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With the discovery of a fifth wheel problem that would keep us off the road for the better part of a month, we were fortunate to have the Total Concepts trip to Mexico on our calendar. Karen has worked for Total Concepts for 18 years and the company owners offer an incredible opportunity to the employees every year. They pay for an all-inclusive trip to those that want to participate. This year it was a five day trip to the Hyatt Ziva resort in San Jose del Cabo. According to Trip Advisor, "Located on one of the most majestic peninsulas in the world and offering spectacular views of the Sea of Cortes, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is a luxurious all inclusive oasis of sophistication and comfort. This magnificent beachfront resort is minutes from beautiful downtown San Jose del Cabo and features plush accommodations, impressive amenities, impeccable service and is just minutes from the international airport. Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is a unique, all inclusive experience that offers a myriad of activities from fine dining options at six restaurants and two gourmet buffet restaurants, to unique spa treatments, children’s programming and nightly entertainment shows. Enjoy deep-water fishing, scuba diving, world-class golf and many more adventure activities nearby. Or, simply relax and soak up the sun in one of the resort’s five swimming pools and breathtaking beachfront. This luxury resort also features 35,000 square feet of meeting facilities and ideal locations combined with the special touch of event planners who will attend to every last detail". We departed SFO on Wednesday, October 19 and traveled with 30 plus members of the company on Alaska Airlines to Cabo. This crowd knows how to have fun together, so spirits were high and laughter was a common sound heard among the group. Karen and I took advantage of the the pools everyday, an 80 minute spa massage on Thursday and shared gourmet meals with many of our friends in the group during the five days of relaxation we experience at the resort. Lord knows, after a stressful couple of days dealing with our broken rig situation, this couldn't have been a better thing to do. A big thank you to the Rechin family for their generosity and love, The employees truly recognize the way they honor their people, making Total Concepts successful in the construction industry in Sonoma County. This faith and trust in a Christ-centered business model is a testimony to their clients and community as a whole.

Monday, October 17 was departure day from our Doran Beach campsite back to Healdsburg, CA prior to our departure to San Jose Del Cabo on Wednesday, October 19. I was getting the rig ready to travel and went underneath to check some patches I had installed the prior evening. I noticed something odd about the underbelly liner near the rear axel. I could see a tear on the edge next to the leaf spring on the driver side. Upon closer examination it appeared the front edge of the fresh water tank had dropped and was resting on the interior of the underbelly liner. Was it safe to drive with the tank loose? I called the customer service department at Alliance and told them about my situation. In the meantime I tried to dump all the remaining fresh water from the tank to reduce the weight in the tank and on the liner. After talking with Stephanie in customer service we decided to take the slow road back to Healdsburg. Semper Gumby time! While en-route, Karen was calling a local mobile RV repair technician to see if we could get an appointment to have the damage assessed. Fortunately, by the grace of God, we made it to Healdsburg with the tank still attached. We set up the rig with electrical, water and sewer service on site and continued working the problem. By days end we had an appointment with Atlas Mobile RV Repair for Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday was a work day for me. I had another scheduled deposition at 10 AM and it lasted 7 hours and 15 minutes. Fortunately, Karen got home from work and met with Stephen the mobile RV repair technician. He removed the underbelly liner to get a closer look at the situation. My deposition over, I talked with him about our circumstance and he was extremely informative and helpful. He took pictures, which we forwarded to Stephanie at Alliance, of a broken steel frame bracket that was holding the tank in place. He jacked the tank up so it wasn't putting pressure on the electrical conductors and propane gas lines to the oven/stove appliances. With the tank jacked up and no propane gas leak detected we got ready to follow up with Stephanie at Alliance who was running point on our situation opening a case and arranging reimbursement for the mobile service call. A few more emails back and forth and that was all we could do for now. So, we left on Wednesday morning for Mexico for a five day, all expenses paid trip with the crew from Total Concepts (Karen's amazing and generous employer). She and I needed a vacation after a couple of trying days. Everything could wait until our return on Sunday, October 23.

We departed Grants Pass, OR on Sunday, 10/09 heading for JGW RV Park in Redding, CA on our way to Doran Beach, CA. While in Redding we called Jim and Mary Hanrahan, more of the cousins on the Hilen side, to see it they were up to a spontaneous visit. In true Hanrahan style they invited us over for some adult beverages and pizza. We had another great visit with family. We are so fortunate to have places along our route that allow us to connect with family for a get together. Monday, 10/10 we departed Redding, CA continuing south on Interstate 5 to route 505, Highway 80 to Hwy 37 and eventually Bodega Highway. This 5 hour route got us to Doran beach by 4PM with plenty of time to get settled in for our week stay on the California north coast. I booked this location about one year earlier due to its popularity. We were hoping for an "Indian" summer weather pattern but got some fog in the mornings with broken overcast. The temperature was moderate, in the low to mid 60's, and a welcomed change from the 90's the previous day in Redding. We were in site 69 of Cove Loop next to the USCG Bodega Bay Station so I could do some work with their personnel. Tuesday we were tied up with a number of appointments in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park on our return to California. I also had a Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting in Petaluma. Wednesday Karen went in to work at TC and I walked to the USCG station for a meeting. Wednesday night, Greg and Lorrie Herrick drove out to meet us for dinner at Lucas Wharf restaurant. Thursday I went into Santa Rosa for some doctors appointment then returned early afternoon to get ready for our weekend company. On Friday, Nick and the family arrived to set up camp with us and on Saturday, Richard Schneider and crew arrived to add to the party. Eleven of us together for fun, food and even a tour of the Coast Guard Station too! We ended the family get-together with a bike trip to Captain Davy's Espresso and Ice Cream shop. It was a great time of family fellowship with Nick, Lindsey, Milo (Morgan) and Grace and our adopted family Richard, Portia, Silas, Owen and Eli.

We had a great four day visit with Jeff and Becky Hilen in Gig Harbor. We played a round of golf together, had some delicious meals and got to see some areas of the Puget Sound's south peninsula. We enjoyed the relaxing pace and getting to know our extended Washington State family. On Thursday, October 6 we left Jeff and Becky's heading south to a Harvest Host at the Ranch Hills Golf Course in Mulino, OR, We drove about four hours and arrived at our destination early enough to play 9 holes of golf before going to a small Mexican restaurant for dinner. Today we are in Grants Pass, OR at Schroeder Park. This is a great little park if you want to stay close in to the city of Grants Pass but don't want the big commercial type parks. It's right next to the Rogue River, quiet and well kept. The driveways have become buckled somewhat by the large oak trees but not a huge issue. Occasionally we hear an unexpected noise from acorns falling on the roof. The camp host was very friendly. If you are looking for seclusion near the city, this is a good bet.

Before leaving Whidbey Island Naval Air Station we posted our sign in the wayfarer section of the RV park. Being a Navy veteran I felt a strong reconnection to the memories of my service days while staying on the base. Our daily encounters with sailors and aviators welled up my strong appreciation for the young men and women who are presently carrying out the Navy tradition to protect and defend our life and liberty. Red, white and blue with some sea shells seemed a fitting theme for our flotsam and jetsam sign. We enjoyed every day on Whidbey Island and hope we will be able to return in the future. After posting our sign, we headed out for the Coupeville Ferry Terminal. Upon arrival at the Port Townsend terminal we travelled south to stay with Karen's cousins, Jeff and Becky Hilen in Gig Harbor, WA. We arrived at 5 PM and backed the fifth wheel into their driveway with no incidents. We are planning on "mooch docking" here for the next four days while hanging out with the family.

It's Saturday, October 1 and Fall is in the air. The morning temperatures are in the low 50º and we can tell the days are getting shorter. Ironically, there are still flowers blooming in the RV park. The Zinnias must be the hearty Pacific Northwest variety. Our last day started with some lingering fog and overcast. Karen worked remotely during the morning while I worked on keeping up with the blog posting efforts. We took a walk around the RV park and stopped by the wayfarer posts to get some ideas for our version of the sign we wanted to create; stay tuned for the final product! The weather improved. The sun broke through the overcast and provided another beautiful day for us to enjoy in the Pacific Northwest. Today we traveled to Fort Casey and the Admiralty Head Lighthouse. This is where the Coupeville to Port Townsend ferry departs. I wanted to get an idea of how we would approach the ferry terminal with the fifth wheel attached to the truck. So we packed a picnic lunch and headed south. Admiralty Head Lighthouse stands just above Fort Casey, three miles south of Coupeville. The first lighthouse was built in 1861, then the current one was built in 1903. The lighthouse has not been in active use since 1922, but now features historic information for tourists as well as a gift shop. From the top you can enjoy spectacular views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and the Port Townsend ferry crossing. Fort Casey, Fort Worden and Fort Flagler together were known as the "Triangle of Fire," a trio of strategically placed fortifications defending the entrance to the Puget Sound at the turn of the 20th Century. Earlier in our trip we visited the other two forts, but honestly this facility was the best of the three. Constructed in the late 1800s, Fort Casey was equipped for defense and used as a training facility up to the mid-1940s. The fort houses a pair of rare 10-inch disappearing guns. While the guns were the height of technology in the early 1900s, improvements in warships and the advent of airplanes soon rendered them obsolete. Two additional 3-inch mounted guns are also on display in their original emplacements. After our adventure ended we stopped at the Walmart for paint and brushes for our sign project. We headed home to barbecue pork chops, take a nap, and eventually started painting our sign. The day ended with a spectacular sunset played to the naval station bugle retiring the colors.

We've been enjoying our stay here at the Cliffside RV Park riding our E-bikes and walking on the cliff trail. One of the unique characters of this campground are the many posted family plaques made from drift wood found on the beach. These customized creations are on display along the trail between the RV sites and tent site area. We have plans on adding our own before we leave, On Thursday, September 29 we made a date to meet Karen's cousins Maree and Roger Haug from Everett, WA for lunch on Whidbey Island. They drove over to Whidbey via the ferry from Mukilteo, WA to Clinton on the island. We met up in Coupeville at Toby's Bar and Grill right on the waters of Penn Cove for their steamed mussels. Both Karen and I enjoyed sharing a two pound bowl of these little seafood delights cooked in a broth of water, onions, wine and basil. Penn Cove Mussels spawn in the early spring and are therefore wonderful during the summer months through winter. The fast growth rate in the nutrient rich waters insures a firm texture with a flavor sweeter than any other mussel, with not a trace of sand or grit. The Penn Cove Shellfish Company grows and harvests over two million pounds of mussels per year from their two farms located in Penn Cove on Whidbey Island and the other in Quilcene Bay, located on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula. Coupeville, WA on Whidbey Island is a small seaport village. The main street is only 3 or 4 blocks long and houses many boutique shops and eateries. I found Toby's to be more a "local hangout". And just about all our family members up in the Puget Sound area recommended we check it out. This seaport village was picturesque with the beginning of fall colors showing in the trees; it had a real "New England" feel to it.

On Tuesday, September 27, we left Camano Island and traveled north then west to Whidbey Island. We made a reservation for 5 days at the Cliffside RV Park on the Naval Air Station. After checking in at the visitor center and getting our credentials to be on the base we proceeded to the park. Our site #7 is on the cliffs above the beach and has a 180º view looking southwest towards the Olympic National Park to the San Juan Islands looking northwest. After we set up our site we took a walk along the beach looking out over the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. Periodically, the serenity of this beach is interrupted with the sound of Navy aircraft taking off, flying in the pattern and landing. Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is home to a number of different squadrons of the electronic countermeasure aircraft (EA-18G Growler) and patrol/reconnaissance aircraft (P-3C Orion and P-8 Poseidon). During parts of the day, it's like your own personal air show. We anticipate some wonderful sunsets in our future. And maybe, if we are lucky, an Orca sighting. We are hoping and praying we get a chance to see these beautiful creatures.

Yesterday, September 22, Karen and I joined her cousins Jeff and Becky Hilen on a sightseeing trip north of Camano Island. We drove from the beach house through Stanwood, WA and took the back roads in farm country to Fir Island and eventually to the town of La Connor, WA. La Connor is a picturesque small town between the Skagit River and the Swinomish Indian Reservation across the Swinomish Slough. La Conner history and heritage goes back thousands of years; the land on the delta near the mouth of the Skagit River has been home to the Swinomish Tribe. Since the early 1860’s it has also been home to La Conner, Skagit County’s oldest community. Today many original buildings have been restored and now house retail shops, restaurants and museums. The town of La Conner and the Rainbow Bridge are listed on state and national historic registries. If you’re a history buff, La Conner’s Walking Tour of Historic Landmarks map is a great way to learn more about the early days of La Conner, as is a visit to the Skagit County Historical Museum. We enjoyed lunch in town and walked around doing the tourism thing. From La Conner we headed back to Camano Island with a stop at the Snow Goose farm stand for some fresh corn on the cob and an immodest scoop of ice cream on a waffle cone.

On Saturday afternoon, September 17, Karen and I traveled with her cousins Jeff and Annie to the Taylor Shellfish Farm north of Camano Island on Samish Bay. We enjoyed the scenic trip along Chuckanut Drive to the Samish Bay Farm and Shellfish Market. After ordering a tray of freshly shucked oysters and White Shrimp we were seated in the picnic area and enjoyed the local atmosphere while we waited for this delicious Puget Sound snack. Before leaving we decided to pick up 4 pounds of Manila clams for dinner and headed home. The Taylor family has been growing shellfish for over 100 years. If you're traveling to the Puget Sound area anywhere near Bellingham, Washington and love fresh shellfish you'll need to check out this hidden gem.

On Saturday, September 10th we hooked the truck back up to Trinity and departed Evergreen Coho SKP RV Park in Chimacum and drove to Port Townsend to board the ferry. The ferry ride from Port Townsend to Coupeville on Whidbey Island took 30 minutes. The fare for our fifth-wheel, truck and two passengers was $98.00 and saved us the trouble of traveling two additional hours by road through the Seattle traffic. After arriving at the Coupeville ferry terminal we only had an hour and half drive to Camano Island. Earlier this year we stayed on the property next to Karen's cousin's beach house for two weeks in July. During that trip we had so much fun visiting our Washington relatives and enjoying the weather around the Puget Sound we planned to return in September. We are staying for another two weeks and plan on playing golf, eating out and exploring the local sights.

So with a week in Chimacum, Washington as our base we took day trips and ran errands in the area. Our first journey took us to Port Townsend where we did a reconnaissance of the town's services, marina, and ferry terminal. We ended that day with dinner and headed home. The week was spent exploring Port Hadlock, Port Ludlow and Indian Island. Fort Flagler State Park is a public recreation area that occupies the site of Fort Flagler, a former United States Army fort at the northern end of Marrowstone Island in Washington. The state park occupies 1,451 acres at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet and the Marrowstone Point Lighthouse lying adjacent. Port Townsend is visible to the northwest, the cranes at the Navy base on Indian Island to the west, and Whidbey Island to the east across Admiralty Inlet. Flagler Road (SR 116) terminates at the park entrance. Fort Flagler was a Coast Artillery fort that along with Fort Worden and Fort Casey once guarding Admiralty Inlet, the nautical entrance to Puget Sound as part of a "Triangle of Fire" defensive plan. Later we traveled to Discovery Bay and eventually Sequim, Washington to take care of some cell phone and internet service issues with Verizon and AT&T. We ended the week with a trip south to Silverdale to shop at the Costco. On our way back we took a side trip to Port Gamble before crossing the Hood Canal bridge back to Chimacum. Port Gamble is on the Kitsap Peninsula situated on the shores of scenic Hood Canal. The 120-acre National Historic Landmark complete with picturesque, turn-of-the-century buildings filled with shops, an historic church, breathtaking views, expansive grounds and New England style houses on maple and elm tree-lined streets. The sawmill that William Talbot and Andrew Pope founded on Gamble Bay in 1853 remained in operation until Dec. 1995. It was the longest continually operating mill in the United States at that time. Now, the mill is gone, but the little town that grew up around it gives visitors a chance to see how early lumbering communities looked and functioned. Fewer than 1,000 settlers lived on the Sound in 1853, and most of them were busy felling enormous trees, or working in mills that sawed the logs into lumber for the San Francisco market. Their mills were built close to the water for easy transport, and their towns were built on the bluffs above. Their communities closely resembled the New England town of Machias, Maine where the founders had been born. Steepled churches and gabled clapboard houses with steep roofs and picket fences were common, but these simple buildings were soon replaced with more updated and stylish structures when the rail tied the region to the East in the 1880’s. Change moved slowly in Port Gamble because it was a company town. Some early buildings remained in use, and Pope & Talbot continued to construct many structures in a modified New England style.