July 30 - Ice Age Floods and becoming teenagers

Ellen called to wish the boys a good day. We then had to honor their wish to play tennis. It was not yet too hot so we took Rocky with us. He chased balls until he dropped with exhaustion. Our next caller serenaded each boy while playing her accordion, we laughed at her slip of the tongue when she made mistakes - Thanks Sarah. Baxter sent wishes from everyone in SA who the boys did not remember! Granny Peggy, Paul and Kathy each called and sent wishes. After some phone calls to the local ice cream stores we found the perfect cake. Luckily our camper has a freezer. I was sad to leave Wenachee, but driving north along the Columbia reminded me of the Orange River in SA. Very arid with a splash of green along the banks. We were soon cutting across basalts towards Dry Falls. We traversed some incredibly wide u shaped valleys. The basalts made for some steep valley walls. Dry Falls blew my mind!(pic) The sheer size and energy of the ice age flooding was fascinating - just 17,000 years ago. The museum sitting on the cliff edge was very informative. The whole concept of a massive ice dam extending into Missoula then breaking through and gouging out the Grand Coulee just north of the dry falls was inspiring. Evidence of the energy involved during this dam break can be seen in Montanna where there are massive ripple marks covering the hills.
We enjoyed generous helpings of the ice cream cake for lunch(pic). What a place to celebrate a birthday! We drove north along Grand Coulee to meet the Colombia River at the Grand Coulee Dam. We passed a very pretty campground at Steamboat Rock, perched next to the Coulee reservoir. Our campground was on the Columbia and thankfully there were many trees and lots of well irrigated green grass.(pic) We struggled to squeeze into the small camp site - under a carport. It was strange to be so confined, but at least the camper was not out in the full sun. There was no power - and as a result we had no AC. The dam was going to serve as our shower for a few days and it took very little arm twisting to get us into the water. The boys pitched the tent and moved out the camper.
We all chose to have a special Mexican dinner - which was super. We had to leave before pudding so that we could watch the laser show on the dam wall. We were all very sleepy by the time we got back to the camper. The heat in the camper and noise from our East European campers nearby made it difficult to sleep.

July 29 - Enjoying the river

The heat drained our energy but I was still able to drag the family onto the trail along the river. We had to stop frequently for dips in the river. When we crossed over the Columbia we noticed a nest with bald eagles on the bridge. We have been so lucky to see so many eagles on this trip. Mike was a good sport - riding with Rocky in the burley - as we were one bike short(pic). By the time we ended the ride the boys discovered the joy of riding their bikes into the river.(pic) While we were relaxing at the beach we were astounded to see how swift the river flowed. One would have to be really careful swimming out in the current.
By late afternoon we ventured out to Liberty Orchards. My mom has always treated us with a gift from the factory at Christmas time so I was curious to see the place. While waiting for the tour we over indulged on their free samples. What a treat! We tested an energy bar they are planning to market - I thought it was horrible. The tour was interesting and we completed it twice. Considering the volume this factory produces we were quite surprised that they have only 4 double boiler drums.
We returned to the campground and headed straight for the river. After a snooze Rich made a wonderful orange chicken meal on the BBQ. The wind picked up and cooled us down.

July 28 - Heading East

During a slow, quiet morning walk we enjoyed watching a mom trying to launch her jetski into the water while her kids were anxous to start playing on the thing. We finished breakfast and packed up. We could not resist another dip in the water before moving on. While Rich visited Kinko's we hung out in a Pets Mart store to keep cool. It was 101F when we left Everitt. We said goodbye to the Pacific and started the long haul over Steven's Pass. It was refreshingly cool at the top - 85F. The mountains were steep and rugged. Leavenworth was a quaint Bavarian village surrounded by wonderful scenery. The vegetation was brown and dry. The only green growth was the fruit trees on the flood plain. Irrigation sprinklers were everywhere. What a lot of water usage! The heat hit us again as we descended towards the Columbia River Valley. We stopped at a farm stall for tonnes of fresh fruit and snacks. We enjoyed a late lunch exploring their maze and farm animals. We passed Liberty Orchards on our way to the campground at Wenatchee. What a joy to stay on grassy sites with great big trees for shade, but we had to be careful of biting insects while relaxing in the shade. Mike and I explored the campground and discovered a 10 mile loop trail, tennis courts and a lovely beach on the river. The air hardly moved after sunset and the heat only subsided late at night.

July 27 - Boeing factory and Canada

We headed to Everitt for the tour of the Boeing factory. Just as we arrived we saw the Dream Lifter getting ready for take-off. It is the converted Jumbo Jet that transports parts of the 787 from around the world and delivers them to Everitt.(pic) The assembly lines of planes was a sight to behold. I was astounded by the efficiency and compactness. The tour was rather rushed but worth it. We saw the first 787 manufactured, sitting outside the hanger. We learnt a lot about the 787 - it is a small but comfortable plane with a lot of carbon fibre materials. The cabin environment is going to be humid and comfortable. I look forward to travelling in one.
We then headed to Canada for dinner with friends in Vancouver. It was an enjoyable drive and we made quick time. They live on the west side of Vancouver, half a block from the waters edge and Stanley Park. The high density living would be too much for me to deal with. While walking along the beach we noticed a wonderful tree at the top of a 30 story apartment block. I wonder how much that penthouse sells for. We all laughed at the dog swimming out to fetch a stick - the only problem was that he decided to bring back a huge log floating in the water. He was quite successful in his quest. After a wonderful Greek dinner we drove through Stanley Park. The sunset was gorgeous.(pic)

July 26 - Pikes Place Market

We just could not resist another visit to Seattle. We planned a rondeavouz with Helen at her apartment. She has a wonderful view of the city centre and space needle. We enjoyed a good cup of tea and a great donut before venturing out to Pikes Place Market. I was astounded by the selection of flowers, fruit and fresh fish. We stopped by the first ever starbucks coffee shop(pic). The water front restaurants were adorned with flower baskets(pic). Helen then took us to the Asian market so that Rich could get some good Sushi fish. She introduced us to "Bubble tea". Different and quite refreshing. We ventured to the west side of Seattle and walked the length of Alkyr Beach. It is a vibrant hub of social activites on the weekends. Rob discovered a tortorise out for his Sunday stroll - we could not believe how fast he moved off from his owner. By the time we returned to the campground the lake shore was quiet. We had a wonderful swim followed by sushi dinner.

July 25 - Urban campground

Rich and I woke up before the boys, so we decided to sneak out and investigate the lake. We were surprised at the development. It was peaceful so early in the morning but we wondered what it would be like by noon. We were thankful that the campsites were quite far from the waters edge. The water was warm and we looked forward to a swim later in the day. After breakfast I started prepping blog entries. I was way behind and knew it would take most the morning. Mike made some friends and soon they were each walking a dog around the campground. It reminded me of the pied piper.(pic) Rich and I had to get to Everitt to sign some bank papers so we took the opportunity to do laundry and grocery shopping. On the way back to the campground we stopped at the local chamber of commerce to download blog entries and make a booking for the Boeing factory tour. Upon venturing down to the lake for a swim, we passed a wedding party playing music that the whole campground could hear. On the waters edge there were people everywhere, dogs barking, radios blaring and the restrooms were a sight to behold - how sad. We enjoyed a great steak for dinner and were amazed at how peacful the campground got after dark.