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Summer camping NW
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  • Phil Woodford
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  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford

Summer camping NW

This summer we are planning a 2 month camping trip through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and Wyoming. Read more
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    🇺🇸 Klamath County, United States
    Summer camping NW
    Yes, the water really is that blue and beautiful.
    Report from rim of Crater Lake.A visitor (Stellar Jay) watched us eat our snack lunch.Several kinds of young trees growing together.Camp is set up.Bear box if needed

    Crater Lake

    Yesterday in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    It was pretty short drive from Medford to Crater Lake. Right now, the campground is almost empty for a Saturday at 4 pm. There a few people here from yesterday, but online it says the campground is full. There's a group of PCT hikers up near the camp store. They are picking up shipments mailed to them by their support people and they pick them up along the way every few weeks. One guy was disappointed to learn his package hadn't made it to the camp store today from the post office.

    We drove up to the rim to see if we could eat at the lodge, but they were full. In that case we took the obligatory photos and came back to our campsite to eat a snack.

    The sky is a brilliant clear blue today and the water is reflecting that deep sapphire. No snow around, not even up higher on the mountain.

    We're here tonight. Its quite cool and there's a gentle breeze. Much more pleasant than Medford. Tomorrow we start across the southeast Oregon desert. We'll stay one night in Burns, OR, halfway to Boise. In Boise, we'll stay 2 more hotel nights (getting soft in the heat) and then to a campground up above Sun Valley in the cooler mountains again.

    PS: we saw a Pine Martin tonight on a short walk. Very cool.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Sparkling pool at our hotel
    The camper and pickup getting a rest today.Our home for 2 nights

    Catching up on housekeeping

    July 24 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    We're down to the final 3 weeks of the trip and boy is it hot compared to the northern Pacific coast! Medford, OR, is 82 F compared to highs in the low 60's the last two weeks.

    We are headquartered fir 2 days in a room at the Town Suites in south Medford. We washed all our sheets, shook the sand out of the sleeping bags, and laundered all our warmer clothes so we could get out the shorts and t- shirts again. We even went to the pool yesterday for a bit!

    Phil has a VA telehealth appt today. We have to do some restocking on important items like coffee and coffee creamer. I have booked us campsites or hotel rooms up through the 14th of August or so when we'll be heading back to Missouri. In the meantime we will be at Crater Lake, Boise, the Sawtooth Mts., the Targhee National Forest, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Wyoming's Snowy Range before we start for home.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Stellar jays are everywhere here. They are camp thieves and also eat the eggs/chicks of other birds.
    The roots of a huge redwood.Snag next to living treePanorama or the tree base and snagSunlight filtering through in a small glade.The trees are a football field high!Forest floor is carpeted with ferns as tall as me.Yes, way over there is a Roosevelt elk. Very few left in the world.

    Last day in the Redwoods

    July 22 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    We are heading out early Thursday for Medford, OR, for 2 nights so Phil can take a telehealth appt with the VA, so today's our last day here.

    We arrived at the Big Tree parking area by 9 am and there were only a few cars in the parking lot. The Cathedral Trees hike was really fabulous. The hike went slowly up the hillside winding among the 1,000 year old plus trees. Each one was unique and almost more fabulous than the last one. You could just feel the calming energy from each tree. Some of the snags or dead trees were larger than a house at the base and they provided sheltered homes for all the new baby trees.

    The only issue we found with the day was that the hike was 4.4 miles instead of a 2.1 mile hike as posted. We had a short stopover at the Prairie Creek Visitor's Center to use the bathroom and see the stag elk in the nearby meadow. We got back to the car and then went to the nearby tribal gas station for fuel and lunch (the casino restaurant was not open and the grill at the Bar and Grill was not functioning).

    The weather here has cool. Temps not above 75. Some sun.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Trees are huge
    An early morning walkRhodadendronsTwo huge twinsPlaqueLady Bird Johnson grove dedication siteAn iris growing in the forestSee how big they areA tiny chipmunkThe lands around the Lady Bird Grove were clear-cut before the park was dedicated."The Big Tree"Fireweed at our campsiteHere's the seal closest to me

    3 short hikes around these sacred trees

    July 21 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    We rose early to be some of the first to visit the Lady Bird Johnson grove of trees today. This special site was dedicated to Mrs Johnson in 1969 just one year after Redwood National Park was dedicated. She had been there in 1968 to see the trees and was back in 1969 to have the grove dedicated in her name. Anyway it was a spectacular walk, not quite 2 miles. The trees are so awesome. You just feel their energy being near them. They can live up to 2,000 years and the coastal redwoods are the tallest of the redwood species.

    After this first walk, we visited the coastal Visitor's Center on the beach near Orick. I watched seals (or sea lions not sure which), pelicans, and shore birds all working together to catch fish at low tide. There were 6 or 7 seals within the 100 yards of beach, maybe 20 pelicans, and at least 60 or 70 shore birds.

    On our way back toward our campground, we stopped at "the big tree" and took a short hike to see even bigger trees. We'll go back tomorrow to do a 2 mile hike to see a cathedral of trees. We also stopped at a trailhead and took a hike where a logging road was removed and restored to a trail. There were interpretive signs along the trail explaining the process. The trail was supposed to be a quarter mile, but ended up being just over mile out and back.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Next to the road on the drive. You cant really see how huge these trees are in a photo.
    Roses at our campgroundBehind the camper is the Mystic Forest.Huge stump at our campsiteThis is probably a part of the tree from the stump at our campsite.A baby redwoodA tree on our walk

    Redwood National Park

    July 20 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Although we had to drive only 45 miles to our new campsite at the Mystic Forest RV Park, there was significant road construction that slowed us considerably.

    We stopped in Crescent City, CA, to do a quick grocery shop and eat some lunch. We arrived at the Mystic Forest at about 1:30 pm. Our host, Patrick, checked us in. There's no cell service here for our AT&T phones, but they do have WiFi. Patrick was careful to note that there are bears and wild animals here and to keep food out only when eating or cooking. (BTW, mt lion was spotted in our last campground while we were there.)

    We set up the camper next to a huge old redwood stump that is now providing a place for other trees to grow. We also took a short hike through the forest. No living huge redwoods, but lots of other trees and plants. Some younger redwoods. We did see a lot of big trees on the drive into the campground from Crescent City.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    We're down in the far southwest corner.
    Viewpoint of the dayQuite chilly!

    Chilly and a little smokey

    July 18 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Another quiet day. We got some laundry done and chatted with neighbors ar the campground. Phil got a haircut. Mine will have to wait as there are no "walk-in" shops here and it is a weekend.

    The map showing smoke from Canada includes us so it isn't just campfire smoke we are smelling. Also lots of beach fog and it is overcast and in the low 60's. I have a heavy wool "camping sweater" on. Phil's wearing 2 shirts and a jacket. We are using our battery heated camp chairs, too.

    We are here 2 more nights. Very nice. Campsites are small, but the campground is well maintained.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Harbor in Brookings, OR.
    Tsunami damage poster.Made hard boiled eggs for future breakfast after shoppingHarris Beach on Friday afternoonBarnacles on seaweedAir pods help the seaweed floatHere's a bull kelp (edible)A shell just washed upPart of a crab's ahell

    Oil change and beach time

    July 17 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    We took the car for an oil change this morning and also got a free deluxe car wash. We had lunch at a seafood place on the harbor and also read about the tsunami that damaged the harbor and boats.

    After some grocery shopping, we went to the beach and walked the edge of the surf. Although it was sunny, it was only in the low 60's. It was not too crowded for a Friday afternoon.

    Our campground is full again tonight (over 200 campsites). The showers and toilets are super clean and well stocked although not as new as the last campground.

    Tomorrow we'll do some laundry and maybe try for a haircut. So far its been a nice stay. I helped 3 ladies figure out how to hook up their camper yesterday (they had borrowed it from a relative.)    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Harris Park Beach
    Really nice beach nearbyOur home base the next 4 nights

    Long drive, but set up at Harris State Park

    July 16 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 63 °F

    It was about an 9 hour drive on highway 101 to our campground near Brookings, OR. We are not usually such road warriors, but it was rainy most of the day. There was a lot of road construction causing delays. Traffic was relatively light although there were a lot of small towns.

    The road follows the Oregon Coast so it really is stunning much of the way. We are at another state park with showers and electricity. The beach is pretty interesting and I will enjoy exploring it.

    Phil wants to get the oil changed tomorrow and we might also try to get haircuts. We'll need a laundromat again soon, too.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    In front of the Tillamook Visitor's Facility
    You can see down into the plant to watch the cheese being made and packaged.Grilled cheeseCheeseburger1Flight of 3 ice-cream. One is expresso chip for me to taste.

    A cheesy day at Tillamook

    July 15 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    After breakfast we drove to Tillamook, OR, about 60 miles down the coast. The Tillamook Cheese Cooperative has a Visitor's Center at their HQ cheese plant. There were a CRAZY number of people there. It's a really nice facility with a very large educational area, a store, and a restaurant/ice cream bar.

    We did the self tour which allows you to see how the cattle are cared for. There is a model cow for kids to learn how to apply a milking machine. There's photos and videos and all kinds of info about cows and dairy farms. Tillamook is a cooperative owned by about 90 area dairy farms according to the information.

    The next part of the tour has windows down into the cheese plant so you can see how the cheese is made and packaged. It was really interesting. Then there was a cheese tasting room where you could try different kinds of cheese.

    We ate lunch in their restaurant. I had grilled cheese and Phil had a cheeseburger. They also had pizzas and salads. Afterwards Phil got a flight of three ice creams.

    Its supposed to be raining in the morning so we'll pack up tonight as much as possible. We have a long drive (354 miles) tomorrow down Highway 101 along the Oregon coast to our next site at Harris Beach. Its a busy scenic highway so we expect it will take most of the day. Checkin is not until 4 pm though.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Ft Clatsop is part of the National Park system.
    The replica of the fort is behind us.1Panorama of the beachPart of the shipwreck. Maybe a mast?There quite a lot of the shipwreck still here after 120 years!Beach combersA jelly fish!You can see how long the ship was

    Lewis and Clark and an old ship wreck

    July 14 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    This morning after coffee and breakfast we headed to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park. The Corps of Discovery explored the Louisiana Purchase up the Missouri River, across the Northern Rockies, down the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers to the Pacific Ocean. Cpt's Lewis and Clark and their 30 men stayed at the mouth of the Columbia through the winter of Dec. 1805 to late March 1806. They build a fort (Ft Clatsop) and finally began their journey home March 23, 1806.

    Phil and I toured the Visitor's Center and the replica of the fort. It was tight quarters. Today's soldiers have little to complain about in that regard! We also watched 2 movies. One was from the Native American perspective. The other a general account of the whole 3 year mission. All very interesting.

    Afterwards we got a few groceries and then went to the beach near our campsite. There is the shipwreck of a British sailng ship from 1906 on our beach. It somehow got beached in the sand and so it remains.

    Tomorrow we may visit the museum for the fort here and then drive a bit further down the Oregon coast exploring.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    3Saw this banana slug at our campsite this morning. He was about 5 inches long. They are natives here
    Old 1/4 ton jeep at the camp check in station.This was the emblem the sideAll unpacked.Right next to the showers

    Drive to Ft Stevens, OR

    July 13 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We went into Forks before leaving for gas and to hose the car and camper down at a car wash. The drive down Highway 101 is scenic and currently has many spots getting repairs. In some places half the road is gone due to a slide, but other places they are resurfacing the road or building new bridges.

    We crossed several harbors and the Columbia River to reach Ft Stevens which is a decommissioned army post.
    It is a huge campground, but very nice. We have electricity and showers are just steps away.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    A canoe of red cedar was what many tribes used to hunt on the open sea.
    A whale skull at the Ranger StationThis old tree is fostering other trees even in death.Beach #4 at high tideThe other side of the beachSea otterMan catching smeltsSea lion or sealOld cedar tree that has fallen and is still living and still providing shelter to other young trees.Part that has fallenThese are the rootsSome deciduous trees also taking hold on itSo amazingPhil by another big treeSo many of the huge old trees are protected on this areaAnother oneRoots are massiveHere's one that has fallenBiggest red cedar. It is on state lands.SignSome white foxgloves. Most here are pink.They really are robust.This one is taller than our car!

    Sea lions, otters, fishing, and big trees

    July 12 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Today we had a pancakes and sausage breakfast at the campsite. I buy the pancake mix made with Almond flour by Birchbenders (keto friendly mix). That doesn't make my blood sugar go up and I use the no-sugar syrup. It was good to have some big fluffy pancakes!

    After breakfast and showers, we drove to the Kaloloch Ranger Station. On the way back we stopped several places. Beach #4 is supposed to be the beach with tidal pools, but it was high tide so they were all covered. Instead, we watched several men fishing for smelts in the surf with nets. One in particular had more success because he was working while watching a sea lion. Wherever the sea lion moved, he moved there as well. I think the sea lion was literally chasing the fish into his net! We also saw an otter further off shore. Apparently they are more rare here than in Alaska, mainly because they were hunted almost to extinction. The whole scene was fascinating and we watched nearly an hour.

    Then we drove to two different big cedar tree sites. One was on the National Park and the other was on state of Washington lands. It was really cool to see how these huge old trees were continuing to support the forest ecosystem.

    There's been and still is a lot of logging in this area. The town of Forks is a logging community and everywhere you can see the aftermath except on National and State lands. Some areas are replanted as a renewable resource, but you can still see the stumps of what were trees that were hundreds of years old in their midst. People do need wood for lots of things, but its sad that the really old trees were sacrificed.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Bogachiel River
    Same river upstreamTadpolesRuby Beach from on highOne of the cool looking stacksMore rocks in the waterBarnacles about 6 feet up on the rock so it's at least that far under water.Bigger barnaclesSea anemoneRuby beachPost roast with fake gravy!

    Ruby Beach

    July 11 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    We set our alarm for 5:30 am to try to catch a lower tide (low tide 4:30 am). But when the alarm rang, we decided it was really too cold to go to the beach. We rolled over and slept a few more hours. After rising at 7:30, we drove to town to fill up our LP gas bottle, ate breakfast, and mailed some birthday cards.

    Back at camp, Phil showered (I showered before breakfast). We walked to the Bogachiel River near our campsite to take pictures and then packed up to head for Ruby Beach. It is supposed to have red rocks, but in today's light everything looked gray. The afternoon low tide was at 4:30 pm. We arrived about 3:30 and got a parking site with no waiting!

    We walked up and down the beach, but didnt see any of the "tidal pools" we'd read about so figured that must be when the tide is much lower during the early morning. It was still pretty neat to walk in the Pacific Ocean and see the "stacks" which are those big rocks and small islands in the surf.

    Tonight we are having a "pot roast" that I bought by mistake. Its a little prepackaged roast that isnt meant to be grilled. At home I would cook it in the crock pot, but I seared it, added wine, potatoes, carrots, and shallots and it will be good for a couple of meals. It does take longer to cook, so I am glad I got the LP gas bottle refilled!    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Happy despite the 2 hour wait
    A juvenile gray jayHall of Mosses trailFerns almost as tall as Phil!Huge treesHuge snags (dead trees)The moss grows most heavily on the big leaf maplesKind of like a cathedral draped in moss!So pretty1Child crying in the background was very unhappy and screaming at one point. Ruined the hike for me.

    Hoh Rain Forest Olympic National Park

    July 10 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    We had our coffee and breakfast of bananas, oatmeal for Phil and grits for me before we set off for the Hoh Rainforest. It was about a 20 minute drive from our campsite and we were congratulating ourselves for being almost there as the Visitor's Center opened. The congratulations soon turned to a deep sigh as we sat in a long line of cars for nearly 2 hours waiting to get in. Because parking is limited, they meter admissions to match those leaving the park.

    We had no where else to be so just watched ducks swimming on a pond and waited. We were nearly hit by a German family in a large rented motor home which resulted in a lot of horn honking. They were going to back the 30 ft motor home down a narrow causeway to a turnaround point. The father sheepishly gave up on that idea after nearly backing into us and they waited (not so patiently) with the rest if us for parking to open up.

    Phil and I visited the exhibits and then took one of the short hikes. The trail was about the moss that grows here on the trees. It was quite beautiful. There were many small children on the trail. Some were happier than others and there was a lot of very loud crying so Phil and I decided not to take a second hike which also had a lot of young families. Instead we had a picnic on the tailgate and then headed back for a shower.

    We are waiting for our laundry to finish at the laundromat in Forks now. Then we'll get a few groceries (Phil misplaced his body wash at the last campground) and head back to cook supper.

    In the morning, we will try to go very early to Ruby Beach where there are tidal pools. The tide should still be pretty low. We'll see what else after that.

    By the way, Forks, WA, is apparently the center of the universe for the Twilight books and shows. I know it has something to do with Vampires, but that is the extent of my knowledge.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Flowers so pretty at breakfast.
    Here we are at the Visitor's CenterMore pretty flowers1The Pacific coast at "Beach 1" at ONPA harbor with more coast in the distancePeople enjoying the surf2An Island eroding away.

    West side of Olympic Nat'l Park

    July 9 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    We ate a huge breakfast out and skipped lunch! We drove Hwy 101 around the peninsula stopping at the Visitor's Center in Port Angeles for Olympic National Park. Then we drove around to our campsite just south of Forks, WA.

    After dropping off the camper we drove back to town for ice and gas. We had seen a sign saying that gas was almost $1 less on the Native American Reservation so we drove to the community of La Push for gas at $4.03 per gallon and visited the sea shore briefly.

    We are here at the Bogachiel Campground for 4 nights. Tomorrow we plan to go to the Hoh Rain Forest. Olympic National Park is coast, rainforest, and mountains. We hope to visit as much as we can the next 3 days.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Estuary at Potlatch State Park
    Showered and walking the beachTidal poolOysters and clamsBarnaclesSeaweed and sea grassesSea beans?Oyster beltBald eagleOur parkOur site

    Potlatch State Park

    July 8 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    We had a leisurely morning and still arrived at our new campsite very early. Our site was open and no one was around so we just set up early and headed for the showers. The showers at our last campground were very far away (the clean ones anyway) so we just waited and showered at Potlatch.

    This park is located on an estuary near the end of the Hood Canal. The waters are calm and inviting to shellfish, crabs and juvenile fish. The tidal pools had unopened oysters, clams, and tiny little crabs. Lots of clam and oyster shells on this beach. Shellfish season is closed in months where there is no letter "r" in the month name. Crab season is also closed. I did see a bald eagle though.

    This state park is at the north end of the Skokomish Reservation. Potlatches are celebrations and feasts held by Northwest Tribes. Food is shared and events are celebrated.

    Tomorrow we will drive along the Oregon peninsula to our new spot on the northwest side of the state. We are in another state park near Olympic National Park and the Washington Pacific coast. No electricity so I hope there will be some sun to use the solar panel. There are showers on site though.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    1Breakfast at the Santo Milagro
    Halfway through my huevos rancherosPhil with his eggs and hamMt RanierGlaciers have scraped this smoothTop of backbone ridge1We are at the reflection lakes. On a still day the mountain is reflected here.Arriving at the most popular part of the parkStunning flowersHeather blooming everywhereMore pretty flowersAnd more in the meadows.Just one more!False posting about Myrtle FallsReal posting about Myrtle FallsPhil added this oneAnd this one

    Visit to Paradise

    July 7 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Paradise is the most popular area of Mt Ranier. Many of the hiking trails start there and a lot of the technical climbers also start there. A Visitor's Center is located there as well as one of the two hotels on the park. It is called Paradise because an early female hiker proclaimed it a "Paradise" due to all the wild flowers in the subalpine meadows.

    We left our campsite before 7:30 am and stopped for gas at Packwood. The restaurant proclaiming breakfast until 11 am didn't open until 10 am (what's up with that?) so we drove on to a small resort with a Mexican restaurant. I had huevos rancheros while Phil had eggs with ham. Both orders came with rice and beans and Phil's came with tortillas, too.

    The drive to Paradise through the park's southeast entrance was uncrowded and even though there were many steep dropoffs, it was still beautiful. We arrived at Paradise before 11 am. Even on a Tuesday it was slammed. We were able to get a parking place, but still had to walk a long way to get to the Visitor's Center.

    We made a loop through the Exhibits and watched the Mount Ranier movie. The mountain is the tallest in the Cascades. It has 26 glaciers and it is an active volcano. It was the 5th National Park and it is 96% Wilderness area. It receives more than 2 million visitors per year.

    Mostly disturbing is that due to the amount of glacial ice, if there was eruption, much of the populated areas nearby (Tacoma, Seattle, etc) would probably be swept away or covered in huge mud rivers called Lahars. Phil and I are camped on the shore of one such river which comes directly off a glacier. Hope it doesn't happen tonight since we leave in the morning to work our way to Olympic National Park.

    The stars are awesome at night here. We heard foxes barking last night and saw elk and deer today.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    4Peekaboo views of Mt Rainier at the White River entrance.
    So many glaciers! This view from a roadside pullout!Cowlitz River at our campsite.Here's the view from the other direction.Camped in the shade.Enjoying our spot.

    Arriving at Mt Ranier

    July 6 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    After a leisurely hotel morning we went shopping, ate lunch and bought gas before heading off to Mt Ranier. Groceries were very expensive. At the same chain store, Safeway, many things were two or three dollars higher than in Spokane such as coffee and Phil's high protein oatmeal. Gas was also higher down by our last night's hotel. I used the GasBuddy app to find gas st least 50 cents cheaper at a different Safeway in town! Gas was $4.89 where we bought it today.

    The drive to Mt Ranier was both lovely and terrifying for me since I don't like riding along steep dropoffs. We turned in at the white River entrance to use the bathroom and get maps and the park newspaper. That helped us plan our day tomorrow.

    Tonight we are at the Cascades Peaks Campground. It is a very large privately owned campground. The lady who checked me in said July 4 was their busiest weekend. The campground is quiet now. We have a site with shade, water, electrics, and a river view. No neighbors at all.

    Tomorrow we'll go into the park for a good drive and some short hikes.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    This is the slide site.
    A fence with encouraging phrasesInscription at the memorial.The area walls are built using this river rock fencing.The memorial art.Beautiful flowersThe slide diverted the river and also covered the road. It severed communications and traffic.More flowersMemorial to the many rescue agenciesPrimrosesThe sky and mountains beyond.This flag was at slide's end. It covered a huge area.

    Oso landslide Memorial

    July 5 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Today we were on the road by 8:15 am. The first half of our journey was still through the mountains and valleys. It was a lovely drive on Hwy 530. We stopped for at least 30 minutes at the Oso Slide Memorial. On a Sunday morning in 2014, a landslide destroyed a whole community and killed 43 people. The Memorial was beautifully situated in what was the path of the slide. It told the story of what happened, of the rescues (11 were pulled alive from the path), of the rescuers, of the victims (all 43) and of the aftermath. The whole area is surrounded by wildflowers.

    After our stop, we continued and drove the last half of the trip on the Interstate. Fortunately it was a holiday Sunday morning and traffic was not too heavy.

    We are staying tonight in Issaquah, WA. We're getting all the batteries charged up. We could not find the part we need for the stove so we bought a new Coleman stove at REI. They were on sale and the clerk reminded is that if we can get the part later that we can return the new stove to REI in the next year. It is almost exactly like our old stove.

    Tomorrow we will do a little grocery shopping and head to an RV park just south of Mt Rainier. We'll be there 2 nights before progressing on to Olympic National Park further west.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Hair after 4 days with no shower...
    1No problem!Coffee without electricityCoffee with electricityAbout the trailSketchy bridgesGarden poolFlowersLadder falls1Pretty cascadeOld gardenMore old gardenTrail now overgrownOld part of gardenA few more flowers

    Happy July 4

    July 4 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    This is our last full day at North Cascades National Park. We went over to the small store in Newhalem and bought ice for the cooler. We also visited the Visitor's Center for that area of the park. At 10 am there was hardly anyone around, but by 10:45 or so the area was packed and very little parking.

    Phil and I hiked a short trail in that area called Ladder Falls. It is over another sketchy, narrow suspension bridge behind the power plant. The suspension bridge is only supposed to have 10 people on it, however, either many of the visitors could not read English or ignored the sign. There are lot of tourists here speaking other languages, but they all have Washington license plates so not sure if they live in Seattle or just have rental cars. (Phil said he didn't see the sign until I pointed it out.) When we first arrived a large group was on the bridge stopping in the middle to take photos. I waited and then bolted across as soon as they left while Phil strolled slowly after me.

    There is a garden at Ladder Falls that was designed 94 years ago by a man fascinated with the modern technology of electricity. He designed a path with exotic and tropical plants planted in heated gardens and placed colored lights all along the falls and walkway and speakers with music. It was wrong in so many ways to spoil the landscape, but sometimes people are blinded by technology. The trail is mainly a remnant of its original self. Most tropical plants are gone. Most man-made pools are dry. The falls are nicer now although they apparently still have some colored lighting at night.

    We'll pack up tonight so we can pull out early tomorrow. I think on a Sunday morning traffic will be lighter even at the end of a holiday weekend. We'll be making our way towards Mt Ranier, but will stop tomorrow night at a hotel to wash clothes and restock on groceries.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Solar panel deployed. I have to move it around because there are so many trees shading it!
    The part of my stove which is failing.This is the end which caught fire.There are bear boxes at every site.We keep stored food and our grill inside.

    Housekeeping details

    July 3 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    The camp hosts just came by to brief us on bears. Apparently there is a mother black bear with two small cubs that frequent this campground loop. We keep extra food in the bear box and keep things closed up anyway unless we are preparing our meals. We dont want the bears to get any food rewards because it means they will be relocated or possibly destroyed as a "nuisance" bear.

    We spent some time charging a couple of our big batteries today with the solar panel. We have one big battery that runs our little refrigerator. While driving it is set up to recharge the battery from the vehicle "cigarette lighter" port, but when we are in the same place for several days without any electricity we need to boost it a little with the solar panel. We had to drive to a place where the trees were cleared enough to get sun.

    Also, yesterday our 25 year old Coleman camp stove had an issue. The port where the gas enters the stove caught fire despite being properly connected. This means there's probably a pinhole in the connection allowing gas to escape. Fortunately, I was standing right there and just shut the gas tank off before anything else caught fire (or blew up.) At home, I would just order a replacement for that part, but that isn't so easy on the road. In the meantime, we will just use our gas grill or out little Jetboil water heater. It means we can't have pancakes on July 4 though as I had planned. I don't want to buy a whole new stove, but we'll see what is available once we are back closer to civilization.

    It rained all night and a few hours this morning, but it's nice right now. Its 76 F. We are in a heavily wooded area so lots of shade. Tomorrow it is also supposed to be nice for the holiday.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Very ferny and rain foresty looking here.
    Lots of moss in the treesBig ferns where ever there a little sunlight.Newhalem Creek crossingBridge was sketchy. I dont much like bridges anyway, but I made it across.This part of the forest burned more than 100 years ago and you can still see the snags1Longer suspension bridgeBeautiful gardens at NewhalemGarden at NewhalemMore 100 year old burn scarsThe cedar trees are huge. Logging took out so many. We are a destructive people.The log behind us is almost as tall as me.A few huge trees left.Those is a parasitic plant related to blueberries per Google. Ghost Pipes.Fox glovesThe early people's site. Artifacts found here show they were hunting mt goats.We walked up to this site.A marker explaining the site.Newhalem Creek flows just below1View from early people's Rock House site

    Some short walks. Quiet day.

    July 2 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    This morning we had breakfast tacos from some camping bag meals. I love to buy those dehydrated bag meals, but we hardly ever eat them on our trips. Sometimes they just sound really good so I buy them anyway and so we have a lot! This trip I decided to bring the whole tub of them and that we WOULD eat them every few days.

    Last night we had Ranchero Cheese Enchilada in a bag. It was good, but more than we could eat. I saved the leftovers in our travel fridge and mixed it up this morning with another bag meal, breakfast tacos (scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, peppers). I heated the whole thing and we ate it on flour tortillas with picante sauce and sour cream. Quite tasty! I do make the bag meals in a pan not the bag. I just heat the water in a pan and dump the bag of stuff in. Stir and let them sit for 10 or 15 minutes.

    After breakfast we took a short hike over to the "town" of Newhalem. Really it is a park service installation in what was a camp for building a hydroelectric dam on the Skagit River. We walked through an old growth forest. Some trees escaped a big fire in 1922 and you could still see old snags from that fire 100 years ago. There's also a small hydroelectric plant from the 1920's. The gardens on the Newhalem site are beautiful. Lots of buildings still remain in use from the original camp over 100 years ago.

    On our way back we took another path to visit a site used by first peoples for 1,200 years as a hunting and fishing camp. In the video I said 1,600 years, but that was incorrect per the posted materials at the site.

    After a sandwich lunch we drove into the town of Marblemount for gas. The price was $5.25 per gallon. Its the most we've paid on the trip so far.

    We decided this morning to alter our trip on Sunday. We had planned to go back the way we came in to swing by Lake Chelan, but the grade going back is long and steep. Its hard for our little 4 cylinder pickup to tow the camper up and up and up. Instead, we'll swing toward the Seattle area early Sunday morning and go south. We'll stay at another Fairfield Inn (more points) and we can shower, charge up all our electrics, and do our laundry. We'll be staying south of Mt Rainier on Monday and Tuesday so we can visit that park, too, before going further west to Olympic National Park later in the week.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Phil in the bar at Twisp waiting on lunch.
    1Twisp getting new sidewalksEven a bus in TwispRoss Lake from the car window.Our campsiteMossy surroundings2Going up the East side.

    Drive to Northern Cascades National Park

    July 1 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    We left Alta Lake at about 10:30 and stopped for an early lunch in Twisp at a local bar. Twisp had been recently inundated by people from Winthrop a few miles further down the road. (Winthrop was evacuated for a wildfire.) Consequently the bar was low on some items which were to be delivered tomorrow. (Coke products specifically and Diet Dr Pepper). We managed a tasty lunch anyway.

    Winthrop seemed back to its old self and hopping with tourists for the upcoming holiday when we drove through. The rest of the drive was beautiful and for me somewhat terrifying. I am very afraid of heights and we had to progress up and over the Cascades and then down, down, down to our campground at Newhalem on the Skaggit River. Phil is a careful driver and we made it to our destination without mishap.

    We found our campsite in an old growth forest and set up. Later, we went to the National Park Visitor's Center and got some maps and saw the exhibits. Tomorrow we'll take some short hikes and maybe drive to Marblemount (20 miles) to get gas.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    View from our campsite
    Phil enjoying the shadeUnpacked and set upThe neighbors are quietLots of apples and cherries grown here as crops. Here's a tree in our campground.Hmmn...I wonder how they determine who is competent?1Here we are on the dock at Alta Lake.If you've ever seen Ice Age 2 it is kind if about a flood like this.

    Alta Lake

    June 30 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    We started in Spokane this morning with temps in the 50's. At Alta Lake the temps are in the low 80's but it is nice in the shade. I know that many of you are suffering in the summer heat.

    We drove through some of my favorite country- the channel scab lands of Washington state. In the last ice age, there was a huge lake in what would become Montana. A large ice dam held it back, but periodically the dam would melt and water would flood what would become eastern Washington state. It would sweep across and a scour the lands down to the basalt that makes up much of the geology. It happened many times as the dam reformed and the water broke through. It would pick up huge boulders in icebergs and drop them across the landscape called erratics. The water formed huge canyons where rivers have never been called Coulees. The landscape is beautiful and barren.

    We passed the Grand Coulee Dam and the Chief Joseph Dam high up on the Columbia River. Its easy to see why there aren't salmon in the Spokane River any more. The same with other tributaries in this area. Salmon cant get upstream to spawn.

    The Alta State Park Campground is nice
    We have electricity and showers. There are a lot of gnats though.

    Tomorrow we head up into the Northern Cascades for 4 nights. I expect it will be cooler there. If we have service, I will post.    Read more

  • Summer camping NW
    Children's play area in downtown Spokane.
    More children's play areasClock tower is from when the whole area was a train yard.Part of the World's Fair infrastructureOutdoor play fountainRestored merrygoroundBeautiful lavenderUsually quieter, but a group of bikers was going byMy calamari saladPhil's sole almondineFresh hot sourdough breadInside the restaurant you have a view of the falls

    Spokane wrap up

    June 29 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Ran our errands. Went by the old house (120 years old and the old girl looks great.)

    Spoke to my Mom and Stepdad and my Dad and Stepmom while we had good cell service. Despite health issues, both sets of parents told me the were still "Upright and taking nourishment" so I guess that's a good sign.

    Late this afternoon we walked along the Spokane River to our favorite restaurant Anthony's at the Falls. It was a chance to remember why we loved Spokane so much. Although there is still a lot of "grunge " in Spokane, there is still so much beauty. People are active. Running, walking, biking and in the winter skiing and snowshoeing.

    In 1976, Spokane hosted the World's Fair and many parts from the Fair have been preserved. The whole downtown used to be a railyard and it was converted for the Fair into a beautiful park. Our university district was also a railyard, but now hosts presences from Gonzaga, Washinton State University, University of Washington, and Eastern Washington as well as Spokane Community College.

    We had a good evening meal and walked both ways from the hotel. Its not hot here like it is in the Eastern half of the US. Heading out tomorrow to Alta Lake State Park. I will post as I have service over the next few days. If you dont hear from us, dont worry.    Read more