The good stuff is over

[kingfisher24]

weather wise anyway.... We left Port Townsend, Wa this morning on the ferry bound for whidbey island and points east. It is a beautiful island and Deception pass is quite awesome. We have arrived at bayview state park and after where we have been this is quite a dissapointment....

but on down the road we go on an east bound journey across washington route 20 up thru the northern cascades and then into desert country and temperatures in the mid to high 80s.....this after a month and a half of 60 degrees and cool ocean breazes as we came up the oregon coast and along washingtons western shore and the amazing rain forrests there....

port townsend ( a beautiful victorian port city), where we spend about a week, some of it moored to the hudson point marina just feet from the water.....

we are bound for spokane and a stay over at the bowl and pitcher state park for the labor day rat race....and then off the explore yellowstone

[DKB_SATX]

Mid 80s? Just check out the weather in your former central TX hometown and enjoy those awful mid-80s for those of us who haven't escaped yet!

[Lily&Me]

Sounds like your travels are going well.

Envy you those cool temps!

Travel safe,


Maggie

[safari57]

Glad the trip is going well. We spend a lot of time in the Deception Pass and Port Townsend areas. We enjoy the Deception Pass State Park, and try to get there a few times a year. As for Port Townsend, we prefer to stay at Fort Worden State Park, where an Office and A Gentleman was filmed. We stay up top, our friends like it right down by the water which is a bit too windy for our liking.

Travel safe. You've not gone too far since Baker City. It was a pleasure meeting you there. Our friend who was camped beside you there is recuperating and doing very well. Trapped in his recliner, but getting ready for a rally in Lynden, WA come September.

[kingfisher24]

We left the last vestages of cool weather behind as we headed east on the North Cascades scenic byway...out through towns like sedro-wooley and concrete, thrugh a great morning fog and 60 degree temps. made a stop as rasar state park to use the dump station as the one at bay view state park was not working.


a great trip up the mountains, the grade is just a little noticeable as you work your way up to rainy pass at 4855 feet and then up a little further to washington pass at 5477 feet. snow on the mountains and just great scenery..

I would not want to pull the grade west bound into those two passes.....long and hard!!!!!!

then down the mountains and spit out into a firey inferno....let me repeat a firey inferno....into the town of winthrop....a bustling tourist town and a stay at a cookie cutter KOA for a few days

TEMP IS 88no let up in sight until after labor day as we then head into yellowstone

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by kingfisher24

~~
TEMP IS 88no let up in sight until after labor day as we then head into yellowstone

If you keep your tongue in your cheek often enough, you'll eventually bite it. And considering the topic at hand and the outdoor furnace that it Texas weather at the moment, I'm not going to feel very sorry for you if you do.

[Bluto]

Do you have reservations for the Bowl and Pitcher?

The best spots are by the river. Try to get in there if you can.

[kingfisher24]

DKB SATX........no 88 is down right hot for these here parts (for me) If i wanted this temp i would still be in texas....I just can't for the life of me figure at the lattitide/longitude how it can be this hot....when just over them thar mountains it is a cool as a cucumber

we do have reservations for bowl and pitcher....got one by the river....

we are by the river here and it really is a fairly nifty spot....in spite of the heat

[DKB_SATX]

Low to mid 50s at night... you can ride it out until then. Alas there's no rest for the wicked here, the only place it's below 60 overnight is in the refrigerator. Even the hurricanes are avoiding TX this year, it's too hot for them as well.

[aftermath]

Kingfisher,

Spokane temperatures are for the mid 90s over the weekend. This is the warmest it has been all summer here with our previous high a 91. And that only lasted a day! I think you are bringing some of that Texas heat with you. Please enjoy your stay but when you leave take the heat with you.

By the way, once you make it to the eastern side of the Cascades the summers get downright hot. Winthrop is usually in the mid 90s this time of year.

While in Spokane you might want to try the Post Street Ale House downtown on, guess what, Post street. It has great bar food and some very good cold beer on tap. If you are more into wines, I would suggest the Left Bank wine bar on Washington street. It has a nice offering of light fare and a fantastic selection of wines at very good prices. Try one of their flights for a good start.

Hope you enjoy Spokane.

[kingfisher24]

I have not been in texas since march and am not going back until late october and only then if it cools down.....I am constantly checking the weather forecast and spokane calls for a few days of 70's during labor day weekend.....at least the overnight temps in this area are 30 degrees cooler, mostly.....I am going from winthrop, thru republic, kettle falls (the hottest) and then down to fort spokane....before arriving at the bowl and pitcher....there is great hiking there....

Yellowstone for mid sept is mid 60's and low 30's....can't wait

[exthemius]

Hey, good luck in your travels -- it was a pleasure meeting the two of you and be safe!

[kingfisher24]

the area east of the cascades , at first loooks horrible....but it grows on you the more you move around. the area around winthrop is clearly a tourist and kid playground with the methrow river as its main source of entertainment. But there are numerous streams and lakes that make this area an oasis in an otherwise bleak high desert environment.

we have moved on to the bridgeport area and via route 20 to okangon as a side trip to get to bridgeport. I am glad i took this route because the okangon national forrest is just spectacular and the trip up and over the loup loup pass at 4020 feet is a fun drive.

we found the bridgeport city rv park/marina on rv park reviews and it is a nice little oasis for the area. great park and full hook ups for $25.

the area is mostly hispanic, if not totally as there are thousands of acres of ochards in the area.....

movin on

[safari57]

If you haven't gone too far yet, there is a place called Dry Falls that offers an incredible view of how the world was just before the last Ice Age. The falls there were created after an ice dam broke in the Glacier Park area and they were all frozen over just a few millenia ago. At you are darned close to King of the Road. He's still healing and trapped for most of the time in his recliner, and going nuts.

Travel safe guys. We hope to make it to Deadhorse again this year.

[kingfisher24]

got in the truck at 4PM yesterday and temp guage on mirror SAID 116

this at bridgeport, washington on the banks of the columbia river

oh well...it then cooled down to 95 air conditioner in the silver twinkie just can't handle this kind of head....
wish i was in port townsend


we are headed to sun lakes state park which is in the dry falls area. we have been in touch with King OD Road and hope to visit with he and bonnie while in the area.

[fltlevel510]

Kingfisher,

Hope you are planning some time in Couer d'Alene, Id. Just spoke to a friend there and high temps next week are forecast in the 70's with night time temps in the 50's. We usually stay at the Blackwell Island RV park. Very nice campground located on the lake within walking distance to the city park and a lot of other activities. The rodeo is in town next weekend and usually free concerts at the city park band shell. If you are in to wine, there are several good idaho wines served at the local restaurants.

Happy travels!