PORT ANGELES, WA
posted by The Highway Guys @ 8:33 PM
0 comments
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
050727 - Forks & Port Angeles
July 25,2005
FORKS, WASHINGTON
Leaving Copalis Beach held no remorse for us. We are glad to get away. Hopefully we will still get to enjoy some of the view of the Pacific as we head north.
Many of us are familiar with the Pacific Coast Highway as it travels along the coastline from the tip of California to Oregon. It’s a very scenic road and you can depend on a continuous ocean view, regardless of which direction you are driving the coast.
This is not true for Washington. It seems that the coast of this state is so primitive and dangerous, it forces the highway inland at many points and then miles later it cautiously ventures toward the ocean again.
In addition to this challenge, there is another phenomenon that doesn’t exist in most of California or Oregon. Trees. I mean thousands of tress – huge forests – that extend to the shore line. You could be driving thru a forest and not realize that the ocean is just an hundred feet away. I would not have believed it myself if I did not have my GPS tuned in. And then all of a sudden, you’ll turn out of the trees to a breathtaking view of the ocean. We noticed along the way there were beach turn-offs but we didn’t know much about them so we passed them by. The roadway was a 2 lane highway – one each way – but apparently recently renewed. The asphalt was black and smooth, with bright white and yellow lines that made driving a very pleasant ride.
At one point we finally had to abandon all hope of seeing the Pacific again as we turned the Beast eastward.
The town of Forks is right in the middle of the Olympic National Forest. It apparently was an old logging town with a rich history. We didn’t go to any museums to find out what it was.
The park was pleasant, friendly, and grassy, while the weather was warm and sunny. We were happy again. We fired up the Batmobile, cruised the area, found a couple of good restaurants, a supermarket and hardware store that kept us busy.
On our way to Port Angeles, we were once again plunged into the heart and darkness of the forest ( and I do mean dark – headlights a must) when we suddenly come out to the shore of a beautiful lake. Don’t know the name.
We arrived at Port Angeles just after noontime and found our next RV Park but were a little dubious about going in. We circled the block a couple of times and decided to do it. It had a great location, 3 blocks from the water and amidst lots of shops and restaurants, but the entrance was a long. steep downhill lane which I knew the Batmobile would not be able to climb. Fortunately, Peter actually cooperated and helped me pull it up the hill when we needed it.
Port Angeles was really a breath of fresh air. A typical seaside town, with it small shops, and local restaurants (not many fast food places), and its dock area.
The first afternoon we had a great late lunch at Mama’s - a place that was originally the old firehouse. We sat outside, enjoyed our meal and sipped coffee, while enjoying the view down towards the Sound.
The nest morning, we made the rounds. up one street, down the other. A fine lunch of clam chowder and a delicious piece of grilled King Salmon. we then explored the harbor and surrounding neighborhood. We made it back to the Beast with the battery indicator on the Batmobile flashing – in desperate need of a charging, and we were in a desperate need of a nap.
.We relaxed for the evening, dining in, and watching a DVD – Spiderman 2. Good story – great special effects. I gave it a B, Peter gave it 3 paws. He would have rated it higher if the super hero had a dog.
Till next time,
FORKS, WASHINGTON
Leaving Copalis Beach held no remorse for us. We are glad to get away. Hopefully we will still get to enjoy some of the view of the Pacific as we head north.
Many of us are familiar with the Pacific Coast Highway as it travels along the coastline from the tip of California to Oregon. It’s a very scenic road and you can depend on a continuous ocean view, regardless of which direction you are driving the coast.
This is not true for Washington. It seems that the coast of this state is so primitive and dangerous, it forces the highway inland at many points and then miles later it cautiously ventures toward the ocean again.
In addition to this challenge, there is another phenomenon that doesn’t exist in most of California or Oregon. Trees. I mean thousands of tress – huge forests – that extend to the shore line. You could be driving thru a forest and not realize that the ocean is just an hundred feet away. I would not have believed it myself if I did not have my GPS tuned in. And then all of a sudden, you’ll turn out of the trees to a breathtaking view of the ocean. We noticed along the way there were beach turn-offs but we didn’t know much about them so we passed them by. The roadway was a 2 lane highway – one each way – but apparently recently renewed. The asphalt was black and smooth, with bright white and yellow lines that made driving a very pleasant ride.
At one point we finally had to abandon all hope of seeing the Pacific again as we turned the Beast eastward.
The town of Forks is right in the middle of the Olympic National Forest. It apparently was an old logging town with a rich history. We didn’t go to any museums to find out what it was.
The park was pleasant, friendly, and grassy, while the weather was warm and sunny. We were happy again. We fired up the Batmobile, cruised the area, found a couple of good restaurants, a supermarket and hardware store that kept us busy.
On our way to Port Angeles, we were once again plunged into the heart and darkness of the forest ( and I do mean dark – headlights a must) when we suddenly come out to the shore of a beautiful lake. Don’t know the name.
We arrived at Port Angeles just after noontime and found our next RV Park but were a little dubious about going in. We circled the block a couple of times and decided to do it. It had a great location, 3 blocks from the water and amidst lots of shops and restaurants, but the entrance was a long. steep downhill lane which I knew the Batmobile would not be able to climb. Fortunately, Peter actually cooperated and helped me pull it up the hill when we needed it.
Port Angeles was really a breath of fresh air. A typical seaside town, with it small shops, and local restaurants (not many fast food places), and its dock area.
The first afternoon we had a great late lunch at Mama’s - a place that was originally the old firehouse. We sat outside, enjoyed our meal and sipped coffee, while enjoying the view down towards the Sound.
The nest morning, we made the rounds. up one street, down the other. A fine lunch of clam chowder and a delicious piece of grilled King Salmon. we then explored the harbor and surrounding neighborhood. We made it back to the Beast with the battery indicator on the Batmobile flashing – in desperate need of a charging, and we were in a desperate need of a nap.
.We relaxed for the evening, dining in, and watching a DVD – Spiderman 2. Good story – great special effects. I gave it a B, Peter gave it 3 paws. He would have rated it higher if the super hero had a dog.
Till next time,
posted by The Highway Guys @ 6:21 PM
0 comments
Copalis Beach
Is this what we came to see?So where's the beach?
posted by The Highway Guys @ 3:22 PM
0 comments
050724 - Copalis Beach
July 24,2005
Copalis Beach
It’s amazing how you can drive along the coastline and be inside a forest. As you take a turn, there’s the Pacific Ocean, and then a turn a minute later puts you back in the trees again.
You know you are in for a slow and strenuous drive when your computer program gives you the same directions for fastest and scenic routes.
While the experience and scenery is breath taking – and sometimes the driving is also – there has been some mistold story about the vacation areas along this coast.
When they say they are a beach resort, they mean you can see the beach from the resort, but getting there is another matter. These beaches are not the kind found in Malibu or Hawaii. They are rough to get to and as far as describing them close up – I can only guess, because it was too much of a challenge for Peter, me or the Batmobile to overcome.
In fact, as we stood at the end of the road that warned “No Beach Access”, we spoke with a couple that told us they were from a park down the road where it would have been a quarter mile trek to the beach and there were swampy areas thick with mosquitoes as a further deterrent.
Besides that disappointment, the weather has been windy, overcast and downright cold at night. On top of all that, the park we selected has not lived up to its press.
However, we are making the best of it; doing daily excursions on the Batmobile, and if it wasn’t for the Green Lantern, things could be much worse.
It is a local bar and grill that has 2 happy hours. One goes from 7-9 AM, yup – in the morning; and the other from 5-7 PM.
We frequent usually for late breakfast and sometimes late lunch. I’m not sure I want to see this happy hour crowd – either one.
There are a few business establishments (so to speak); general store, craftsmen, trading post, restaurant, etc., and there seems to be a common theme – they don’t know if they are open or closed. You’ll see by some of the pictures what I mean. You may have to go to Yahoo Photos to see them.
This one store across the street is impossible to tell when they are open but yesterday there was quite a racket coming from the rear yard. Turns out some guy is carving a life size bear out of a tree trunk. It was looking pretty good but I couldn’t get close enough for a decent photo.
On the plus side, there are very few insects to deal with, except for a few hail and hardy mosquitoes. One of them got me on the ankle just a fraction of an inch above my “ numb” line. Lucky hit – itches like crazy.
Copalis Beach
It’s amazing how you can drive along the coastline and be inside a forest. As you take a turn, there’s the Pacific Ocean, and then a turn a minute later puts you back in the trees again.
You know you are in for a slow and strenuous drive when your computer program gives you the same directions for fastest and scenic routes.
While the experience and scenery is breath taking – and sometimes the driving is also – there has been some mistold story about the vacation areas along this coast.
When they say they are a beach resort, they mean you can see the beach from the resort, but getting there is another matter. These beaches are not the kind found in Malibu or Hawaii. They are rough to get to and as far as describing them close up – I can only guess, because it was too much of a challenge for Peter, me or the Batmobile to overcome.
In fact, as we stood at the end of the road that warned “No Beach Access”, we spoke with a couple that told us they were from a park down the road where it would have been a quarter mile trek to the beach and there were swampy areas thick with mosquitoes as a further deterrent.
Besides that disappointment, the weather has been windy, overcast and downright cold at night. On top of all that, the park we selected has not lived up to its press.
However, we are making the best of it; doing daily excursions on the Batmobile, and if it wasn’t for the Green Lantern, things could be much worse.
It is a local bar and grill that has 2 happy hours. One goes from 7-9 AM, yup – in the morning; and the other from 5-7 PM.
We frequent usually for late breakfast and sometimes late lunch. I’m not sure I want to see this happy hour crowd – either one.
There are a few business establishments (so to speak); general store, craftsmen, trading post, restaurant, etc., and there seems to be a common theme – they don’t know if they are open or closed. You’ll see by some of the pictures what I mean. You may have to go to Yahoo Photos to see them.
This one store across the street is impossible to tell when they are open but yesterday there was quite a racket coming from the rear yard. Turns out some guy is carving a life size bear out of a tree trunk. It was looking pretty good but I couldn’t get close enough for a decent photo.
On the plus side, there are very few insects to deal with, except for a few hail and hardy mosquitoes. One of them got me on the ankle just a fraction of an inch above my “ numb” line. Lucky hit – itches like crazy.
Tomorrow its on to warmer and prettier sites (we hope).
posted by The Highway Guys @ 3:13 PM
0 comments
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
050717- Chinook
July 16, 2005
This morning was overcast and cool. shortly after hitting the road, the weather turned to a light drizzle which continued on and off for most of the morning.
Geographically, we started off the morning in Washington state, east of the Columbia river. The museum is actually in Astoria, south of the mouth of the Columbia River at the northwest tip of Oregon Therefore we had to cross the river back into Oregon, and travel along route 30.
The Maritime Museum is dedicated to the Coast Guard which is stationed adjacent to the museum.
The Columbia River is the 2nd longest river in the United States. It originates in Canada and is fed by many tributaries. At one time it was wild and untamable but now is managed by many major and minor dams. Astoria, Oregon is at its mouth where it enters the Pacific Ocean with a mighty force. In fact, it is so treacherous to navigation, the area has been named the graveyard of the Pacific. Even today, all ships entering the area must be guided thru by the most experienced sea pilots alive who have complete and tested knowledge of this specific waterway.
At one time, Astoria supported over one hundred salmon canneries but as seen in many other cities, the area was “fished out” and the
Buildings became abandoned, but shipping and commerce continued to grow and do business as far inland as Idaho. At one time there were also hundreds of steamboats that traveled to river, creating town wherever they docked. At that time, the river was the main and easiest road to travel.
After crossing the Astoria bridge – a very large and high magnificent structure that spans the mouth of the Columbia, we were officially back in Washington state, heading for the Pacific coastline. The coastline is actually roadside, and we encountered many fisherman casting out from the surf as we passed by.
Our campsite was easy to find, across the road from the ocean in Chinook. How many people can say they’ve been to Chinook?
The camp is small, friendly, grassy, but gravel roads, which is the natural enemy of rolling walkers.
Our first night here was a pot luck dinner – bar-b-q hamburgers and hot dogs. We don’t like pot luck dinners because we never have anything to contribute, but we are always welcomed as if we did make something. There was plenty of food, and Peter even got presented with a hot dog that fell off the grill. He was at his best behavior and was the center of attraction and conversation.
The sun doesn’t set until 9 pm so that gives me a chance to walk Peter after dinner. He likes that. Keeps him from having to keep his legs crossed overnight.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The weather was beautiful today, so we brought the Batmobile out of its bat cave and prepared it for action. It sure is a wonderful device. Without it, Peter would get no exercise and I would be quite restricted in my ability to see any sights.
Chinook is a really small seaside town that apparently does a good business in fish sales. We traveled a few blocks north and noticed a drive-thru Espresso shop. It just seemed out of place. We followed the signs to the marina and found it to harbor some really nice looking and expense looking boats.
Further down the road we noticed another drive-thru Espresso shop. It’s hard to imagine that the population has that much of an addiction to coffee to support 2 shops and to be in that much of a hurry as to need drive-thrus.
Peter enjoyed the long walk and was pretty tired and thirsty when we got back to the Beast.
As a predicted, our cell phone service is poor to none and our wireless modem cant find a signal. I suspect it will be this way for the next week till we reach Puget sound.
By some quirk of luck, we found an active signal so off it goes before we lose it.
Till next time,
This morning was overcast and cool. shortly after hitting the road, the weather turned to a light drizzle which continued on and off for most of the morning.
Geographically, we started off the morning in Washington state, east of the Columbia river. The museum is actually in Astoria, south of the mouth of the Columbia River at the northwest tip of Oregon Therefore we had to cross the river back into Oregon, and travel along route 30.
The Maritime Museum is dedicated to the Coast Guard which is stationed adjacent to the museum.
The Columbia River is the 2nd longest river in the United States. It originates in Canada and is fed by many tributaries. At one time it was wild and untamable but now is managed by many major and minor dams. Astoria, Oregon is at its mouth where it enters the Pacific Ocean with a mighty force. In fact, it is so treacherous to navigation, the area has been named the graveyard of the Pacific. Even today, all ships entering the area must be guided thru by the most experienced sea pilots alive who have complete and tested knowledge of this specific waterway.
At one time, Astoria supported over one hundred salmon canneries but as seen in many other cities, the area was “fished out” and the
Buildings became abandoned, but shipping and commerce continued to grow and do business as far inland as Idaho. At one time there were also hundreds of steamboats that traveled to river, creating town wherever they docked. At that time, the river was the main and easiest road to travel.
After crossing the Astoria bridge – a very large and high magnificent structure that spans the mouth of the Columbia, we were officially back in Washington state, heading for the Pacific coastline. The coastline is actually roadside, and we encountered many fisherman casting out from the surf as we passed by.
Our campsite was easy to find, across the road from the ocean in Chinook. How many people can say they’ve been to Chinook?
The camp is small, friendly, grassy, but gravel roads, which is the natural enemy of rolling walkers.
Our first night here was a pot luck dinner – bar-b-q hamburgers and hot dogs. We don’t like pot luck dinners because we never have anything to contribute, but we are always welcomed as if we did make something. There was plenty of food, and Peter even got presented with a hot dog that fell off the grill. He was at his best behavior and was the center of attraction and conversation.
The sun doesn’t set until 9 pm so that gives me a chance to walk Peter after dinner. He likes that. Keeps him from having to keep his legs crossed overnight.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The weather was beautiful today, so we brought the Batmobile out of its bat cave and prepared it for action. It sure is a wonderful device. Without it, Peter would get no exercise and I would be quite restricted in my ability to see any sights.
Chinook is a really small seaside town that apparently does a good business in fish sales. We traveled a few blocks north and noticed a drive-thru Espresso shop. It just seemed out of place. We followed the signs to the marina and found it to harbor some really nice looking and expense looking boats.
Further down the road we noticed another drive-thru Espresso shop. It’s hard to imagine that the population has that much of an addiction to coffee to support 2 shops and to be in that much of a hurry as to need drive-thrus.
Peter enjoyed the long walk and was pretty tired and thirsty when we got back to the Beast.
As a predicted, our cell phone service is poor to none and our wireless modem cant find a signal. I suspect it will be this way for the next week till we reach Puget sound.
By some quirk of luck, we found an active signal so off it goes before we lose it.
Till next time,
posted by The Highway Guys @ 10:03 PM
0 comments
Friday, July 15, 2005
050715 - moving north
July 15, 2005
As we travel north thru California, an astonishing and spectacular landmark looms in our windshield. It is Mt Shasta. What an impressive natural wonder. From 50 miles away, it appears as a snow covered (not snow capped) wonder. During the hour it takes to actual approach it, it becomes more impressive with each mile. It is sort of a prelude to the landscape in Oregon that we will soon be immersed in.
We have stayed at a quaint, simple but serene park call “the old orchard”. and in Glendale, Oregon we enjoyed a couple of days at a park hidden in the woods called Meadow Wood. The bonus was that they were both part of a 50% discount plan. Couldn’t beat that.
My favorite Oregon law is the one that requires a gas station attendant to pump your gas. No self-service. You have no idea what a process it is ordinarily.
I have to make sure when I pull up to a pump that I am “on target”, because if I’m off, I have to get back in the Beast and reposition. Then wait for 40-50 gallons to fill and climb back in. Every once in a while my credit card doesn’t register and I have to go into the office to pay.
In Oregon, I just pull up and shout “fill ‘er up”, hand them my credit card, and wait till they announce “ all done” and hand me my receipt (usually for about $100). At one station, the guy actually washed my windshield and got spots I could not reach. Some bugs had been there so long I thought they would never come off.
We are currently in Washington, just north of Portland. Tomorrow we plan on visiting the Maritime Museum at the mouth of the Columbia River, then across the bridge to Chinook. This WILL BE OUR first exposure to the Pacific Coast and I do not know how well my cell phone or wireless modem will work there so I’m getting this off now to warn you that you might not hear from me for about a week. We will be at Copalis Beach, and then move on to Puget Sound.
The weather has been just lovely. In California the temps were in the high 90’s, but Oregon and Washington have more pleasant ranges in the 60-70’s.
Right now we are situated on the Lewis River bank watching some small boats with fisherman and tourists.
I may be new to Rving, but I thought there were 2 types of parking spaces – Back-in and pull thru. At this park we found a third. A pull-in. The site is on the riverbank and you pull into it and back out on leaving. I wonder if there are any other kind.
At a previous park, I was talking with a fellow camper who suggested a few places to visit. There is the “Great Northern Highway” that runs eastward from Mt. Vernon (Wa) thru some glacial areas and goes to a town called Winthrop that is an old western town that has been preserved in its 1850’s style.
From there, we can visit and tour the Coulee Dam – the largest concrete structure in the United States. Sounds interesting. We’ll add it to our plans.
That's what I love about this kind of travel – flexible and easy to change by whims and comments.
Till next time,
As we travel north thru California, an astonishing and spectacular landmark looms in our windshield. It is Mt Shasta. What an impressive natural wonder. From 50 miles away, it appears as a snow covered (not snow capped) wonder. During the hour it takes to actual approach it, it becomes more impressive with each mile. It is sort of a prelude to the landscape in Oregon that we will soon be immersed in.
We have stayed at a quaint, simple but serene park call “the old orchard”. and in Glendale, Oregon we enjoyed a couple of days at a park hidden in the woods called Meadow Wood. The bonus was that they were both part of a 50% discount plan. Couldn’t beat that.
My favorite Oregon law is the one that requires a gas station attendant to pump your gas. No self-service. You have no idea what a process it is ordinarily.
I have to make sure when I pull up to a pump that I am “on target”, because if I’m off, I have to get back in the Beast and reposition. Then wait for 40-50 gallons to fill and climb back in. Every once in a while my credit card doesn’t register and I have to go into the office to pay.
In Oregon, I just pull up and shout “fill ‘er up”, hand them my credit card, and wait till they announce “ all done” and hand me my receipt (usually for about $100). At one station, the guy actually washed my windshield and got spots I could not reach. Some bugs had been there so long I thought they would never come off.
We are currently in Washington, just north of Portland. Tomorrow we plan on visiting the Maritime Museum at the mouth of the Columbia River, then across the bridge to Chinook. This WILL BE OUR first exposure to the Pacific Coast and I do not know how well my cell phone or wireless modem will work there so I’m getting this off now to warn you that you might not hear from me for about a week. We will be at Copalis Beach, and then move on to Puget Sound.
The weather has been just lovely. In California the temps were in the high 90’s, but Oregon and Washington have more pleasant ranges in the 60-70’s.
Right now we are situated on the Lewis River bank watching some small boats with fisherman and tourists.
I may be new to Rving, but I thought there were 2 types of parking spaces – Back-in and pull thru. At this park we found a third. A pull-in. The site is on the riverbank and you pull into it and back out on leaving. I wonder if there are any other kind.
At a previous park, I was talking with a fellow camper who suggested a few places to visit. There is the “Great Northern Highway” that runs eastward from Mt. Vernon (Wa) thru some glacial areas and goes to a town called Winthrop that is an old western town that has been preserved in its 1850’s style.
From there, we can visit and tour the Coulee Dam – the largest concrete structure in the United States. Sounds interesting. We’ll add it to our plans.
That's what I love about this kind of travel – flexible and easy to change by whims and comments.
Till next time,
posted by The Highway Guys @ 10:17 PM
0 comments
Sunday, July 10, 2005
050710 – On the road again
July 10, 2005
Beast to tower – - - - - Beast to tower - - - - requesting clearance on runway America to start our next adventure.
Yup, it’s that time again when the Highway guys get restless and yearn for the thrills and chills of the open road to nowhere and everywhere.
We tend to gravitate to the warm areas of the country, so this being summer, the lure of the northwest is strong. To say we were there last year is like saying we went to Italy once. We didn’t see everything and we sure wont make much more of a dent this time.
The Pacific coastline is such an exciting and beautiful sight to see – but hard to drive in the Beast for long stretches – so we have to be selective.
The coast of Washington state is supposed to be breathtaking this time of year so we will aim for that area, come around Puget Sound, ride a few ferries, hit a few islands and wind up in Bellingham for the first leg of our journey. Look out Joe, here we come. We will miss stopping in Portland this time, so I’ll have to send my regards to Barry and Suzie electronically.
As usual, I could not get out of town without the help of good friends who do the heavy lifting when it comes to loading up the Beast with supplies and household items that need to be transferred from home. Lou and Gail, thanks for the help.
With half a tank of gas (30 gallons), and a 40 pounds of dog food (that’s all Peter cares about), we turned on our newly purchased STREET PILOT 3 GPS SYSTEM and headed for Bakersfield. Now don’t get me wrong – I do not need any fancy device to find Bakersfield, but it tells me things that I once had to be married to hear – what to do and where to go.
We left on July 6, hoping to avoid any left over holiday travelers and with beautiful weather and a good road, we made good time. Speaking of the weather, it was 98 degrees in the afternoon. It was so hot; I caught Peter looking up barber shops to get a buzz cut. We left the next morning for Santa Nella, where there is a small, comfortable park we have enjoyed before. No matter how hot it is, there is always a strong breeze (and at night a strong wind) to cool things off.
For the last couple of days, we have been staying at a park belongs to the membership we bought last year. It’s near Stockton, on the delta, called Lighthouse Marina. It has a charming little restaurant on the dockside, and we found a great site with lots of shade so Peter can lay out on the grass and not get sunburnt.
We are finally getting control of the clutter, put lots of things away in all the nooks and crannies the Beast will let us. Did a little marketing along the way, and already filled up the gas tank twice. Surprisingly, we have not seen a Wal-Mart yet – but we expect to soon.
Medically we are O.K. My knees are a bit creaky, but my blood pressure dropped 5 points just by getting out of town.
Since Blogging is the newest craze – we will embrace the concept. This gives everyone a chance to keep up, even if they miss one or two along the way – or do not want to bother for a while. If you have trouble with the blog site – let me know. I’ll send photos separately – so if you don’t want to or cant download large files –be warned. I’ll also try to put them on Yahoo photos so you can catch them all there.
By the way: if you go to GOOGLE and type in "highwayguys" - you get us. Cool, heh.
After Bellingham – we plan to travel east thru Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and home. If you have any ideas or suggestions – just tell me where to go or what to do.
Till next time,
Beast to tower – - - - - Beast to tower - - - - requesting clearance on runway America to start our next adventure.
Yup, it’s that time again when the Highway guys get restless and yearn for the thrills and chills of the open road to nowhere and everywhere.
We tend to gravitate to the warm areas of the country, so this being summer, the lure of the northwest is strong. To say we were there last year is like saying we went to Italy once. We didn’t see everything and we sure wont make much more of a dent this time.
The Pacific coastline is such an exciting and beautiful sight to see – but hard to drive in the Beast for long stretches – so we have to be selective.
The coast of Washington state is supposed to be breathtaking this time of year so we will aim for that area, come around Puget Sound, ride a few ferries, hit a few islands and wind up in Bellingham for the first leg of our journey. Look out Joe, here we come. We will miss stopping in Portland this time, so I’ll have to send my regards to Barry and Suzie electronically.
As usual, I could not get out of town without the help of good friends who do the heavy lifting when it comes to loading up the Beast with supplies and household items that need to be transferred from home. Lou and Gail, thanks for the help.
With half a tank of gas (30 gallons), and a 40 pounds of dog food (that’s all Peter cares about), we turned on our newly purchased STREET PILOT 3 GPS SYSTEM and headed for Bakersfield. Now don’t get me wrong – I do not need any fancy device to find Bakersfield, but it tells me things that I once had to be married to hear – what to do and where to go.
We left on July 6, hoping to avoid any left over holiday travelers and with beautiful weather and a good road, we made good time. Speaking of the weather, it was 98 degrees in the afternoon. It was so hot; I caught Peter looking up barber shops to get a buzz cut. We left the next morning for Santa Nella, where there is a small, comfortable park we have enjoyed before. No matter how hot it is, there is always a strong breeze (and at night a strong wind) to cool things off.
For the last couple of days, we have been staying at a park belongs to the membership we bought last year. It’s near Stockton, on the delta, called Lighthouse Marina. It has a charming little restaurant on the dockside, and we found a great site with lots of shade so Peter can lay out on the grass and not get sunburnt.
We are finally getting control of the clutter, put lots of things away in all the nooks and crannies the Beast will let us. Did a little marketing along the way, and already filled up the gas tank twice. Surprisingly, we have not seen a Wal-Mart yet – but we expect to soon.
Medically we are O.K. My knees are a bit creaky, but my blood pressure dropped 5 points just by getting out of town.
Since Blogging is the newest craze – we will embrace the concept. This gives everyone a chance to keep up, even if they miss one or two along the way – or do not want to bother for a while. If you have trouble with the blog site – let me know. I’ll send photos separately – so if you don’t want to or cant download large files –be warned. I’ll also try to put them on Yahoo photos so you can catch them all there.
By the way: if you go to GOOGLE and type in "highwayguys" - you get us. Cool, heh.
After Bellingham – we plan to travel east thru Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and home. If you have any ideas or suggestions – just tell me where to go or what to do.
Till next time,
posted by The Highway Guys @ 2:08 PM
0 comments
