Shirley, Shirley-bo-birley...

Banana fanna fo Firley - Fee fie mo Mirley, Shirley!

One of my most favorite people I worked with at Best Friends lives in Yakima and made I don't know how many 2 day drives to Kanab for awhile to work in the volunteer department. Each time she arrived, she was welcomed with big hugs from all of us at the Welcome Center. And I naturally regaled her in song with the Name Game song frequently! Shirley is open, fun, calm and simply warm and delightful. She was one of the "Women of Best Friends " in one of the crazy performances we did at the No Talent Talent Show based on The Mikado. Man, it was grand!

When Shirley made the decision to return to Yakima for good and leave Best Friends employ, I knew she would be sorely missed by all and especially by me. We had dinner before she left and it was just so comfortable and easy for both of us to chat away. We wondered why the heck we hadn't spent more time together outside of work before and now she was leaving. We find ways to keep in touch via Facebook and I knew that if/when this road trip occurred, I'd make sure that Yakima was enroute no matter where we were.

After our weekend in Leavenworth, we headed toward Yakima and arrived pretty much near lunchtime and Shirley welcomed us with open arms and heart. Her husband, Dale, who she's known since elementary school is retired from the forest service and claims that he is still there almost every day doing just the fun stuff as a volunteer and being with his beloved owls. He has got some fantastic photos of his important work of banding and tracking the owls in the Yakima area. And he is a font if knowledge about them and the land.

We took a couple of drives around the area and enjoyed each other's company, some fine restaurants, a movie at home, and relaxing moments on the patio. As Jose mentioned in his post, Shirley was excited to share her handmade jewelry, each a unique creation. Her excitement was contagious even catching hold of Jose and we immediately jumped in the car and headed for one of her favorite bead shops!  We agreed to start our instruction in beading after dinner, but we couldn't stop from setting up our tools and supplies while waiting for the lasagna to bake.  we were pretty excited to start and Shirley is a wonderful and patient teacher.  I cannot describe how peaceful and happy I felt in this creative environment and it also was a learning experience in another way.  As I beaded and observed Jose, Shirley and myself in the act of creation, it was interesting to see how differently each of us approached the task at hand and how each piece of work expressed our unique individuality even as we worked to help each other throughout the process.  It is such a wonderful and meditative feeling and the joy I felt was very warm and safe deep inside my core.

Jose completed his bracelet after dinner while Shirley and I had to leave our projects for another day.  The road trip should provide a lot of time for that so I hope to post some photos of the finished product soon; and additional ones in the future!

Needless to say, hanging with Shirley has been such a major highlight of the road trip and next time will be just as wonderful!

Yakima

I cannot add much to Diane's narration of our adventures in Forks and La Push. Except that it is a pretty area but it is not growing. Sounds like the biggest industry is tourism brought in by the movies, even though none of the movies was actually filmed in La Push.

In this trip we have seen some little towns that have done a great job of reinventing themselves and thriving when their main industry goes away. Half Moon Bay, Ca, Sisters, Or, Bend, Or are in this list. Forks and La Push unfortunately are not.

We ended up back in Aberdeen. As you may recall we spent one night in Aberdeen about three weeks ago. We ended up in the same Walmart, almost the same parking spot. We just took a 600-mile loop through Tacoma, Seattle and the Olympic National Park.

In Aberdeen we officially started the eastbound leg of our adventure.

One of my goals for the trip was to visit a fish hatchery. We got to see the Cowlitz Fish Hatchery near Salkum, Wa. It is operated by the Tacoma Power company to minimize the effects of the power generating dams on the local salmon. Their visitor center and self-guided tour were very informative and interesting.

We spent one night at an RV Park in Packwood, Wa. Packwood is another town not in the list of towns that have reinvented themselves and are thriving. Even the RV park was up for sale.

Our next major stop was Yakima, Wa to visit our friend Shirley, but Shirley was going to be busy for a couple of days so,  at the recommendation of a local waitress we headed to Leavenworth, Or,  about 90 miles away. Leavenworth is at the top of the list of towns that have reinvented themselves. The whole town has been done as a Bavarian town.  There are German restaurants (I had some delicious Jägerschnitzel)  and bands in lederhosen playing polkas in the town square. Even the sign for Starbucks is done in a Bavarian font. I asked someone if the founders of the town were of Bavarian descent but was told no.

From Wikipedia: "Leavenworth was officially incorporated on September 5, 1906. A small timber community, it became the headquarters of the Great North Railroad in the early 1900s. The railroad relocated to Wenatchee in the 1920s, greatly affecting Leavenworth's economy.

The city struggled until 1962, when the Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) Committee was formed to transform the city into a mock Bavarian village to revitalize its economy. Owen and Pauline Watson, owners of a business on Front Street, formed the committee after visiting Solvang, California in 1958 and thought it was an excellent idea for Leavenworth."

They pulled it off beautifully. The sidewalks were full of people and it was almost impossible to find a parking spot. One advantage of the Bavarian theme is that it goes well with winter and snow.

We finally reached Yakima and Shirley. We had a great time in Yakima.  Ate at some very cool restaurants and got to see the town from a local's point of view. At one point Shirley mentioned that she had moved a table to her porch to work on her beading. I asked her if she had any of her bead work she could show us and she kind of answered "glad you asked".  Shirley is big into beading and has made some very nice jewelry. For some time I had been looking for a nice bracelet for myself but all the ones I see in the stores are too clunky, too feminine or too expensive. Shirley took Diane and I to the local bead store where I picked out the materials for a bracelet.  That evening she taught us a quick class on bracelet making and I made one that is perfect for me.

Her husband Dale volunteers counting and banding local wild owls. He is very passionate about it. His "hooters calendar" with pictures of the owls was a big hit. Huge thanks to Shirley and Dale. We had a great time.

Stay tuned

On the other side of Rainier

Now in Yakima Valley.  Interesting that east of Rainier, we have left the lush green to enter more desert like terrain although we are having rain tonight.   This is cherry country and wine country and stopping by a fruit market for lunch,  one of the clerks told us about the little Bavarian town of Leavenworth a 90 minute drive north to the mountains.

Since our plans to meet with Shirley aren't till Monday,  we said, let's go!  What a gorgeous winding drive and a splendid lively town.   All the buildings and signage are designed in bavarian style even Starbucks!  The town definitely lives up to expectations all the way down to lederhosen-clad gents, accordion bands, weinerschnitzel, and more.   We stayed near the Icicle River and the rushing water lulled us to sleep that evening,  our bellies full of spatzle and apple streudel!  This is a fun town even if a bit touristy.   Photos of Leavenworth in winter are a lighted,  snowy paradise and would be a wonderful time to visit.   According to our shuttle driver, over one million lights are strung through the town several weeks before Christmas and the lighting ceremony is spectacular.  On subsequent Friday nights, the town is all dark and a shorter version with special speakers and relighting is performed each weekend leading up to Christmas.   it's a special welcome and delightful surprise for visitors when they arrive.   I think it's fantastic!

Matilda, Rocky, Pascal

Nothing much new here. Today it's 6 years since Rocky died...

Back in 1991 I got an Alaskan Malamute and named her Pascal (I was taking some computer classes and named her after a computer language). When Pascal was about a year old I noticed she enjoyed digging huge holes in the back yard. Thinking that she was probably bored, I decided to get her a companion. Driving around Florida one day I saw a sign for "puppies free to good home" and I went in to investigate. There was only one left, the runt, an all black Lab mix with eyes like Smokey Robinson. He was only a few weeks old and I could hold him in one hand. A friend of mine had just gotten a dog and his mom named the dog Buddy. My friend complained that Buddy was not a masculine enough name for a guy's dog, so in his honor I named mine Rocky. Pascal was a very good stepmom to Rocky. When she was trying to nap he would walk all over her, bite her ears, make her play. She taught him a lot,  including how to dig huge holes in the back yard. They were inseparable. Pascal crossed in 2004 aged 13 and Rocky in 2007 aged about 15.

The first time we were in Aberdeen I took Matilda for a walk. At one point she rushed towards an oncoming lady. I said out loud "No Matilda, she does not have any treats for you" and the lady said "Oh, but I do. I have dogs also and always have treats in my pocket".  Just like Matilda to bum treats from a stranger. Matilda's theme song should be Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. 

What does all this have to do with my trip? For the answer look at the very first word of this post. 

Stay tuned. 

In the "TWILIGHT" zone - Forks & La Push, WA

Are these towns familiar to you?  It's okay; you can admit it.  I won't tell anyone - you can trust me to keep your secret...

Still not willing to face it?  You know you read at least the first book of the series - No?  Okay, sure I believe you.    But you must have seen ONE of the movies, maybe just the trailer.  Or was it the ENTIRE TRILOGY?

That's right!  You know you love Bella, Edward and Jacob and it's okay if you have the movie poster on your bedroom wall.  Don't be envious that I was there where it all happened.  I actually saw a wolf coming out of the bushes when we entered La Push; perhaps he sensed the arrival of vampires?

These towns are the perfect setting for a vampire story - the evergreens, the desolate beaches, and the isolation.

Oh, CANADA!

Ehhh?  Is this view across the Straits of Juan de Fuca at Salt Creek, WA of Victoria, BC worth $1,000?


Apparently, that is what AT&T has charged me for the mere 70 MB of data I've used because they don't have any towers here and unbeknownst to me international rates for Canadian tower applied!  Since we never left the US, they will be rebating.  Whew!



And the area and views of Canada across the water are spectacular, so I totally recommend a visit here; just be sure to turn off your data roaming.

To quote Jose: "This is the most expensive trip to Canada I never made..."

Jenny, I Got Your #...

Months ago via Facebook, Jenny and I talked about getting together when I got to Washington.  About a month or so ago, Bill, her dad, says, " make sure you look up Jenny when you get to Washington; I'll get her phone number to you." ME: "Oh, yes, planning on it, Mr. Bill."  Never got her phone# - however, there IS Facebook so we began to communicate that way.

When we reached Maria's house in Bremerton, Jenny and I texted several times to make plans.  Simple, right?  Well, if you check out the ferry routes to the right, you will see that it's not as easy as it sounds...
Maria lives in Bremerton, Jenny lives south of West Seattle and works in Vashon Island which is accessible by a quick ferry from either Southworth or Fauntleroy, depending on if you're traveling inbound or outbound.
And, neither of us have a car!  It would have taken much finagling, ferry hopping, etc., but the timing worked where Jenny was able to access a friend's car.










And, FINALLY, we connect in Seattle at the waterfront Starbucks happy to hear each other's actual voices and see each other for big hugs!  It was so awesome to see her, but WAY too brief.  I'll just have to come back and spend a lot more time!

Bye-bye Seattle!  Till next time...

SPECIAL NOTE:  At 4 AM the day after Jenny and I finalized our plans, Bill sent me a simple text message: "phone#   Jenny".  Love ya, Mr. Bill, but you literally missed the boat by one day on this one!  :)

Goodbye Seattle

You would think that after the awesome adventure with the segway there is not much else to do. But Seattle has so much to see and do, there is always something.

As in Portland we rented a car to get around.  My niece Maria has been great about taking us places but she works and we didn't want to abuse her hospitality any more than necessary. Have I mentioned that my niece Maria is awesome? We visited several parks around Bremerton, drove to the town of Port Gamble, and went over the Hood Canal Bridge.

The next day Maria was not working and we went back to Seattle. We saw more of the market and saw the original Starbucks.  We took the monorail to the Space Needle and the elevator to the very top. The view from the top of the Space Needle is spectacular. Maria gave me a very cool Seattle T shirt. We got back to Bremerton late and tired but very excited about the day.

The biggest down side of the trip has been that our only means of transportation was the RV, the occasional rental car or bumming rides from family and friends. Otherwise when we park the RV we are stuck in one place.  When planning the trip Diane proposed bringing bicycles but there was just not enough room with our big cargo box on a hitch platform in the back. As it turned out we never used the "stuff" in the cargo box but we sure could use bicycles. On our last day in Seattle my niece's husband,  Chad, gave us a super wonderful present: two great bicycles! Chad knows a lot about bicycles. He spent many hours cleaning and fixing up and tuning these so they perform and look like brand new. Diane's is an old timey pink cruiser, similar to the ones that Quail Park motel in Kanab has for its guests. Mine is a matte black cruiser. So we moved most of the "stuff" in the cargo box inside the RV and shipped what was left back to Utah. We then gave Chad the cargo box and the hitch platform  (more like he took them off our hands) and bought a bicycle carrier.  So now instead of a useless huge cargo box we have two wonderful bicycles and the ability to explore the surroundings when we park the RV. Did I mention that my niece Maria and all her family are very awesome? Huge thanks to Chad, Maria, Josh, Isa, and Stewie.

It was difficult leaving Seattle and all the fantastic people we visited there and all the cool things there are to do there. But this is just a vacation trip, not a moving to Seattle trip.

From Seattle we went to Sequim (pronounced Squim) and tried out our new bikes on the Olympic Discovery Trail at the Railroad Bridge Park. It was an old railroad that was converted to a trail under the Rails to Trails program. We rode about three miles in the direction of Port Angeles. To our right we could see a tall, snow capped mountain. I looked in Google maps to try to figure out what mountain it was. There are many mountains in that area and I could not find out exactly which one that was, but I did see that it was in Canada!

From there we went past Port Angeles and spent the night at the Salt Creek County Park campground. Something interesting happened there but I will let Diane tell you that story.

Stay tuned

Seattle

At the end of my last entry our two brave adventurers (Ok,  four brave adventurers as Nancy pointed out ) were in Astoria, Oregon,  having been thoroughly amazed at what the Coast Guard does to rescue people. I echo Diane's respect and admiration for these brave men and women.  When the seas are rough enough to capsize boats they go out there to rescue the people.

The next day we crossed into Washington State and drove all the way to a Walmart in Aberdeen, Wa.

Around that time the toilet seat in the RV broke. For some time I wanted to install a cover on my bedroom vent.   This vent is right over my bed and as soon as the sun comes up my bedroom is not dark anymore. I have tried several different home made covers to try to keep my room dark but nothing worked so I decided to bite the bullet and buy a real vent cover. I usually have the RV maintenance done at Camping World and the nearest one was right on our way in Tacoma,  Wa.  So off we headed to Tacoma. The repairs work fine and now I decide when my room will be dark.

Not wanting to drive very far or pay a lot of money we headed for a Walmart parking lot near Tacoma. The day had been pretty cloudy and I was tired so when Diane proposed going to the Walmart I declined and she went in alone.   A few minutes later she came to the RV and asked me to close my eyes and step outside.  Once outside I opened my eyes.  The weather had cleared up and right there in front of me was Mt Rainier. WOW!  It's hard to explain the feeling of being in the presence of something so majestic. Pictures cannot start to do it justice. We slept well that night under the protection of Mt Rainier.

The next day we decided to get closer to Mt Rainier, maybe to the visitor center. OMG! We learned that Mt Rainier is an old volcano, not extinct, just dormant.  The last eruption was in 1894. We drove to the visitor center, which is about as close you can drive to the summit. The day was sunny. The roads were clear and visibility was excellent . The guide said that the record yearly snowfall on Mt Rainier is 1200 inches (100 feet). Average is "only" 700 inches.

The next day we arrived at my niece Maria's Rehahn's. Did I mention that Maria is one of the coolest people I have ever known? Her husband Chad and children Josh and Isa are pretty awesome too. The plan was to park the RV in her front yard but it was not to be.  The ground was pretty spongy and the Enterprise got stuck. Thank heavens for AAA. We went to nearby Illahee State Park instead. (Photo of the RV being rescued by AAA courtesy of Chad Rehahn)

The next day Maria took us to Poulsbo,  a quaint little Norwegian community west of Seattle. Maria works in a store there where they sell shoes and other outdoor stuff.  I bought a cool backpack.

Next day we went to Seattle with Maria. Saw the market, the gum wall, the space needle, and the original Starbucks.

I have always wanted to go on a segway tour.  They had segway tours in Portland but I decided to wait till Seattle in case my niece wanted to go too. Turns out that she had wanted to go on a segway tour also (did I mention that I have an awesome niece?) so off we went.  It took a few minutes to get used to it but it was great. The next day we were all pooped out but it was worth it.

Stay tuned.

Mt. Rainier 1st Day in Washington

We have arrived in Washington!   it's strange how the look and feel of each state on the Pacific change pretty dramatically as soon as you cross the border.   what is unique about the Oregon / Washington border is that the line is marked after traveling about 2/3 of a bridge that crosses over the Columbia River! Pictures are worth 1,000 words so I won't even try to describe the feeling of seeing Mt. Rainier appear behind the clearing clouds. Just go see it if you ever get the chance!

Hanging with Family in Washington...

Jose's niece, Maria, and family - Chad, Josh, Isa and Stewie ROCK!

Stewart wants some burrito

Cutie patootie Stewie!

Beautiful Isa and Maria

Poulsbo Pizza

Gifts for all the guys - Josh, Chad & Stewie

Tribute to the Coasties!

One of the most historical towns of Oregon is Astoria whose claim to fame is being the first established city on the Pacific Coast, mostly due to the Lewis & Clark expedition in search of a northwest passage in 1805.  Astoria's river port has a long and eventful maritime history and their museum is fantastic.

Navigating this area where the Columbia River exits to the Pacific is so intricate and treacherous for US and international barge captains; it has become the number one educational facility for Coast Guard training in hazardous weather conditions.

Jose's post has pretty much covered it, but I must add that I am the proud aunt if a Coastie and recently discovered that he trained here a couple of years ago. WAY TO GO MIKEY !!!

Last Day in Portland

Our final day in Portland included the best highlights of our stay: A much anticipated visit to the Japanese Gardens was especially fulfilling because they are now featuring the artist Noguchi; his artwork is exhibited indoors and in an outdoor sand garden overlooking the mountains and city. "We are the landscape of all we know"
Afterward, we were finally able to connect with Ashley from Memphis. I first met her through my niece Michelle in 2007 in the birthplace of the blues when I was on my road trip heading west in the company of Michelle - that's a totally different adventure! And now we both happened to be in another cool city at the same time and it seemed like a perfect time to connect again! We met at a fantastic little Korean place for lunch called Boke Bowl. Now this could be a chain as far as I know but I'd never eaten Korean food before and it was delightfully delish. Another nice surprise was that Viviana, another college buddy of Michelle's, was with Ashley and I had never met her. So it was an awesome moment in time. Parting was somewhat bittersweet because even though Michelle wasn't with us, it felt like I was saying goodbye to her too because her presence was so strong.
After lunch, we directed the RV out if the city. As invigorating as cities can be, it was a welcome sight to see the green forests and hills of Oregon around us again...

RVs and cities don't mix!

I can't recall which Star Trek movie it was,  but you may recall that their ship landed somewhere in the city (NYC?) the crew was totally out of their element.  Amusing concept for a movie but when reality hits and you find yourself driving the NTRPRZ RV through the city of Portland, it's not that funny; it is adventurous!
I've lived, worked and driven in cities throughout the years and am pretty darn good at parallel parking and navigating through tight city streets in a CAR,  but it is only slight preparation for getting a 21 foot RV in and out of city parking lots and parking garages are out of the question due to height restrictions.  So instead on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend we drove around the city hoping I didn't miss a corner light or stop sign while looking for two street parking spaces.  after passing many awesome single spots close to the Portland Market, we opted for two open street spaces about 4 blocks away and fed both meters for 90 minutes knowing we'd be walking back shortly to replenish them for another 90.   but it's all good. The city is alive,  slight mist in the air and our legs are getting a good stretch.

Before heading to our RV camping for the night, Jose walked back to check on the pups while I stood in line at Voodoo Doughnuts for an hour.   This is a great people watching venue and the donuts are pretty decent. There was a rude woman who cut into the line out of nowhere and of all things she tried to schmooze me into letting her in front of me. When I wouldn't, she actually called me rude and stated loudly that I must not be from Portland and wherever I was from must have very mean people.  I just wanted to crack up!

We still enjoyed the sights and sounds so much (the food carts, the vendors, the art and craftwork,  street musicians, the oddities,  families, and dogs galore) that we decided to rent a compact car for a couple more days and see some of the other attractions without struggling with the RV.  Anyway,  there were quite the sights to see and many dressing and acting weird just to be weird not really be unique which seems to be what they're striving for.  Anyhoo...kinda weird city but interesting and worth the experience.

Multnomah Falls & Troutdale

Diane at the lower falls

Well we never saw Mt. Hood with all the clouds and fog overshadowing the mountains.  and later when looking for a place to rest for the night, a forest ranger informed us that the Timberline Lodge had actually closed their facilities due to bad weather - yes, that was the same snowstorm we were driving through for awhile.

Jose & Matilda

The day turned out great though.  We made it to Multnomah Falls and enjoyed a glorious, albeit, wet drive along parts of the Columbia River.  Spent the evening in a little town called Troutdale and had some of the best curry and teriyaki at one of the few restaurants available.   Owned by a young Thai woman,  the food was fresh and flavorful accompanied by a mound of sticky white rice so plentiful we were able to enjoy leftovers the next day.  Walking back to the RV after dinner,  we crossed over a footbridge and enjoyed the ducks and ducklings swimming in the creek below.   At the sound of our footsteps, all but one paddled quickly to hide in the shadow of a fallen log; the straggler realizing he'd been left behind couldn't swim around the log quickly enough to join the others so he hopped atop the log and seeing the flock jumped over the side into the water and back to safety.  Nature just doesn't get any better than that.

Mt. Hood - come hell or high water...

...or rain,  hail, rock slide, snow zone and yes actual snow! 
After leaving Sisters the plan was to see Mt. Hood, Columbia River and Multnomah Falls on our way to Portland.  The last three days had been heavy rain off and on which is great for moisturizing my dry desert skin but has set a familiar raw chill in my bones.  Don't you find it annoying when people say, 'the past few weeks were so beautiful and sunny and just this week we started getting cold and rainy weather'!?  Thanks for rubbing that in Oregon!   Indeed' the rain makes everything SO green and the cloud formations are amazing!

Not realizing that Mt. Hood has snow year round, we still proceeded on our planned scenic byway route and as we slowly climbed in elevation, naturally, rain became hail and hail became snow; it began to stick to foliage and when it began to accumulate rapidly on the road we had to turn around.

We figured that the cloud cover would prevent Mt. Hood from revealing its summit and we didn't want to slide into or down the side in the process! So we went around the other way and descended below treeline where the snow dissipated and eventually turned to light rain.