Washington the Beautiful

As we're riding down the road, all we can think is "America the Beautiful!" But we're still in Washington, so I guess this portion of the blog should be titled, "Washington the Beautiful!" We've been on the road for 5 days and have yet to leave the state. At this rate, we'll be on the road for three years!

We left home on Tuesday, September 2, to gloomy skies and a chill. Our first stop was Lake Easton in the Cascades just east of Seattle. We had a lovely campsite with a filtered view of the lake. We even went on a two-mile hike along the rim of the lake where we spotted a Sasquatch footprint! Note the photo includes Clint's hand for scientific purposes relating to scale. Our camp neighbors, Dick & Peggy of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, popped on over to share our campfire and a glass of wine. They tell us Pagosa Springs is a special place. We'll have to go there some day.

On Wednesday, September 3, we sought out this old Mobiloil gas station in Ellensburg. Everything in and around it is authentic to the era. From there, we went to Gingko Petrified Forest State Park where more species of petrified trees have been found than any other location on earth. Leaving there, we continued along the Columbia River Gorge and, once we were in a long stretch of agricultural land, the truck started sputtering and spewing black smoke from the tailpipe! Ugh! The next town was Quincy where, as blessings would have it, the only mechanic was able to drop everything to help us. And, since he used to work on diesel farm equipment, he figured out that we needed a new fuel filter. And he was right! But soon thereafter, the cruise control went out. Can you imagine a 10,000 mile trip without cruise control?! Poor Clint... We camped that night in a gorgeous state park right on the Columbia River.

The next morning, found us at the Wenatchee Ford dealership to have the cruise control repaired. And what a gorgeous town Wenatchee is! The high volcanic bluffs slice their way up from the Columbia River. At various spots where the landscape is even slightly flat, farmers/ranchers have planted groves of apple, peach, and cherry trees. The view is the blue of the river, the pale gold of the hills, the dark green of the native pines, the even darker green of the apple groves sprinkled with bright red. Breathtaking! We took the time to tour Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee. As newlyweds, Herman & Ruth Ohme decided they wanted to create an alpine landscape from the barren volcanic bluff. They started in 1929 by hauling slate, trees, and water up the hill. They only had the help of a mule with a drag bucket. The gardens are full of hidden pools and slate steps. But what is more impressive than the beauty of the gardens is the fact that they worked so hard to create something they loved. We figured we could make it to Lake Chelan that afternoon, so our trusted GPS (Maggie) had us wind our way through barren hills until we were surprised at the phenomenal lake laid out before us. We dipped our tootsies in the crystal clear water, then sat watching the boats and birds.

The next morning, we scoped out the town of Chelan and decided we liked the entire area so much that we'll return there in the future. So, it was on to an Elks Lodge for the night but not before a stop at an old western gold mining town--Winthrop. Boy, is it charming! Complete with boardwalks! We had drinks and played cards at the Elks Lodge--so much for the $5. camping fee! Update for the Saligers: We're tied for 3-13, but that Chism is whipping my butt in Hand and Foot.

Our usual routine is to get up about 8:00, have breakfast, then hit the road. Some time during the day, we like to stop somewhere for some kind of instructional activity. And what better learning experience than crouching in the mid-day sun swinging a hammer to chisel chipping away at rocks. (Isn't that something prisoners did for punishment?) So, we stopped for a few hours and chipped away for fossils in the town of Republic. And, wouldn't you know it, that Chism popped apart a rock and held within was the fossil remains of a katsura leaf (plant species now extinct). I found some rocks that exhibit signs of mineral deposits. The shape of the rocks is interesting...much like coasters. Maybe that's where they'll end up! That night, since we were in the middle of nowhere, we camped at the Stevens County Fairgrounds RV Park in Colville and watched the clouds turn varying shades of purple as the sun set behind the mountains.

Chaplin and Zorro are doing just great! They hang out and sleep during the day, then carouse all night. They're eating well and Chaplin is showing no signs of renal failure. But we're keeping an eye on him.

'Til next time...Happy Trails to ALL! Jan & Clint