Home Again

We are now home again until the travel bug strikes again.
I'll try to insert a map so you can see where we went on this trip.
You can click on the markers and it tells you where it is. Should have put in more comments, but maybe next time. Just learning how to insert the map. You can also click on the map and move it around. And just below the map is a link to enlarge it.

View Northwest Trip in a larger map

The Green and The Gold

Monday, August 29, 2011

The mountain was out in full splendor this morning. We could see it from a couple of spots in the campground, but that wasn’t enough, so we broke camp and headed for the top of the hill. It was still well before the VC opened at 10, but again fixed and ate our breakfast in the parking lot.

We talked to several people that came by. One couple from Florida was quite curious about the campers. They thought something like that could be a good way for them to travel. A biker also stopped to talk a little. He had left the bottom about 5:30 am and hoped to be at the top for the sunrise. He was only a couple of hours late! It is 11 to 15 miles, depending on where he started, and very steep. Throughout our trip we have seen a lot of bikers heading up the various mountains. Some young, and some not so young, but they keep pushing on. 

Using the binocs you could see climbers making the descent from the peak of Rainier. Like one of the rangers told us, “that isn’t for me.”

The sky was as clear as could be, and from the Sunrise viewpoint, you could see all around. It was absolutely stunning. The wildflowers are in bloom everywhere!  But so was the mosquito population. They were very, very thick, and produced a number of bites.  You really didn’t want to just stand around outside just looking at the view. It was hard to keep them out and get them out of the campers. We smashed a good number of them.

After the VC opened, we got our books stamped and then started back down. We had a mifi signal from the viewpoint, so quickly got one day posted on the blog, The Wilderness Information Center at the Sunrise entrance had a stamp we needed, so we stopped to get that. They also had an extra stamp that is a foot print from a hiking boot.

We then went back down towards the Ohanapecosh VC for the last stamp for this trip. There are still a couple to get from the other side of the mountain, but we’ll save those for another trip.  We left the park to fuel up before heading for Yakima, and found there would be up to 2 hour delays for road work on Route 12 that we were going to take, so we backtracked and took the Chinook pass highway. It was very pretty, and a pretty good road. Right at the beginning you get an excellent view of the mountain, so we had to stop and take even more pictures.

Taco Bell in Yakima was our lunch stop. Then we went on to Plymouth, WA, and the Corps of Engineers park we stayed in the first night on our trip. After showers, and then supper at the picnic table, we are settled in for the night. Tomorrow we will head on home.

The terrain this afternoon was quite a contrast from what we have seen the last few weeks. Even this morning the hills had been lush green, and this afternoon they are golden, with the green patchwork of planted fields.

Thanks for traveling with us. Wish all of you could make this trip. We really enjoyed the three National Parks we saw, and numerous national monuments or historical parks or trails. Betty’s favorite was riding the ferries, we all enjoyed the Boeing tour, and Barney and Fred were exceptionally pleased with the salmon fishing. Wilma just loves every bit of it, from the moment the engines start. There’s something about the word “go.”

That’s all from the Bedrock Bunch for tonight.

Mt. Rainier

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Another beautiful day!

Barney and Betty in a beautiful setting.

Fred and Wilma enjoying the day.

We left the very convenient RV site around 7:30 and went back into Mt. Rainier National Park. We stopped at a few turnouts to take in the sights. We stopped at Narada Falls, but decided not to have breakfast there because it was shady and a little cool. It wouldn’t be much longer before we were wishing for the shade! Making several more stops along the way for a few pictures, we made our way back up to the Paradise area. It was 9 am and the VC didn’t open until 10, but we fixed and ate our breakfast while parked along the road in the RV parking, looking out at the stunning view of the mountain. There were very few clouds in the sky today, but enough that the top of the mountain was wearing a cap. It was just plain beautiful.

The mountain with it's "hat" on

When the VC opened, we went in to watch the park movie that we hadn’t taken the time for yesterday. We all enjoyed it very much, but the backless seating was a little much for our old bodies.

As we left the Paradise area, we came upon a few stopped cars, and stopped for a while to watch a black bear feeding on whatever he was digging up in the meadow just below the VC and lodge. We made a few more stops at Reflection Lake and Box Canyon, bouncing along on the really rough road, then exited the park and headed north for the White River and Sunrise area. As we turned off at the Sunrise entrance station, there was a lineup of cars and a sign that indicated the Sunrise parking lot was full, and to expect long delays.  Lots of cars eventually turned around and left, but still it took 30 to 45 minutes to get up to the toll booth. They were holding everyone back until they got word that some cars had left the parking lot, then they would let that number go on through. We just wanted to get to the White River campground, but had to wait to get to the toll booth. Once there, they let us on through.

The mountain in Reflection Lake

Wilma looking for hikers on the mountain.

We got settled into the campground and will wait until tomorrow morning to go on up to the Sunrise area. Hopefully since it will be a weekday, and we’ll get a fairly early start, we’ll be able to find a parking space. The popular areas are extremely crowded on weekends, especially with the extra nice weather.

Our rolling caves in the shadow of the mountain.

No signal in any part of the park so far, so will get this posted when we can.
w

Just checking in

It is Monday am and we are just leaving the Sunrise area of Mt. Rainier. We have not had any kind of signal the last two nights, so will catch up maybe tonight. Just wanted everyone to know we are having a great trip, and will be home probably tomorrow.

Ocean to Mountains

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Sure enough, we headed for Mount St. Helens this morning. We found a picnic table about 10 and had our breakfast. It was in a little area that had a couple of camping spots, a gift shop, and tourist information about the 1980 eruption, and it had a big sculpture of Bigfoot out front. Guess that is what drew our attention. We get a lot of stares and comments while travelling in our Two Big Feet, so wanted a picture of the Bigfoot. There was also an A Frame cabin that was just a few days from being finished when it was filled with about five feet of mud, silt and ash about 8 1/2 hours after the eruption.  The ground around it is now five feet higher than it had been, so the main floor would almost be basement level if it hadn’t been ruined.

We just poked around stopping here and there at the different viewpoints as we continued on up the road.  We talked to a ranger at one of the viewpoints, and he offered lots of information about the eruption and the area. From that viewpoint we could also see the top of Mt. Adams. It was a really clear day.

The ranger was very interesting to talk with.

The eruption was 31 years ago. Much of the private land around is owned by lumber interests, and has been replanted. It looks quite healthy. Then when you get to the Forest Service land that surrounds the mountain, you still see the stark hills with flattened trees all over. It is slowly coming back to life.

When we arrived at the Johnston Ridge Observatory, we stamped our books and then watched the movie. It was very good, and finishes with the screen and curtains going up to show the face of the mountain. It was especially stunning today because there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. After poking around there for a while, we headed out to find our way to Mt. Rainier. We took the back roads, and enjoyed the drive and different glimpses of the mountain from time to time.

After the movie, the screen opened
and there was the mountain!

This is the view of Mount St Helens
from the Visitors Center.

We went in the Southwest entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park and made our way to the Longmire area. We found the Museum and got our books stamped with not much time to spare before it closed for the day. We found the Shuttle stop, and hopped on a bus going up to the Paradise area.  As we entered the park, all the full signs were out – the campgrounds were all full, as was the parking at Paradise. So the free shuttle was a good way to go; just sit back and leave the driving to them.

The very beautiful Mt. Rainier!

Since it is warm and very clear, seems like everyone wanted to be at the mountain today. The bus up wasn’t very full, but the one back was crowded and quite noisy.  We got our books stamped at the VC, took a few pictures, then headed back down to our rolling caves.  

This is the free shuttle we rode.

Betty and Barney relaxing on the bus.

We still hadn’t had lunch, it was 7 pm, and we didn’t know where we would be staying tonight, so just fixed sandwiches, chips and fruit to get us back on the road. As it turned out, about 50 feet from the entrance to the park there was a quaint, cozy, rustic, you choose the word you like best, and you get the picture, RV park that was very reasonably priced, prevented us from having to drive half the night, and gives us a chance to go back in and see more of the park tomorrow. It isn’t totally beneath our standards, so here we are tonight. It isn’t sleazy, or we really would not have stayed.  It probably has about a dozen spaces. They don’t provide enough power for bigger rigs, but enough for our needs, and there certainly isn’t a shower available! It’s convenient and the people next to us are also from Idaho, so it can’t be all bad.

We have absolutely no signal on phone or mifi, so will post this when we can.

w

Clubs, Candles and Forts

Friday, August 26, 2011

 We awoke at Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, OR and went out to the Petie I to have breakfast.  The camp fare for this morning was omelets, hash browns, turkey sausage, and biscuits.  It’s a wonder we don’t starve on camp fare every day.  The morning started a little cloudy and foggy at the beach.  We had decided not to fish this morning.   Fred’s back went out from hauling in all of the seaweed yesterday and Barney’s lower lip was badly sunburned.  It probably got sunburned from pouting about Fred catching a bigger eel in a load of seaweed than he did.  Fred’s was about 3or 4 inches long and Barney’s was only about an inch and a half. 

We decided to take a ride over to Fort Clatsop where Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery spent the winter, near Warrenton, OR.   We wanted to find out about the stamp for Dismal Nitch, where the Corps of Discovery attempted to spend the winter on the Washington side of the Columbia River.   It turned out that the stamp was at Fort Clatsop and we could have gotten it in April if we had asked for it.  It’s one of those things that you never know to ask about until you ask the “dumb question”.   It seems that the information is never volunteered when you ask for the stamps you know they have.  At any rate we got the Dismal Nitch stamp duely entered in the passport books.  We then went outside and watched two rangers in period costumes rendering fat to tallow to make candles.  It was an interesting demonstration and one of the young men told several interesting stories about one of the Corps members.

Betty, Barney and Wilma watching
the candle making demonstration.

Heating the cow fat they got from
Fred Meyer!

We then drove south on route 101 toward Seaside to the Highlands Golf Course and Discount Dan’s Pro Shop.  Barney bought a new set of golf clubs for Betty.  Seems her grandsons are coming closer to beating her and she needs every advantage she can get to stay ahead of them.   Of course we had to help Betty try out her new clubs so we played 9 holes just to show her that we could still lose to her.  We saw one coyote on the fourth hole and one side-winder on the eighth green. And the fog lifted enough that we could finally see the ocean on the 9^th hole.

Taking all the plastic wrappings from each club. What Fun!

The golf worked up our appetites so we dashed off to Astoria for a round at Sea Breeze Fish and Chips.  That is kind of like camp fare, but it will sure take the edge off your appetite.

We decided to do a little poking around on the north side of the Columbia River so we crossed the Astoria-Megler Bridge and made a quick stop at Fort Columbia, only to find that the VC closed at 4:00 and it was almost 4:30 when we got there.   The Cape Disappointment Light House VC also closed at 4:00 which made us disappointed, so we headed east on route 4 toward Longview, WA.    We are now firmly planted in the Longview Wal-Mart parking lot.  But don't get the wrong idea here. Normally this would be our last stop before home, but we are detouring and going to Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier before heading on back.

Not much left to do but say goodnight from the whole Bedrock bunch----goodnight.

b

Great Green Globs

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Another great day! Pulled out of the campground about 6:30 to pick up bait and head for the fishing hole. A few years ago a friend that started us coming here made the comment “someone has been messing with the tides.”  We have laughed many times at that comment, but today turned out to be a “the tides are against us” day.  With a slight minus tide this morning, there was a bigger difference in the high and low tides, and all that was caught today was great green globs of seaweed!  There were several baby eels pulled in with the seaweed to add some interest, but after a while dragging in and cleaning off all that seaweed gets boring! Yes, we do fish on the Columbia River, but we are so close to the mouth of the river that the fishing hole is very much affected by the ocean tides and subjected to lots of the green stuff.

Maybe it was just the weather in general. It was overcast, but looked like it might burn off, and indeed did for an hour or so.  Then it blew back in. Temperatures have remained quite pleasant.

Looks like Astoria is getting sunshine.

We had another fairly late lunch up at the ocean overlook. Bam Bam, thanks again for the Walla Walla sweet onions. They made great onion rings to go with our salmon, bean salad, and hash browns. Don’t we suffer with our camping meals!

Again suffering from the urban influence around the campground, we made a speed run into Costco and Freddies. It isn’t like camping in the back woods to have a Costco just a few miles down the road from the campground. We saw a pizza delivery coming into the campground a couple of days ago, so we aren’t the only ones to take advantage of the proximity to shopping!

We bought wood off the wood wagon that comes through the campground, and enjoyed a very nice campfire. Finished up the last of the marshmallows, and only lost three or four to the fire. The fire ring at this site is so high, it was kind of hard to roast them and keep them on the sticks.

Barney hasn't started the fire yet. His feet are not burning.

The Bedrock Bunch says goodnight, and tune in again tomorrow.
w

Fishing, Catching, and Golfing

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

At 5:30 this morning the people next to Fred and Wilma started up their diesel truck to head out for fishing, so the sleeping was over. We slowly got up and around and headed out to the river. It was a beautiful morning! No morning fog, almost clear skies, and fairly warm.

By the time Fred had his gear put together, Betty and Barney had arrived with the fresh bait. So off they went. There were already quite a number of people out there, but they just find a spot at the end of the line.

Betty and Wilma stayed at the rolling caves and read. Several people were soon coming back in, and said the weather was too good today, and fishing wasn’t that great. One of them told Wilma that a couple of guys out on the end were using bait instead of spinners and seemed to be doing okay. About mid morning Wilma and Betty went on out to see what was going on. Shortly after getting set up, Fred reeled one in, but again it was a wild one and could not be kept. Almost as soon as they got that one released, Barney also reeled a wild one in and had to release it. A while later though, Barney reeled in a really nice Chinook keeper! Yeah!  Fred and Wilma have decided it is really nice that Fred only catches wild fish and has to release them, and Barney catches the keepers and has to clean them!!! Oh what fun!

Barney bringing his fish in. The fish
jumped at the perfect time for the picture.

This is Barney and his King Salmon.

As Betty and Wilma headed back to the rolling caves, lots of the people had comments. One man said something about us taking good care of our guys by taking them lunch, and then he asked if we like smoked fish, and said to go to the passenger side of his truck and help ourselves to the container he had there. The man that seems to always be next to Fred and Barney is quite helpful, and very friendly. He tries to make sure we know all the regulations. Very nice people out there.

When Fred and Barney came back in there was a couple that parked and took a pet goat out of a dog carrier, put him on a cable, and took him for a walk on the beach. Just a little different than usual. We had already seen a couple of women unload six yapping dogs and take them for a walk.

After fishing was done, we took off for Seaside to hit the outlet mall. We went to Taco Bell first, decided not to stop at the outlet mall, and went to the Highlands Golf Club which is a public nine hole course that we have played in previous years. You have to walk it; no power carts are available, and it is up and down again and again. That’s if you hit straight. If not, it is double or triple the ups and downs. We love the fifth hole that looks out over the ocean. Really a fun course to play.  They have lost a number of trees since we last played the course, but that lets you see the ocean more. We did make it around and then dragged ourselves to DQ for a treat! This camping in an urban area is quite different than the beginning of the trip!

We enjoy seeing all the boat traffic coming and going on the river; all kinds and sizes of fishing boats (some very small,) barges, tankers and other cargo type ships. It is impossible to get a good picture of all the boats out there because it is so spread out. Today as we were coming back to the campground there was a large cruise ship going through, so we went out to watch it. We have visited the maritime museum in Astoria several times and heard about the pilot boats and helicopters that take the river pilots out to get them on board the various ships to guide them over the bar and on down the river, so it’s fun to see the boats and helicopters going by.

Tonight's sunset over the ocean.

That’s it for tonight from the rolling caves.

Fishing and Catching

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Wow, are we tired! We left our camping spot about 7 am and headed out for the river. It’s about 4 or 5 miles, and still within the state park. This is an excellent state park. If I remember correctly, there are about nine miles of paved paths throughout the park, for biking or walking. It is about one mile out to the beach where there is a parking lot on a little rise, and we like to go out there for some of our meals. In previous visits, we have seen whales just off shore. There are remnants of an old shipwreck on the beach, and it is the closest beach to the campground, so very popular. The wind can really blow the sand around out there! A few years ago we brought our bikes over and probably rode all the trails. By the end of the trip we had learned how to conquer the fairly steep hill just off the campground. We didn’t bring the bikes this trip, but there are sure a lot of them here!

Anyway, back to the river. After parking along the approach to the beach, Barney and Fred gear up to carry all the fishing necessities about a half mile down the beach. There are a lot of people that drive out to the fishing area, but we don’t think it would be wise with the extra weight of the campers. So they trudge out to the firmer sand where the walking is easier and go on out to find a good spot. 

After getting them off, Betty and Wilma went back to the campground to take showers, then went back to the parking area at the beach. Mid morning we fixed sandwiches and took them out, and then sat out there for a while. Most of the other people fishing are very friendly, and they all seem to know if any fish have been caught. 

Monday hadn’t been a good catching day, but on Tuesday Fred had one on that we think the seal got before it could be brought in because much of Fred’s tackle was gone when he reeled the line back in. He tried again and caught a nice wild one that had to be put back in (wild fish are not legal to keep). Then he caught another, and just before netting it, the knot gave out and away it went!  Not much later, Barney reeled one in that was a nice keeper. 

Barney's really nice Salmon.

We were able to nab two camping sites, even when the sign said they were full. Of course they weren’t together, but they were in the same loop.

It had been really foggy most of the day, but that finally burned off. After returning from fishing, we needed to run in to Freddies to check on some fishing tackle. We were just too tired to go play a round of golf, so we went out to the overlook and fixed our dinner of salmon, salad and corn on the cob. We really suffer on the camping meals-yeah, right!  And it was mostly sunny, warm, and no wind. But as said in the beginning, we were so tired we didn’t stay to see the sunset, just went back to camp and crashed.
w

Salmon Season

Sunday and Monday, August 21 and 22, 2011

We left the Aberdeen WalMart  after getting a couple things we needed at the store. It is not a super WalMart, so limited groceries.

Heading on down 101, we stopped here and there just looking around. A couple of hours later found us at a rest area near the Astoria bridge. We ate breakfast there, and enjoyed watching all the boats on the river. Salmon season was evident because there were hundreds of boats in the river, each loaded with fisher people.

Wilma and Betty are fixing another
great meal so we can "eat out" again.

A picture of a just a few of the many
boats on the river.

We went across the bridge and stopped at Freddies (Fred Meyer) in Warrenton to get Oregon fishing licenses. That all taken care of, we headed on out to the park. It was still too early to see if we could get a camping site, but after a few tries, we did land sites next to each other.

We are side by side for our first night at Fort Stevens.

  Reservations had not been available when we checked before leaving home, so we are just hoping to get in for a few days. There are 560 sites here, but almost all are reserved, with the proximity of salmon fishing, and since school won’t start here until after Labor Day.

Betty had picked up a local area happenings paper, and found an article about a new Mexican restaurant in Astoria. It was open 10 to 7 on Sunday according to the paper, but after finding the place, it was closed.

On Monday Barney and Fred headed out to fish while Betty and Wilma went to the Laundromat. That chore out of the way, we went back out to the river, made the guys sandwiches, and walked out to see what was happening. As we approached, Barney hopped up and grabbed his rod while Fred got the net. A nice salmon was landed, but was one inch too short, so had to be put back in. Barney had earlier pulled in another nice one, but it was wild, so couldn’t keep it either. That was the only fish action for the day. 

It wasn’t great weather for golfing, and Betty and Wilma had already gotten us a site for the night, so we headed up to the beach overlook. It was far too foggy and windy, so we headed back to a small park on the river where we planned to have our supper.  On the way to the park Barney and Wilma had each thought we ought to try the Mexican place again. So off we went. We parked Fred and Wilma’s cavemobile at Freddies and they hopped in with Barney and Betty. It was open, and a great meal was had by all. They make everything fresh, and have a somewhat limited menu, but each of us ordered something different. They were all yummy.

We headed back to our campsites, and just crashed. Another great day. 

We have site reservations for Wednesday and Thursday nights, but may have to go to the rest area for Tuesday night. So far they only have one site open for Friday and Saturday, so if nothing else comes up, we may hit the road. Would be nice to go up to Mt. St. Helens, so we’ll see.
w

Hoh, Hoh, Hoh

Saturday, August 20, 2011

We were up this morning and left the campground around 8:30.  We decided to have breakfast somewhere down the road.  The road was south on route 101.  We turned east on the Upper Hoh Road toward the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor’s Center.  The drive through the tall conifers with the road bordered with moss and ferns and with an occasional glimpse of the Hoh River is just gorgeous.   There hasn’t been any rain for a week or so and the locals say the rivers are really low.  Can you believe a rain forest without rain! We arrived at the VC and took care of the stamps for the Passport Books in fairly short order.  We got there fairly early, which was good because there was lots of traffic going in as we were going out.

Wilma at the huge tree.

We stopped a little way outside of the Olympic National Park boundary where Wilma and Betty served up a breakfast of French toast, eggs and turkey sausage.  Eating camp food all the time will really bulk you up.  After breakfast Barney went down to the river with a fly rod and flailed around a while to scare the fish away.  We didn’t want them to attack anyone.  A couple of the braver fish attacked the bug, but just enough to scare Barney.. they were not really serious about being caught.  After an hour or so we loaded up and headed back to Route 101.

Betty at the same tree. They said it is
1,000 years old.

We made a quick pass through Ruby Beach and found that the campground was full as was the day use area.  The next stop was the Kalaloch Information Station, also in the Olympic National Park.  We got the Passport Books stamped and got a little “ranger humor” like; “When you went to Cape Disappointment, were you really disappointed?”   Betty showed the ranger her Lighthouse Stamp Book and asked her if she had a stamp for the lighthouse on Destruction Island.   The ranger said she did not have a stamp but that she would make a call and check it out.

Can you see the lighthouse?

We continued a couple of miles south on route 101 to South Beach Campground.  This is really a no frills campground, no hook-ups, which is not unusual for an Olympic National Park, but also no potable water.  The place was just loaded with campers in tents, trailers and a few motor homes thrown in for good measure.   You couldn’t tell were one camp stopped and the next one began.  In fact it looked like there was a tornado at Camping World and everything that was picked by the wind was just dropped at South Beach.  All that aside, it is a beautiful beach in a lovely setting.

We have been on the road for a week and a half, most of that in the North Cascades, Seattle area, and the Olympic Peninsula.  The weather has been wonderful; sunny but not too hot with a light breeze.  We had a little rain going up the east side of the Cascades and a little fog on Whidbey Island, but other than that it has been beautiful.

We made a stop for Passport stamps at the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station on the North Shore Road of Lake Quinault, where Wilma impressed the ranger with her passport book and also convinced a lady in the ranger station that she should go right out and buy books for her entire family, including her in-laws. 

The last stop was at the US Forest Service/National Park Service Information Center on the South Shore Road at Lake Quinault.  We snuck in just as they were closing at 4:10 and got the Passport Books stamped and made a quick get-away.  We went to the Willaby Campground near the information center and stopped long enough to eat supper in their day-use area.

What a great meal. We "eat out" a lot.

This is the beautiful lake beside our
table while we ate supper.

Then, back to route 101 to Aberdeen, WA where we are located in the Wal-Mart parking lot.  Seems like every camping spot in the area is filled and will probably stay that way for the weekend.

B

Sea Stacks

Friday, August 19, 2011

What a gorgeous day. Today was a slow day that we all enjoyed. After checking out a fishing spot for a while with no luck, we went into Forks, a small town on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. Somehow famous for “Twilight”, but I’m not sure if the movie was set there. Lots of the shops use Twilight in their name, and there is a Twilight Tour that is popular. Knowing nothing about the movie, Twilight doesn’t do much for me. We stopped at the grocery and hardware store, side by side and open to each other with a small amount of clothing in between. Typical small town.  You should have seen the prices for produce! $3.79 for one avocado! Needless to say, they kept all they had.

We then went back towards the campground, but went on out to the end of the road at Rialto Beach. It is a beautiful beach, but was covered by a layer of fog, and a very cold wind was howling. We ate a late lunch there and took a few pictures. The driftwood logs there are gigantic!

Then fishing was calling again. Still no luck, but nice to try. Those not trying their luck were just as happy to sit and read.

Barney fly fishing in the river.

Fred and Barney both at it.

In a fog.

Coming out of the fog.

We meandered back to the beach, and were really amazed at the view. The fog had not totally lifted, but was far enough off shore that we could see the sea stacks all around. We could see across the river to the town of LaPush off and on while the fog kept rolling through. The large stacks would also hide themselves in the fog for a while. Then we could see the top of one farther out in the fog bank. We stayed out there for a while, but didn’t stay to see the sunset because we thought it would just be hidden behind the fog.

Went back to the campground and roasted marshmallows around the campfire before turning in. It was a very good day.

What Goes Down Must Come Up

Thursday, August 18, 2011

This morning we drove out to Neah Bay and Cape Flattery.  We stopped at the Makah Cultural Center and Museum about 9:30, and found they don’t open until 10. That’s okay, we needed to have breakfast, so fixed it and ate in the rolling cave. By the time we finished and cleaned up, the museum was open. We got a Cape Flattery Lighthouse stamp, and toured the museum. Very nicely done, and very interesting.

We then went on out to the end of the road and decided to walk the Cape Flattery trail to the northwestern most point in the lower 48. It is supposedly a half mile trail each way. We should have been smart enough to stop at the top. It went down, down, down. First a dirt trail, then some boardwalks and steps, more dirt trail with lots of roots in it, which could actually help by making a semblance of steps. Down, down, down! and you don’t even go to beach level – still up on a cliff.  But the view is great. You look out over a small island where the lighthouse is located, and rugged shoreline all around.

Of course you know the drill: what went down must get back to the top. Very, very slow and easy was the pattern, and finally we made it. What a climb!  The Makah kid at the bottom said it was 450 feet down, in a half mile!  Seemed like a lot more than that. Switchbacks would have been a help!  Also, the sign at the top ought to warn that it might not be suitable for geezers!

Going down - waaaay down.

We made it to the end of the path.

Then we had to come back up!

The sign says it all.

We then drove down to Forks and stopped for a stamp there, then went on to check out a state park. We decided against it, so back tracked a little and went out towards LaPush, stopping at Mora Campground. There weren’t very many campsites left open, but we found two together and nabbed them. This is again in Olympic National Park, so the sites are $6 for us geezers.

Fishing is reported good in the rivers here, so Barney and Fred will check that out tomorrow.
w

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

After a breakfast of omelet and pancakes at the Elwha campground in Olympic National Park, in the northwest portion of Washington State, we took off down the road to the Elwha Ranger Station to get our first stamp of the day. It was all of about one mile down the road. But alas, no ranger at the office. It was locked! We drove down to the next campground to check it out, then went back to the ranger station, and still no one on duty. There was a little house just up the hill and there was a car in front, so Fred offered to go up and knock on the door. Wilma didn’t want to impose, but Fred won, and did manage to rouse a ranger who was willing to come open up so we could get our stamps. As it turned out, he said it was a good trade off because he was very interested in our Bigfoot campers, and spent quite a bit of time talking about them and looking around in them. Before leaving we mentioned we were going to Hurricane Ridge, and he told us about a short cut to keep us out of the road construction. He was really great, and we didn’t even get his name.

Off we went, and we really appreciated his directing us that way. We stopped at several viewpoints on the way up. The one just before the tunnels lets you look out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was very clear, and we could see forever. Mt. Baker off to the east, Victoria B.C. across the strait, the Dungeness Spit, and lots of water. It was absolutely gorgeous.  Continuing on up the hill, we soon came to lots and lots of wildflowers along the road. Friend Tom, you would have loved it. They were everywhere: Blue, purple, yellow, white, red. Lots of different ones.  It was so pretty.

Rounding the bend at the top was breathtaking. The whole range of mountains clear as could be right in front of you. Deer grazing just a few feet away. Lots and lots of people enjoying the beautiful day.

We got our stamps at the VC and Fred and Barney climbed to the top of the viewpoint while Betty and Wilma waited below.

Can you see betty and Wilma down there?

Here's a closeup of them.

Some of the wild flowers on the hillside.

The deer are not very afraid of us.

Heading back down the hill, we stopped again at the Olympic National Park VC to have lunch at one of their picnic tables, and then headed out to Lake Crescent. The lake is beautiful, and had a few little white caps on it. We stopped at the Storm King Ranger Station for another stamp, and again at the Lake Crescent Lodge where there is a stamp at the registration booth. The wind along there had come up a bit, with whitecaps and waves lapping the shore.

We then checked out the campground at the end of the lake, but moved on. We wanted to get down the Sol Duck road to be in place for a stamp at the ranger station in the morning. The girl at the entrance station said that ranger station isn’t open this summer. What a bummer! But she had two stamps for us and let us know there were only six spots available in the campground. So we turned around and headed on down 101 to the Klahowya Forest Service campground where we are now set up for the night.

Barney could start a fire by rubbing
two icicles together!

Wilma's roughing it!

Fred says we have absolutely no signal on the Mifi, to post this, but Wilma turned it on and we are getting a little, so here goes.  Good night all.