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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.

While we were in Camp Rilea we met a fellow RVer who told us about an Escapees RV Club co-op in Washington. After doing a search of the Escapees website we learned about Evergreen Coho SKP RV Park in Chimacum, Washington. We called and made reservations for 4 days to check out the facilities and learn more about this unique RV park. Chimacum is located in Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula near the historic Victorian seaport town of Port Townsend, Washington. As a proud member of the Escapee RV Club system, Evergreen Coho SKP RV Park is a cooperative 55+ RV community consisting of friendly folks who enjoy participating and living in this RV park. They offer both permanent memberships for qualified Escapee members and also short-term rental lots. X marks our site in the park. ABOUT ESCAPEES “SKP” or “Skip” is a commonly used nickname for Escapees. (Just say S-K-P fast and it sounds like Escapees.) But there is more to SKP than just the sound of the letters. SKP means: Service, Knowledge and Parking and also Special Kind of People Members have taken the idea of caring and sharing to heart from the very beginning. They say the park is run by volunteers and it's true! The many Evergreen Coho SKP RV Park Committees are responsible to the park and its membership to provide the best possible environment to fulfill the Articles of Incorporation which state that this nonprofit corporation is established to maintain and operate “a recreational vehicle park and to provide facilities and activities for enhancing the fellowship, recreational and social endeavors of its members and guests.” We were so impressed with this park we decided to increase our stay to a week and had a great time using this park as our base to explore the surrounding communities. We visited some wonderful state parks and historical sites, played golf, visited a local church and just relaxed with the friendly members of this community.

We crossed the mighty Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon into Washington on September 02, 2022 and headed to a Harvest Host for the night stay at the Willapa Bay Heritage Farm. Willapa Bay Heritage Farm is in Long Beach, Washington and is owned by Farmer Deb. The farm is 9 acres in size with 225 chickens, 10 goats, 1475 rhubarb plants, 75,000 daffodils, and 28 fruit trees. The farm can handle up to four RV's per night. We arrived first, so we got the choice view by the bay. Later, we were joined by two other couples. We enjoyed goat cheese, crackers and wine at happy hour with our fellow guests. Before leaving the next morning we met our hostess and purchased a dozen fresh eggs. This was a great stopping venue before continuing north. We proceeded north on U.S. Highway 101 through Hoodsport, Lilliwarp and Quilcene to our next stop in Chimacum, Washington.

After checking out the area over three days we decided to try and get a RV site in the park. Well, with the upcoming Labor Day weekend I knew our chances this late in the reservation process would limit our options. However, the good Lord smiled and we were able to get one night, Thursday September 1 in the campground so I booked it. Our site in "J" loop is a pull-thorough with water and electricity. The price was a bit steep at $52 ($44 for non-residence plus $8 reservation fee) but I really wanted to try it out. Thursday morning at 10 AM we checked out of Camp Rilea and headed to the parking lot for Battery Russell to wait until check-in time at 4 PM. We parked the RV and took our bike off the rack to do some further exploring. The park has an extensive system of bike trails so we took the route to the historical military museum to the north where on June 21, 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-25 shells the U.S. Army's Fort Stevens coastal defenses on the Oregon side of the mouth of the Columbia River. The Japanese are retaliating for the U.S. bombing of Japan the prior April. The U.S. batteries do not return fire and there is no serious damage. After our tour of the facilities we returned to the RV, hooked up our bikes and drove to our campsite to set up. We were able to get in early after the 1 PM check out time and had some lunch before heading to the beach. We rode our bikes one mile to the beach with our beach chairs strapped to our backs. Tomorrow we leave for Washington state. We have a reservation at a Harvest Host with Farmer Deb Howard at Willapa Bay Heritage Farm, 15720 Sandridge Rd, Long Beach, WA.

Tuesday, August 30 we explored the area around Warrenton, Hammond and Astoria, Oregon. This included the massive Fort Stevens State Park south of the mouth of the Columbia River. One of the nation’s largest public campgrounds, Fort Stevens marks the site of a military installation once used to guard the mouth of the Columbia River. The fort saw service for 84 years, from the Civil War to World War II. Today, Fort Stevens is a 4,300-acre park offering a variety of recreation adventures, including camping, beach-combing, a freshwater lake, trails, wildlife viewing, and a historic shipwreck. The RV facilities are the largest I've seen to date and includes: 174 full-hookup sites (36 pull-through), 302 electrical sites with water (11 pull-through), 6 tent sites, 9 walk-in tent sites with parking nearby, 15 yurts (7 pet-friendly), 11 deluxe cabins (5 pet-friendly). Amazing! Our first stops inside the park was to the wreck of the British bark, Peter Iredale, one of the largest and finest sailing ships of her day. She ran aground on Clatsop Beach October 25, 1906 and was stranded but all crew members were safely evacuated. The iron and steel vessel has been one of the local sights ever since. From there we drove to the south jetty at the entrance of the Columbia River. Salmon season had started and the boats around the mouth were thick as mosquitos. All day long we heard the larger vessel traffic alerting the small fleet of boats with 5 blasts of their horns. In international maritime language the sound signal of five short blasts means “I am not sure of your intentions and am concerned we are going to collide”. From the jetty we travelled to one of the many military historical sites at Fort Stevens. Battery Russell is one of nine batteries at Fort Stevens and was active for forty years, from 1904 to 1944. Fort Stevens itself was in service for 84 years, from the Civil War through to WWII. It’s named after Major General David Russell who fought in the Civil War. The battery once protected the mouth of the Columbia River. Together with Fort Columbia and Fort Canby in Washington, the three forts created the Triangle of Fire. This defense made it difficult for enemy boats to sneak undetected up the Columbia River. On Wednesday, August 31, 2022 we took a trip over to Astoria, Oregon for a seafood lunch and a visit to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. The museum features the unique characteristic of this body of water. Since 1792 approximately 2000 vessels, including over 200 large ships, have sunk at the Columbia River Bar. More than 700 people have lost their lives to the sea. These dangers have earned this area the title “Graveyard of the Pacific”. Mariners agree that the combination of high seas, a mighty river, land shallow, and shifting sand bars make the Columbia River bar one of the most dangerous bar crossings in the world. The highlight for me was the full size exhibit of a United States Coast Guard 33 Foot Motor Life Boat rescuing a man in the waters off the mouth of the Columbia River bar. This is the same area where the USCG trains "coasties" as Coxswains (helmsmen) to operate in these challenging and dangers conditions.

Monday, August, 29 we arrived after a 90 minute transit to our next home for three days up the picturesque Oregon coast to Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center in Warrenton, Oregon. This State of Oregon military installation has been serving the Pacific Northwest for the last 90 years. Comprising of 2,000 acres, it offers both military and civilian users training options because of its location and facilities. Encompassing broad dune and woodland areas, firing ranges, barracks, and other facilities, plus a broad ocean front. The RV sites are authorized for use by the following: Active Duty, National Guard, Reservists, Retired Military, 0-100% DAV (my eligibility status), Purple Heart Recipients, Former POW, Veteran Caregivers, DoD Civilians. After checking in at the billeting office we found our site #8 sandwiched between another fifth wheel and the parking stanchion protecting the roof of the bath house. Karen carefully and skillfully guided my backing maneuver into the space. Our Walkie Talkies have proved to be the best communication device for navigating these tricky parking scenarios. After getting set up we rode our electric bikes around the camp to get a better "lay of the land". We finished the first day with a trip to Fort Clatsop, some errand running and a quick tour of downtown Astoria, Oregon. Fort Clatsop was the encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the Oregon Country near the mouth of the Columbia River during the winter of 1805–1806. Located along the Lewis and Clark River at the north end of the Clatsop Plains approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Astoria, the fort was the last encampment of the Corps of Discovery, before embarking on their return trip east to St. Louis. The site is now protected as part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, part of which was formerly known as Fort Clatsop National Memorial until 2004. The original Fort Clatsop decayed in the wet climate of the region but was reconstructed for the sesquicentennial in 1955 from sketches in the journals of William Clark. The replica lasted for fifty years, but was severely damaged by fire in early October 2005, weeks before Fort Clatsop's bicentennial. A new replica, more rustic and rough-hewn, was built by about 700 volunteers in 2006; it opened with a dedication ceremony that took place on December 9. The site is currently operated by the National Park Service.

August 26 through 29 finds us at the Tillamook Bay RV Park near the air museum and airport south of town. This is a dry camping site with plenty of room between neighboring RV rigs. Our solar system allows us to charge the batteries during the day so we don't need the generator for our power needs. Day 1: Friday night we did a recon and drove north to downtown Tillamook past the famous creamery to Garibaldi on the north end of Tillamook Bay for dinner. I had fish and chips, Karen had a Bay Shrimp salad at Kelley's Place at the Smokestack. This cash only and no minors allowed bar & grill on the water was busy. The food was good but the place was noisy. Day 2: Saturday started with a trip to the downtown Tillamook farmer's market for some veggies and cherries. Next it was onto the famous Tillamook creamery for the self-guided tour and some cheese samples. It was too early for lunch so we headed to Cape Meares State Park to see the lighthouse. The Cape Meares Lighthouse used a 1-ton hand-ground, Crystal Fresnel lens! It's only one of two French eight-sided lights in the United States - the other is in Hawaii. One of the unusual oddities was the Octopus Tree. The forces that shaped this unique Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) have been debated for many years. Whether natural events or possibly Native Americans were the cause remains a mystery. The tree measures more than 46 feet in circumference and has no central trunk. Instead, limbs extend horizontally from the base as much as 16 feet before turning upward. It is 105 feet tall and is estimated to be 250 to 300 years old. From there we drove to Netarts on the bay for lunch, followed by a drive south to check out the Cape Lookout State Park venue. Day 3: Sunday started with church. We attended the Tillamook Christian Church service at 9 AM followed by a trip to Safeway for groceries and some lunch items. After lunch I enjoyed a nap and Karen read her book. Our afternoon sightseeing was to the mood Air Museum across the airfield from our RV location. This was originally the Tillamook Naval United States Navel Air Station Tillamook operated from 1942 to 1946. This station was built for Navy airship used for reconnaissance and convoy escort duty during the second world war.

From Loon Lake we traveled to Hwy 80 by way of Wentworth Springs Road to state highways 193 and 49. Everything was okay until we got to the downgrade to the north fork of the American River gorge! A ten percent grade, winding and narrow with traffic; a real white knuckle driving experience but we managed to get through to Auburn then Hwy 65 on to Linda, CA. We wanted to stop and see our friends David and Noel Nephew. After spending the night it was on to Hwy 5 passed Lake Shasta, Mt. Shasta, Yreka and over the border into Oregon. We arrived at the Southern Oregon RV Park in Central Point on Monday August 22 for two days. Karen and I both worked remotely while at this location. After three weeks of electrical problems with one daisy-chained 110v circuit, I was able to troubleshoot the problem and fix it myself. One more point for this old "MacGyver" figuring out this rig's 110v electrical system nuance. From Central Point, OR we headed north to Sutherlin, OR then west on Hwy 138 and Hwy 38 to the coastal town of Reedsport and north to the Three Rivers Casino in Florence, OR. First night was free and they gave Karen and I $10 each to gamble in the casino. Guess how long that lasted? Later we drove to Wil and Raychell Sumner's new home for a delicious dinner and a visit. Wil and I served in the same Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla in Petaluma before he and Raychell moved up to Oregon last October 2021. They have a beautiful new home on a lake and Wil has two Coast Guard stations he is involved with in the area. Tonight, August 25 we are staying at the Tillicum Beach campground on the coast in the Siuslaw National Forest. The campsite was first come, first serve and we got into a pull-through close enough we can hear the ocean as I write this post. Tomorrow we travel to Port Tillamook Bay RV Park about two and a half hours away. Home of the Tillamook Cheese Factory and the Tillamook Air Museum. The museum is located at a former US Navy Air Station and housed in a former blimp hangar, known as "Hangar B", which is the largest clear-span wooden structure in the world!

After two weeks and two days back in Sonoma County we left again for our next road trip called "Northwest Triangle". Our plans included spending three days in the Sierra's near the Desolation Wilderness at Loon Lake with our son Nick and the family. This is Nick's "happy place" where he, Lindsey and the kiddos boat out to an island or peninsula on the lake and set up a private campsite. On Thursday, August 18th we traveled on Highway 50 east of Sacramento towards Lake Tahoe and turned onto Ice House Road headed north for about an hour. The lake is in the El Dorado National Forest and is very remote but the roads are adequate for a large fifth wheel. We decided to play it safe and show up a day before the weekend so we would have less a problem getting a first come, first serve parking area site. No cell service, no hook ups but worth the isolation and spectacular views.

After delivering Zoe to her family, Karen and I started our return trip to California on July 30th via Coos Bay, Oregon and Fortuna, CA. We took three days to get back to the Herrick's vineyard property in Healdsburg, CA. We really appreciate Lorri and Greg providing us a base of operation with full hook-ups. Karen and I both spent a couple days working when we returned. She is helping with the transition with her replacement at Total Concepts and I did three fire investigations for FCA. Our main reason for returning was to help the family with Karen's mother, Marilyn Hilen's memorial celebration on August 14th. After losing mom last year on August 12, 2021 we had to delay honoring her memory due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on travel and gatherings. In hindsight this was probably a blessing in disguise, because it allowed us all time grieve the loss before her memorial. On Friday, August 12th, the family started arriving. We had a spontaneous dinner party that night at Chevy's Mexican restaurant. On Saturday, another gathering at Karen's brother Keith's condo clubhouse for a barbecue. And finally on Sunday, a beautiful memorial with family and friend at the Wild Oaks Saddle Club. The memorial was a wonderful tribute to a great lady, mother and friend. Stories and memories were shared about mom's life. Laughter and tears punctuated moments during the afternoon celebration. Throughout the day I felt her spirit and I know in my heart she was smiling, laughing and crying with all of us. Our loss is Heaven's gain.

Before Elisa and Aaron left for home we all traveled to Crater Lake because no one in either family had ever been there. It was on our "bucket list" of sights to see. And was it ever a sight to behold! The blue beauty of Crater Lake extends beyond its depth. At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in America. Famous for its beautiful blue color, the lake's water comes directly from snow or rain -- there are no inlets from other water sources. This means no sediment or mineral deposits are carried into the lake, helping it maintain its rich color and making it one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the world. Karen and I started a tradition of spending a week or more with each grandkid when they turned 13. Well, we have twins, Macy and Zoe in the Edgington family. Rather than do their trip together we took Macy (born first at 2:31 AM) last year, which meant Zoe (born a minute later at 2:32 AM) had to wait an extra year. During Zoe's week we kayaked on the lake in Stewart State Recreation Area, visited the High Desert Museum and tubed down the Deschutes river in Bend, Oregon, eventually arriving at Spring Drive RV campground below Mt. Hood. We spent our last day together enjoying a delicious dinner at the Timberline lodge, Cascade dining room. From Mt. Hood it was a two hour drive to Portland to return Zoe back home. We had a great time getting to know Zoe on a much deeper level. These trip really give us a chance to KNOW our grandkids.