More Motivation

While in Auburn/Bellevue area we found some extra motivation to make trading work for us. Rush hour traffic. Our RV Park in Auburn was only 30 miles away from the class. We figured with highway driving it wouldn't take that long. Unfortunately we didn't realize how bad rush hour can be! It took us 1 1/2 hours to drive to class on the second morning.

If we can be successful in trading, we'll never have to worry about those ugly commutes again!

Auburn, WA - Investools

Some of you might be scratching your heads saying, now why would they be hanging out in the cold and rain in Seattle-area when the rest of the country is 85 degrees and sunny!? Well, we realized that Investools was offering several classes in the area, and since we were in the same place at the time the classes were being offered, we thought we'd take advantage of them. The first refresher class we took was Beginning Stocks which was the same weekend Andy's Mom and sister left. Tomorrow there is a refresher class on Advanced Technicals. We were about to leave the area with the plan of hitting this class in San Francisco at the end of October, but it filled up. So we decided to stay in the area this past week and take it in Bellevue. Getting back to the basics should help us with our trading.

Chimacum, WA - Kinetic Sculpture Race

After Mom and Carol left, the sun went with them. We had 8 straight days of rain and dreariness to coincide with the sadness of their departure. We started to call a day "nice" if it stopped raining at all, or "great" if we could see patches of blue sky for several minutes.

So when we heard of Port Townsend's Kinetic Sculpture Race we just had to go see the zany-craziness of it all. It was the perfect cure for our duldrums.

This poor bull didn't seem to make it far...the Start was a few blocks away, but the microbrewery where he stopped must've been too appealing! We never saw him again in the race.
Perhaps it was the 'weights' on the backside that made the water portion of the race difficult?
The racers had to take their man-made, man-powered, works of art through water, through a sand pit, through the Dismal Bog, and up and down the hilly streets of town to complete the race course.The Magic Bus was powered by 5 women on bicycles, blasting The Doors:

Unfortunately we had to bail out shortly after the race started the Dismal Bog portion because it started pouring. I was bummed to miss out on watching more racers drag their creations through the mud, but my hands went numb.

If you ever have an opportunity to watch a Kinetic Race, you should check it out. The creativity involved in building these movable structures is really fascinating. And, obviously some work...and others don't, which makes it all so entertaining.

Our Seattle Loop Trip

We had a wonderful week last week with Andy's Mom and sister, Carol. We did so much and saw so much it's hard to even just mention the highlights of our trip. But, I'll try my best:

Our stay in Seattle: beautiful hotel in downtown area with a view of the Space Needle. We did most of the touristy stuff: Space Needle, Pioneer Square, Pike Place, Hiram Chittendon Locks & Canal, and lots and lots of walking and exploring the city.

In Port Townsend: checked out the shops and restaurants. Toured Ft Worden State Park and the lighthouse.

On our way to Victoria we saw a pod of Orcas from the ferry. While in town, we walked and walked and walked. It's a great walking city. Our hotel was on the Inner Harbor, with great views of the seaplanes and Harbor Boats , so it was nice just hanging out there, too. We also went to see Hatley Park Castle and gardens.

We took another ferry to Anacortes. We toured the town and then the next day drove down Whidbey Island via the slow route. We drove thru Washington Park, stopped at the vista for Deception Pass Bridge, and ate lunch in Langley. After the ferry to Mulkiteo we stopped at the Boeing factory before returning to the city.

I put my pictures up on our Webalbum for you to visit. I know this is a very abbreviated version of our trip, but hopefully the pictures will help fill in some details.

While Andy and I were on yet another ferry on our way back to our RV in Chimacum, we realized it was to be the last ferry of our visit. We had taken 7 ferries in 10 days. You can get pretty used to this mode of travel.

We had so much fun with Mom and Carol that it is now sooo quiet without them. Our next visitors will be my girlfriend, Jen and her husband. That'll be next weekend, so at least we have some more company to look forward to! We're still working on the details of "where", but at least we're committed to the "when".

Washington Ferries

One of the joys of the Seattle area is all of the ferries you can ride to cross the multitude of waterways. Well, maybe driving the RV onto a ferry isn't really a "joy". I, of course, make Andy tackle this task. Ferry workers will guide you into a space within inches of the wall to your left, the car to your right, and the car in front. During this past ferry boarding the worker flipped in the RV's mirrors (so he wouldn't hit the neighboring obstacles) which basically makes you drive blind. Andy couldn't see how close he came to me in Ele next to him. Yikes!

This picture doesn't give the tight quarters justice...

Oak Harbor, WA - Deception Pass

We're no longer in Oak Harbor, but we didn't post any pictures from our wanderings around Deception Pass State Park. This park has three different sections to it - one on the north side of the bridge, which had more of the rocky bluffs; one on the south side of the bridge; and the third took you out to Cornet Bay. My favorite was the northside. Here are two pictures from that walk...
This shot makes us miss our kayaks:

Oak Harbor, WA - Strait of San Juan de Fuca

We've been here since Sunday and after work we've been touring around the area. Mostly we've just been walking the different sections of Deception Pass State Park. We haven't yet seen the Pacific Ocean, but it feels like it when looking at the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.


I haven't uploaded most of my photos, so I'll add more later. But it may be next week before I can do so. Andy's mom and sister, Carol, are flying into Seattle to vacation with us for a week. We're going to be touring the area - Seattle to Port Townsend to Victoria to Anacortes. So I doubt I'll be posting during their visit. I'm sure we'll be too busy having fun! We can't wait for them to get here!

North Cascades Nat'l Park

It is amazing that Highway 20, which cuts through North Cascades National Park, was just built in 1972. But the place still feels wild and a lot of it remains inaccessible. Many of the hikes are longer, backpacking hikes. But you can always do a section out and back. Beautiful views, though. Here's Diablo Lake as seen from an overlook. Our first drive to the overlook was sunny, and then the next morning we passed by again for a completely different scene with these low-lying clouds moving over the water.
We went crazy on our hike here and went "double-digits". Ha! Normally our hikes are around 8-9 miles. This one was about 11 or so (depending on the map you read). We also made it a one-way hike so we could do the whole trail. We left our car at the trailhead, hiked the trail back to the campground, and then picked up our car the next morning by driving the RV to the trailhead. We were leaving the park that morning anyhow, so it wasn't like we had to pack up the house just to get the car. We did toy with the idea of using our road bikes to pick up the car, but here's that word "lazy" again!
The trail was called Panther Creek - which took us through a wonderful old forest. For a long time we followed Panther Creek, crossing over it with some downed-tree-bridges. The area got hit hard last year with a storm and flooding. The park has cleaned up a lot of the trails, but the damage was still evident with blow-downs. I kept trying to come up with a word to describe this hike. And, "dense" was the word that kept coming to mind. The ground was blanketed with a moss carpeting, the canopy overhead blocked out the sky, and periodically we would have to slog through an avalanche zone that was dense with broad-leafed plants that enveloped even my head.
The only "great views" we had were at The Fourth of July Pass...we could see Neve Glacier and Colonial Glacier. But even there, the trees were so thick you had to search for an opening to see.I wanted to share some of my mushroom photos. These were taken on this hike and only represent a very, very small sampling of the variety we saw. Not only was it fun to have a treasure hunt to find as many as possible, but also to see the different stages of "eruption". A mushroom pushes out of the ground like a slow-motion eruption pushing up mulch, dirt and moss and then unfolding like a flower.

Winthrop, WA - Trails

Winthrop is in the Methow Valley which has lots of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. If you ever make it to this area, check out the Sport Trails Association's website for trail information or pick a Visitor Map for ideas on what to do here. I wish we had more time to explore some of their bike trails...but that will have to wait for another visit!

WA Fruit

Oh, we've been enjoying the fruit out here in Washington...mostly the peaches and apples lately. While in Stehekin we learned an interesting fact. The apple growers are paid based on the shape and the color. So, the more round and the more red (for Red Delicious) the more money they make. The thought is that the consumer wants a good-looking piece of fruit. So they graft trees and develop these apples that look great...but no longer taste as good. For example, Red Delicious now have a thicker skin. We've found this to be true with tomatoes as well. Recently we found a produce stand selling heirloom tomatoes. They were funny looking, misshapen, and multi-colored, but boy oh boy did they taste delicious. We should start a revolt! We want good-tasting fruit and vegetables again!

Winthrop, WA - Hiking

We hiked the 7.5 mile Maple Pass Loop Trail this afternoon. The trail is managed by the Okanogan National Forest but takes you to the North Cascades NP border. This has to be one of the most beautiful hikes we've been on. Shoot, maybe I shouldn't say that - it'll get too crowded! No, seriously. To-die-for views all along the trail until you hit the switchbacks coming down by Rainy Lake. But even that section of the forested trail was interesting because of the variety of mushrooms we kept seeing - purple, orange, yellow, red with white spots - I forgot how pretty mushrooms are in the wet-side of Washington.

But I digress...the trail had its elevation gain, but we tend to be drawn to these for the views. We passed by four glacial lakes, one waterfall, and had views of many mountains and glaciers.



Hope this entices you to visit our WebAlbums for more pictures from our hike.

Winthrop, WA - The Old West

The town of Winthrop has kept the Old West motif in all of its buildings...even down to the squeaky-board sidewalks. Its really quaint. And the shops are nice, too. Gift shops, art galleries, glassblowing shop...
...microbrewery! Ha! I'm not sure how ethical it is to put a microbrewery in the old schoolhouse, but if Pepsi and Dominoes can advertise inside the schools, why not?!
The only item that is not within the theme is the Marshall's car - its a purple Trans Am with lights on the roof.
Another aspect of Winthrop that we really liked was our campground - Silverline Resort. Our site was on the lake and we we never had neighbors during our stay - one neighboring site was being re-seeded so it was closed temporarily and the other site was a tent site which wasn't filled during our stay. It was quiet, with birds chirping...and so dark at night the stars reflected off of the lake's surface
We needed this!

Stehekin, WA

Stehekin is a remote town of 70-plus residents. It is 55 miles up Lake Chelan and is surrounded by wilderness areas, National Forest, and National Park lands. The only way to reach Stehekin is by boat, sea plane or to hike in. We chose to ride the Lady Express for the two and a half hour ride up the Lake. Lake Chelan is the third deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,486' - Crater Lake (1,949') and Lake Tahoe (1,645') are number one and two. We've seen all three, just in this trip.
To say we went "backpacking" seems like a stretch because from Stehekin Landing we were able to catch a shuttle bus that dropped us off within 100-yards of our campsite. We didn't mean to be so lazy, it just happened that way. We planned on making our camping reservations when we got to the NPS Ranger station upon our arrival. They do have campsites further out in the wilderness, but after talking to the rangers about the hiking trails around the campsites and availability of sites, we chose Harlequin Camp. But eventhough we were close to Thee Road (there aren't many), we had to filter our own water and we had to use a pit toilet - so that's roughing it! Ha! Our campsite was right on the Stehekin River and there were spawning Kokonee Salmon. We felt that we were watching a National Geographic show.

Here's a picture of Rainbow Falls. This is just the lower half.
And here's Mt Agnes from our hike along Agnes Creek Gorge trail. You could see snow on many of the mountain peaks, but we didn't get close enough to those. The North Cascades Nat'l Park has over 300 glaciers within its borders - the most of any park outside of Alaska. We hope to get to see more of the glaciers when we get to the Park from Hwy 20.One thing that is interesting about this unique town is the vehicles that the residents drive...they're so old! Datsuns, Toyotas, it doesn't matter, but these vehicles haven't been seen on the roads of Florida for decades! To get a car to the town requires shipment on the barge, which takes 8 hours each way for the barge to travel the length of the river. So the residents just find a way to keep these old cars running. But one of the residents pointed out that they live in one of the most pristine places in the country - but have the worst polluting cars on the road.If we ever go back to Stehekin, we won't take as much food as we did. There is the Stehekin Pastry Company which has delicious items, and we've heard that the Stehekin Valley Ranch has incredible dinners. But would it be wrong to go "camping" and then not cook your own meals?

Leavenworth, WA - Tubing

We couldn't decide what to do on Sunday here in Leavenworth. A quick look at the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the only main road through town, though, told us we had to find something that did not require driving on that road.

So we set up a self-shuttle system to go tubing on the Wenatchee River that bisects town. I love our self-shuttle systems. It's like developing our own multi-adventure course. We drove our car to the put-in on Icicle Road, then floated down the river to the take-out point which was the boat ramp on E. Leavenworth Drive and walked the 3/4 mile home with our rafts. Then we hopped on our bikes and biked the four miles back to our car. I think our neighbors must've thought we were crazy: we drove out, walked in, biked out, and drove in.

Now, it looks like Andy is relaxed, doesn't it? It was a beautiful river to float down, but our indecision throughout the day cost us. We didn't get on the river until 4pm and off the river til 5:30. The river is probably 50 degrees, and without the hot sun from the day to keep us warm, we got chilled quickly. And, for anyone who knows us would know, we don't float well...we had to paddle. And, if we were in Florida, there would have been a lot of splashing eachother and mayhem.
There were several riffles, or small, shallow rapids, which added some excitement to this leisurely experience. And the views of the area are even prettier on the water.
And, we finally got to use the River Tubes that we had bought used from a fellow RVer back in 2005 while staying in Lyons, CO. At least now we know they work!

Leavenworth, WA - Labor Day

We got spoiled during the week having the campground practically to ourselves. We knew that would change over Labor Day Weekend and knew it would be tight considering the small spaces, but we weren't prepared for our neighbor's awning being 3" from our heads and a tent almost under our slide-out.I had to laugh when I read Jim and Chris' blog about how crowded it was for them at Pio Pico...just a reminder that we weren't alone.

Leavenworth, WA - Hiking

Leavenworth is just on the eastern edge of the Cascade foothills, so it was just a short drive to get into the mountains. Most of the hikes in the area are in the Wenatchee National Forest. One day after work we drove to Icicle Gorge and hiked along the Icicle River. We felt the river...I believe we know now why they call it "icicle".
Saturday was our "big" hike. We did the 9-mile r/t hike to Stuart Lake. The USFS trail flyers said this was one of the most beautiful in the area. Then, ironically, we met a USFS ranger out on a hike and when he asked us why we picked Stuart Lake, I told him about the trail description. He disagreed and said next time we should go to Colchuk Lake! Ha! It's all about individual preference. It was a nice hike, but we did expect more views along the way. But reaching Stuart Lake and seeing the glacier on Mt Stuart were well worth the walk. And, I'm sure the couple of meadows we passed must be stunning in wildflower season.
Here's Stuart Lake - our destination and snack spot. We tried putting our feet in here, too. It makes me miss our warm Florida waters that's for sure! It was beckoning us to go for a swim, but two seconds is all it took for me to change my mind.This hike was a little different for us as we didn't start until 1pm. Having to worry about getting home by sunset is not our normal pattern. Especially being in the woods and with the sun sliding behind the mountains, it was noticeably darker by the time we reached the car again at 6pm.

Leavenworth, WA - Biking

One day during the week we had to run down to Wenatchee to take Ele back to Sears. We still had some concerns regarding her tires and wanted them to double-check them for safety. So we dropped the car off and took out our bikes. We rode to the Apple Capitol Loop Trail which was just a few blocks from Sears. This 11-mile paved trail took us along one side of the Columbia River and then back along the other side. This was sooo much better than sitting in the service department!Friday we chose one of the "easy" mountain bike rides - the Wenatchee River Road Trail. This was on an old dirt road, so in that sense it was an easy surface to ride on. But the hills are what added the challenge. But just as we were whining about the hills and how this should've been labeled "moderate", we cross paths with a dad and his kids on their bikes. Ok, so if a six-year old girl can do it, why am I whining? Aaaah, you have to appreciate how life can slap you upside the head with a little perspective every now and then.
Our first signs of fall....a red maple. We are just now starting to see splashes of yellow and red. I was afraid we would be too early for Fall Colors in the North Cascades, but it looks like we might be right on time....

Leavenworth, WA

We arrived in the cute Bavarian village of Leavenworth today. We are staying in an RV park that is walking distance to town. There are lots of shops and restaurants to visit - and almost all with the bavarian decor. Flowers are everywhere along the street, and large overflowing baskets they are. So pretty. So far we've had a beer in a bier garten with views of the mountains surrounding the town and we ate a big pretzel. Unfortunately the pretzel was a disappointment - being that we are from Philly we have high expectations of such things. It was too bread-like. But this was from the danish bakery, which might be different than some of the bavarian restaurants...so who knows, maybe we'll try again. We'll be here for a little over a week and are hoping to bike and hike in the nearby mountains and National Forest.

Toppenish, WA

While in Toppenish we stayed at the Yakama Nations RV Park. Within the RV park are 14 teepees that can be rented out for camping. Fourteen symbolically represents the fourteen tribes that are part of the Yakama Nation. The park sits on the edge of their reservation and is only a short distance to town.The town of Toppenish is known for it's murals. I've never seen so many murals before. Building after building. Some on the sides, or above the storefronts, or like this one below, you almost have to do a double-take before realizing those windows are painted.
The area is also known for it's wineries. Sometimes I wish we were winos! I think it would've been fun to go from one to another tasting wines. But it would be more fun to do with friends. And, since we are more beer drinkers than wine drinkers we ended up passing on those festivities.
From many places around town we had great views of Mt Adams. Once we even got to see Mt Rainier - that was from the roof of our RV while we were washing her - and only once did the big mountain uncloak herself from her clouds.