As I traveled through Lewis & Clark territory and across the Astoria Bridge over the mouth of the Columbia River, the weather stayed foggy, rainy and miserable. I intended to make yet another trip around the Olympic Peninsula, visiting the Hoh Rain Forest and climbing up Hurricane Ridge above Port Angeles to look over the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. Alas, a hundred miles up the Washington coast, I called my daughter and asked if I could come a week early. She agreed and I headed to Creston, whose story you can read in my August column.
Eventually I returned to Leavenworth, a Bavarian village where my kids had lived all the years Granddaughter Rebecca was in school, to visit North Ranch RVing friends Carolyn and Bob and see their new home. Carolyn took me through all the shops once more, and then we wandered Icicle Canyon to visit the campgrounds and scenic spots where the springtime Icicle River white-waters its way to the Wenatchee River. I have happy memories of picnics, RV camping, and exploring for many years in that area.
After another week at Creston, I traveled via Grand Coulee Dam to visit friend Marie and her Pomeranian dog, Boomer, near Twisp. We met when I interviewed her and her RV caravan friend, John, a couple of years ago at North Ranch. She has a chalet-style home looking north and west to the Cascade Mountains and the Pasayten Wilderness. Each evening deer munched unconcernedly outside her front window. Although I am no longer used to being around dogs, Boomer and I played together and when I left, Marie said he looked for me for two days. Marie is an adventurer like I am so we really enjoyed exploring areas even she hadn’t seen before.
Up and through North Cascades National Park on Route #20 and if you haven’t done this northernmost Washington park, it is exciting. It has snow-capped mountains, dammed lakes, campgrounds, and great hiking, including the Pacific Crest Trail that goes from the Mexican to the Canadian border. I camped at Bay View State Park (Outside Anacortes) for the third time, and met my kids in Seattle where we quacked up with a “Duck” ride as reported in my September column. I had a brief visit with granddaughter Becca who flew in from London where she experienced her third term as a junior through WWU.
God Bless until next time.
At 45, Widow Minshall began 20 years of solo full-time RVing throughout Alaska, Mexico, and Canada. Sharlene canoed the Yukon, mushed sled dogs, worked a dude ranch, visited Hudson Bay polar bears, and lived six months on a Mexican beach. She lectured at Life on Wheels, published six RV-related books and wrote a novel, “Winter in the Wilderness.”
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