Yakima River Valley

This morning we headed south along I-28 to see Yakima with its apple orchards, other fruit and vegetable production along with numerous wineries in the Columbia and Yakima valleys.  Packing a picnic lunch we departed for sightseeing and some shopping for fruit (and a few veggies) before returning home.  (I guess we have been traveling long enough in the motor home that it has now become “home”).

We stop at a number of locations today enjoying fresh produce, some tapas plates at a winery, lingered at the Chucker Cherries factory store where everything we tasted was wonderful, and stopped at Jones Farm’s location in Zillah, WA.  Our last stop was at J-Bell Wineries that has a major production of lavender in its first year.

Zillah, WA winery

Chardonnay grapes nearing harvest time

Another winery in Prosser, WA

Our favorite stop of the day

A true country farm near Zillah, WA loaded with produce

One of many irrigation waterways we observed today

Ellensburg, WA down in the green Yakima River valley

Leavenworth, Washington

8/31/13

Another beautiful day dawns here with virtually clear skies and a promise of temperatures in the low 80’s today.  Our friends, Fred and Jeannie McMachan told us about a town named Leavenworth, WA. About 45 miles north of us.  It turns out that Leavenworth was a mining and railroad town in the late 1800’s.  Once the mines played out, the town residents decided to create a German town as might be found in the Alps today.  The Leavenworth family was prominent in development of the city, with one brother leaving to travel east to establish – guess where? Leavenworth, Kansas.

At any rate, we had a wonderful day here having lunch at Andreas Keller German restaurant, sightseeing, and doing a little shopping before we returned home for the day.  On the way home we decided to drive the Yakima Canyon Drive that rolls about 40 miles through desert-like sand hills deeply surrounding the Yakima River Valley.  We observer pristine-blue waters drifting south with hundreds of families floating the river.  It must have been a grand holiday weekend way to spend it lazily floating along through this scenery with you family in tow.

Highway 97 northbound from Ellensburg

We arrive in a beautiful German alpine village

Joy soaks up the sun and flowers

Lunch at Andreas Keller restaurant downstairs

Flower baskets everywhere

Hundreds of thousands of bales of hay await shipment to Japan
Japan has little productive acreage it can allocate to such mundane things as growing hay 

Just south of Ellensburg we find a gem of a scenic byway

Blue waters of Yakima River are enjoyed by many this Labor Day

Rolling arid hills provide a great contrast from the valley below

We saw many folks with rafts tied together enjoying a warm day

Almost down to Yakima

Ellensburg, Washington

8/30/13

This morning we decide that the road ahead may not be the best for a motor home knowing Highway 20 had been closed due to a landslide on August 11^th (now re-opened).  So we decided we would both feel better if we took the long way around back down to Mt. Vernon, down I-5 to Seattle, and the I-90 east even though a few extra hours were required.

The weather was beautiful as we headed through the Seattle area.  On I-90 east of Seattle we encountered a major traffic jam due to an accident.  One thing we have learned is that slow or stopped traffic while you are traveling in a motor home is no problem!  Sit back, have lunch, use the restroom – all right at your fingertips.  Joy found a great campsite at the Ellensburg, WA KOA facing directly on to the Yakima River now about 12 feet from our windshield.  We will stay a few days as this is Labor Day weekend.

Southbound on I-5 near Seattle

Eastbound on I=90 southeast of Seattle

Snowqualimie Pass area on I-90

Settled in at the Ellensburg, WA KOA with a great view out the windshield

Joy enjoys the afternoon in the shade with a book (iPad)

North Cascades National Park

8/29/13

We depart Mt. Vernon late morning for a short 63-mile drive up into the Cascade Mountain Range today.  It is foggy and rainy during the drive.  We arrive during a relatively heavy rain and setup camp quickly.

We tour the visitor’s center in the North Cascades National Park and drive through the area to get our bearings.  Most of this park is wilderness, with ample hiking trails and two rivers that supply hydroelectric power (mostly to Seattle/Tacoma).  Moderate rains falls all night on our camp.

Clouds and rain greet us heading northeast of Highway 20

A welcome brief moment of sunshine

Joy closes in on being in ALL the National Parks

Tucked in at our campsite as the rains begin falling

Diablo Lake in Cascades National Park

The view of glacial water makes Joy fondly remember Alaskan glacial rivers

Northwestern Washington

8/28/13

This morning we are up early to get the motor home to Valley Freightliner to get our ABS braking checked.  They find the little computer has lost its memory and “re-flash” the software and we are in business once again.

Joy traveled to Seattle to see her cousin Leslie whom she had not seen for a number of years.  They enjoy an afternoon lunch catching up of their lives.  Don returns to the RV Park and sets up for tonight’s stay and Joy joins him to do laundry before we head out into the mountains.  Tomorrow we will travel east to the North Cascades National Park for Thursday and Friday at the Newhalem Campground, Loop B-48. 

We have decided to continue toward Spokane, WA, then south through Idaho to Boise, before continuing toward Salt Lake City and eventually home.

Joy and her cousin Leslie near Seattle waterfront

Back in the USA

8/27/13

We cross the border back into the US today with a minor incident – Joy had to surrender 4 lemons and 2 green peppers.  Stinging from the financial loss of fruits and vegetables, we stop in Mt. Vernon at one of the largest farm stands we have seen and purchase an ample amount of fruits and vegetables as replacements at a much cheaper price than was available in Canada.

We stop at Costco one last time on our trip before settling in at the Mt. Vernon RV Park.

Crossing the border at US Customs

All settled in at Mt. Vernon RV Park

Vancouver, British Columbia

8/26/13

Joy and I departed the motorhome this morning for a day in Vancouver about 60 miles away using our Jeep.  We stopped at Stanley Park (an island between downtown and North Vancouver across the Fraser River.  Rain threatened later today but we made the best of it walking along the harbor downtown and circling Stanley Park.  We enjoyed a wonderful lunch near the seaplane docks at Whistler Brewing Company.

On the way home Joy had to stop at Swiss Chalet (a rotisserie restaurant we discovered on an earlier trip thru eastern provinces) for some chicken for dinner.  The area around Chilliwack, BC where we are staying is very much like the central valley of California with abundant produce including corn, hazelnut orchards, all kinds of berries, and vegetables.  Fresh sweet corn is on the menu for tonight.

Tomorrow morning we will return to the United States via the Suma, Washington US Customs checkpoint.  We will be in Mt. Vernon, Washington for the next two nights while our coach gets some much needed lubrication and minor maintenance at the Freightliner shop before we continue our homeward journey.

Toll bridge entering Vancouver on Trans-Canada 1

We enjoy a nice day walking along the harbor in downtown Vancouver

A beautiful modern city

Lunch at Whistler Brewing Company

Joy contemplates lunch

So does Don

View north toward North Vancouver

Joy "has to have" some more roasted chicken for dinner

Success!!!!