Pictures of the Week 2008-35
Hello All,
Departing Forks we continued north, east, and south on US-101. You might be scratching your head a bit thinking they have lost their minds concerning their direction of travel. It is easily explained. US-101 does a loop around Olympic National Park in Washington. When we intercepted WA-20 we turned east and followed it to Port Townsend where we had a reservation on the ferry to Keystone (on Whidbey Island).
Our plans were to stay another day in the area and visit some friends that live in Sequim. But, four large ferries have been taken out of service for rehab work by the State, which only left their smaller ferries in service. This has resulted in a real backup on the ferry system. Luckily, we had been advised of this at the visitor center upon our arrival in Forks. They also advised us to call and get a reservation, which we did right away. All large rigs such as ours are required to have a reservation. This was the only time slot we could get, so we grabbed it.
We had to be at the holding area no fewer than 30 minutes or more than 90 minutes before our scheduled departure time. At 57 feet we were just under the 60-foot break point for a higher charge. Charges for the ferry are broken down into categories by length. Under 60 feet--Angina!, and over 60 feet--Heart Failure!! Once we paid the tariff and parked the rig in the holding line we were free to walk around and visit shops in the area. Our 30-minute ride across Puget Sound went smoothly. Upon reaching Keystone we continued east on WA-20 to Burlington where we parked the rig for a week. The weather was absolutely gorgeous with not a cloud in the sky.
Departing Forks we continued north, east, and south on US-101. You might be scratching your head a bit thinking they have lost their minds concerning their direction of travel. It is easily explained. US-101 does a loop around Olympic National Park in Washington. When we intercepted WA-20 we turned east and followed it to Port Townsend where we had a reservation on the ferry to Keystone (on Whidbey Island).
Our plans were to stay another day in the area and visit some friends that live in Sequim. But, four large ferries have been taken out of service for rehab work by the State, which only left their smaller ferries in service. This has resulted in a real backup on the ferry system. Luckily, we had been advised of this at the visitor center upon our arrival in Forks. They also advised us to call and get a reservation, which we did right away. All large rigs such as ours are required to have a reservation. This was the only time slot we could get, so we grabbed it.
We had to be at the holding area no fewer than 30 minutes or more than 90 minutes before our scheduled departure time. At 57 feet we were just under the 60-foot break point for a higher charge. Charges for the ferry are broken down into categories by length. Under 60 feet--Angina!, and over 60 feet--Heart Failure!! Once we paid the tariff and parked the rig in the holding line we were free to walk around and visit shops in the area. Our 30-minute ride across Puget Sound went smoothly. Upon reaching Keystone we continued east on WA-20 to Burlington where we parked the rig for a week. The weather was absolutely gorgeous with not a cloud in the sky.
Our target destination was
North Cascades National Park. We had
visited the park a number of years ago and took lots of photos. However, we lost all of them in a computer
crash a few years back. Learning the
hard way we now store all our photos on an external hard drive and back them up
on another external hard drive.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature took charge and slowed us down. Low clouds, fog, and drizzle moved into the area. Not good for taking photos! We cooled our heels for three days (and took in a movie) before we got a window of opportunity.
With the forecast looking great we were up bright and early heading up into the national park. And we were not disappointed. The milky blue green water of Diablo Lake was just as spectacular as we had remembered.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature took charge and slowed us down. Low clouds, fog, and drizzle moved into the area. Not good for taking photos! We cooled our heels for three days (and took in a movie) before we got a window of opportunity.
With the forecast looking great we were up bright and early heading up into the national park. And we were not disappointed. The milky blue green water of Diablo Lake was just as spectacular as we had remembered.
We followed WA-20 all the way through the park
stopping here and there to snap a photo of a cascading waterfall or a high
mountain meadow. This is the only highway that goes into the park and it is
only open from April through October.
On the east side of the park
we stopped for lunch at the picturesque little town of Winthrop. It is done in a western motif and has flower
baskets hanging everywhere. After a bite
to eat, we reversed our route through the park. It was a long 12-hour day, but
worth every minute of it.
While in the Burlington area
it gave us a chance to visit some of Dave’s cousins and their families. It is always fun to see how much the kids
have grown since our last visit and to catch up on what’s going on in their
lives. Everyone seems to be doing well
and happy. We then hooked up the rig and moved it south following I-5 and I-405
to Bothell, WA. This gave us the
opportunity to visit with Barb’s daughter Tammy and family. They had just
returned from a three week trip to Turkey and had lots of adventures to share
with us. Being the travel bugs we are,
we enjoyed hearing about their fun times and seeing many photos.
Our first adventure in the area was to the Museum of Flight located at Boeing Field in Seattle. We have been in the Seattle area numerous times and have always missed visiting the museum, so we made a point to see it this trip. Wow, were we ever impressed. Without a doubt this is the finest air museum we have every visited and we have seen a lot of them. It portrays the history of flight and has aircraft on display from around the world. If you are an aviation buff, this is one place you don’t want to miss.
Our first adventure in the area was to the Museum of Flight located at Boeing Field in Seattle. We have been in the Seattle area numerous times and have always missed visiting the museum, so we made a point to see it this trip. Wow, were we ever impressed. Without a doubt this is the finest air museum we have every visited and we have seen a lot of them. It portrays the history of flight and has aircraft on display from around the world. If you are an aviation buff, this is one place you don’t want to miss.
During our visit Barb’s
daughter surprised us by arranging a “back lot” tour of Safeco Field in
Seattle. Safeco Field is the new home of
the Seattle Mariners. It was fantastic!
We saw how they close the roof over the stadium in case of rain. We toured the owner’s suite, press box,
interview room, workout rooms, locker rooms, and kitchens. Then we went down to
the field level and went into the dugouts. We were informed that when the
stadium is full it is the 7th largest city in Washington. Every room
in the facility has a plaque beside the door identifying what it is. It was kind of funny as the umpire’s locker
room plaque is also done in brail!! As a special bonus the Navy’s Blue Angel
flight demonstration team was performing overhead for the “Seattle Seafair”
during our tour.
Our final trek in the area took us to Seattle’s
Woodland Park Zoo. We always enjoy
seeing and shooting photos of animals. This little ocelot didn’t have a care in
the world.
Our brief stay in Washington
has been quite enjoyable. It is always great to see family and friends. Unfortunately, Washington is rapidly becoming
California North! Taxes, cost of living,
and housing are over the top. We paid the highest diesel price ($5.39) of our
entire trip here. An older 3-bedroom 2 bath modest ranch style home will run
between 450 to 550 thousand dollars. Paying $9.95 for a hamburger is not
uncommon. We even saw fish and chips for
$18.95. A weekly rate at an RV park near Seattle $343!! Traffic is horrendous
and Seattle has just established a new law where you have to pay a fee of 20
cents per disposable bag at stores beginning in January! Yup, that’s right. You go to the grocery store and buy a cart
full of groceries it will cost you 20 cents a bag (paper or plastic) to get
them home, unless you bring your own bags!!
We’re afraid it’s getting a little too pricey for us!
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns