Staycations

I am being inspired regarding how much there is to do and see in Western Washington and the PNW in general by reading the blogs of other RVers who are currently in the area.  Why is it, when we have got all these cool places to see and things to do, that we stay just stay home?

Well, part of it is that we are home because it is summer time and there is so much to get done around the house and in the yard.  I am, however, one to dump the chores and go do something.  Husband, not so much.

I've been reading blogs where folks are visiting the Pike Place Market, Mt Rainier National Park, The Lavender Festival in Sequim, hiking on the Olympic Peninsula.  If I read one where someone has been to the Sol Duc Hot Springs, I may just need to kidnap husband and say we are going.  Sol Duc has been on my bucket list for years.  We just never quite get around to it.  Anyway, I am a tad jealous of all you who are visiting our beautiful state.  We've had quite the run on good (if not just plain hot - for us anyway) weather.  We are now having a few days of rain, but the warm weather is to return this weekend and beyond.

Yesterday, I did ditch my better other half (who spent the day vacuuming and mopping floors - for which I am very grateful) and drove out to West Seattle to meet up with long time girlfriends at Salty's On Alki to celebrate a 60th birthday.  Four of us have known each other for more than 40 years, and we adopted the fifth one about 20 years ago.  It is always a good time when we can get together.

Before lunch, I stopped at the Hamilton Viewpoint to see if I could get a good shot of the Seattle skyline.  It was overcast, and I only came away with a somewhere between a just okay and decent shot.  Oh well.

I had to duck out early from lunch to avoid the traffic that was sure to ensue with President Obama's arrival into Seattle about 3pm.  I live about 30 miles northeast of Seattle but it takes me about 60 minutes to make the drive.  I had just passed Northgate, when I caught a glimpse of Air Force One making its decent into Boeing Field.  Good driver that I am, I did not try to snap a picture.  So it goes.  At least I was well on my way home before the State Patrol started closing on and off ramps.

A Stroll Around The Park And A Score At The Casino

With nothing on the schedule for the day, we decided to take a stroll around the park, and snap a few pictures.

We're from Seattle.  We don't go anywhere without our coffee.

This is the park owner's site.  Pick of the park, no doubt!

Some more sites

Our rig from across the creek

More park scenery

And our site, #42

The sites really are good sized.  Here is a photo of an empty site, and then one with a back hoe so you can get an idea by comparison.

I decided to check out the "older" laundry and bathrooms.  Not bad.

Oh, and they have a nice place to wash your truck or car.  No RVs, boats or ATVs though.

Back to the rig for some breakfast, and then Kim announces he needs some anti-freeze for the truck.  He plans to go up to Temecula to get it, along with some paper for the printer.  Temecula?  How about lunch at the Pechenga Casino?  Well, as long as we are going we might as well stop at Best Buy and Walmart.

So with errands out of the way, off to Pechenga we went.  I was very impressed.  Nice casino.  Not at all smokey inside.  We headed off to the Kelsey's Bar and Grill.

Kim ordered the Club Sandwich with stead fries.

I had the Rueben with sweet potato fries.

Both were yum, yum, yummy!

With lunch out of the way, it was time for a little fun.  We thought about a little 3 card poker, but we used most of our "fun" money getting a new awning and fixing the coolant system of the truck.  It was agreed that $20 each seemed reasonable.  I sat down at a keno machine.  Kim wandered off.  Kim wandered back.  He had made his contribution.  "How are you doing," he asked.  Drum roll please!...........Up $400.  All six of my keno numbers hit on a quarter machine!  I played my winnings down to $400 even, cashed out and walked away.  Kim instituted a new rule....Who ever wins, pays the valet.  I can live with that!

BTW, although we didn't actually see it, it appears that this casino has a beautiful RV Park as well.

Pechanga Resort and Casino RV Park

Home Sweet Home

Well, we made it.  Completed our first 4 months on the road.  A few lessons learned - primarily the awning and the wind.  A few unpleasant surprises - the electrical problems and the stuck open slide, but all in all, I think we did okay.

Our daughter did not deliver before we arrived home, so we are happy about that.  We are parked in her driveway.  We've got water and electricity, and a place to drain the gray water.  It's the black water that will be interesting.  We do have a macerater pump and have pumped directly into the toliet before, but it really smells up the house.  It was one thing in the late summer when we could open the winds to air things out, but it won't be an option for now.  Kim has purchased some big plastic barrels, which will fit in the back of the truck.  It will work a bit like a "blue buddy" as I understand it.  You pump the black water tank into the barrel, and then take the barrel the dump station.  That way you don't have to move the 5th wheel.

I'm excited to stay put for a bit.  I've got my books and 'stuff' out - like my Lakshmi and Ganesha statues, my crystals and stuffed animals.  I've got lots of people I'd like to see during my stay in the area, and of course, I'll be busy with Grandma Duty.

I'm a big believer in taking a Play Day each week, and I hope to do some touristy stuff in my home town.  A bit of a stay-cation and I will post from time to time for those of you that haven't been to the Seattle area so you can see what there is to do around here.

Our general plans are to take off sometime in September 2010, and head east to Montana, and then south through Utah and Northern Arizona, eventually winding up in Yuma and maybe Palm Springs.  Stay tuned for our further adventures!