Day 111

Plans, They Change

Aug 25, 2013, 7:22 PM

We planned to go to Crater Lake today but before we even got out of bed it was pouring, so our plans changed. We didn't bother getting up early since we'd cancelled Crater Lake. I did a little research and found a drive through zoo. Can you believe that. It was real close too and on our reciprocal list so we thought what the heck. It's perfect for a rainy day. 

We went to the Wildlife Safari Park and it was really perfect for a rainy day. We didn't have to walk around the zoo in the rain and it was overcast and cool so driving around with the windows down wasn't too hot. PERFECT!! We saw more animals at this zoo then we do the zoos we walk miles through shlepping all of the camera equipment through only to see just grass. There was only one glitch though, Spanky is throwing a temperature tantrum because I wouldn't take him out in the rain to get his picture by the sign. I didn't put him in the kennel with the other animals, they wouldn't let you go through with pets in the car. They said it would excite the animals and could cause a problem so they had kennel facilities. 

After the zoo we got an early dinner then stopped at Walmart and came home. It has been a nice day. So now we are relaxing watching TV. Tomorrow we will try Crater Lake again. Good night all!!!!! 

Day 110

Hello Oregon

Aug 24, 2013, 7:53 PM

Oregon is very different from Washington. Not all of it is a good difference either. We got up this morning and while we were getting ready to leave we were saying goodbye to Bob and Lori. It was so good to spend time with them. We really enjoyed it and I'm keeping my fingers crossed they start traveling more and we can meet up with them somewhere. Getting on the road, we made our way into Oregon. The first thing we noticed was the Welcome Center, we pulled into the first Rest Area over the border and there was really no Welcome Center to speak of. There was a kiosk with maps on it and it said it had brochures on a sign but we didn't even get out to see. It didn't look promising so we thought we'll got up the road, there will be something better. We pulled into the next one and it was the same. So then the traffic was horrible. Now I realize we have gotten spoiled with the total lack of any kind of traffic for so long, but this was ridiculous. Oregon looks very different then Washington too. It's very dry looking, Washington was lush and green, it's very brown here. We saw a sign for Emerald Green Lawn Sod, it wasn't green at all. We are in a very nice little campground and the lady that checked us in was very nice and the site is very pretty, so all in all, it's good. 

Tomorrow our plan is to go to Crater Lake, that will be great. I'm going to say good night to you all and leave you with the photos from the Washington Coast and Kite Festival. 

Day 109

Quiet Day

Aug 23, 2013, 9:32 PM

Today was a PERFECT day. Bob and Lori had to leave their campground today and we talked them into coming to our campground for the night. Last night we got in way too late to see if there was space available for them here so this whole big idea could have been shot before it even began, but thankfully it all went as planned. We called the campground office first thing this morning and got them a reservation. Then I was able to send Bob the information and when they checked out of Seaquest, they drove up here and checked in. They got here early enough that we were able to spend a really nice day watching movies and talking and lots of laughing. Bob and Lori are our kind of people. So many of the movies we have they like or have and so many of the movies they have we like, but when they saw that we have the movie "To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar", and they said they like that one too, that's just too perfect. We had the most fun comparing notes on everything from movies to food to dominos games. It was almost scary, there's another couple just like us out there, do do dodo do do dodo (insert soundtrack to "Twilight Zone" here)!

After dinner we watched another movie, it was great!!! Tomorrow we go on to Oregon and Bob and Lori go home. That will be so sad, it will be a while before we see them again, but they have an open invitation to visit us in Florida. Good night guys, you have a great night and a good weekend. 

Day 108

Kite Festival

Aug 22, 2013, 3:46 PM

Oh what fun we had. We picked up Bob and Lori and headed to the coast for the kite festival. It was a nice drive and we had plenty of time to talk and laugh, it was great. We got to the coast and went in search of some place to eat, go figure, that seems to be our MO. While we were driving through, checking out our options, we turned to see all the kites flying in the distance. It was just too cool to see the dozens of kites flying in the breeze. We found a nice place to have lunch and then we went to the beach to see the kites. 

There were so many different kinds and so many colors. We were able to get parking right up next to the beach then we walked out to the sand dunes to see the goings on. There was an announcer and kite festival this was a big deal in the kite world. There were contestants from all over the country. We were watching trying to figure out what was going on. There was a roped off section on the beach where when your category was called up they seemed to do an inspection of the kite and the announcer explained some of what was going on with the category. He told us, when the fighting kite category came up, that in some countries they would put broken glass on the strings of the fighting kites so if your string passed over or under a competitor's string, your string would cut through their kite string and I guess that meant you won. For some of the other categories the announcer was saying that the people made their kites, or they had taken a class, or if they'd made multiple kites, how many they've made, or even how many different kites they were showing in the festival. It was all very interesting to try to understand the ins and outs of the kite competition world, but it was beautiful and lots of fun just to watch. 

After the kites we did some sightseeing of lighthouses and the coastline. That was just the most cool thing. As we were leaving the beach we could see that the sky was looking a little dark and it made for the most amazing sights at the lighthouses. We were watching the fog roll across the water and up onto the beach and you could feel the chilly air it was bringing with it. Where the bright blue sky had been perfect for the kites is was actually perfect for the coast and lighthouses to have a fog come in. It looked and felt like the Pacific Northwest. It was another perfect day. By this time it was getting late and time to start our trip home. We treated ourselves to dinner at a nice little place we happened to find and the chef even came out to let us know he was new to this restaurant and he had lots of new specials planned and he was just checking to make sure we were happy with our meals. We didn't have the heart to tell him we were only traveling through and not likely to come back, he was so happy that we liked our dinners. So another day is in the history books. It was a perfect day and again we had wonderful tour guides, thank you so much Bob and Lori!!!!!

Aug 22, 2013, 9:43 PM

I may have to post the photos from today tomorrow, we are still 30 miles from home and I'm just not sure I can get them done tonight. It is already 10:00 p.m. Good night all, I'll be sure to check in tomorrow. 

Aug 22, 2013, 10:55 PM

OK, I couldn't help it I had to put just one photo. 

Day 107

Mt. St. Helens

Aug 21, 2013, 7:37 PM

We had the most wonderful day seeing Mt. St. Helens with Bob and Lori. It was so great to spend the day with people that can give you a personal perspective on the disaster that happened May 18th, 1980, when Mt. St. Helens erupted. We met them at their campground on the way to the mountain and Bob was sure to point out all of the really great picture spots and give lots of information on the devastation and the comeback of the area. 

It is so beautiful in it's current state and we got lots of pictures and as Bob and Lori would explain something to us, they would end it with "when we see the movie you'll get a better understanding", oh and they were right. We got to the Johnson Ridge Observatory and the first thing we did was see the movie on the eruption and the ecological comeback of the surrounding area. The movie shows you the moments before the blast and how the mountain that had been a peak was now very very different. Thirty three years later and there are areas that are still barren of vegetation, and other areas have come back to life. The movie explained how their was an earthquake that caused the mountain to collapse, the collapse caused a terrible landslide, then there was a blast that blew from the top and the side, then the ash cloud that went 15 miles up. When the whole thing settled down it was a completely different looking mountain. I could have sat throughout the movie several times to get a better grasp of the reality and when the movie ended the screen retracted. The curtain opened to a wall of windows and there was the mountain in all of its dramatic and deadly splendor. It is so magnificent!!!!! 

Again we had the most perfect Washington State day. It was warm, but not too warm, bright and sunny. We walked around outside getting more and more photos. It was really spectacular. Afterwards Bob and Lori treated us to a BBQ back at their camper of salmon burgers and corn on the cob. Yummy! We mapped out our plan for tomorrow's trip to the kite festival on the coast. It was such a great day, with truly wonderful friends. I can't wait to do it all again. 

Enjoy the photos. I grabbed a before photo to give you a better perspective. Have a wonderful night and I'll talk to you again tomorrow. 

Before. . .

After. . .