Strait talk~~Port Townsend

The Strait of Juan de Fuca extends east from the Pacific Ocean between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula about 95 miles inland to Puget Sound.  Port Townsend is bordered by the Bay of Port Townsend and Admiralty Inlet, which intersects the Strait.  In other words, we are surrounded by big water and lots of marine activity.

Click on the maps for a more detailed view.


The town is a Victorian seaport and arts community. With its maritime heritage, artist spirit, and a touch of urban chic, Port Townsend is an easily accessible base camp to the Olympic Peninsula and beyond. with its maritime heritage, artist spirit, and a touch of urban chic.

The Point Wilson lighthouse at Fort Worden

We've been coming here every year, same site, since 2009.  We had been staying at the SKP's Evergreen Coho RV park in nearby Chimacum and took a drive one day to check out Port Townsend. We were drawn to the Point Hudson Marina mainly to see the boats and splendid views. The RV park is nothing special.  Most of the full hookup sites are expensive, graveled, and close together.  We decided to check in at the office for more information and were told they had two boondocking sites for $20 each per night (since upped to $25). Our site 361, is about 50 feet from the water and entertains us with a constant flow of boat/ship traffic.  Never a dull moment though lots of lazy ones.

An afternoon parade of schooners (insert Howard drooling)

Jefferson County Courthouse - Uptown

In years past we have done many all day trips to see Seattle, Port Angeles, Sequim, and all the local hangouts.  There is RV parking at Fort Worden State Park and Fort Townsend State Park as well as the Elks Lodge and Jefferson County fairgrounds.

There is a great little local theater that shows currently running movies as well as art and eclectic films, and the best ice cream at Elevated Ice Cream, both located downtown. There are lots of shopping opportunities from second hand shops to chic, expensive ones. There is Doc's restaurant located here at the marina which we enjoy for the convenience and every type of eating pleasure you can imagine in town.

Victorian downtown

During our 10 days we have hung close to home, not feeling any pressure to do a daily tour as in year's past.  We've been catching up on our reading and exercise. And both of us got haircuts (whoopee).  A walk from the marina uptown is a long steep hill that gathers momentum as it reaches it's high point in town then starts back to downtown again. Three or 4 outings like this gets the old legs aching and the knees screaming!

The ferry docks are busy during the summer season with two ferries running about every hour, making for easy travels between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island, about a half hour scenic trip each way.  The downtown streets are packed with tourists arriving by small cruise ship or ferry. We will load the motorhome and car onto the ferry tomorrow for a sail to Whidbey Island and on to Anacortes on Fidalgo Island.

The hot dog spot downtown framed by a great mural

This is what we do most of the time!

We'll see you soon in Anacortes, another great northwestern maritime town.

A plan is forming..

The plan was to go to Half Moon Bay for Mother's Day to be with daughter Terri and family.  It is so much work for them to pack up the two babies and Daniel, and be gone for any length of time, especially in the car.  This is home territory for yours truly, moving here in 1969 when Terri was 5 months old, and departing via motorhome in 1995 when the "adventure began"!  So here are the mandatory pictures; it's a condition of grandparenthood...

The little fam!

Damien is 1 year old!

Liliana, 2 1/2,  along the Coastal trail

Playing among the wildflowers on the sand dunes

Daniel with Darragh ready for his Junior Prom

The Half Moon Bay/Coastside area is home to commercial fishing, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, pumpkins, flower farms, giant waves and Maverick's Surfing, and just 30 miles south of San Francisco on windy, narrow Highway 1.  This sleepy coastal town was "discovered" during the Silicon Valley tech explosion and real estate prices soared through the roof.  When we sold the house in '98 the boom had not quite arrived unfortunately!

Coastal bluffs

Pillar Point Harbor for commercial & pleasure boats

During pumpkin season in October

Flowers are a big industry here

After Mother's Day weekend we drove up to Sutter Creek along Highway 49 in the Gold Country to visit friends Joan and Don, and to continue formulating The plan.

We have lovely parking on their 5 acres

The plan started out with Howard and I thinking we'd do a little side trip before returning to the Bay Area and family.  We pored over maps looking for a reasonably short itinerary that covered areas we had not explored before.  And Bingo...The Eastern Sierras along Highway 395 became an obvious choice.  We could even make it a loop trip returning through Mojave and north on Highway 99 and visit our Escapee's Park Sierra, and Yosemite Nat'l Park.  Now throw Social Media aka Facebook into the works and The Plan took on a life of its own, thanks to so many comments and suggestions.  


Hopefully, if you click on this map you will be able to see the loop; over 1400 miles...Yikes!  See what I mean about "taking on a life of its own"!  

We would be very grateful to get your suggestions on places, hikes, historic monuments, bakeries, scenic drives, restaurants, etc.,  to add to what we have accumulated so far.  We hope you will follow along with us on this new adventure....

A Brief stay in Benson...

Benson, like Tucson, is another great place to hang around and explore, just for different reasons.  Small town about 45 miles east of Tucson, along I-10, with Tombstone, Bisbee, and Kartchner Caverns nearby, and those beautiful Dragoon Mountains providing hiking and jeep tracks and lighting up with the setting sun.  Nope, we did none of the above though have on many visits in the past.

Dragoons near Cochise Stronghold..2 yrs. ago

We stay at the SKP Saguaro Park, another Escapees RV Club co-op park, similar to the one we stayed at in Yuma.  As full time RVers they provide us with an address and excellent mail-forwarding services, as well as many parks across the US to stay for a very reasonable charge.

Our site

We had timed our annual spring cleaning; carpet, ceilings, upholstery, and window valances, to coincide with the end of our 3 month desert stay and the dust, sand and mud encountered to date.  We use Kyle at Complete Carpet Cleaning and think he does a great job keeping this old coach looking spiffy.

Carpets just cleaned & Scotch-guarded

Upholstery, too

And the ugly ceilings are clean!

Howard even did the windows!

And the weather is sunny, clear, and back in the 80s....Then the phone rang.  Hi Mom, we're renting a little RV and thought we could meet you in Pismo Beach for Spring Break!  That would be the Half Moon Bay family; daughter Terri, hubby Clint, 16 yr. old Daniel, 2 1/2 yr. old Liliana, and 10 month old Damien.  Of course darling, we'll leave tomorrow!  And we're on our way to the Central California coast.  Just paid $4.25 per gallon for diesel in Quartzsite.  It's $4.60+ in CA!!  And we're ready for the ocean!

Yuma...

Whodathunk we'd get a site at the Escapees KOFA Park here in Yuma, and after just 3 days of boondocking in their overflow area!  And a nice site it is:

I need to rake the gravel!

The weekly rental is $90 plus tax and electric usage; $13+ per night...not bad at all for full hook-ups .  After 5 weeks of boondocking in the Anza Borrego Desert there are a few benefits to having unlimited water and electricity like....ironing, baking, long showers - maybe every day, equalizing our batteries, and not having to remember to turn off the inverter after watching TV at night.

We have enjoyed the network of SKP Co-op parks for 16 years, supporting the needs of the full-time RVer.  These parks depend on leaseholder's volunteering for committees which make the rules and regulations for the efficient running of...well, things.  Like proper protocol and behavior while doing laundry.  I always forget to read all the signs posted in the various nooks and crannies.  There was the time in Benson when I left the door open on a nice day neglecting to read the sign warning of snakes entering through said open door...in the middle of winter.  A few days ago I inadvertently put the lid down on the washing machine after using and was chided for not reading the sign.  I quickly recovered my witty sense of the ridiculous humor and replied, " I was always taught to put the lid down"...sorry!  I've been out of touch too long!

What with trips across the border to Algodones, visits with local friends and family, we have been so busy, and that's a word that doesn't normally describe our rather free lance lifestyle.  By family, I mean my deceased ex-husband's family whom I have known since I was 15.  Sadly my sister-in-law passed away from a heart attack just days before her 70th birthday.  (The symptoms were headache, vomiting, and heaviness in her arms.)  A wonderful "celebration of life" was held at brother Jim's a week ago, well attended by so many that knew and loved Sharon.  The folks are 90 and 94 and sharp as tacks.  Anyone that can maneuver a car in and out of this crazy Yuma winter traffic with quick reflexes, like dad did on our Friday lunch outing, and discusses current world events as well as "before your time" kind of stuff, has my confidence vote.

RIP Sharon Kaye

Super Bowl Sunday was spent with the Panys.  We supplied the surf and turf, i.e...salmon and tri-tips, while Beth and Chris did all the work, cooking/preparing munchies and side dishes and barbecuing the aforementioned.  And all the clean-up!  We know how to play this game, as did the victorious New York Giants...Yay Eli!  Now I really like Tom Brady but he's won so many times!

That's Stripey on the wall!

We've been doing a lot of eating actually.  Full-time RVer/friend, Al, is also here so we had dinner with him a few nights ago.  Sushi in Yuma is not an oxymoron and we had some of the best from, of all places, the fresh sushi bar at the new Fry's Supermarket.

Sushi in Yuma...Yes!

Last night we fixed dinner in exchange for a mini-concert provided by our master oboist friend, Steve. We met Steve years ago in...where else but the Anza Borrego Desert.  He has since bought a home here in Yuma and we had been looking forward to Howard's signature rack of lamb and some fine entertainment.  Steve performed Mozart's Oboe Concerto beautifully, accompanied by the most amazing surround-sound back-up.  After dinner he treated us to a showing of the Oscar nominated movie, The Tree of Life, starring Sean Penn and Brad Pitt.  Absolutely mesmerizing cinematography!

Steve performed Mozart's Oboe Concerto..beautifully

I've added a new link to the "Links I Like" feature on the left-hand column of this blog. The addition of RV Service Reviews was prompted by our recent visit to Yuma Diesel Service for routine maintenance on our Cummins diesel engine.  The service was professional, knowledgeable and thorough, with very reasonable rates.  We would highly recommend.

More maintenance related projects have consumed much of this last week, at least for Howard.  A simple drain cleaning resulted in a broken pipe that turned into an all day plumbing repair.  This involved Howard, just south of 200 lbs., curled up in a semi-fetal position in our cramped bathroom, working inside of a cabinet that required his elbow to bend at the opposite right angle to which it is accustomed.  Then there is the ongoing project of maintaining and repairing the diesel hydronic heater.  He has gone thru every test, changed every filter and fuse, bled the line, so it comes down to the PC board which is $500 to replace.  However, he has found that if he "taps" on the relays, the heater works fine for awhile.  Next we will attempt to replace the relays.   All Greek to me but the engineer seems to know what he's doing.

Yes, there was another trip to Algodones this last week so that I could enjoy a shrimp taco and Margarita.  Friends, Beth and Chris, joined in the fun.  We sleuthed the alleyways and found hidden away in the recesses a treasure trove of Zapotecan rugs from Oaxaca.  We had purchased one over 10 years ago while in Oaxaca and sadly it had begun to wear.  Here is my beautiful new replacement:

New Zapotec rug

It is time to (1) go on a diet, (2) move on.....

Hurricane Ridge

Our base camp for the next two weeks is the Escapees Evergreen Coho Park in Chimacum, WA.  It is one of our yearly, seasonal stops and offers nice accommodations at an affordable price.

Clubhouse

When we first pulled in we were parked next to another Country Coach MH and soon realized they were folks we had met at Oregon Motorcoach Center.  Bonnie and John have become great friends in a short amount of time.  It's always amazing how full-time RVers know each other's life story after a couple of get-togethers.

Bonnie & John, off on a kayak adventure

 After several days of "spring cleaning" projects and cloudy, overcast weather the sun came out and we decided to take off for a day of adventure which also provided the most spectacular scenery; a visit to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park was in order.

We traveled from 0 to 5242' on 17 miles of paved road from Port Angeles to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. Views of glacier-clad mountains crowning sub-alpine meadows of wildflowers awaited us at the summit.

Black-tailed deer grazed on lupine and a buck meandered by in the snow.  

We pulled off at all the viewpoints to capture the moment.

Cloud over the Olympics

Our kind of road!

On a clear day; Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC