From Gunflint Pines to Olympia Washington

[kingfisher24]

So, after a month long tour of Michigan, which we loved. Copper Harbour possibly was the favorite. But it could have been any of a dozen places in Michigan. But certainly number two was the stop in Grayling, MI at Mike and Bettys place and a kayak down the beautiful Au Sable River that conveniently runs thru their back yard. The flies ate us up as we arrived at the state park in the porcupines..but left us in peace and we enjoyed the stay. Ending the stay at Bewabic State Park in Crystal Falls...the UP was great

Then we jumped into Wisconsin to Two Rivers and Manitowoc, Kohler and Sheboygan...then a cross state trek to Hayward. Wi and Lake Chippewa for a few days...

Then to Gunflint Pines Campgrounds (which I have mixed feelings about... They Charge for Dogs) ...up wisconsin 12, up the gunflint trail, 40 some odd miles north of Gran Marais.
.
leaving in the morning for a stay in Duluth at Lake Head Boat Basin on the bay in Downtown Duluth....

Then to the Mother Lake of the Mississippi at Lake Bemidji.....

Then following US 2 across the northern route to end in Olympia Washington at the Land Yacht Harbor around Labor Day....

[Splitrock]

Nice trip!

[kingfisher24]

and in that vein , we travel...the going...white line fever almost better than the stopping...stopping only necessary to eat, sleep, and to see the sights just like a tourist....

the gunflint trail deserves more exploration, there are a few places on it that there are no tourists or campers...mostly locals from MN...

but to press on ..the stay in duluth at Lakehead Boat Basin in the harbor area was great

while in the area i wanted to go to Hibbing to see the town that raised Bob Dylan and see the town that he walked away from and changed part of our world in the process....Hibbing has not had a inch of grown since 1960 and the only reason it lived at all was the town called Mountain Iron just to the south, where the elder Mr Zimmerman and most residents of the town of Hibbing worked...iron ore...still mined today

from there we traveled to Bemidiji and the Itasca state park home of the headawater of the Miss river....folocked with tourists all minnesotians
but the wilderness drive in the park was nice.


from there we traveled to devils lake North Dakota...and Graham Island state park...a beautiful oasis surrounded by fields of soybeans, corn and hay...sitting now under a tree shaded spot in view of the lake with a dos XX...90 degrees...with the airstream a/c going full blast.....

[kingfisher24]

On our trek across US 2 we decided to try a stay at the state parks of ND If Grahams Island state park is any indication of the state park system in ND, then we are in for a treat...

Grahams Island, on Devils Lake is a jewel...beautiful...many trees and grassy areas.....just a beautiful place..although their online system is somewhat tedious..but it works

lots of fishin goin on at devils lake

we also had a heck of a rainstorm last night

what is the deal with all the water in this part of ND, anyone know????

[kingfisher24]

duluth ship canal, aerial bridge and park point,.. the last place on earth, UP near Copper Harbor,.. proud bird on the road to Gay, MI,.. snow accumulation guage...390 inches max in the late 70's...near calument, MI..russian orothodox monastery, near cat harbour, UP....swans all over MI

[kingfisher24]

seems to be a great place to fish...i am not much of a fisherman, if at all...has anyone fished this lake....the perch capital of the world....what kind of fish and what are some experiences...

[kingfisher24]

where have youse guys stayed in eastern Montana on the road to Glacier...

and then where have you stayed in Glacier...

[kingfisher24]

When ask how to pronounce the name of their town..the locals respond...You can HAVE' er ...I don't want her..oh well...went exploring out on route 234 to Bear Paw Mountains and discovered a vast array of camping sites in the mountains and in and around streams and real trees in Montana...anyone ever camped in the area of Beaver Creek Park...

If I ever head this way again...this is for me.....

[kingfisher24]

jumping off spot for Glacier...headed to the park tomorrrow

[kingfisher24]

We arrived in Glacier NP, St Mary's campground about noon today...Loop C 101 a great spot....went up the "Road" to Logan Pass just to gt the layout of the land...of course so did thousands of others... The plan is to get on the "Road" at daybreak tomorrow...a head start

[kingfisher24]

well it rained most of the time in the east glacier area, and we moved to west glacier with spectacular weather and scenery.

have now moved on to Kallispel for a one night stay to change oil, wash clothes , get Paula to a dentist for a filling that fell out....

headed for Luby Bay , Priest Lake Idaho tomorrow for a two day stay....

[maxandgeorgia]

We have camped at Many Glacier park on east side of Glacier, reputed to be a great place to center for hiking up into the park. We were looking straight up at mountain sides, peaks. Gorgeous and stream just nearby. Very crowded, but serendipity was on our side as we pulled in, no reservations, seemingly filled park, but found a last pull through for our 31' AS. On the west side, we camped outside of Glacier at Mountain Meadow RV park, would go back. Btw, when staying at Lakehead Boat Basin in Duluth, were you there for the Tall Ships? We missed them by one weekend, I think, heading back down the North Shore on the 25th. You're having a grand trip ~G

[kingfisher24]

beautiful area...National Forrest campground, hanging off a mountain...packin up this am heading for Spokane....hitch fever...and vertigo on this hillside gettin to me....

[Lily&Me]

We couldn't get in to Many Glacier cg yesterday, so headed back down to tour more of the forest area on our own and saw a momma GRIZ and her baby in an upland area off the road to the park!

Stayed in a NF cg for a few dollars last night, and are planning to boondock or do something similar for tonight as we tootle around NW Montana. Such beautiful country!

Maggie

[kingfisher24]

DHC-2, Les and His lovely wife invited us to their Spokane home last evening and prepared for us the best green chille cheeseburger on the planet...San Antonio, New Mexico...the Owl Cafe...close your doors

we thank them for their kindness....

So we arrived in Spokane after a stay at Priest Lake in Idaho....we are at Nine Mile Falls, a state park in Spokane...we have been traveling the area...found a reindeer farm in reardan, Wa...a reindeer farm Sanrta Claus was not far away...


we drove to Metaline Falls and scouted out Crawford state park..almost in canada...the Pend Oreille river is beautiful...visited the Airstream dealer in Spokane and generally scouted out the area....

Dry and hot here, I might as well be in Texas......but Oh well

leave yomorrow for Yakima...the Apple growing capital of the country...but it is hot as well

Maggie and Doug...stay away from the grizzly bears

[DHC-2]

Hey - you are most welcome, our paths will cross again for another dinner, until then good road and safe travels!

[kingfisher24]

Although I was suprised at the lack of rainfall...my image of washington was wet...wet, so i found a desert like country , not unlike the rest of the country across US 2 from the east...anyway Spokane held many interesting drives...we went to the Flower Road trail from Chewelah to Usk...a beautiful mountain drive...beautiful valleys and many lakes dot the countryside.....but no rain in the area ..it is like a desert with about 17 inches a year.....

off this morning to Yakima.....off to see the wizard

[kingfisher24]

Left Spokane, headed out on US 2..suprised at the farm land, serious farm land, wheat cultivated to the edge of the pavement and as far as the eye can see..And I thougfht they were serious about wheat in North Dakota
Approaching Coulee City the landscape changes and the Columbia river starts to apprear...and then if one turns South on Wa 17 the wonders begin... past dry falls and sunset lakes and lake lenore and soap lake...the beauty increases...
then approaching the Columbia river on I90 where the bridge crosses and a steady incline 5 or 6% grade for 10 or eleven miles towards elsenburg then the turn off on to I 82 to Yakima is another 10 miles up of 6 % grade... we have arrived at Yakima Sportsmans state park...a lovely place near the city...a city of fruit and vegetables and agriculture of all sorts....

Here are some pictures of leaving Spokand and Riverside state park and the reindeer at Reardan,,,,,

[kingfisher24]

The lack of trees and the Brown towering mountains in the Yakima area are hard to figure...the beautiful green valleys and the rivers; the massive orchards, vineyards and vegetable producing areas don't fit with the brown, lack of green that one sees all around; yet the bounty of this "fruit bowl of the country" is all around to enjoy....

the illegeal immigrant issue is at forefront south of here...but in this area all they care about is that there are enough of these folks to pick and harvest this bounty......without them ...there would be a lot less to eat....America...we have a dilemma!!!!

[kingfisher24]

Leaving Yakima...a place that could "grow" on me...the availability of fresh food, fruit and vegetables in the area is a great asset... the state park there was great in spite of some bad reviews on RV Parks reviews.com...so heading west on US 12, I was unprepared for the change in landscape..

breathtaking as the Highway travels along rivers and up and down mountains and gives you sneak peaks of Mount Rainier along the way...just a beautiful drive

arriving at a suprise...a suprise in the business of Ike Kinesaw state park, near Morton,,,on a Monday it was a bee hive of activity and near full...but we had a reservation...

and as we pulled into the park, someone had left a sharp bolt that found its way into one of my trailer tires.....

so we just set up and changed it...experience is a great teacher

spending two nights here and then to the Land Yacht Harbor in Olympia