BUSY DAY

It was a very cold and cloudy morning with rain dew drops making Kathe and I cold and crabby this morning. Kathy T and Jim took a long bike ride all over the park and returned in time for a hot dog lunch at Costco. Some more food shopping followed.

This afternoon they all decided to visit the Colombia Maritime Museum. It’s a big beautiful building that looks like a ship. It is located along the river downtown at the wharf. They spent several hours there learning about the history and dangers of the Columbia River. One exhibit was all about the shipwrecks at the mouth of the Columbia. There have been over 2000 shipwrecks as the waves can reach 40 in height during the severe winter storms. There were some other interesting exhibits about the U S Coast Guard and the Columbia River Bar Pilots. Some of the exciting films of Coast Guard rescues could make you sea sick as the waves were so rough. In one hall there were several boats on display which were used for fishing including a gill net boat donated by my Aunt Vicki’s family. 

After the museum closed at 5:00 there was still enough time to drive up to Astoria most famous landmark, the Astoria column. Build in 1926, it is 125 feet high and sits on Coxcomb Hill, which is 600 feet above sea level. You can see the whole city from the top. There’s a 164 step spiral staircase inside to column that leads to an observation tower. Jim says he wants to go back tomorrow and climb to the top. We shall see!

WILD LIFE

Here at Fort Stevens we had a day to explore the area and see some wildlife. There are a zillion chipmunks. They are so busy eating and storing pinecones for winter that they hardly notice me. I saw a whole family of deer on my early morning walk and I might have even gotten closer but for the two loud mouth French bulldogs that scared them off. In the late morning we drove past a mama elk and her baby munching on the grass in front of the ranger station. Last night we say a whole herd of them on the way back from dinner. Those guys are twice as tall as a Great Dane. We kept our distance when we took this picture.

Later today we had a nice visit from Doreen and Jerry and their friend Candy. Doreen brought us treats from Trader Joe’s which we can’t get here.

In the late afternoon my humans explored the park. Fort Steven’s has a lot of history including that of being a military installation that guarded the mouth of the Columbia River since the civil war. It is the site of the only attack on a military installation in the United States by a foreign energy was ship since the war of 1812. In 1942 a Japanese submarine surfaced off Fort Steven’s and fired 17 shells from her deck gun. This is a picture of the Fort.

FORT STEVENS

We are here in Oregon at Fort Steven’s State Park. A rough drive today, lots of ups and downs and curvy roads. We didn’t arrive till 4:00. Taylor’s took a wrong turn and arrived 30 minutes after us. Here is a picture of the 4 mile long bridge that we drove across to enter Oregon.

Fort Steven’s is really huge. Ours sites are narrow and close together and worst of all, for the human, no internet or cell service. It’s a state park! I’m lucky, Kathe and I  have AT&T but everyone else has Verizon and is unable to use their phones or internet in the park. On the bright side, there are lots of big trees and over a million pine cones right in our site, so it’s not so bad. 

There are lots of elk in the park and I will try to get a picture tomorrow. It’s late now and Kathe wants to go to bed. They went out for Mexican and she drank two Mojitos, so I guess she will take the Ipad away from me now and we will all go to sleep. 

TOKELAND

That’s really the name of a town. Late this afternoon Kathe, Jim, and Warren went for a drive to the small town of Tokeland, eleven miles south at the end of the peninsula. There are only 99 residents that live there and probably about a million oysters. 

They drove to the end of the pier and watched boats out in the bay harvesting oysters. Then they noticed several people pulling crab pots off the pier. One of the men let them watch as he checked his trap. It was full of crabs. Unfortunately, so many of them were either female or too small to keep that he only ended up with one crab large enough to keep. He must have tossed a dozen back into the bay. Then he took a salmon fish head and baited the trap again and lowered back into the water. 

Kathe and Warren decided to see if there were any crabs for sale. They were told to see the captain of the boat “Jim Bob” to see if he would sell them a couple of crabs. They were able to buy 2 live crabs for $10.00 and he threw in a third for free! What a deal. At the fish market in Westport they wanted $19.00 per crab. When they got back to camp Kathe helped Warren cook them and she plans to make crab cakes with the meat tomorrow.

In honor of the International Mermaid Museum tonight’s cocktail was “Mermaids Water”.

WESTPORT

After yesterday you would think that my humans would give up and just stay home. I guess that’s not in the cards for this group. First thing this morning they checked on the cranberry museum again and found it was still closed. Too bad it really looked interesting.

They made a quick u-turn and headed for Westport, Washington. First stop was the International Mermaid Museum. Yes, that’s really a thing. From the pictures I’d say that they might have been to a museum this hokey before, but I doubt it. Lots of junky dummy mermaids hanging in all sorts of positions. And they paid $3.00 dollars to tour it. The saving grace was the beautiful garden and a winery on the same property so it wasn’t a total loss. The wines were too expensive, so there was no tasting today.

The best  part of the day was the time they spent at the harbor in Westport. They had a great lunch at the Blue Buoy Restaurant, and walked along the harbor. There were lots of small tourist shops for the Kathies filled with T-shirts, salt water taffy, fudge and Christmas ornaments. Warren and Jim walked along the dock and spoke to the fishermen. Maybe they were getting some good tips on fishing techniques.

When we returned to camp our next door neighbor who had just returned from a chartered fishing trip presented us with some Ling Cod that he caught. Fish tacos!

CLOSED

Rainy morning, so we all slept late. First order of business today was an emergency trip to Walmart in Aberdeen because the Taylor’s coffee maker pooped out. They have been traveling with the same coffee maker for twenty years so you can understand the emergency. They just don’t make coffee makers like that anymore, hope the new one lasts as long.

After lunch they decided to visit the Cranberry Museum only to find that it closed early on Sunday. And it’s only open Thursday through Sunday so we missed that one. Next, they decided to visit the Gray Harbor Lighthouse in Newport, Washington. It’s Washington’s tallest at 107 feet.  It was also closed today, and won’t open again until Tuesday when we will already be in Oregon. See picture.

Lastly, they tried to visit the Newport Maritime Heritage Center, but it was closed until Tuesday as well. Bad Luck all around.

The best thing about today was our dinner. The humans stopped at an oyster shack and bought fresh oysters and clams for dinner. Warren grilled the oysters on the charcoal grill and made a delicious fettuccine with clam sauce for dinner. My Kathe made garlic bread and Pineapple Martinis and the day was complete. This is a picture of our site #17. So quiet and dark at night.

GRAYLAND

Yes, it’s been a gray day for us. A five hour drive over 200 miles with traffic through Seattle and Tacoma. We even had a little rain on the way. All of us were really happy when we finally pulled into Grayland State Park. 

This park is so remote, it’s over 19 miles to the nearest supermarket. It’s quiet and beautiful. Our sites are great, we backed up into the trees and everything is so green. It’s still overcast and wet, but we are so close to the ocean that it’s probably fog. We’re looking forward to our four days here in the peace and quiet. 

After we got set up, Kathe and Jim took a walk through the trees to the beach. There are several hikes marked as beach trails from the campground. They took a long walk to the ocean which was at very low tide. No one in the water but the sea birds. 

I guess I spoke too soon about the quiet. Right now we are experiencing a very loud thunderstorm. Going to curl up in my bed for the night.

LANGLEY

Before I tell you about today I need to tell you about last night here at the campsite. I finished writing the blog and the humans started playing  a card game. All of a sudden there was the loudest noise I have ever heard and it sounded like it was right on top of us.  Forget what I said yesterday about the sound of freedom. This was the sound of doom. 

For the next three hours the Navy was practicing carrier landings. The Navy flies EA-18G Growlers, and they are LOUD! We all went outside to watch what was going on and they were flying so low that we could almost see the pilot. Back and forth they flew, over and over again.  It was scary and beautiful at the same time. It was like having an air show in our backyard. 

After a good nights sleep, Jim and Kathy T went for a bike ride in Deception Park. They came home frozen stiff. Later in the morning the humans decided to drive to the town of Langley at the  south end of the island. Langley is a waterfront city, known as “The Village by the Sea”. There are a lot of galleries, shops and restaurants in town and it’s a popular destination for whale watching.

This evening it’s very quiet and all the humans have left for a seafood dinner at Anthony’s in Anacortes. If my Kathe has the crab for dinner I know there will be no leftovers for me.

THE SOUND OF FREEDOM

No, that’s not when Kathe drops my leash and I take off. I mean the sounds of all the fighter planes taking off here on the island. Whidbey Island is the home of the Oak Grove Navel Air Station. We hear the jets blasting over us all day long. We call that “the sound of freedom.”

Today it’s so foggy and cold that no one wants to do anything or go anywhere. Kathy T took a solo bike ride this morning to the beach but return quickly because she was so cold. My humans have pretty much been sitting around doing nothing at all for me to write about. If you ask me I think all that hiking yesterday might be the issue.

As for myself I had a trip to the Best Friends Clinic this afternoon because I have an infection in my drivers side eyeball. I must have gotten a scratch from a pine needle or weed on one of my walks. I do bump into things sometimes like that. The nice lady vets gave me lots of pats and cuddles before they gave me some eyedrops to use for the next 10 days. We shall see how that goes!

Here’s a picture of the sunset last night. I won’t bore you with another picture of yours truly. 

UNDER THE BRIDGE

Late this morning my humans left for a hike in the Deception Pass State Park which is right across the street from our RV Park. Luckily, Jim purchased an annual Washington State Discover Pass so we can go into every State Park here for free. Once they were in the Park they started to look for some places to hike. The Ranger wasn’t very helpful and told them just to use the QR code to find a hike. Right! Anyway, they found some wooden signs for a couple hikes the old fashioned way. 

First, they hiked straight uphill along a cliff that led to the Bay Bridge. The Bridge Trail was a pretty easy half mile up and under the Deception Bay Bridge. The second hike wasn’t very well marked and they ended up at the shoreline and watched some people trying to catch salmon. Since that wasn’t the hike they were looking for they started back up the path to the parking lot. Then they found the trail that they wanted, the North Beach Trail. That was a rough one. It was a forest trail that passed through old-growth Douglas fir trees. It was a great hike but there were lots of roots and rocks which made it slow going. They were high above the ocean along a cliff the whole way. Beautiful.

After lunch they took a drive to the historic seaside town of Coupeville. It’s a tiny village, one of Washington’s oldest towns known for its scenic waterfront. Of course there were some little quirky shops for the tourists that my humans enjoyed. The movie Practical Magic was filmed in Coupeville, and many of the shops have merchandise with that in mind.

When they returned, my Kathe noticed that I had an infection in my eye, so it’s off to the veterinary clinic tomorrow for me.  When they asked Kathe to have my medical records sent by email to them tonight, little did they know that my records are 168 pages long. After all I’ve been going to the same vet for almost 20 years!

WHIDBEY ISLAND

Driving again today. It was an easy, short drive on Highway 20 except for all the roundabouts. When you are as big as we are and towing a car behind yourself, it’s really difficult to get in the correct lane in a roundabout. I think we had 4 or 5 of them on the route this morning. A little nerve racking when there are two big coaches traveling together through the circle. 

We are here at North Whidby Island RV Park. A bit of confusion here when we arrived. They were making a repair to the water line and there was no water at any of the sites. Warren and Kathy were to park next to us but something was wrong with the power at the post. They were moved to a different site way across the park from us. After a few hours the water was restored and power in the site next to us was repaired. The Taylor’s decided to stay where they were since they were all settled in.

Most of the day was spent relaxing. Kathe worked on her needlepoint, Jim worked on the computer and I took a well deserved nap. This evening they all piled into Warrens car and went to dinner at the Shrimp Shack, just over the Deception Pass Bridge. They stopped to take this picture just before the sunset.

FISHING NOT CATCHING

That’s an old joke. They call it fishing, they don’t call it catching. And that’s what they tried to do today. It took a while to get things together for today’s fishing expedition. First, trying to get fishing licenses after the women at the gas station, the only place in town to get a license, said she couldn’t help them until 2:00. Then trying to purchase the license on line which was challenging for some and not so challenging for others. Ok now, licenses in hand,  gear packed, chairs loaded, and let’s not forget lunch. 

They set off for Baker Lake where the cut throat trout are plentiful. It was a 17 mile drive through lots of beautiful trees. Only once they got to that lake there was no access and no place to park. Next,  they drove another 13 miles in the opposite direction to check out Vogler Lake. Only to find out that that one was a catch and release only lake. Back in the car for another 11 mile drive to Shannon Lake outside of the town of Concrete. Then there was an 8 mile drive on a one lane gravel road to find the beautiful lake with Mt. Baker in the background. Unfortunately, this  lake was  not accessible without climbing down a very rocky path to the lake shoreline.

Once they carried all the stuff down the steep embankment to the rocky shore they started fishing. Hours later, still no fish. The only bite all day was a mosquito on Warren’s face.

So, tonight it’s steak and potatoes for dinner! The cocktail is a pineapple martini. 

SMOKE AND ALMOST FIRE

I’ll get to the smoke later, but first the “almost” fire part of my story.  Last night we were all sitting around the campfire (propane of course) and I decided to walk over and stick my nose in the fire ring! Not too bright. My Kathe jumped up to save me from becoming a canine torch and promptly fell on her buttocks. Luckily, Warren jumped over and pulled me to safety.  It was very scary for all of us. Note to self: don’t do that again!

Okay now for now the smoke part. Today the humans set out for a hike the Ross Dam trail. As they started driving east the sky started getting darker, and darker. By the time they reached the North Cascades National Park they smelled the smoke. The Ranger told us that the closest fire is about 25 miles away. We are only getting the smoke today because the wind shifted but she advised us not to continue to Ross Dam. 

The Ranger gave two suggestions for hikes where they would not be impacted (inhaling) smoke.  The first hike was the River Loop Trail which was right in the National Park.  It was a very peaceful gravel trail with forest of old grove redwoods and a great view of the Skagit River. 

After returning to our campsite they took another hike right here in Rockport. The Ranger also recommended this hike in the Rockport State Park. By this time the winds had changed making hiking in this park really enjoyable.  The Sauk Spring Trail had many very tall Redwood including one called the Grandmother which was over 400 year old. The last hike of the day was another view of the Skagit River walking through a forest  more beautiful redwoods and ferns. Everyone is tired and happy tonight. 

UP AND OVER THE MOUNTAIN

The drive today was gnarly. We drove highway 20 from Twist to Rockport, Washington. It was a hard drive for Warren and Jim but everyone else enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The Mountains were so high that we thought we were in Canada again. We drove up and over Washington pass at 5,477, then down and across Rainy pass at 4,855 ft. All around us were even higher mountains! Mt. Logan at 9,087 ft, Gardner Mountain at 8,897 ft, and many other mountains over 8,000 ft in the distance. 

And the trees! Forests of  western red-cedar, big leaf maple, ponderosa pine, red alder, and lodgepole pine for miles and miles around us. There were a few waterfalls, and we even saw snow on some mountain tops. As we approached the end of our drive we could see Diablo Lake, a huge glaciated green lake with lots of people on paddle boards. My Kathe tried to take pictures through the windshield, so pardon the bugs!

Our home for the next three days is Glacier Peak Winery and RV Park. It’s a beautiful setting with lots of trees and blackberries bushes. As usual, Jim doesn’t like our site, but I reminded him that it’s Labor Day weekend and we’re lucky to have any spot! There are several hiking trails. I like it here as we have a big grass area between our two sites for Lady Bella and me to sniff and relax. We might be the only doggies here in the park, so we have the whole place to explore. 

There is a possibility that we might go fishing while we are here. There’s a river across the highway from our campground which is a beautiful clear green, but too shallow for fishing without a boat. 

FISH ON

The sun is shining today, and our RV park is filling up in anticipation of the Labor Day weekend. There’s been a lot of talk all week about finding the best place to go fishing here in Twisp. Jim and Warren ask the people in every sporting goods store and picked up some maps of lakes in the area. After much deliberation they decided to buy fishing licenses and travel to Blackpine Lake today where the fish were supposed to be ready for the taking.

After packing the car with fishing gear, camp chairs, and lunch and set off for the lake. Even with GPS they couldn’t find the right road. After several false starts, they finally drove on Twisp River Road for 11 miles before they found a faded sign on the side of road with an arrow pointing left. “BlackPine 8 miles ahead.”  They drove the first 4 miles on pavement, the next 4 miles on gravel, and finally found the lake.

It was a beautiful lake, but the fishing weren’t exactly easy to catch. After trying all hooks, lures, and bait, Kathy T caught the first fish. It was a really large trout, big enough to take home. They continued to fish for hours trying different equipment and didn’t get another bite. 

A couple of kids joined them on the dock and started pulling fish in one after another. After watching them catch 4 in a row, Jim asked what method and type of bait they were using. He then followed their directions and right away he caught a large trout. 

It was a great day even if they only went home with 2 fish.The fish are in the freezer for now. Our fish dinner will have to wait. It was sausages and cabbage with apples tonight.

PEARRYGIN LAKE PARK

We were happy this morning to see that the rain had finally stopped. It wasn’t a bad storm, just light rain all night long. The sun never came out today, but it didn’t stop the humans from their plans for a bike ride in the State Park.  Well, at least 3 out of 4 planned to ride, but my Kathe decided to just hike in the park. She wanted to avoid another crash after her last encounter with the pavement. At least she can still stay upright while walking!

The bike trail started out on gravel and then turned into a single narrow track. It was difficult for Warren as his electric bike wasn’t working at all and Kathy’s controller stopped working several times causing her to fall into the bushes. Seems like Jim was the only one who enjoyed the ride. His bike has lots of gears in addition to an electric motor. They were all disappointed except my Kathe who walked for about an hour and then sat on a bench reading her Kindle while waiting for the riders to return.

 While she was hiking she stopped to take some pictures of the lake. The terrain was very dry and there was recently a fire in one area of the park. There were still lots of green pine trees and grass around the lake. A good lake for the paddle boarders.

If you’re wondering what I’ve been doing I’ve been taking very slow walks around the campground and along the river. So far I haven’t seen any wildlife. No chipmunks, no squirrels, nada. I did find a feather this afternoon, but no bird. I’ll keep looking!

AT LAST A RAINY DAY

It’s been so hot everywhere we’ve gone that a little rain was welcome this morning.  In my opinion it wasn’t rain, just a few sprinkles here and there, I didn’t even need to shake it off when  I came inside. But you know humans, a little rain and out come the windbreakers and rain coats. They have such short fur it really does seem necessary to me. All this worry about rain cancelled out the plans for fishing and bike riding today. It took all four of them sitting around this morning to decide what to do in the “rain.”

First they visited the number one thing to do in Twisp, the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery. Eight pastries and four coffees later, it was time to explore the town of Winthrop.

Driving to Winthrop with everyone telling Jim different directions, they almost missed the town. My Kathe remembered being here before and finally convinced him to drive over the bridge into the historic area of town.  They spent the whole afternoon shopping in the various shops. Jim finally bought a new pair of hiking boots after years of shopping for the perfect pair. We shall see!

The town has a western theme and wooden sidewalks and many of the store fronts look like they are the original stores from 1924 when the town was established. The Kathies looked at all the kitchen gadgets and clothing, but the guys did a lot of bench warming. 

Later, they finally found the ACE hardware store and purchased fishing licenses. Looks like the Taylor’s and Jim plan to catch our Friday dinner. My Kathe is taking no chances, going to the grocery store just in case. Looks like it’s bike riding tomorrow if the weather clears. 

TWISP

A short and scenic drive today to the town of Twisp, our home for the next four nights, the Riverbend Resort. The highway was steep in many parts and a lot of sharp turns. Our drive was interesting, we left behind all the orchards and vineyards along the river and we started to see more fields of hay and horses. Once we got set up at the campground we had sites facing the Methow River. They are long sites with some grass and lots of trees for shade. It is very warm here but not as hot as previous spots at Summerhill Farm. 

This afternoon we just watched the river go by. It’s shallow and there are lots of rocks. There is some talk of fishing, as there are several lakes nearby. Will it ever be more than talk, I wonder? Jim wants to find a hike, but it’s still very warm for that, at least if we went fishing I could dip my paws in the water and cool off.

The “She Shed” was finally set up this evening. Dinner was served inside the screened in shed. While they were eating dinner they thought they saw a black bear across the river behind a tree! Then all of a sudden there were 10 or 15 of them coming down to the river to drink! Only they were cows! 

ONE LAZY DAY

It was so hot today that everyone slept in until after nine o’clock. It was a lazy day for all of us. After my second breakfast, I went back to sleep. I got tired of watching Jim on his phone and Kathe with her nose in her Kindle, so I curled up and got some shut eye. 

Then around eleven o’clock Kathe pulled out her needlepoint and Jim went over to the Taylor’s to chop up some oak wood for the barbecue.

Kathy T spent the morning organizing kitchen cabinets. The biggest excitement all day for the humans was their trip to Walmart. Told you it was a lazy day.

We are just about the only campers here today as most everyone left on Sunday. It’s really, really quiet here with just us and the coyotes at night.

Kathe and Jim went out to the u-pick raspberries this afternoon only to find that the vines had all been cut down. Never fear, they picked some giant blackberries, and bought a watermelon at the farm store.  

If you ask me, it was really a nice restful day. Tonight we watched the farmers kids on their motor bikes chasing the deer away from the apple trees. Perhaps something more exciting will happen tomorrow when we get to Twisp, Washington.

Here are some pictures of the farm, it was really a great four days here.

LAKE CHELAN

It’s very hot today. Over 100 degrees and there are no trees to shade us in this big metal box we live in. Luckily, we have 3 air conditioners going at full blast so staying inside is the ticket for me.

The humans decided to explore the area of Lake Chelan this afternoon. First, they started to drive around the lake. They drove for miles and never reached the end of this giant lake. It’s over 50 miles long and at its widest point it’s two miles across. There were lots of boats on the lake and hundreds of homes built on the shore. They were thinking about renting a boat tomorrow but decided to do that at a smaller less populated lake.  There were so many boats, paddle boards, and kayaks in the lake today, I think that a good call.

They drove into the historical town center and watched a dozen or more teenagers jumping off the bridge going into town. There is a sign that says “no jumping off the bridge” but that didn’t seem to stop anyone. There were several interesting shops in the town. A few clothing stores, a kitchen store, a health food market, and several real estate brokers in one city block. The Kathies purchased some fudge and my Kathe bought some kitchen gadgets. Then it was time for lunch. They stopped at a bar and grill and ate huge salads before heading back home to nap before dinner.

This evening they had dinner at the Siren Song winery. A beautiful setting high above the lake. They enjoyed the wine and the dinner and took this photograph before the sun set tonight.

JUST CHILLING

Another day on the farm! While I was taking my after breakfast nap, Jim and Kathe walked to the edge of the farm to check out the Farm Store. Goodness knows we don’t need anymore fruits or vegetables but they couldn’t resist. There is a raspberry patch in front of our coach and this morning they were harvesting the berries. Jim and Kathe got the last box for $6 at the farm store, they look delicious. Apparently, they have a u-pick option and for $4 you can pick a pint for yourself. Maybe they will do that before we leave the farm on Monday.

Today was mostly chores for the humans. Jim paying bills and Kathe doing laundry. I have been enjoying this place on my many short walks during the day and longer walks when it cools off in the evening. Kathy T said she heard coyotes last night, so we better be careful.

This afternoon Warrens daughter and grandson arrived for the day. They went kayaking this morning and arrived after lunch. Tawny, Warren’s daughter knows a lot about the wineries in this area. She suggested they make a trip to one of her favorites, Tildio Winery. It was a beautiful setting overlooking the lake. Warren stayed home with his grandson and started cooking the ribs he plans to serve for dinner tonight.  

Right now it’s time for Margaritas, chips and guacamole, over at the Taylor’s. I’m going too, you never know when the chips may fall. 

DOWN ON THE FARM

Interesting drive today. We passed miles and miles of pear orchards just ripe for the picking. Of course at 60 miles per hour my pictures are a blur. We know that all those pears are ready to be picked because there were large wooden boxes set out by the orchards waiting to be filled. Once we passed the city of Wenatchee we drove north all along Lake Entiat, a 17 mile long reservoir. Lots of water skiers on that smooth water.

Finding our destination, Summerhill Farm RV Park was really difficult.  We drove past the city of Chelan, past the Lake, and up, up, up to the top of steep hill before we finally found the place. We were thinking that we would be camped by a Lake, but instead we are camped on a farm.  

It’s not what we expected but it’s really pretty special. It’s a working farm and we have full hookups facing a field of raspberries and the apple orchards. There are several tent sites in between the rows of apple trees where families have set up camp, but our sites are more traditional. There’s a farm store where we can purchase all kinds of fruits and vegetables on the honor system. 

It was super warm today when I went to visit the billy goats, but now it’s cool and so quiet. Since we are so far away from the city tonight the stars  amazing!

LAST DAY AT ICICLE RIVER

It was a slow morning for me and my Kathe. The Taylors and Jim left us home and went on a long bike ride. So, with nothing else to do, I got dunked into the kitchen sink for a bath. I was pretty shabby after two weeks in the dirt and now I’m beautiful again. The bike ride was sort of a bust as KathyT got a flat tire and the electric motor on Warren’s bike pooped out. Jim had to ride his bike back to the campsite and drove Warrens car back to the rescue. 

This is our last night here on the river. There is some wildlife here, mostly dogs chasing sticks in the river. We did see a deer one night crossing the river very slowly. And last night someone left trash out and a black bear helped himself to a meal. 

After a trip to the fruit stand and the Safeway today, I think we’re ready to move on. Tomorrow it’s a short 61 miles to Chelan as we continue the Cascade Loop. I’m looking forward to new territory!

WENATCHEE AND CASHMERE

First tonight, my Kathe wants to say thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes to her today. I know she was trying to forget about getting older, but look at all the fun we are having, Jim and I made her favorite blueberry pancakes this morning and the day just kept getting better.

While I was sleeping, they slipped out to explore a couple of nearby towns. In Wenatchee they visited the Pybar Public Market. A really interesting market with lots of food and crafts for sale. The market was in a quiet area along the river and the city park.

Cashmere is the home of the Aplets and Cotlets factory. They visited this place several years ago and wanted to go back for more of the delicious candies. They didn’t take a factory tour this time. They just ate samples and bought boxes of candy. The last time they were here the town was deserted and now there are new buildings and businesses down every street. Sadly, the “Cowboys Barbecue”was replaced by another not so great restaurant where they had lunch.

They discovered a giant antique shop on the other end of town and spent over an hour looking in all the displays. For a while my Kathe got lost because were so many tiny rooms to explore.

Tonight the cocktail was a key lime martini with a graham cracker twist. And for the birthday girl a crab fettuccine dinner.

LEAVENWORTH

Retail therapy today. While I was sleeping my humans sneaked out to go shopping in Leavenworth. This town is a German Disneyland. All the buildings are styled to make the town look like a little Bavaria. There are lots of interesting shops, restaurants, and bakeries all with a German theme.  They spent the whole morning shopping and decided to have pizza for lunch after the heavy German food they ate last night.

Years ago the town of Leavenworth was on the verge of becoming a ghost town. After the loss of the logging industry and the railroad, the townspeople proposed a Bavarian theme village to boost tourism. It sure worked. There were hundreds of families out last night and again this afternoon enjoying the town.

We are going to cook hamburgers tonight and just maybe something for us doggies

STEVENS PASS

Most scenic drive yet! Today we drove from Sultan to Leavenworth on Route 2 and climbed over Steven’s Pass. The elevation is over 4000 feet and the views are spectacular. These pictures were taken through the windshield this morning as we followed the Taylors down the mountain. We were glad we were here in the summer as they have 62 snowfall days and the snow can be as high as 337 feet in the pass.

We arrived at the Icicle River Resort in the early afternoon. There was a lot of confusion about our sites with the Taylor’s being on one side of the park with a view of the river and we were not next to them. They tried to put us in a spot that was for a 25/foot rig and we almost fit. We were way across the park from the Taylor’s and that site was so tippy that we couldn’t get level. Kathe wasn’t very happy about the mix up at all. No river view either! 

About 30 minutes later they moved us to another site and we were moved closer to the Taylor’s and had our river view, seem they gave our site to someone else and we were given a site for a couple named Rebus not Riha. Everything sort of worked out but what a mess!

All the humans went to a German Restaurant this evening. They all ate too much and drank beer. They were singing along to the accordion player and really enjoyed themselves. 

Bella and I walked together after dinner with the Kathies. We explored the park and had a great time meeting and greeting others of our kind. We like it here!