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10Smiles · 05-17-2012, 01:01 PM

Welcome from another PNW native. I would love to take a trip to the San Juans. We were actually planning on doing that this summer until we saw the ferry prices... We would be in the over 50 foot category (long trailer + long van). So now we are going to do a week on the Olympic Peninsula (Not sure where yet - any ideas anyone? Maybe Salt Creek.).

Anyway, enjoy the new experiences.

Harpo · 05-17-2012, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danlehosky

Jim, get rid of the you'all and substitute you betcha, get some wool socks to wear with your sandals, become a coffee snob, learn what sun breaks are and never, never carry an umbrella. You'll fit right in, you betcha.

Dan

Me and the wife have adopted all the habits you mentioned although we were already coffee snobs before we got here thanks to Starbucks making its way to us in Dallas in the 90's. However when either my wife or myself let any sounds out of our mouth people automatically ask where we are from. We have found it saves time to start conversations with strangers with an apology for the drawl but we are originally from Texas but are now proud Oregonians. Much to our amazement everyone up here seems to enjoy our accent.

JSE · 05-17-2012, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danlehosky

Jim, get rid of the you'all and substitute you betcha, get some wool socks to wear with your sandals, become a coffee snob, learn what sun breaks are and never, never carry an umbrella. You'll fit right in, you betcha.

Dan

Ha, my wife in a Michigander and slips back into her "Yankee" accent from time to time. Being in the NW isn't helping either. It's coming back more and more.

I'm more a flip flips and cargo shorts kind of guy. Don't see the point in sandals with any kind of sock so I guess I'm safe there. Hate coffee but I am a beer snob! I even kindof enjoy the rain. At least what they call rain up here. It's more like a light sprinkle compared to Texas. Harpo can attest to the HEAVY rain in Texas. Up here we get an inch or so in a couple of weeks. In Texas you can get 3 or 4 inches of rain in an hour. It's so hard you can see past your front bumper with the wipers on warp drive.

JSE · 05-17-2012, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10Smiles

Welcome from another PNW native. I would love to take a trip to the San Juans. We were actually planning on doing that this summer until we saw the ferry prices... We would be in the over 50 foot category (long trailer + long van). So now we are going to do a week on the Olympic Peninsula (Not sure where yet - any ideas anyone? Maybe Salt Creek.).

Anyway, enjoy the new experiences.

From what I understand you can get off at as many islands as you want on the ferry trip back. You could go to San Juan first and then on the way back hit Orcas, Lopez, Shaw, etc. The ticket is round trip so that helps a bit. But yes, it's still expensive and something to factor in before hand.

If I'm wrong about the above, someone please chime in. I'm almost possitive that's what the retired ferry captain told me.

danlehosky · 05-17-2012, 04:48 PM

JSE, just be careful on some of the smaller islands. Some of the ramps are steep and I've heard of people getting stuck trying to drive off. Maybe plan around high tide so you can get on and off of the ferry when the tide level makes the ramps less of an issue.

Dan

Dan

JSE · 05-17-2012, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

Born and bred in the PNW, but traveled and worked all over the U.S., I became a fan of various regional and local accents. Never thought we in the NW had an accent until some old boy we met said, "You're from Washington/Oregon? I asked how he knew. He said, "You all talk through your noses up there."

I just don't hear much of an accent from anyone up here. But then again, I don't think I have a Texas accent but people clearly hear it in my voice. People ask me all the time where I'm from and when I say Texas, they say that's what they thought. Man, I need to bring my Cajun buddy up here and let people really freak out. I've been around Cajuns all my life and I still can't understand them 90% of the time.

Mike Leary · 05-17-2012, 05:08 PM

I worked in south Louisiana for a while and the locals, who I really liked, spoke the "King's English" around me. It was when we hit the bars, and after a few, they slipped into their "Cajun-Speak" that was almost non-understandable, except I'd lived in northern Maine, and I knew the dialect. Crawfish, music and beer, what a neat bunch of people.

Mike Leary · 05-17-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10Smiles

Maybe Salt Creek.).

Pass on Salt Creek, unless they've done some improvements, we could barely get Bess into a (one of the only) larger back-in sites. The views of low tide are incredible there, the pay-for-view campground next door was a pit, maybe it's changed. Lower Oak Bay County Park, south of Port Hadlock, is a nice dry- campground. Get your license, clams are good in June.

danlehosky · 05-17-2012, 10:55 PM

10 smiles, I highly reccomend Kalaloch, Sol Duc Hot Springs, Dungeness Spit, Hurricane Ridge, Crescent Lake, The rain forest. Most if not all have State Park camp sites but availability may be nil. You might have to boondock. The whole area is beautiful and has been my lifetime backyard.
PS, Ruby Beach at Kalaloch is the most beautiful place I've ever seen.
Dan

jmcarter · 05-18-2012, 03:38 AM

Agree on the Ruby Beach comment, not so much on the comment about Salt Creek, would recommend you check it out..with your rig you can probably squeeze in and if not there's a large field with many spots and no trees to obscure your view. During the summer many places will be full of course but there's a small RV park in Port Ludlow that usually has spots available. Would also check out Fort Flagler State Park on Marrowstone Island but use the state's reservation system to insure they have a spot. We lived in Port Ludlow for many years and love the entire area.