09-25-2014 North toward Whidbey Island

Current Location: Rocky Point Oregon, gorgeous fall weather clear skies 79 degrees F

After two days of exploring traffic patterns in Puget Sound, we were definitely ready to travel north toward something a bit less crowded.  After thoroughly reading everything Laurel and Nina had written about getting around in the San Juan Islands, I decided that traveling north via the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Kitsap Peninsula and taking a ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville was our best route.

To the left is our original planned route, 114 miles, to the right is the alternate route, 195 miles and 5 extra hours!

Even with a ferry trip, it seemed better than dealing once again with the traffic on I-5 north to Mount Vernon and accessing Whidbey Island from the north.  I went to the Washington State Ferry website and made a reservation for the MoHo and the Tracker, where the fare was calculated to be something in the vicinity of 67 bucks for both rigs.  Seemed reasonable enough.

The drive north was uneventful, with clouds parting a bit for lighter gray skies and even a bit of sunshine here and there.  I was a bit sad because I knew that Port Townsend was a great destination, and with our ferry reservation, we probably wouldn’t get much of a chance to see it.  Fate stepped in, however, and as we approached the terminal an hour in advance, as recommended, I was surprised to see large red CLOSED sign at the gates.

Seems as though the bridge to land from the ferry on the Coupeville side had somehow broken, and the ferry had been turned around.  I can only imagine how all those folks felt!  The ferry was cancelled until the bridge could be repaired.  We could return via Tacoma and drive north along I-5, or we could drive back to Kingston and catch the Edmonds ferry there.

Rather than worry about it, we decided to take a bit of time and enjoy walking around the downtown picturesque portion of Port Townsend where we had a good parking place for a few hours.

Port Townsend was as magically lovely as I expected, with wonderful shops and a vibrant feeling of both tourism and locals.  We found a sweet little cafe where the cappucino was not only tasty, but pretty, with a little window table to sit and enjoy watching the changing and somewhat chilly weather outside.  With the weather cool enough that Abby could wait in the MoHo, we enjoyed a leisurely walk through town, going in and out of interesting shops filled with color, art and creativity.  I was completely enthralled with a shop that celebrated the fiber arts with quilting, knitting, and beading as a focus.  I do love color, and the displays of fabric, yarn, beads and notions, all creatively jumbled together by color had me oohing and ahhing.  I did manage to keep my wallet intact, but it was a challenge.After deciding that we definitely will come back to spend more time in Port Townsend, we reluctantly traveled back south toward Kingston.  In line for the ferry with time to spare, we coughed up the 86 bucks for the MoHo and Tracker to cross the sound toward Edmonds.  The crossing was uneventful, and I didn’t even bother to try to get up top for the view.  By the time we reached Edmonds, it was mid-afternoon and the drive to Mukilteo wasn’t terribly difficult.  In line once again, and coughing up another 56 bucks for another ferry, we waited as the sunshine came out and illuminated the sound and the islands in the distance.

We again enjoyed the ride, and this time I went top side to get some photos while Mo relaxed with Abby in the MoHo with a glass of wine and a good book.  However,as the day progressed we were getting a bit concerned about our arrival time at Whidbey NAS.  Google was telling me so many minutes, and we had a few less than needed to get to the Porter Gate where RV’s are allowed to enter the base.  We made it with just 3 minutes before closing.  It wouldn’t have been too awful if we had been late, as there is a special phone number to call and security will open the gate for you after a short wait.

Once on base, we tried to follow the written directions from the website, and managed to get a bit lost before a nice guy in a car and a Navy uniform offered to lead us in to the Cliffside RV Park.  Of course, after being on base for a few days, it was so simple, but that first time in was a bit goofy. 

  It was approaching early evening as we checked into the south loop of the park, where the manager had told us by telephone to go if we arrived after six.  He came down to meet us as we settled in, saying it was no problem for us to come to his office the following morning to settle up our camp fees.  I must say that the view from the campground was incredible.  After being in a deep dark forest at Lewis McChord, it was a delight to be camped on a high bluff directly above the sea with a 180 degree view of sky and water and islands in the distance.

The sites were level and the lack of shade completely irrelevant in the cool, cloudy skies of this part of the northwest.  Full hookups and a spotless laundry right across from our site were added benefits.  Just below us was a fitness trail, paved for bikes and used by runners and walkers of all sorts. The beach was just below the path a few hundred feet and was littered with beautiful weathered driftwood and covered with tiny pea gravels rather than sand.  I think it was the nicest Family Camp we have ever experienced. 

One of the sweetest benefits are the flowers!  A camp host is a dahlia fan, and he plants more than 1,000 dahlias in the campground.  Dahlias love that moist air and mild sunshine and they were in full bloom.  At the campground office, on a table outside the door, are a large selection of vases filled with dahlias for each camper to take to their rig.  Just return the vase when you leave. Without a doubt we will return for an extended stay to this camp. In a great location for exploring the area, at $30 per night it was a good deal for this part of the west where decent campgrounds are hard to find.

We originally planned to visit Lopez Island on Friday, but with the rainy weather predicted for that day, and the sunshine predicted for the next day, it seemed smarter to deal with Saturday ferry traffic and stay close to Whidbey  and our home on Friday.  Waking to misty rain, I read about visiting Deception Pass State Park and after our leisurely morning, we jumped in the Tracker to explore.

Deception Pass State Park covers more than 4,000 acres on two islands.  The islands are connected by  the Deception Pass Bridge, spanning the salt waters of Deception Pass 177 feet below.  There are annual kayak races through the pass, but watching that swirling current and the incoming tide, you couldn’t pay me to drop a kayak into that water.  In fact, much of the San Juan Islands and surrounding area require a more seaworthy kayak than our sweet flat water boats. 

With the pass just minutes from the campground, we had the entire day to wander out to Rosario Beach and walk the trails on Rosario Head and then back toward Bowman Bay.  At Bowman Bay there was a beautiful CCC interpretation center, but it was closed for the season.  There was also a perfect kayak launch site and with better weather, it would have been a lovely paddle.  We would have loved to have a bit more time to hike out to Lighthouse Point, but decided to save that hike for another visit.  One could spend many days hiking around this beautiful park.

As I have often mentioned, I live in a forest.  I do know that forests are often shaded and quite dark.  However shaded and dark is a mild description of the depths of darkness in the thick forests of Deception Pass State Park.  The firs and hemlocks are huge and the understory is impenetrable. The shades of green are beyond counting, but most of them are in the darker range of shades, and the deep blues of the water and gray skies added much to the gloom.  It was a beautiful gloom, just not one where I would want to spend any great length of time.  Beautiful to visit, but I wouldn’t live there.  I need more light!

Light arrived in full force just as we returned in early evening to our camp.  The sun burst below the cloud cover over the water to the west just a bit before sunset, turning the grass green gold and lighting up the skies.  With Abby on her leash, we walked south on the trail, waiting for the sunset. High over the water, we found a perfect viewing bench.  No green flash, but the light and the color was a perfect end to a wonderful day.

 

 

08-09-2014 Last Days of the Reunion

Current Location: Home in Rocky Point with clear skies and 79F and low humidity day ahead

On the Friday when I was wandering around my old haunts in Northern Idaho, a large contingent of the rest of the family met at some unearthly hour for a tee time at a Post Falls golf course.  A good number of the Oukrops are avid golfers and most of the rest of them do it for fun.  I heard the stories later, but not being a golfer, I was much happier hanging out with old friends.

Mo opted out of this activity as well, choosing instead to hang around the park with Abby, let her play and swim and relax for a bit.  I have a sneaky suspicion that Abby wasn’t the only one of this pair that needed some down time.

By the time I got back from my part of Idaho, the golf group was returning as well, and it was time to head to the west side of the South Hill for a wonderful hosted dinner of lasagna, salad, and bread.  Can you imagine making dinner for 33 people and not having a single potluck contribution? 

Wynn said that she spent an entire day cooking up these gorgeous pans of tasty lasagna. 

It was fun seeing how many people could fit on Don and Wynn’s deck without it collapsing.  Well built deck, I would say.  Before and after dinner we were entertained by the little ones playing around on the grass and listening to all the conversations on the deck as we watched the almost full super moon rise over Hangman Creek to the east.  The view from the deck was gorgeous.  We even managed the “complete” family photo with everyone attending the reunion gathering on Don’s lawn.  I have a sequence of about 12 different shots, all with varying degrees of success at getting everyone to look forward and smile at the same time.  The joys of photographing a group are not to be understated.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and warm, and was a perfect day for the family float on the Little Spokane River.  Don is an avid kayaker, and knows the area paddles well.  He picked this one the last time we were in his area, and it was a great choice.  Everyone opted for the 3 hour float rather than the shorter paddle.We had a large number of rubber boats to compliment the few kayaks, and the best part of the morning was the gathering of people as we stood around while Don tried to explain the logistics of the car shuttles, organizing the designated drivers, and trying to figure out who would be where when.  I won’t post a bunch more photos of this day because in the first reunion post I chose to share my favorite shots of everyone participating.

The Little Spokane is a meandering river, with just enough current to make it fun, and enough that I was glad we were only paddling downstream.  Much of the shoreline is in a natural wildlife area, and we didn’t discover until the end of the trip at the takeout that no dogs are allowed on the river!  UhOh.  Glad we didn’t read the sign because Abby had a great time.

Golf and Silverwood required a weekday, so the float got the weekend day by default, and Saturday wasn’t the best day to be on this lovely river.  It is an extremely popular place, especially on a hot sunny weekend, and we were accompanied by a large number of fellow rafters.  I think our group might have been the biggest, however, and maybe all those other rafters were wishing they had picked a different day as well.  Something a bit disconcerting to be on a gorgeous river and come around a curve to the smell of cigarette/marijuana (legal in Washington) smoke and the sound of loud rock and roll on someone’s radio.

We all had a great time, and the kayakers in the group thought the trip length was perfect.  A few of the floaters thought it was just over the limit of comfortable, especially the ones who had to keep blowing up their boats.  I wish I could remember Susan’s youngest son David’s exact words, something to the effect  of “If we don’t stop right now I am going to die”  Susan, if you read this, please post that comment in the comments.  I would love to get it word for word!

Oukrops on the Deschutes River 2010

I think the float trip is my favorite part of these Oukrop reunions, and remember fondly our float trip on the Deschutes when Roger and Nancy’s family was in charge of the festivities.

After a long day we arrived back in camp just in time to change and clean up a bit to drive in a different direction to the home of Ginny and Gabe for their fabulous fully hosted dinner.  Once again, no potluck allowed, and Ginny and Gabe put on the best pulled pork BBQ ever!

Ginny is a professional portrait photographer, and incredibly artistic.  She had the yard all decorated with Martha Stewartesque jars of baby’s breath and wooden table runners, all coordinated.  There was even a lovely basket with an assortment of beautiful quilts for spreading on the grass. Her appetizers and casserole accompaniments to the dinner were fabulous. Not to mention the infused waters and banana split dessert!

Gabe had a regulation volley ball court all set up with a 20 foot high barrier to keep the ball from ending up in the neighbors yard.  Did I mention this is a very athletic family?  The barrier wasn’t high enough, and Gabe spent a good amount of time going over the fence after the ball. 

It was so much fun watching Ginny and Gabe’s dog wandering around trying to play volleyball, and watching all the little ones running around underfoot. 

We went home to the campground by the light of the almost super moon, one more night before it would be full.  The next morning, folks began dispersing, some to the airport, rigs loaded up and ready to roll toward home, and Mo and I spent some quiet hours all alone at the park enjoying the river and the trails.

Our evening destination was only a few short miles north toward Bonners Ferry where we planned to overnight before our border crossing early Monday morning into Canada. No need to rush.  A wonderful end to a wonderful reunion with plenty of time to decompress and relax before the next leg of our journey.

Next: Fabulous Kootenay Lake in British Columbia

 

August 5 Heading North for Mo’s Family Reunion

Current Location: Rocky Point, OR Breezy and Pleasant at 69F

It was just over two weeks ago when we headed north toward Spokane for Mo’s reunion.  Her family manages to get together every two years and with five siblings, Mo’s turn hasn’t rolled around for almost a decade.  Our last reunion in 2012 was north of Denver in Colorado and we added on a great extended trip that time to visit South Dakota and Wyoming.  Loved that trip that we shared with Mo’s brother Roger and his wife Nancy! If you want to check out our travels through the Black Hills and the Big Horn Mountains, the posts start here.

This time we decided to take advantage of the Inland Northwest location and travel north into British Columbia and do the beautiful circle route along Kootenay Lake.  I was really looking forward to the trip.  When I lived in Coeur D Alene, I would make the trip north every once in awhile and have a special place in my heart for Kaslo.

When we were packing up to leave, conditions around the compound here were hot and smoky from so many fires that were burning.  Some are still smoking, but at least the worst of the fires are out.  It was a bit disconcerting to drive off early in the morning accompanied by the strong smell of smoke and a red sun. We looked at each other and said, “Well, fire could come whether we are here or not, so I guess we will just have to trust that it will be OK”.

There is such a mixture of delight and frustration when I know we are heading out for an extended trip.  Although two weeks isn’t anything like the three month sojourn last winter, I still hate to leave the gardens, the sewing machine, all the myriad life things that keep things interesting around here.  Everything was looking fresh and the tomatoes were just beginning to ripen. Still, the road calls, and I was excited that we were actually getting on the road again, with some great plans waiting.

Once again we traveled north on Highway 97, though Bend, to the COE campground at the mouth of the John Day River at LePage adjacent to I-84.  We could make the 529 miles to Spokane in a long day, but there is no reason to do that.  LePage waits, with half price using our senior pass, and hookups to manage the hot temperatures that always seem to accompany our trips in that direction.  I think the last time we camped here was on our way to Alaska in 2011, and it was something like 105F.

  Of course the heat gave us the excuse to stop at the ice cream shop in Shaniko (Where the West Still Lives) for a cool tasty treat.  I think that is some of the best home made ice cream I have ever tasted.  I’ll have to be sure and remind Sherry and David to try it out if they ever get to Oregon. 

When we arrived at LePage in late afternoon, it was only 104.  Sure do like having hookups for the air conditioner!  Dinner was simple, and indoors, since the hot wind that was whirling around outside made putting out the BBQ too much trouble.  Time for quesadillas, my go-to meal when I want something quick and good.  The hot wind was a great white noise and with the cool air blowing over us I slept very well.

The next morning we took Abby for an early swim, walked around the park after breakfast, and readied the rig to meet Mo’s brother Dan and wife Chere at the entrance to the campground.  They were right on time and we caravanned north toward Spokane without incident except for a minor miss in Dan’s engine.  Dan’s Class A is 30 some feet and being a great mechanic he takes care of it himself.  He figured out the problem eventually, but in the mean time we stopped a couple of times to check it out.

Traveling north on 84 to 82, and then 395, crossing the river in Kennewick, and then continuing north towards Spokane is a bit of a puzzle if you aren’t used to the route.  Having done the road a bazillion times, I still have to watch the GPS to remember which lane to be in to make the proper turns.  Mo was sure there had to be a more direct way north, but there isn’t.  Gotta get across the river and across a few interstates before 395 continues toward Spokane.

We never seem to spend much time in Tri Cities, just passing through.  Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland are all clustered along the Columbia and Snake Rivers and are famous for the big jet boat races every year.  The area has grown exponentially, with huge housing developments, lots of big shopping, and lots of traffic.  Good wineries abound, and it can be hot in the summer.  I know there is a lot to see and do in the area, but I have never had the inclination to do so.  Deanna and Keith (trucker daughter and her husband) stay there when they are on home time, with Keith’s brother who has a beautiful house in Kennewick along the river.

We arrived at Riverside State Park in Spokane around 3, and it was 99 degrees F.  There always is a bit of confusion about exactly how to get to the campground area of the state park, and if you use a GPS, don’t count on it.  If you put in Bowl and Pitcher, you might have better luck, but either way the GPS will try to take you down through the golf course parking lot, down a very narrow street, around a very sharp right turn onto another narrow street to get to the campground.  After being there a few days we discovered it was a LOT easier to go north to Rifle Range road and out Francis Blvd no matter where we wanted to go in town.

Brother Don and his wife Wynn were in charge of the festivities this year, and they came down to the park as folks began to arrive to make sure we were all settled in comfortably before bringing in something like 20 pizzas for everyone to share.  It was great fun seeing more than 30 Oukrops all together in one place.

Next:  The Oukrops descend on Silverwood and Boulder Beach Theme Park in Northern Idaho