A Different Life II

[ColoradoLady]

F@N! I am sorry you won't be able to make it down...I was hoping to meet you. Reading some of your posts along the way, you. Seem like "good people", and I like good people! Also, sorry 2016 was not good for you. I think we've all had our share of...not good years, but, we pull-up our big girl panties, reach deep down for more strength, and move forward and hopefully grow and/or learn from the experiences that may have not been as expected.

I pray that your experiences in this year don't linger. A rosary will be included for you tonight. (I always travel with my rosary)! Bless you, F@N. Evelyn.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

This is our two sparkling clean Interstates, after a tubby at the only Blue Beacon in Idaho....with an undercarriage rinse, the last of the Wyoming mud now being gone.


Maggie

Hi, nice looking Interstates.

[DIR1]

Originally Posted by ColoradoLady

Gail, it will be nice meeting you. I understand checking is around 4 PM? Maybe I should PM you and give you my phone #! I'll do that now, so please check it, OK? Respond, if you will, so I know you got it...I don't want to miss you!!! Evelyn.

good morning everyone... yes, I got the message Evelyn.. I'll be up there Thursday, so you should be checked in already... aren't you coming in one the 31st???

where are you guys staying or stayed last night?? just wondering... Hugs and love around, gail

[Lily&Me]

We spent the last two nights at the Plymouth Park COE campground in Plymouth, WA.

Evelyn and I drove the Columbia River Gorge on 84 West today....beautiful..very, very busy..and very, very windy.

2 lanes, and there is probably enough traffic for 4, but, alas, nowhere to put them.

We had brunch at the Multnomah Falls Lodge, which was very nice, then took the dogs for a walk up to them....as, dogs are allowed, and there were lots.

It is cool and beautiful here, really a gorgeous part of the country.

Doug and I have been out here before, but not driven the entire Gorge area, which is special and so full of history.

A little bird pm'd me and told me to be sure to go to the Lewis & Clark Museum in Astoria, which I will do.

On north by myself in the morning, back to Fort Stevens on Tuesday.

All is well, Evelyn has done great, and has now realized her dream of getting to the Pacific Northwest.


Maggie

[ColoradoLady]

Thanks,Maggie...and such a good caravan companion and guide that you have been. I appreciate it all! You with your ALLSTAYS App...me with my 760LTM GARMIN RVGPS.....WE DO ALRIGHT, don't you Think?!

We have made much better time than I expected, we've driven fast, we've driven safely....and we have dealt well with the steep 6-7% grades, both descent and ascents, even getting in and around the many, many large semi trucks as we go.

I must say, the windgusts accompanied by twisting roads were a bit tough today, but,we both persevered and arrived at Multnomah Falls none the worse for it! It's all a part of the challenge and the adventure, don't you think? We have not caused, nor, even encountered an accident along the way....no matter how heavy the traffic became.

That was a delicious and well earned brunch at Multnomah Lodge today. I had my first Smoked salmon eggs Benedict hollaindaise with capers. My goodness that was so good!

So, tomorrow, we part ways for a few days..you, going on to Orcas Isle...me, staying here another night to view some waterfalls, take some photos,then move on to Ft Stevens on Thursday September the 1st.

Crystal, my sweet GRDDTR will arrive on Friday night or early AM Saturday...then we tour some of the coastal areas and find some fresh seafood....and ice cream!

The gathering of the AIRSTREAM LADIES is about to begin! Yeah!

[Lily&Me]

We are parked facing into our sites at this campground, overlooking the Sandy River which feeds into the Columbia.

Note squirrel with nut on table this morning.

Evelyn and I sat out there last evening, and had a glass of wine out of my last bottle of Sun Garden Riesling. Yum.

We discovered when Evelyn sat down that the table was quite unstable, and had we sat wrong at the same time, we and table would have promptly tumbled backward down the little incline onto the path below. A good 4-5 foot drop.

Not funny, of course, but it is comical to think about us tumbling down that hill.

On to Anacortes today, with a couple of stops on the way, Orcas Island and kingfisher24/his Thursday thru Saturday, then to some friends in Puyallup for a couple of days.

Looking forward to spending some time with all of these people, none of whom I have seen since Doug died.

Maggie

[paiceman]

The Hatchery held a Thank you Volunteer dinner last night at The Bay Leaf where you purchased the Riesling and provided a glass for anyone who wanted it. Sorta figured you'd be running low or out pretty soon.

Enjoy your "ladies caravan".

Give Lily a hug

My Best

Bud

[Lily&Me]

Hi Bud!

I wish I'd bought a half dozen bottles of that wine....but then, where would I put them.

I will give Lily a hug for you, as she is so affection-deprived, you know.

Wound my way out of our campground this am, and straight into bumper-to-bumper Portland traffic.

Finally heading north, I found a Fred Meyer and picked up a few things...including wine, as I have opened my last bottle , and fueled up at a very good price at their fuel station.

A nice young man helped me, advising it is illegal in Oregon for people to pump their own fuel.

Some for safety reasons, mostly for jobs, he said....Oregon employing over 100,000 fuel attendants.

Excellent!

Ran into enough light rain that it cleaned the bug bits off my rain-x coated windshield. The first rain I have encountered since the very cold downpour at Double Cabin in Wyoming.

Finally found a laundromat in Kelso, and am washing up a few things....I know I could use your washer, Carroll, but friends don't arrive with laundry needing done.

I would rather visit with you guys than do laundry.

I am clearly the only English speaking person in here, tho as usual everyone smiles and nods hello.

On to Anacortes for the night....


Maggie

[rmkrum]

Be extraordinarily careful checking your credit card accounts after refueling in Oregon. Our card got hit a few months later by a scammer. I suspect they kept a charge slip or something. Don't hand your card to the attendant. Take it into the store yourself, or use cash.

That's the only place ALL our dogs barked at a stranger fueling the truck. I should have trusted the doggies 😀


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[Lily&Me]

I'll be careful.

We got into the county campground on Anacortes just as it was getting dark, after a long and intense drive thru walls of traffic both directions on I5.

The worst traffic I have ever seen, 10-15 mph for miles and miles and miles and miles, and miles and miles and miles.

Hours into this leg of today, I pulled off, set my flashers and ran to the back to go potty.

Offered Lily the side of the road but she would have no part of it, and just held it from this morning til just a bit ago.

She kept sitting up and looking out the front window, seeing nothing but a sea of traffic...then would look at me like "where are we going?"

Traffic didn't begin to thin out until we were about 40 miles from our turnoff in Mount Vernon.

What is going on out here!!!

When I head to Puyallup, I will not be taking that highway, if I have to rent helicopters to lift me over it. There's got to be another way.

A good thing I decided not to stay in Astoria tonight, as I would have had serious trouble making it to the ferry on time tomorrow.

This is a beautiful campground, what I can see of it, as it is dark.

I found an empty site, pulled into it and plugged into electric...while I could still see. Will search out the pay station in the morning.

If someone comes knocking on my door, I will plead old age and beg to be allowed to settle up in the morning.

Looks like the Redwoods, trees are that tall and block the little remaining light.

I would not call it trailer hospitable, but great for small rigs and tents.

We are in for the night, thank goodness.

A 9 1/2 hour day.


Maggie

[Rocinante]

Sorry about that. I-5 can be a genuine nightmare the wrong time of day. Problem is, that wrong time is not entirely predictable. Also, with Labor Day weekend coming up, folks are probably escaping early. <sigh>

[Lily&Me]

If you're in the area next weekend, come by Fort Stevens and say hi.


Maggie

[DIR1]

Wow, that sounds like a horrid day for you Maggie... 9 1/2 hours!!!! the traffic can be trying in Portland... I-5 is "the road"... been there.... ugh...

Evelyn, I won't be getting up to Fort Stevens tomorrow.... I'll let you know when I can make it.... everybody keep having fun!!!! hugs and love around....

[DIR1]

just curious?? how many miles did you travel in that 9.5 hrs???

[Rocinante]

Thanks! We'd love to as we plan to be camping 9/7 - 9/11. Sadly, Fort Stevens is full to the brim, can't find anything there as of now, though we're on the wait list if something opens up.

[Lily&Me]

I don't know, but not that many.

Into Portland from Troutdale, then north to Anacortes.

I was in the Motorhome about 8 of those hours, almost all of that in insanely congested traffic.

I'm not going back on I5.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Thanks! We'd love to as we plan to be camping 9/7 - 9/11. Sadly, Fort Stevens is full to the brim, can't find anything there as of now, though we're on the wait list if something opens up.

Well, come by if you can, even if you can't stay in the park.

Or, meet us in Tillamook on Saturday...don't know what time yet...stay tuned.


Maggie

[ColoradoLady]

Gail, I do hope you will be able to visit. I know that our lives sometimes alter plans. Keep me posted. Call me on my cell phone if you can, as it will always be with me ...not so of the iPad, if I'm out and about.

Rocinante, I hope you manage to get down for a visit, as well. Like to meet you! The more, the merrier...right? Evelyn.

[xrvr]

Traffic sucks, but that campground at the end of the day feels so good.

[Lily&Me]

I felt like I had reached a safe haven last night, just as dark fell, after the trauma of heavy traffic the entire day.

Reminds me of why I prefer the secondary roads.

Park staff did knock on my door fairly late, I promised I would pay up in the morning and they were fine with that.


Maggie