write a blog when there is nothing to write about.

First thing Jim did when we got here this afternoon was to get a haircut. He got scalped! Really, now Kathe and Jim look alike with the shortest hair I have ever seen.  I just hope they don't take me for a haircut until we get home, I don't want to look like a bald Chihuahua.

Good news today, Gianni is home and doing well and is looking forward to next years trip!

TWO MORE FALLS

It was drizzling and 59 degrees this morning. Good thing they went for the boat ride yesterday because today the lake was choppy and looked very cold. What to do today? Jim wanted to go for a bike ride and Kathe wanted to go for a hike to a waterfall. Jim said they could probably do both. Me, I stayed home watching the chipmunks prepare for winter. From the looks of things, I think it's going to be a cold one.

First up was Watson Falls, which is about 17 miles from Diamond Lake. Watson Falls is a 272 foot waterfall on Watson Creek, a tributary of the Clearwater Lake. The trail was a little over 1/2 mile out and back, but it was a very steep uphill climb. Watson Falls is the 3rd highest waterfall in Oregon, and it drops over a wall of basalt, crashing into a slope of moss and vine maples.

Next it was a trip to Toketee Lake and the hike up to Toketee Falls. It's one of the most famous waterfalls in Oregon, and there were a lot of hikers on the 0.8 mile trail. The sign said the

trail was strenuous, with 97 stair steps up and 125 down. What it didn't say was that all of those steps, up and down were just to see the falls. Then, to get back down you had to climb the stairs up and down again. The view was breathless, in more ways than one! The falls are two tiered, a 28 foot upper tier plunges into a pool, followed by an 85 foot plunge into a larger pool. Beautiful!

Oh, and when they got back after all this hiking, Jim went for an 11 mile bike ride around the lake. Now, he's wondering why he's so tired?

This is our last night here in quiet Diamond Lake.  We really enjoyed it here. Tomorrow we head for Canyonville, Oregon for 4 days before starting home to California.

A DAY ON THE WATER

Today was supposed to be the day that everyone was going to go fishing. Warren and Jim reserved a pontoon party boat for the whole day on Diamond Lake. Unfortunately the Taylors had to go home yesterday, but Kathe and Jim decided to take the boat for a private party anyway. They asked me to go with them, but I declined the invitation. It's too hard to sleep on a rocking boat, and I do need my sleep.

It turned out to be a sunny and warm day on the lake. Jim knows his way around boats, so they were off and running in no time at all. He had to get a fishing license and sign a whole bunch of paperwork before they were able to start out on the water. The water was calm and there were very few boats on the lake. Kathe packed a picnic lunch for them and lots of snacks.

Jim caught two very nice size rainbow trout and was hoping for more. Dark clouds started rolling in at about 3:30 so they decide to head back to shore in case it stared to rain.  Most of the day the water was calm, but in the afternoon it was a little choppy so they were glad to call it a day and head for home
.

Right now we are hearing loud thunder off in the distance and hoping that we don't get any lightning or rain this evening.

SAD DAY

This morning before we even had breakfast, Kathy T knocked on our door to tell us that they were going home. Gianni has been very sick these past couple of days and he is in a lot of pain and crying out whenever he is touched. They want to take him back to the Desert as soon as possible and see their vet in Indio. All three of us are upset, but Kathy and Warren have to do what is best for Gianni. We will really miss them and try to carry on by ourselves, but it's just not the same without our friends.

Kathe and Jim just sat around all morning, wondering what to do today. By noon time they decided to take a road trip to Crater Lake which is only a few miles from here. They took some pictures and looked around for a couple of hours before coming back to camp. Crater Lake was as beautiful as always, and even better without so many tourists today.

We still don't have internet or cell service so I'm hoping that I can post the pictures they took today.  Jim took several pictures of the Lake and Vidae Falls.

A NIGHT IN THE DARK

I tried and I tried last night to get on the WIFI but after a few hours of trying, I gave up and went to bed. I don't know what happened, but this afternoon I'm back in business. Too many people blogging.

Yesterday was a day of searching for waterfalls in this area.  There are supposed to be 6 of them. They spent most of the day driving, and they were able to find two of the six. One of them, which was called Lemolo Falls, required a mile hike into the forest. Warren found lots of huckleberries on the hike which helped to keep their energy up for the hike back up and out of the valley.

The second waterfall was a lot easier to find, there was a sign on the highway with an arrow pointing out the forest road. That one was called Clearwater Falls and because it was so well marked there were a lot of other people there. My humans brought a picnic with them so that they were able to stay and enjoy the area before deciding that the other 4 waterfalls will have to wait.

This morning was a bike riding day and they set out for a ride around Diamond Lake. Well, Kathy, Warren, and Jim rode all around the 11 mile bike trail not my Kathe. She rode with them for about 3 miles and then turned around and rode back to the RV. My Kathe is not much of a bike rider, but she had some fun riding back at turtle speed!

I'm not even going to try to blog tonight, it's just too frustrating!

DIAMOND OF THE FIRST WATER

I told you yesterday that I wasn't feeling tip top. I was really quite sick, I didn't even want any treats or dinner or even a drink of water. Kathe got so worried that she called the vet back home and they think I picked up a bug from the lake somewhere in the last couple of days. Now I have to take a terrible tasting pill twice a day. I already feel better--bring on those treats!

We arrived a Diamond Lake RV Resort this afternoon and we are all loving it. Our site is in the pine trees and we are minutes away from a beautiful lake. This is a picture from the front window. There are tons of chipmunks and squirrels running all over the place. Gianni and I are going to work together to catch one of those little buggers. We have 6 whole days to do it.

For the humans there is trout fishing, boating, hiking and lots of Jeep trails. Jim lined up a party boat for Tuesday so there may even be some fish  frying in the future.

Of course the internet is horrible, but Jim put the booster on the roof, otherwise I wouldn't be  able to write this tonight. Phone service is non existent here, but the humans can text and send emails, so its not exactly the end of the world!

And the Lake is beautiful!

STILL SIZZLING

Super hot again today in Sisters! I wasn't feeling at all tip top this morning so I slept until 8:00 and I let everyone else sleep in too. I guess it's the heat, but I just didn't want to get out of bed. I've been staying inside and napping, and I don't feel like eating any treats or dinner tonight. I'm just gonna lay low until I feel better.

We had big problem today with the Nespresso machine. It was started shooting hot coffee out onto the counter. Our old one did the same thing. Kathe and Jim knew there was no hope but to replace it as soon as possible. I don't drink the stuff myself.  It seems humans can't do anything without their coffee in the morning. Lucky for them that it happen in Sisters instead of the boonies. There's a Bed Bath and Beyond, and a Macy's in Bend,  so they were able to replace it right away.

Lunch today was at the Old Mill district at a restaurant overlooking the Deschutes River. They watched the ducks

and people floating past them as they ate lunch outside under an umbrella. They walked along the river after lunch, but it was so hot that everyone agreed to go home and relax in the air conditioning.

Just a heads up! Tomorrow we will be going to Diamond Lake, Oregon for a six night stay. It's near Crater Lake, Oregon, but the internet is reported to be very spotty, so I may not be able to communicate. Jim will try to get the cell phone booster working, but who knows! Remember, we're camping!  Good news, it's supposed to be really cool there. It the 40's at night!

SIZZLING IN SISTERS

It's really hot hear today. I didn't even want to go out of the nice cool motor home at all. Of course
that isn't an option when you are a doggie! Kathe dragged me around the park several times in-between my multiple naps on the nice cool tile.

Kathe went into Bend this morning and got scalped. Her hair is now shorter than Jim's hair. Everyone keeps saying that it will grow back, but in the meantime she can wear a hat! On the way back from Bend she stopped to take this picture of the Three Sisters, the mountains for which the town is named. It's been very hazy here, we think because of the heat wave. You can get an idea of how beautiful it is here in Sisters even when it's not clear.

Once Kathe returned, the humans all piled into the car for a shopping expedition. We haven't been near a big city is so long that they couldn't resist hitting all the favorite stores. By the time they went to Costco, Whole Foods, Petco, and Albertsons it was time for a nap. There is some talk about the Trader Joe's and the Bed, Bath, and Beyond for tomorrow!

So, they didn't do much today except spend money. Kathe walked around the RV Park and took this picture of the lake that is in the middle of the park. We have camped here before, and even though they have added quite a few more sites, it is still beautiful.

SISTERS NOT BEND

It took a while to get here from wherever we were last night, but this is such a nice park, it was definitely worth the long drive on highway 97. Sorry this is so late, but if Kathe would have put down her margarita long enough to turn on my computer I would have finished my post by now.

Let me set the record straight, we are not exactly in Bend,  but Sisters, Oregon. Sisters is much quieter than Bend and there are lots of pines and juniper trees all over the place. We are close enough to go shopping in the city of Bend. There's a Trader Joe's and a Costco there, and my personal favorite-Petco!

There are so many pretty flowers all over this park that Kathe couldn't resist taking my picture in the middle of them. If you look real close you can see how enthusiastic I was about getting my picture taken. It's 96 degrees outside!


Gianni went to yet another vet here today to help Kathy

figure out how to regulate his insulin using the app that comes with the device that he's wearing. It's so confusing, but we think that eventually it's going to work out just fine. He's walking around like nothing is wrong at all and I'm enjoying my walks with him and Lady Bella so much.

TWO THINGS TO DO

In Goldendale  area there were only 3 top things to do on Trip Advisor. First up was the historical museum, but it was closed because of the Covid pandemic.

My humans decided to try the next thing on the list, the St John's Monastery and Bakery. The Monastery was established in 1995, as a women's Greek Orthodox monastic community. There are now about 20 nuns and novices at the Monastery, supporting themselves by making and selling their handiwork. In the store they have  lotions, soaps, candles, jewelry, and a variety of traditional Greek foods and bakery items for sale. They have a delicious luncheon menu, and a small dining area. Of course Warren and my Kathe had to bring something home as well as convincing everyone that this was the perfect place for lunch. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, so they drove up the hill above the building and took this one.

After lunch they went to the third attraction, a full scale replica of Stonehenge built of reinforced concrete.  It was built in 1918 on a bluff over-looking the Columbia River. It is a memorial to the soldiers of Klickitat County who gave their lives in World War I.  Unlike the ancient Stonehenge it is aligned to the astronomical horizon rather than the actual midsummer sunrise. So it is difficult to use it as an astronomical calendar. Who knew! 

RIVERVIEW

The drive today was pretty amazing. We left Prosser and the miles of grape vines and hop vines and drove south into an area where the Yakima river flowed through the Indian reservation with lots of corn and wheat fields. Then, within a few miles of all that greenery it suddenly became a desert.

Next, we drove up and down some mountainous terrain and saw golden hills spotted with hundreds of windmills. After all that, we didn't know what to expect next. We drove downhill to the Columbia River and our RV camp, the Peach Beach Resort.

The road into the park was through a peach orchard, hence the name Peach Beach! As we checked in the camp host gave us a bag with 2 huge peaches, compliments of the orchard.  As you can see we have a really cool site, and a view of the river. It is warm here but there are lots of shade trees and grass so it feels cooler than the thermometer says it is. There are also some interesting squirrel smells that need more exploration!

Kathe and Jim walked up the road to the orchard fruit stand and bought a few more of the peaches to make a cobbler for dessert tonight!

14 HANDS

The city of Prosser is claims to be the birthplace of Washington's modern wine industry and it is located in the state's oldest Viticulture area. The tourist map shows no less than 32 Tasting rooms in Prosser. Only one problem, there was only winery that was open due to Covid. Kathy Taylor made reservations for a tasting at 14 Hands Winery for this afternoon.

It was a very beautiful site just outside of town and the tasting was in a sunny garden setting under an umbrella. The winery is named 14 hands to celebrate the wild horses that once roamed the area. They tasted four very different wines which were really quite delicious.  They even brought home a few bottles. 14 Hands is an offshoot of the Saint Michelle winery, and very popular in Washington.

There are hops growing everywhere around here as well as grapes and apples. The area hop growers supply more than 75% of the US crop of brewing's most crucial ingredient, making up more than 20% of the worlds supply. Maybe they should have gone beer tasting!

Tomorrow we head south to Goldendale, Washington and the Columbia River.

RESTFUL DAY

Even with all the people here at the Park, we managed to have a quiet, restful day. The weather is much cooler today and there is a slight breeze, so we spent much of the day outside in the shade under the awning.

This morning was the weekly Farmers Market in downtown Prosser so everyone got up early to get the best produce. They bought local corn, potatoes, squash, nectarines, squash blossoms, cherries, and fresh bread. One thing about my humans, they always seem to be shopping for the freshest, most delicious food.

The rest of the day we girls and Gianni sat outside and relaxed. We couldn't put up the "she-shed" here because they said that they had underground watering. Supposedly, but all the grass is brownish and thick so I really think that's not true. I kind of hate this grass, it sticks to my fur and now there are pieces of dried grass all over the carpet. Jim is not happy about that and neither am I.

While we were sitting around doing nothing this afternoon, Jim and Warren went for a bike ride for a few hours into downtown Prosser.  Here's a picture of our happy bikers returning!

SWEET MYSTERY

Another day here in Prosser, Washington. Our Park is filling up for the weekend and there are lots and lots of doggies moving in. We guess it is because there are no State Parks open and anyone that wants to have some camping fun has to come to a private park like this one. That has to be the reason, because there is not much to do in Prosser. Last night we were the only two rigs in this row, and tonight there are hardly any spaces left in the whole park.

Today after the umpteenth trip to a Safeway and a Walmart Superstore, my humans went to the Chuker Cherry Flagship Store and Factory. Chuker Cherries are sold at the Pike Place Market and are a very tasty candy treat. They got to sample several different cherry candies and learned a little bit about the history of the store and how the they make the various flavors of the candy. They also make many other cherry products like sauces and jams. They came home with a bag full of stuff.

Another interesting thing to do here in Prosser is a trip to

Gravity Hill or Mystery Hill. Miles out of town near a haunted grain silo there is a strange phenomenon where you park your car and put it in neutral and your car will roll uphill. It's freaky! It is actually an optical illusion on an uphill climb which is part of a larger downhill slope. As for the haunted grain silo, they were afraid to check that out.

HOT TO HOTTER

Today we are in Prosser, Washington where it's even hotter than our last stop. We drove for about 4 hours south from the pine trees in Leavenworth to an area that reminds me of the California desert. We even passed some Windmills!

This wasn't our original destination, but we were skunked out of two other more desirable places due to Covid. We were supposed to be in Yakima at a State Park for the next 4 days, and when they canceled our reservation at the last minute, the Kathies scrambled to find something in-between Leavenworth and Bend, Oregon. We will make the best of the situation. We always do!

After leaving the pine trees of the Wenatchee National Forest we saw the landscape change to ranchland and then to fruit orchards. As we got closer to Prosser we started to see vineyards and hops, lots and lots of hops. This is a picture of the hops growing on vine supports.


The name of this RV Park is Wine Country RV, because there are many wineries in this area. I hope that my humans will find at least one that is open so they can go tasting. It's going to be a long 4 days if they don't.

TRIP TO CASHMERE

Another hot day here in Leavenworth. You've heard of a 3 dog night, well this is a 3 air conditioner day. I got cooled off this morning with my weekly bath in the sink, but Kathe spoiled all that with the hair dryer. I think I look okay now, but there is so much dust here it won't last long. I went for a walk with Gianni and Lady Bella this morning and I'm happy to report that Gainni is tip top once again. I called him, "poodle leg", this morning because they shaved one leg just like a poodle when he had the IV in the hospital. Poor guy, he has to wear a glucose monitor on his chest for 10 days too. But we're just so happy to have him back again that we can't stop wagging our tails.

The humans took a drive to the town of Cashmere this afternoon while we doggies stayed home in the air conditioning. Cashmere is known for two things and they enjoyed both of them today.

First, the town is the home of the Liberty Orchard Company, the maker of the Aplets and Cotlets candy. Even with the pandemic they were still able to take a guided tour of the factory which has been producing the famous candy for 100 years. It was a private tour, just the four of them and the guide. It was very interesting, and after the tour they got to sample the candies. Of course they went shopping and bought some treats to take home.

After the candy, it was time for lunch around the corner at Country Boys Barbecue. See that pig? That's what happens when you visit that place, the food is so good that you make a pig of yourself! Even the pig wears a mask.

BAVARIA IN WASHINGTON

Here's the tip of the day-when you are very hot, lay down on the tile floor and make everyone step over you. Do not move until they offer you some food. It works! It was still in the high nineties today and Jim had all 3 air conditioners blasting all day.

I'm going to make this short, the internet here is terrible and I'm having a hard time getting my blog done.  Even my pictures are having a hard time traveling from Kathe's phone to my computer. Today there will be only one picture, if I can even get that downloaded.

It's my guess that people must come here to get away from it all, because even with cell phone boosters and hot spots galore no one seems to be able to get a strong signal. And the Park WIFI is a joke! Maybe all the people here just sit around relaxing and talking to each other.

Anyway, today all the humans went into the little Bavarian town to do some shopping. The Kathies spent time in the Christmas store and the Nutcracker Museum while the guys seemed to be interested in the sporting goods store and the German restaurants. They brought home some food from Ludwig's. There was enough food to feed the German army. Warren and Jim had to have the specialty, Schweinshax'n, while the Kathies ate Chicken Schnitzel.

WORTH THE DRIVE

Hard day today. We drove five hours, most of the way on State Highway 2. It took forever because there were so many areas of the road under construction. Many parts of the roadway were only one way, with a flagman holding up traffic. It seemed like we were stopped waiting more than we

were driving on the highway.

Add to that the fact that we got a rock chip on our windshield first thing this morning, had a malfunction indication light on the dashboard, and had to stop to deflate one of the tires that was becoming over inflated due to the excessive heat. And, we had to stop once for Gianni who had a little problem with his blood sugar. He is much better now, but Kathy and Warren have to monitor his sugar levels to keep him well.

Oh, did I mention that it was 103 today at 4:30 when we finally arrived in Leavenworth, WA. And I have my fur coat on!

It really was a tough day, but I'm not complaining! Much! Anyway here's a picture out of our front window of the Icicle River. We are parked right on the edge of the cliff. A great place to stay for the next 3 days. Like I said, it was worth the drive.

ANOTHER DRIVE ON THE ISLAND

Kathy and Warren have been on Whidbey Island before and have many great memories to share. Today they all headed South on the island to one of those memories in the town of Freeland.  It was about an hour long drive to the Greenbank Farm and Wine Shop and Farm for lunch. A lot has happened since their last visit, and not just the pandemic. Pretty much everything was closed and lunch was out of the question. The farm was to be sold to a developer but that was stopped and the farm is now the Whidbey Island Land Trust. Just a few shops were still clinging to life, but most of the visitors were just hiking the hills with their dogs. Luckily, the pie shop and the wine shop were still in business. They purchased this Marionberry pie and some dessert wine. And the hunt for somewhere to eat lunch began again.

There were so many people everywhere they went that they decided to travel back over the Deception Pass Bridge to the Shrimp Shack in Anacortes.  Big mistake, there were a

gazillion cars on the bridge and just as many people lined up outside the restaurant, and they were all too close together without masks. So, they turned around went back over the bridge and ate lunch at home. This is a picture from the bridge looking toward Anacortes.

We are waiting for Gianni to be released from the hospital tonight. He's doing much better and I can't wait to give him a big lick! Tomorrow we head to Leavenworth, Washington for the next 3 nights.

BIKE AND HIKE

A sunny Saturday on Whidbey Island. This area is so crowded, looks like everyone from Seattle has decided to spend a day at Deception State Park. By early afternoon there were "PARK FULL" signs at all of the entrances.

This morning after breakfast, the bikes and helmets were assembled and off they went for a spin around Cranberry Lake. There were a lot of cars beginning to clog up the roads and the parking lots, so the ride was short but beautiful.

After a quick lunch, my humans wanted to take a short hike in the park to the bridge. Forget about it! There was no place to park the car and there were hundreds of people walking around. No one was wearing a mask. Warren said the parking lot looked like the one day sale at Macy's, so as soon as they could, they left the park and headed out to another area of the Park. Across the highway there was the Marina and Cornet Bay. Here is a picture is looking across the bay to the Deception Pass bridge.

Still looking for a place to hike, they continued south on the highway to Dugualla Bay State Park to find the South Park Trail. By now it was too late to take a long hike to the beach so they had to be content with a hike through the trees. It was very pretty, and they had the trail to themselves.

Gianni is still in the hospital and we are waiting to hear the outcome of more tests today. Keeping my paws crossed that he will be back home soon.

ISLAND EXPLORING

It was a little foggy early this morning, but the sun came out by 9:00. It looked like everyone was going to go for a bike ride, but that fizzled out pretty quickly. After a second cup of coffee for the  humans and another stroll around the campground for me, today's plan turned into a scenic drive of Whidbey Island. There are several little towns, and attractions all down the Island. We are staying at the northern most tip of Whidbey, so there was a lot more to see.

First, they went out on the western coast of the Island to see the coast and view the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The beach was deserted and they were able to walk the beach and breathe some fresh air.

There was a bakery that the Taylors remembered in the little town of Coupeville that was next on the agenda. The bakery was open for take-out and serving delicious sandwiches. After a little window shopping and a walk on the pier they headed back out to coast.

Kathe wanted to see the Admiralty Head

Lighthouse and the guys wanted to stop at Fort Worden Historical State Park. Here is a picture of the Lighthouse, but there were so many kids climbing all over the fort that a picture wasn't possible!

Update on Gianni, he's feeling a little better. He has to stay overnight again in the hospital and we are all hoping that he will be able to come home soon.

WHIDBEY ISLAND

Things were very upsetting this morning for all of us. Gianni was so sick last night that he had to go to the veterinarian this morning. Kathy didn't want to wait until Friday and we were all very worried about him. After they ran some tests, they found out that his blood sugar was very high and that he may be diabetic. They will keep him overnight and then, hopefully with medication he will be tip top again.

While Gianni was at the vet we moved to Whidbey Island and to the North Widbey Island Resort. It's only 11 miles from Fidalgo Bay so I hardly had time to take a nap in my crate before we were checking in. We had to cross Deception Pass Bridge that connects Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island and that was very scary! It's so narrow that I thought our rear view mirrors were going to snap off! They were working on the bridge and that made it even more narrow. Plus, there were people walking on the bridge only a few inches away from the edge.

We made it without a scratch to our destination. The sites are really close together and very narrow, so getting situated in our spot was a challenge. The only saving grace is that we are directly across the street from the entrance to Deception Pass State Park. Kathe and Jim drove over to the Park this afternoon to check out the beach and the campground. It's a huge park with over 300 campsites, all of which are too small for our coach. Kathe took this picture of Cranberry Lake which is one of the main attractions in the Park.