Waiting Out a Bridge Closure on The Olympic Peninsula

Relaxing in our RV during the bridge closure.

Making our way home from the Olympic Peninsula  following a week of camping, clamming, crabbing, searching out sea glass, hiking and visiting with friends, a hiccup occurred that was way beyond our control.

As I wrote this, I was sitting in my travel trailer at the Olympic Peninsula Gateway Visitor Center. The leveling blocks were in place, the tongue jack was down, the radio is playing and we just finished lunch. We were watching other disrupted travelers coming and going, studying maps, talking with others and taking note of their repulsion at the less than pleasant portable toilets situated behind the visitor center.

The reason we were parked and leveled here is the Hood Canal Bridge, the longest floating bridge in the world, was closed due to vehicle traffic with no estimation on when it might reopen. Apparently there was a serious vehicle accident that involved the draw span of the bridge, which was stuck in the open position. Alternative routes involved taking a ferry or driving around via non-RV friendly Hwy 101. Both options would require significant time, ferry fees or fuel to complete. So here we sat checking the Washington Department of Transportation website, watching and waiting for the bridge to reopen.

Don`t Miss More Details About The Olympic Peninsula

We would have felt a little less comfortable, however, being in an ordinary vehicle. With our RV, we were glad we had our own bathroom, food, entertainment, and power, so we could comfortably wait out the closure. I completed some blogging with plenty of time to still take it easy after a long and relaxing vacation.

In the next few installments, I will share the activities we have enjoyed this past week on the Olympic Peninsula. Hopefully, we will be home by then.

Being stranded by a broken bridge, just another adventure in RVing!

Dave Helgeson

Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.