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.

July24 - Back to the mainland

I spent much of the morning sitting on my log looking out across the strait longing to get a last glimpse of the Orca. They did not oblige, but I enjoyed the anticipation. After packing up we headed to Friday Harbor to await the ferry. The boys wanted to spend their time in the library, so Rich and I got to spend a couple of hours watching the boats, people and seaplanes in the busy harbor. We could not resist more seafood for lunch. The boys called us when they were ready to leave the library, only to be told that the car and camper were in the ferry line so they would have to walk back to town. They caught up to us pretty quickly and we were soon on the ferry enjoying the cruise back to Anacortez.
As we travelled south we noticed the dark rain clouds in the east. By the time we got to the campground the first drops were falling. After a takeout dinner of pizza and a huge downpour we returned to a campground lit up by emergency lights. The EMT's left with their patient and I was happy to get to bed.

July 23 – Kayaking

We discovered an outfitter who launches from our campground beach and made a booking for an afternoon on the water. The wind was high but we planned to not venture too far from the bay. Just as we were getting onto the water we noticed a flotilla of boats moving north. This is a sure indictor that the Orca are nearby. We paddled out to some kelp and held on tight. We used the kelp to prevent the current and wind moving us towards the rocks. The Orca swam past us moving north. We were very excited. We then paddled around the small island infront of the campground. We saw seal and many birds. After a rest and snack on the beach we decided to paddle south to look for the bald eagle nest. Just as we were getting back on the water the Orca appeared again. We were able to paddle alongside them as they moved south. We were then treated to seeing the bald eagles near their nest. What an afternoon! Very expensive but what an experience. Thanks Kim.
We spent the evening savouring our last night on the island.

July 22 – Mike loves the big boats

While we were doing some early morning seal watching the fog rolled in from the southwest. It was eerie how large ships suddenly disappeared from view. The fog never made it to the shore but the whole strait stayed shrouded most of the day. We went north to explore Mitchell harbor. It is really small. We were unable to rent kayaks because we had no open sea experience. Further north at Roche harbor we found more lime kilns operations. Many of the original company buildings have been preserved. The hotel and limestone fireplaces are still standing. The harbor was full of boats and we were able to explore some 50-60 foot boats than were on sale. The opulence was incredible. Mike loves the boats and wants to live on one instead of a house.

July 21 – Lime kilns and the pig war

The campground is quiet till about 9am. It is nice to have Rich to make big breakfasts. We saw Orca twice before we left on our day’s exploration! The roads are too narrow for us to go cycling so we jumped into the car and went south. We explored the whale watching station and the restored lime kiln. The islands were completely deforested during the lime heyday but they have, thankfully, recovered. We discovered that we have been spoilt to see the Orca so often because they had not been seen for a whole week prior to our arrival. They had however seen a humpback whale recently. At the American camp we learnt about the pig war with the British. We then explored Friday Harbor. We met Popeye the local seal. Rich found a fishmonger and brought a whole variety of fish and shellfish for dinner. It tasted great. Crab was our favorite.

July 20 - San Juan Islands

We headed north to get onto the islands. Traffic through the city is bad! Everyone is excited at the possibility of seeing whales. Promise to put up pictures soon!

July 20 – Onto the Islands

The drive up to Anacortez is quite long – especially driving through central Seattle traffic. We caught the express ferry mid afternoon and sailed straight through to San Juan Island. I was amazed at how developed the island is. Friday Harbor is huge and the shore is covered in houses. As we drove across the island we saw lots of farmland. It is quite hilly as well. We arrived at the park and the ranger took one look at our camper and thought it was larger than the 25’ restriction. He got out his measuring wheel only to discover we were in the limit. He implied that our campsite would be difficult to get into because it was so small, but the only problem was getting everything level. Our site backed on to forest so we felt really private. We looked out over tents towards the water. While we were eating dinner the first spotting of Orca occurred. We dropped everything and went down to the shore to watch them swim by. What a joy to see them! The whole campground was there watching them. Ant later found a baby harbor seal on the beach – the beach was then closed to prevent anybody disturbing it. There are no waves, but we do get large swells hitting the island when the large ship pass on the inner passage to Alaska. The Haro Strait west of the island is deep and it comes real close to the island. The Orca follow the salmon, who are migrating to the Frazer River to spawn, and this brings them close to shore. The 3 resident pods of Orca eat salmon, but the transient pods eat seals. The small island in front of the campground is an animal refuge and one can see seals sunbathing there at low tide. Seals make a lot of noise at times – they splash around in the water flapping their tails. The sunset was wonderful.

July 19 - Trolls and locks

We headed up to Seattle and explored Lake Union. The house boats were interesting to watch. We walked under the Fremont bridge to find the Troll then made our way down to the locks. We met up with Helen and Bill, had fish and chips lunch in a park listening to Jazz, played Nerts, then explored the locks. They packed so many pleasure boats into the lock before they raised them up into Lake Union. The salmon ladder was interesting and we saw some huge Chinook. The heat is wonderful and we feel like we have dried out since leaving the penninsula. This is a wonderful time of year to be here. Back at the camper the boys were wiped out - they were in bed by 9pm.

July 18 - Museum of flight

Rich and I took Rocky for a walk on the beach. After a big breakfast we headed off to the museum. We boarded a Concorde, and the old air force one and go up close to a 747. I enjoyed the WWI and WWII exhibits. The boys and I took a flight in two open bi-planes. What fun! Headed home to meet with Helen and had a wonderful evening chatting. Rich spoiled us and made the dinner.

July 17 - Back to an urban setting

The day to meet Rich has finally arrived. Packed up and took a route to Tacoma around the northern peninsula. We saw incredibly steep tall mountains and a lovely lake. As soon as we reached Port Angeles we got great views north to Vancouver Island and the Sound. Our route to the campground took us past the Tacome harbor and scrap metal loading area. The heavy industry was quite shocking. We entered a peaceful residentail area and found the campground. The is an urban setting and the noise levels from the campers really increase. We setup quickly, left Mike and Rocky at the camp, went to do laundry and then hightailed it to the airport. Rich had to wait a while for us, but it was good to see him. Rob made dinner for us all. We are playing musical beds - I am in Rob's, Rich is in Ant's and they share the double.

July 16 - Lazy day

Woke up with the intention of not doing any sightseeing today. A very relaxed feeling. The beach was shrouded in heavy fog. We could not even see the surf which was out on a low tide. One felt completly alone on the beach - although we were not. We let Rocks off leash and he immediatly harassed some people with a dog emerging out of the fog. The owner was really unhappy with us. I took a long walk on the lovely flat beach while the boys made friends with some other kids. They played together all day. They built log structures and dammed up the little river running over the beach. One of last nights fires was still smouldering so we rekindled it and enjoyed the warmth. I hid out of the wind and soaked up the sun. We played till dinner, had to haul water to fill the camper, showered and then I snuck off to watch the sunset. Helen called and we made plans to meet on Saturday - excited!

July 15 - Hoh Rainforest

We drove up to the rainforest but desperately needed some gas. In this remote area we had to pay $4/gal. I was livid! Everything is so green here. Not surprisingly – 120 inches of rain a year. July is their dry month and it was quite hot. We joined a ranger led trail and learnt so much about the park and our ranger. He was really engaging and fun to listen to. We saw western hemlock, sitka spruce and Douglas fir. Many branches were covered in a thick layer of moss. The nurse logs were interesting. The ferns and forest growth reminded us of the vegetation we saw at the redwood forests. Upon our return to the campground, the change in weather was so sudden it surprised us. As soon as we got close to the coast the blue skies vanished and the fog enveloped us. We stopped at Ruby beach and explored the stacks on the beach. There were many pebbles on the beach and people had made numerous piles on the large driftwood logs. The effect was quite pretty. Rocky hopped up onto the logs to smell the pebbles but all he managed to do was topple them off the logs. He had not idea that he was wreaking such havoc. Back at the campground Mike and Rob rushed down to the beach to prepare our evening beach fire. They also built a wonderful wind shelter upwind of the campfire. We had dinner and read until it was dark enough to light the fire. The sunset was great and the wind died down a bit. We got the kindling lit but it seemed to die soon after. We went off to another fire to get a burning log to restart our fire. We returned to our fire with the log and to our surprise our fire was burning quite well. Ant deserted us for another fire and “better company”. Rob and Mike wondered off after a while, so once I had had my fill of the smoke I smothered the fire with sand. We went to bed after our 1 min showers. I hope our water will last until we leave. I love the tranquility here.

July 14 - Hello Washington

Crossing the bridge at Astoria marked the end of our time in Oregon. I was sad to leave because we have really enjoyed our time there. The coast was really spectacular. The 101 in Washington does not hug he coast and I found the driving quite depressing. Towns are run down and roads are in bad condition. The logging was easy to see on all the hillsides. I did enjoy our blue skies! When we arrived at our campground in Kalaloch I was overjoyed to see how close to the beach it was. It took us a while to back into our narrow sloping site. The forest trees completely enveloped us. We rushed down to the beach and discovered it was covered with an endless supply of driftwood. Many shelters had been built using the wood. Rob was all enthused to build his own hut. We saw some stacks of wood ready to be lit later in the evening. The wind was chilly and the boys were pleased to have their new jackets to keep them warm. Rob and I explored the local lodge for WiFi and their menu. Everything was very expensive and they scoffed at the idea of WiFi. The campground is silent at night – except for the soft sound of the waves.

July 13 - Columbia River mouth

The campground is huge and I cannot hear the sea. We got the bikes out and started exploring the wonderful bike trails. Our first stop was a shipwreck on the beach. Rob climbed to the top of the metal skeleton. We were amazed to see cars driving up and down the beach. The boys wanted me to get the car on the beach but I was not too keen to risk getting it stuck in soft sand. We needed Rich with us. Rocky spent some time off leash. He loved running after Rob. He even ran through some pools left behind by the low tide. He listened to our calls most of the time but when he saw a seagull he had to chase it – no matter how much we called after him. We then rode towards the river mouth and explored the old batteries that were used for defense. The ride back to the camper was fun and the boys had to take a detour to re-visit the wreck. Rob and I stocked up on food supplies and we found some lovely wind/rain jackets. We treated ourselves to pizza and soup for dinner. We had hoped to get to the south jetty by 6pm, for a ranger led program. We arrived late and missed it. Hundreds of pelicans, seagulls and terns were fishing in the water really close to the jetty. It was great to watch them. I enjoyed watching ships entering and leaving the river mouth. The boys had “stick” wars on the beach while I enjoyed the activity on the river. Rob made a fire before we all went to bed.

July 12 - Tillamook factory

Mike and I delighted in following Rob and Ant while they followed our scavenger hunt through the campground and out to the beach. Mike had stashed some good digging tools there. We raced back to the camper to pack up before the storm hit. We are really good at this task now and were leaving the campground half and hour later. We drove through lots of rain and mist. Driving south to north on the 101 is not a good plan, as you have to cross oncoming traffic to get to all the coastal view spots. We missed many because of this. All we traveled north the road seemed to get more and more bumpy. The result of this is the bike rack started to rip the bumper of the back of the trailer. We are so lucky that the whole lots did not fall off onto the road. We visited the Tillamook cheese factory. I was not very impressed – there was almost nothing going on in the factory. Maybe it was just quiet because it was a Sunday. We did however buy some really good ice cream.
Our final campground in Oregon was at the mouth of the Columbia.

July 11 - Aquarium and into town

We had some good thunder and lightning followed by all night drizzle. The air was quite cold this morning but the early breeze stopped and things warmed up a bit. There are so many activities to do we had to list them all and pick who was doing which. Mike wanted to do the tidal pool outing, Rob wanted to work on his Junior Ranger badge and Ant just chose to stay in bed. The Oregon State Parks really make you work hard for your badges – Rob will be busy for a few days. The tidal pools were a few miles south of the park. They were really super. We spotted a sunflower starfish and leather starfish along with so many other animals, plants and birds. Mike examined a starfish eating a mussel (pic). We returned to the camper just as Rob finished up his morning program. After some rounds of card games and a quick nap we cycled along the shore trail to get to town. We spent the afternoon at the Oregon Aquarium. The walk through tunnels was impressive, Ant loved the touch pools and I enjoyed watching the jellyfish. After the aquarium, we braved cycling across the bridge to Newport. The library was closed so we explored the bayside area. It is a busy fishing port and we decided to try the local seafood for dinner – wonderful! It was getting dark by the time we had to ride home. Mike and I then went for a long walk with Rocky. It has been rather cold all day, so the hot showers were most welcome.