And a couple from Crystal
Thursday, September 27, 2012
SW Tour - some pics
A photo of the alligator at Miracle Hot Springs (and a turtle in the background...
And a couple from Crystal
And a couple from Crystal
Southwest Tour - On the Road
We headed SE with dispatch toward our first purposeful destination at Miracle Hot Springs in Idaho. Our first two nights were waypoints we had visited before - the Wild Horse RVP near Pendleton and the Mason Creek RV Park in Nampa Idaho - both of them nice, easy in-easy out stops. We also stopped at another previously visited park in Baker City to follow up on a shirt Kathy found in May with a nice motor home theme. She has considered doing something similar. We learned the shirt was not mass produced, but rather a hand made item.
Miracle HS was full when we tried to stay in May. It is a nice park with a great combination of large pools and smaller hot spaces. Flies are a problem this year due to a not-so-cold winter, and we picked up our share. Our next destination was Crystal HS. This was a very welcome 3-day stay after daily drives. Our space was on the bank of the outlet stream where a number of ducks and geese went about their day providing us much entertainment. We were issued a spot with 50A service and because they did not have the correct adapter, and we liked the spot, they allowed us to cross our cable over to the next site, basically giving us two spots (gotta love off season travel). The pool area was a long walk - made easier by a neighbor who transported us in their van. Crystal has a number of pools and a big tubular slide, and yes, we both "shot the tube". They also had an Olympic size pool that was being refinished so not available. We continued to battle the flies.
Our next destination was Salt Lake City. We arranged a pedicab tour of temple square. The temple provided free transportation to the square on the condition we took an escorted tour of the tabernacle and visitor center. Two missionaries - nice young ladies from Germany and Latvia - showed us around and waxed Mormon. We met up with our pedicab driver (peddler, actually) and had a tour of south temple street. It included some magnificent buildings. We saw homes of the silver mining wealthy, the church of the magdalene, the Masonic Hall and a number of other sites. It sure beat walking. We finished the day with a lovely dinner at the Market Street grill and a cab ride home.
Having had some success with those long sticky fly strips, but finding them pretty icky, we tried some flat sticky pads on the dash board that were successful and allowed us to watch the little pests struggle to free their feet - a satisfying payback for their bother.
. It was very interesting.
Miracle HS was full when we tried to stay in May. It is a nice park with a great combination of large pools and smaller hot spaces. Flies are a problem this year due to a not-so-cold winter, and we picked up our share. Our next destination was Crystal HS. This was a very welcome 3-day stay after daily drives. Our space was on the bank of the outlet stream where a number of ducks and geese went about their day providing us much entertainment. We were issued a spot with 50A service and because they did not have the correct adapter, and we liked the spot, they allowed us to cross our cable over to the next site, basically giving us two spots (gotta love off season travel). The pool area was a long walk - made easier by a neighbor who transported us in their van. Crystal has a number of pools and a big tubular slide, and yes, we both "shot the tube". They also had an Olympic size pool that was being refinished so not available. We continued to battle the flies.
Our next destination was Salt Lake City. We arranged a pedicab tour of temple square. The temple provided free transportation to the square on the condition we took an escorted tour of the tabernacle and visitor center. Two missionaries - nice young ladies from Germany and Latvia - showed us around and waxed Mormon. We met up with our pedicab driver (peddler, actually) and had a tour of south temple street. It included some magnificent buildings. We saw homes of the silver mining wealthy, the church of the magdalene, the Masonic Hall and a number of other sites. It sure beat walking. We finished the day with a lovely dinner at the Market Street grill and a cab ride home.
Having had some success with those long sticky fly strips, but finding them pretty icky, we tried some flat sticky pads on the dash board that were successful and allowed us to watch the little pests struggle to free their feet - a satisfying payback for their bother.
Southwest Tour - On the Road
This is a test - the iPad/blogspot means of communicating has not been successful. If you can read this more is sure to follow.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Year Two
July marked the beginning of the second year of retirement for Paul and Kathy. Family drew us to several great events: a HS graduation party for Haily Hage (who is moving on to the UW), a gathering of the McDonald Clan and an old friends reunion. Before we left, the Land Yacht dashboard A/C and heater was repaired and a visit to the shop took care of routine PM and a list of things that should receive attention on the next visit. Then it took us on a voyage back to Bayshore RV Park in Tokeland the week before the old friends reunion in Onalaska WA and then to Totten Inlet to see, and participate in, an old friends geoduck planting operation.
Tokeland was again a nice quiet stay on the north shore of Willapa Bay and this time, with warmer weather, included a long walk out on the tide flats. Much to our surprise, we learned for the first time that Jack could swim. Previously he had strongly avoided water. This time there was no transition - he just walked out in the water and swam - truly amazing. Making the best of our time, we assembled a jig saw puzzle of New Yorks' Times Square, and then traded it at the park clubhouse for a puzzle we had not seen for assembly during a future trip. Kathy continued to get the most out of our small galley with a little help from Smoky Joe, and we enjoyed a couple of meals at the nearby Tokeland Hotel. The picture below is the view from our site at Bayshore RV Park. Jacks first swim was out to Paul knee deep in the ocean while we were walking along the shore in the distance. On the way back he was fifty yards ahead of us just swam across the twenty yards of three foot deep water in the foreground.
From Tokeland we drove east through Pe El to Centralia then to Onalaska. We spent Friday before the reunion with an old friend and his new wife. We broke bread, made a new friend and reminisced with an old one. One benefit of RV travel is visiting with minimum imposition (provided there is space) on the visitee. Saturday morning we drove a few miles to another friends place where family and friends made up a gathering of maybe a hundred people. For many of us, we were rejoicing fifty or more years of friendship.
We were two days ahead of our geoduck engagement in Shelton, so we cruised 20 miles further to enjoy the waterfront at Potlatch on Hood Canal. It was a beautiful respite. Then back to Shelton.
After a half day of bending down to plant geoduck, we were fed well off of the beach. It was very interesting.
Rather than hurrying back to a ferry home, we made a way point on the trip and spent the night at Belfair State Park. We have been most impressed with state parks on our voyages and Belfair (picture below) is yet another wonderful example.
Tokeland was again a nice quiet stay on the north shore of Willapa Bay and this time, with warmer weather, included a long walk out on the tide flats. Much to our surprise, we learned for the first time that Jack could swim. Previously he had strongly avoided water. This time there was no transition - he just walked out in the water and swam - truly amazing. Making the best of our time, we assembled a jig saw puzzle of New Yorks' Times Square, and then traded it at the park clubhouse for a puzzle we had not seen for assembly during a future trip. Kathy continued to get the most out of our small galley with a little help from Smoky Joe, and we enjoyed a couple of meals at the nearby Tokeland Hotel. The picture below is the view from our site at Bayshore RV Park. Jacks first swim was out to Paul knee deep in the ocean while we were walking along the shore in the distance. On the way back he was fifty yards ahead of us just swam across the twenty yards of three foot deep water in the foreground.
From Tokeland we drove east through Pe El to Centralia then to Onalaska. We spent Friday before the reunion with an old friend and his new wife. We broke bread, made a new friend and reminisced with an old one. One benefit of RV travel is visiting with minimum imposition (provided there is space) on the visitee. Saturday morning we drove a few miles to another friends place where family and friends made up a gathering of maybe a hundred people. For many of us, we were rejoicing fifty or more years of friendship.
We were two days ahead of our geoduck engagement in Shelton, so we cruised 20 miles further to enjoy the waterfront at Potlatch on Hood Canal. It was a beautiful respite. Then back to Shelton.
After a half day of bending down to plant geoduck, we were fed well off of the beach. It was very interesting.
Rather than hurrying back to a ferry home, we made a way point on the trip and spent the night at Belfair State Park. We have been most impressed with state parks on our voyages and Belfair (picture below) is yet another wonderful example.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Salt Creek mid week
Monday, June 4, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Hot Spring Cruise: One more Soak?
The Hoquiam River RV Park - first class in every respect. We left Long Beach this morning for points north. We pulled up short of our initial destination at Kalalock because we were tired of driving, and we're retired, so we can. We are right on the bank of the river.
Long beach was fun. We spent most of Saturday hitting sales and taking in the Saturday Market and an antique shop in Ilwaco. We had such a great breakfast at Laurie's Homestead we returned on Sunday and again today (Tuesday). We also reacquainted with the folks who ran the Arc restaurant - we had missed them since the Arc closed a few years ago. They now operate Ginelles Cafe. If your looking for a nice meal in Long Beach - actually Ocean Park - Ginelles is the place. On Monday we walked out to the ocean. It is always such a deeply engaging experience. We were reminded again just how nice Cape Dissapointment was.
Someday I'll figure out how to add a photo or two.
Tomorrow we head north.
Long beach was fun. We spent most of Saturday hitting sales and taking in the Saturday Market and an antique shop in Ilwaco. We had such a great breakfast at Laurie's Homestead we returned on Sunday and again today (Tuesday). We also reacquainted with the folks who ran the Arc restaurant - we had missed them since the Arc closed a few years ago. They now operate Ginelles Cafe. If your looking for a nice meal in Long Beach - actually Ocean Park - Ginelles is the place. On Monday we walked out to the ocean. It is always such a deeply engaging experience. We were reminded again just how nice Cape Dissapointment was.
Someday I'll figure out how to add a photo or two.
Tomorrow we head north.
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