The End of the San Juan Coastal Tour - Home, 9/19

It rained all night – it rained hard all night. The first thing we saw when looking out the Winniemobile was that our campsite was flooded. Thank goodness we aren’t tent camping! The rain was still coming down this morning so we obviously scrapped the bike ride and decided to pack up and head home. Going over the coastal mountain range was windy (as in a lot of twists and turns), but so incredibly green. It was a shock when we hit the valley and saw how brown everything was. After being in rain forests for the last couple of weeks we got used to seeing every imaginable hue of green. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful and magical part of our country. I can sure understand why Josh wants to live there. (Today’s pic is a shot of one of our favorite camping spots in the Olympic National Forest.) Once we drove past Clearlake, the weather completely cleared up and it was downright hot in the valley. As we pulled into the driveway three cords of wood were piled high. Ironically, soon after we arrived it began sprinkling here. Mmm – sounds like the wood arrived just in time. I love living on the road and am usually a little sad when the trip ends. But not this time! I received an early birthday present from Ned and on the way home we picked up my first ever sewing machine. I’m so excited to be home and start making quilts – my new passion. Next week we are heading off to Point Reyes for a three day trip, camping with some good friends. Here’s hoping we can eek out a bit more play time before the wet winter really rolls in.

Mendocino Mellow - MacKerricher State Park, Fort Bragg, CA 9/18

We left one of the best ever campgrounds early this morning and continued our drive down the Avenue of the Giants. The weather was threatening rain, but so far things remained dry and warm. We definitely got a kick out of all the tacky roadside attractions, but the best by far is definitely “The Legend of Big Foot.” We passed drive-thru trees, mystery trees, confusion trees and tree houses! It made us appreciate that if this area hadn’t been made into a National Park and a State Park what the rest of the forest would look like. We pulled into MacKerricher State Park in Fort Bragg around 11 and had several campsites to choose from. We think a lot of people were scared off by the weather – lucky us. After getting settled in, we headed for downtown Fort Bragg and ate at a so-so Japanese Restaurant. Next stop, one of my favorite places in the world – Mendocino! The sky turned blue and it was really pleasant and sunny. We took advantage of the situation and rode our bikes around town and out to the headlands. The sea was an amazing color of jade and turquoise and really mesmerizing to watch. Out over the horizon we could definitely see another storm front headed this way. It made for some dramatic cloud formations as the sky was almost cut in half with clear blue on one side and lens shaped clouds on the other. (See today’s pic). I just love the vibe of Mendocino with the beautiful gardens, seaside cottages, water towers jutting above the homes and the smell of the salt water in the air. Later in the afternoon we stopped for some mochas and Ned waited patiently as I continued my picture taking safari. We eventually made our way back to the campsite and had a rousing couple of hours playing games while drinking wine and munching on some local favorites (goat cheese, french bread, peppadews and figs). Would you say we are camping upscale Mendocino style? It’s about 9:30 at night and a soft rain has just begun. We decided that if it’s nice tomorrow we’ll ride our bikes into town for breakfast and then explore some of the local trails and if the rain continues – we’re heading home.

Here Comes The Sun – Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Weott, CA 9/17

Rain, rain, the sound of rain – that’s what we woke up to again this morning. We decided to get up early, hit the road and see if we could drive out of this storm. We had hoped to hike to the Heceta Lighthouse but it was raining so hard that wasn’t an option. Our plan B was to visit the Sea Lion Caves, however we got there before they opened so decided to just keep driving. Our original plan was to spend another night on the Oregon coast, but the rain was just coming down in sheets so we decided to stop for lunch, check on the weather pattern and figure out what to do next. About 3 years ago we had stopped in Gold Beach and hung out at a coffee shop/bookstore. We enjoyed it so much we decided to go back. The place was still great, but by the time we had arrived they were out of soup and only had pastries. They recommended another place, Barnacle Bistro, so we gave it a try. It was great! We not only had a yummy hot lunch, but we got an internet connection too. This was quite a storm and it looked like it was packing a punch down the entire coast of Oregon and parts of California too. Sigh. We thought about turning inland and catching a Shakespeare play in Ashland, but the storm was supposedly hitting that area too. We decided to just keep on driving south until we couldn’t drive anymore. (By we – I mean, Ned. He’s been the hero doing most of the driving). The coast drive was beautiful, despite the rain. (See today’s pic) We were able to see the ocean, the dunes and the rocky coast of Oregon with wisps of fog hovering around the trees. It was actually quite stunning in some places. Josh had given Ned a book for Christmas and we’ve been reading it to each other at night. After listening to some “Fresh Air” podcasts, we decided to continue reading the book. So, while Ned drove, I read aloud. It certainly helped pass the time! We did make a couple of stops during our long drive. The most interesting was the Redwood National Park visitor’s center. Once we ventured into California we enjoyed some of the tacky tourist attractions along the road such as Dinosaurland and a huge replica of Paul Bunyan with Babe. (It was not nearly as cool as the one in Bemidji, MN). By the time we arrived in Arcata the storm had broken up and we were blessed with sunshine! Ned started singing “California Here We Come” with gusto. The absolute highlight of the day was taking the scenic drive through The Avenue of the Giants. Our campground is actually situated along the Avenue amongst the Giant Redwoods. It’s gorgeous!! It’s so warm and dry here that we really enjoyed having dinner outside and playing cards until we couldn’t see anymore. We loved being outside so much (without getting wet), that we took a walk in the dark around the campground. Lovely. Here’s hoping the weather holds for a nice weekend in Mendocino

Rainy day on the Oregon Trail – Carl Washburne State Park, Florence, OR 9/16

It rained steadily all night and for most of the day. We weren’t able to ride bikes around the campground, so hit the road at about mid-morning. Even though we were hugging the coastline almost all day, the steady drizzle kept us from seeing too far out over the ocean. We still decided to take the slow route and pulled off of highway 101 to take some back roads and get a feel for the off-the-beaten path communities. Our favorite drive of the day was The Three Capes Drive. The cypress trees along the shore and the haystack rock formations in the ocean were beautiful nonetheless. (See today’s pic – as pathetically foggy it is). We did poke around a couple of local stores and had lunch at the Blue Heron Cheese Factory in Tillamook. Several years ago we had toured the Tillamook factory, so decided to visit the other cheese store this time. It was fun tasting the different cheeses, but they were out of their own Blue Heron brie – go figure! At several stops the locals were bemoaning the fact that they weren’t ready for the rains to begin. I think they haven’t had much of a summer this year. One fellow mentioned that in the last 18 hours his rain gauge showed 3 inches of rain – wowza! About mid-afternoon the rain finally stopped so by the time we pulled into the campground we were able to walk around without getting wet. We played game after game of Skip-bo and then at dusk decided to take our bikes for a spin and visit the beach. We had the place completely to ourselves and enjoyed the foggy stillness. We kept looking for Heceta Lighthouse, but couldn’t see it from the beach. If the weather holds and it isn’t too wet we might take the 6 mile hike to the lighthouse in the morning.

Swimming with the fishes – Fort Stevens State Park, Astoria, OR 9/15

It was wonderful to have breakfast right on the water and hang out for a while at the campsite. The ocean fog had rolled in over night and it appeared as if rain was imminent. After a leisurely morning, talking with friends on my cell, cutting Ned’s hair and taking showers we finally were ready to take the trail around the lake. Turns out the first half of the trail was really for hikers so we ended up walking or carrying our bikes over narrow footpaths and bridges. (See today’s pic). Some of the footbridges were quite elaborate including one covered bridge with windows. Riding thru the rainforest was beautiful and it was fun to point out the different things we’ve learned in the visitor centers of Mt. Rainer and Olympic National Parks. The path eventually led us to a forest road and the riding was much easier. By the time we pulled out of the campground it was close to noon. Our first destination was Westport, a working fishing village. By this time it was mid-afternoon and the “One Eyed Crab” shack was looking pretty good. Ned had a crab sandwich and I had crab legs. Mighty tasty too I might add. The skies had decided to open up and it poured the rest of the day. We continued to meander down the coast, past cranberry bogs, fish markets and seafood stands until we reached Cape Disappointment and pulled into the town of Long Beach. There’s a wacky store that touts itself as a free museum so we decided to check it out. Out front is the World’s Largest Frying Pan and huge chopsticks that serve as guard rails. How could we not stop in? It was a hoot playing with the old-fashioned arcade games and peep shows. For a nickel we watched “Harem Dancers” and “The Fan Dance.” They lasted all about 5 seconds and were really, really lame. There were also fortune tellers (like in the movie, “Big”), passion meters and lots and lots of other kitschy stuff. When we had our fill we braved the rains again and continued down the coast eventually leaving Washington and swimming into Astoria, Oregon. It was about 5ish and we didn’t feel like hanging out at the campsite in the rain so we decided on a movie instead. We saw The American with George Clooney, which wasn’t hard on the eyes ladies, but the story line was a little weak. The rain has finally stopped and tomorrow is supposed to be intermittent showers. Hopefully we’ll get enough of a break to ride the bikes. We are camped at Ft. Stevens State Park at the very northwestern tip of Oregon. We had camped here 3 years ago and were completely fascinated with the military museum and thoroughly enjoyed the 15 miles of bike trails. This mermaid is signing off for tonight – glub, glub.

A Step back in time – Lake Sylvia State Park, Montesano ,Wa 9/14

When we woke up (rather late) this morning we were equally impressed with the blue skies and to find that we were camped near a sweet little pond. Who knew? I was just so happy to have a place to camp last night that I didn’t pay too much attention to the immediate site. After packing up we backtracked into Port Angeles to visit Olympic National Park’s Visitor Center. We spent about an hour learning about the park and watching the film. I had no idea that this park received an average of ½” of rain a day! Given today’s brilliant sunshine it made us appreciate the weather even more. We had a great time driving thru the park, making several photo stops, and finally stopping at Lake Crescent Lodge. I love this place! It was built in 1916 and feels like a sweet turn of the century resort. It is situated on the lake, with lots of Adirondack chairs scattered on the lawn. When we entered the lodge there was a roaring fire in the huge stone fireplace (not really needed on a day like today, but it definitely added to the ambience) and a Victorian style solarium that faced the lake. Ned suggested we linger for awhile longer and have lunch in the dining room. Good choice! We both had a local fresh salmon nicoise that was beyond divine. I couldn’t tear myself away from this place so we spent awhile longer walking the grounds and really enjoying the vibe. (Today’s pic is the view from the front lawn). We eventually ended up near the boat dock and were going to take the hour or so hike to the falls, but a group of rowdy middle school kids showed up exactly at this time. We just didn’t feel like spending the next hour sharing the trail with them (the teacher was very sweet and somewhat apologetic for their exuberance) so we hung out enjoying the turquoise and jade colors of this glacier lake. Driving further down the road our next stop was La Push, an Indian reservation on the ocean. We were now deep into “Twilight” area and this was definitely “Team Jake” territory. (You Twilight fans know what I’m talking about). The little roadside store had signs that read, “Treaty Line – Welcome Twilight Fans” and a danger sign for the “Vampire Threat”. We were going to buy some local smoked salmon, but the Indian housing development that sold it was so run down and trashed that we didn’t feel comfortable knocking on the door. We decided at this point to track back to highway 101 and hit the town of Forks. Before the Twilight movies this town didn’t have much going on. Now, EVERYTHING is twilight themed. We succumbed and went in one of the stores to look at all the kitsch. The Team Edward and Team Jake and Bella paraphernalia was over the top. (Ironically, none of the filming was done in this town, but in Oregon and Canada). Our original plan was to camp in Bogachiel State Park located in Forks. The campground was very nice, but too close to the road and we were a little worried that the logging trucks would be too noisy. Since it was only 4:00, we decided to push on and head to another state park. We made a stop at Ruby Beach, where the fog was beginning to roll in. This beach is known for the driftwood that’s scattered about. Apparently, it’s referred to as the “bones of the rainforest” picked clean after being washed downstream by winter storms. We reached another lodge in Olympic National Park, Lake Quinalt Lodge, and made another stop here as well. This one was built in 1927 and felt more like the grand rustic lodges of the northwest, rather than the Victorian lodge at Crescent Lake. It too was situated on the lake and had a very expansive green lawn that sloped down to the water. There was a rain gauge totem pole that showed this year’s rainfall was 7ft. so far! The record is 15 ft. per year. Yikes! By this time it was after 6:00 and there were many people relaxing in the Adirondack chairs on the lawn and enjoying the welcome sunshine. Both lodges were beautiful and definitely added to the feeling that we had stepped back in time. We finally arrived at Lake Sylvia campground at about 7:00 and found the most wonderful campsite right on the water. We are far enough inland that the ocean fog doesn’t reach and are looking forward to spending the morning enjoying breakfast near the water and perhaps going for a bike ride thru the park.

A Walkabout in Victoria – Elwha Dam RV Park, Port Angeles, WA 9/13

We woke late this morning and really enjoyed lying in bed and experiencing the sights and smells of the rain forest. There was a steady patter of soft rain all night that turned to a light mist. This campground is exceptionally beautiful and when I saw the park staff raking the sites that sure explained a lot. Only one small catch, Ned managed to get a hot shower, but I could only get cold water. Needless to say it was a very quick shower this morning. By the time we got to downtown Victoria it was noon, but the skies were definitely clearing up and we decided to take a walking tour of the city. After a quick bite to eat we visited The Empress Hotel and enjoyed seeing people at high tea, the art galleries and gardens. We walked along the harbor to the Market Square and Old Town, thru Chinatown and other parts of the city. We thought we’d check on tickets for tomorrows ferry and found out it was already sold out. Yikes! A quick change of plans was in order. Instead of staying another night at Goldstream Provincial Park we decided to catch the 7:30 ferry, landing in Port Angeles at 9:00 pm. Since we had some more time to kill before boarding the ferry we decided to view the stately homes in Rockland. This area reminded us a lot of Piedmont in the Oakland hills. We came upon the Governor’s Mansion and spent a good hour or so walking the grounds. There were several acres of gardens that were just marvelous. They varied from wild gardens, to tree shaded rhododendron groves, rose gardens that smelled divine, Asian and Japanese gardens, and beautiful water features. We had the entire place to ourselves as we meandered thru all the paths. Sweet! After driving a little more thru the residential areas of the city, we decided to park in the ferry lot and hoof it to the other side of the harbor for dinner. Fish and Chips with beer for Ned and a salmon wrap for me. The sun finally broke out and we were treated to crystal clear skies with sunrays beaming down on the water and boats. Once we got thru the grind of customs it was fun riding the ferry at sunset. The view from the boat pulling away from the waterfront was magical. You could see the hotels and government buildings lit up and their reflection in the water. (See today’s pic). As we pulled into Port Angeles after 9 pm, the crescent shaped moon looked gorgeous over the sparkly city lights. This was the first ferry ride we’ve done at night and it was quite fun. Ned and I passed the time by playing Skip-bo on the boat. (Ned figured I wouldn’t whine quite as much in public). Once we reached Port Angeles we drove around in the dark looking for a place to camp. After a couple of failed attempts (either too pathetic or the gates were closed) we found a private RV park. Good news – we have wifi. Bad news it’s a private RV park and we’re camped under a glaring security light. Tomorrow off to explore Olympic National Park and the weather forecast calls for sunshine!

On the high seas again – Goldstream Provincial Park, Victoria, BC Canada

It rained most of the night and was still going at it as we woke this morning. Needless to say it wasn’t a group breakfast at the campsite. We were all heading off in different directions today so the first part of the morning was everyone concentrating on getting their things together and getting situated. After a couple of misconnections, we finally all synced up at the Laundromat in town, grabbed a quick cup of coffee and had an opportunity to get our laundry done. At about 10:30, Josh said his good-byes and walked into town to catch the ferry. I admit there was a tug at my heart as he walked into the rain, with a fully loaded backpack in tow, off to his next adventure. (Be safe Josh and remember to call your mom when you get off the mountain!). Since there was still some time before our next sailing, Denise, Ned and I decided to explore the island. We drove to the west side of the island, to Lime Kiln State Park, to see the lighthouse. Even though there was still a light drizzle, it didn’t stop us from walking around the grounds and getting some great views of the park and lighthouse. Our noses were plastered against the door of the lighthouse looking in when we got lucky. The local park ranger was giving a private tour to his cousin and wife and asked us if we’d like to go along! He was a very friendly fellow who told us about the whale study taking place and the history of the lighthouse. We were able to go to the top of the lighthouse and were rewarded with great views - we could even see Victoria which was 9 miles away. It was fun to watch the harbor seals and porpoises play in the water, too. Afterward we visited the museum and learned a lot more about the transient and Orcas whales. I had no idea that so many pods of whales hung around these parts! Denise left for her ferry back to the mainland and Ned and I ventured to the other part of the island to check out the county park and the exclusive resort at Roche Harbor. As we headed back to Friday Harbor we realized that in 24 hours we had driven on every main road on the island. Mmm – I’ve decided that I’m not an island girl. Lots of fun to visit, but a little too claustrophobic for me. Hanging out waiting for the ferry to take us to Victoria, British Columbia was a good excuse to grab a very late breakfast and get caught up on email and check the upcoming weather. Crossing the channel to Victoria it was quite foggy and the captain kept blowing the foghorn and slowing down periodically to listen for small vessels. Ned was asked to leave the “picklefork”, the elevated walkways on each side of the bow, so the crew members down below wouldn’t be disturbed looking and listening for small craft or hazards. As a result, our ferry crossing took a bit longer than scheduled. Our destination for the night was Goldstream Provincial Park, about 10km outside Victoria, but we decided to poke around Victoria first. The view of the Olympia Peninsula was fantastic! Victoria was still shrouded in clouds, but the storm front ended over the peninsula, thus the sun was shining “God-like” right on the mountain. I’m not sure the picture captured it, but for what it’s worth here it is. We eventually made our way to the campground and were completely surprised by the beauty of this park. Our last two trips into Canada we were not overly impressed with the campgrounds. Everyone was crowded together and were parked helter-skelter. This one is heavily wooded and the campsites are far apart. It feels more like a National Park, even like Mt. Rainier which we just visited. It’s still raining so we’re having an evening of “dining-in” and perhaps play a game or two of skip-bo. Here’s hoping tomorrow brings some better weather so we can hike or ride bikes. I’m beginning to get a little antsy, but glad we have a day off from riding ferries or being held captive on a small island.

Ferry Hopping – Friday Harbor, San Juan Island 9/11/10

We woke to a beautiful sunshine day and one we did not take for granted! Denise surprised us all by whipping up a hot breakfast before heading out. We took advantage of the clear day and left for the top of Mt. Constitution. We were rewarded with a spectacular view of the surrounding islands. Apparently there are over 750 islands that make up the San Juans – I had no idea. The view of Mt. Baker, with its snow-crusted top was impressive. (See today’s pic). Hard to believe that in less than 48 hours Josh will begin his ascent up that mountain. We took our time making it to the ferry driving to Deer Harbor and then hanging out in the little seaport of Orcas Village. The ferry ride to San Juan Island was gorgeous with watching the sailboats and ferries cruising by and seeing the crystal clear views of homes hugging the shoreline. Once we reached Friday Harbor we found our way to Lakedale Resort. It’s a pretty swanky camping spot, but also known for its gorgeous lodge and canvas cabins. Apparently it is featured in the latest Sunset. Not a bad spontaneous pick! We have a very scenic and remote campsite overlooking a small lake, allowing Bella to run without a leash. We decided to explore the island. Our first stop was the lavender farm. At first the boys weren’t convinced, but were soon won over by the chocolate lavender ice cream and the cool distillation process with the accompanying audio-visual explanation. Next stop was the one and only vineyard on the island. Meh. We tasted 6 different wines and California definitely doesn’t have to worry about San Juan wines beating us out. We picked up a couple of baguettes and headed back to the campsite. While Josh and I did a little pre-dinner bike ride checking out the upscale grounds, Denise & Ned put together a yummy spaghetti dinner. (Don’t worry, I was on dish clean-up duty). Afterwards, Denise and the boys played skip-bo while I worked on my blog and played with my photographs. Tonight’s our last night hanging out with Josh. Tomorrow we part ways with Josh heading back to the mainland and we head west to Victoria. Definitely bittersweet.

Kicking Back on Orcas Island - Moran State Park, San Juan Islands – 9/10/10

We woke to a misty, cool morning surrounded by typical coastal fog. We all gathered for a quick breakfast then concentrated on breaking camp and heading towards the Anacortes ferry to the San Juan Islands. Waiting in line for the ferry was a treat with Bella, who certainly gets her fair share of attention! Once on Orcas Island we drove to the far end and set up camp at Moran State Park. After lunch we decided that a hike around Cascade Lake seemed like the best plan. It was hilly, with lots of ups and downs, but you couldn’t beat the views! We were mainly in a heavily wooded forest along a trail that skirted the lake. The lake gave us a colorful display of teal, jade and steel blue. The flora varied from wild foxglove, ferns and woodeared mushrooms. (Today’s pic is Cascade Lake). Of course, the big entertainment was watching Josh play fetch with Bella and training her to heel and obey. Once we reached the far end of the lake we decided to keep on trekkin’ and go view the falls. They were okay, but not spectacular or anything out of the ordinary. The entire hike took about 3 hours. We decided that checking out the little downtown of Eastsound was next in order. We found a quaint bar, just in time for happy hour, and settled down to some brewskies, a good zin, and some bruchetta. I’m a little worried that we are going to corrupt Josh, the mountaineer purist. I’m sure he doesn’t camp like this when traveling the backroads of China or hiking the high sierras! When we got back to camp, Josh made us all a scrumptious jumbalaya dinner. Yum. Afterwards, we all sat around Denise’s Eurovan (Wallymobile) and played some “chickenfoot” dominoes. Fun Times.

Working Day – Bay View State Park, Washington 9/9/10

We woke up this morning and didn’t spend too much time diddle-daddlying around. Josh had an 11:00 interview and we knew that we had at least an hour’s drive. (Have you ever prepared for a job interview at a campground? Boys have it so easy). While he was in his interview, I hung out at the library posting yesterday’s blog and researching things for Josh, and Ned was busy grocery shopping for our 3 day trip to the San Juan Islands. We all met up afterwards for lunch in the Winniemobile in the library parking lot. Afterwards we caravanned to a nearby self-storage unit where Josh stored most of his worldly possessions which consisted primarily of sports gear, i.e. bike, skis, boots, poles, and kitchen and bedding stuff. From there, we did another trip to REI in preparation for his two week mountaineering course that he will be taking. Finally, we were off to northern Washington to meet up with Denise at Bay View State Park. The day had become progressively sunnier and by the time we arrived at the campsite it was a beautiful clear day. Josh immediately started playing with Bella, her puppy Lab, while Denise and I decided to go berry picking. It was so much fun catching up with her (never mind we had just seen each other a few days ago!) while we scoured the campground for the juiciest berries we could find. Soon the whole gang, Bella included, headed for the beach. It was a blast playing fetch with Bella and watching her run unabashedly into the water and then rolling ecstatically in the sand. (Today’s pic is Denise playing with Bella at the beach). Back at the campsite the dinner was fish tacos and a yummy bakery dessert that Denise had picked up - topped off with our fresh berries. (We do eat well camping, don’t we?) We are all looking forward to taking the ferry tomorrow and hoping the weather holds.

Spring flowers in early fall– Kanasket-Palmer State Park, Washington 9/8/10

It rained steadily all night, which definitely added to the mystique of the rain forest where we were camped. When we woke up it was cool, but not cold and we were shrouded in a misty fog. Our first destination was Grove of the Patriarchs. This was a beautiful hike through the forest that featured the largest trees of the park, showcasing Douglas Fir, Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Red Alder. We hiked along a crystal clear creek created from glacier runoff that ran through an old growth forest. A cable suspension bridge took us over the creek and into the large grove of trees. We were impressed with how the younger trees grew out of the fallen trees, how everything was covered in moss, and how lush everything was! Mt. Rainier gets over 90” of rain a year which explains all the above. We spent the rest of the morning driving through the park stopping to see several stunning waterfalls and lakes. Unfortunately, there was a thick fog and steady drizzle so the peak of Mt. Rainier wasn’t visible. After spending some time at the Visitor’s Center (a very impressive one too!), we walked over to the lodge and enjoyed a great lunch. Buffalo burgers for the boys and artichoke-red pepper soup for me – yum. After lunch we took a wonderful hike along the Avalanche Lily trail. We had hoped to hook up with the Nisqually trail, but took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up doing the Glacier View and Deadhorse Creek trails. The purple, pink, blue, yellow, white and red wildflowers were spectacular! We also thoroughly enjoyed the deer that we encountered along the trail. (See today’s pic). We made our way to the western entrance of the park and eventually headed to Puyallup. Josh has a job interview tomorrow morning and we had planned on staying at an RV park close by. The picture of Mt. Rainier on the website and the glowing write-up without pictures of the RV park should have tipped us off. After a quick drive by a gravel parking lot packed with run down and sad looking trailers we decided to come up with a plan B. We eventually settled on this state park, about 45 minutes away. Gotta love state parks – they are always consistently better than private RV parks! The drive to Kanasket-Palmer State Park was gorgeous – dairy cows grazing on green pastures dotted with red barns opened up to a panoramic view of a tree covered mountain range. Wow! Tomorrow after Josh’s late morning interview we head toward northern Washington and plan to hook up with Denise with her “new” Eurovan. Should be fun!

It was a berry good day – Mount Rainier National Park, Washington 9/7/10

Much to our surprise, it started to rain in the middle of the night. I don’t know why we were surprised, after all this is Oregon! However, the day before the temperature gauge kept playing with the 90 deg. mark and it was bright and sunny. When Ned and I woke up this morning I peeked out of the Winniemobile window to see how Josh weathered the wet night. His tent looked mighty cozy. Apparently the rain woke him up in the middle of the night and he made a mad dash to put the fly on, held down by our bikes – nice touch. It was cloudy, but dry and pretty warm this morning so we decided to take a spin around Champoeg park. It is situated on the banks of the Williamette River and we had a great time visiting the museum, visitor’s center and the pavilion where the Oregon government was first started. The park has several miles of bike paths and we enjoyed seeing the working farm and riding out to the historic general store in Butteville. The paths are lined with thickets of blackberry bushes, lush with juicy ripe berries. The highlight of the morning was stopping along the way to pick berries. Josh donated his water bottle to the cause and we had a blast filling it up, eating quite a few along the way. (See today’s pic). We didn’t pull out of the campground until after 11:00. Next stop Portland. Josh wanted to see downtown Portland and we used the excuse of stopping by an REI store for justification. While Josh perused the store (and bought some stakes for his tent fly), Ned and I hung out at an nearby coffee shop. It was a great excuse to post yesterday’s blog and check-in on facebook. (Congrats Megan on running the Virginia Beach Half Marathon!) After the boys had a snack, we caravanned over the Columbia River and into Washington. We took the back roads into Mount Rainier Park, going through Packwood. It was a gorgeous drive. The sky had cleared up and we drove past green fields with the mountains rising up between layers of fog. We finally reached Mount Rainier National Park, Ohanapecosh Campground at about 4ish and are camped in a beautiful rain forest on a rise above the river. As is typical of this time of year, the campground is barely populated. Nice. The three of us hopped on our bikes ready to do some exploring. Our first stop was the Visitor’s Center and then a short hike to the natural hot springs. Towards the end of the hike it started lightly raining and it seemed like a good time to make a beeline back to the campsite. As I write this blog, we have bbq chicken and corn cooking and are ready to settle down for the night in the Winniemobile playing some games – with some red wine of course!

White Line Fever - Champoeg State Park, Oregon 9/6/10

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a month since Josh returned from China. It’s been great to see him again, hear his travel stories and spend so much time with him. (Moms you know what I’m talking about). But, like most 24 year olds, his restless spirit is leading him onto another adventure. Fortunately, this time it’s a bit closer to home - Washington. Ned and I decided it would be fun to caravan with him and spend some time exploring the Pacific Northwest. This morning we began our journey and headed for Portland. We meandered thru farmland back roads in the early morning light as we made our way to highway 5. Along the way we stopped at a California valley fruit stand, (see today’s pic) and picked up some local peaches. Yum! It was pretty much an uneventful drive, but we did notice a large number of vehicles crammed with camping equipment and covered with a light white dust. Finally it dawned on us that these were people returning from burning man. Knowing we had a long drive ahead of us, we didn’t do our usual stopping and exploring. A lunch in Dunsmuir was pretty much our big stop of the day. We didn’t pull into Champoeg State Park until 7:30, but it was still light enough for a quick bike ride, along side of Josh running, thru the park. Tomorrow we are looking forward to exploring this historical site and checking out Portland before heading to Mount Rainier.

A Good Time Was Had By All – Nevada City, CA 7/1

We headed out early this morning as we had a date with destiny! Today was the day we chased down some Farr Premium ice cream to see if it was, in fact, the winner of the best ice cream in the USA. After a couple of hours we pulled into Salt Lake City and managed to locate the distribution center for Farr’s. We weren’t interested in buying a three gallon tub (well Ned was, but I wasn’t buying into it) so we inquired where we could buy it retail. Shortly after 11, at an upscale outdoor mall in Salt Lake City, our tongues carefully gave it a lick. Well…it retained the first place status, but with a caveat. The scoops we had were from the bottom of the bucket so not as great as the ice cream at Ruby’s, but still pretty darn creamy and tasty. For the rest of the day we took turns trading off driving every two hours, listening to tunes and composing our “best ofs” for the trip. For all of you who joined us on our trip, thanks for being part of the journey and reading along. Until next time, this cowgirl bids you, “Happy Trails.”

Lofty Heights– Lakeside Camperworld, Dusechne UT 6/30

At dusk last night three elk sauntered across the meadow by our camp ground. All of them had pretty big antlers and seemed nonplussed by the nearby campers. They hung out for about an hour grazing. It was beautiful to see their majestic silhouettes as the sun faded. We enjoyed the ranger talk, but felt a little sorry for all the kids in the audience. The talk about carnivores was quite academic, including graphs, and geared for an adult audience. What ever happened to the good old days when everyone sang “On Top of Old Smokey?” This morning we were thrilled to be greeted by absolute crystal clear blue skies knowing we would have quite an adventure driving over the Rocky Mountains. We first started at a Visitor’s Center and watched a movie about the park and then took the Trail Ridge Road up, up, up. We made several stops along the way taking in the different perspectives of the rocky ridge and valleys. When we passed the sign that said, “Two Miles above Sea Level” and kept going up I started getting a little altitude sickness. I think we peaked out at 12,183 ft. Some of the highlights for us were seeing the historic Ute trail knowing that people walked here 6,000 years ago, and the headwaters of the Colorado River. It’s hard to believe that this harmless little creek created the Grand Canyon! Our next destination was Steamboat Springs. After driving through the desert and modest little towns we were amazed at this huge posh ski village. Wow – the resorts, upscale condos and chalet homes looked like something out of architectural digest. Once you leave the town heading west, the poor desert towns begin again - ironic to see this wealthy oasis amongst this humble setting. Rather than staying at a desert state park in the middle of nowhere, we decided to push on. Ned was a hero and drove on and on. We are now settled in at a private campground and enjoying the amenities. We love camping at the National Parks and taking advantageous of this great American resource, but don’t love the lack of basic amenities – i.e. showers! Tonight we have electricity, showers and wi-fi!! How luxurious. Tomorrow we head thru Salt Lake City and in the name of research hope to find a Farr’s Ice Cream Parlor to verify that it is, in fact, worthy of the first place status.

Rocky Mountain Hi- Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 6/29

We sadly left Custer State Park under a gorgeous brilliant blue sky. We really enjoy the vibe and the surroundings of this place so it was hard to say goodbye. Wanting to avoid the interstate as long as possible we took the back roads out of the Black Hills and into Wyoming. It was fun to see the lush green long views into the distance after being in the evergreen forest. It became abundantly clear when we hit Wyoming as the landscape flattened out and the population was about one person for every 500 miles. We drove by several working ranches and saw cowboys rounding up the cattle, which helped break up the drive. As we left the flatlands of Colorado and headed up toward Rocky Mountain National Park we enjoyed the dramatic flow of Big Thompson River thru a scenic rocky gorge. We finally came into Rocky Mountain National Park at about 3ish and were lucky to get one of the last 3 campsites in the entire park! That’s the good news. The flip side is that we are camped at Glacier Basin Campground which has been devastated by the pine bark beetle. The campground has been completely cleared of every tree and we are basically in a basin, which feels like it’s been hit by a bomb. (See today’s pic). What a difference trees make! This is so unlike camping at most national parks. That goodness we are at a high elevation with a cloud cover or we would be cooked by now. The pine bark beetle is really changing the landscape of our forests. In Custer Park the devastation was also really noticeable by the vast amount of dead brown pine trees. The beetle has really hit this entire park hard. Thousands upon thousands of the dead brown pine trees mar all of the scenic vistas. Apparently, this is a phenomenon that happens about every 500 years. The specific forests of Rocky National Park that was first hit by this beetle, about five years ago, is beginning to reemerge with Aspen trees. We figure that by the time our grandchildren view this park it will look vastly different. Once we settled into our camping spot we jumped on one of the park shuttles and checked out a couple of the Visitor Centers. We were particularly impressed with the Moraine Park Visitor’s Center and enjoyed the interactive displays on the geology, weather and fauna of the Rockies. Unfortunately, we missed the movie that was playing at the Beaver Meadows Center, but hope to catch it tomorrow. There’s a program tonight at 9 pm at our campground entitled, “Large Carnivores”, which we’ll probably go check out. Right now chicken is on the barbie, a glass of wine is being poured and we’re hanging out with all our fellow bomb victims.

Biking in the Black Hills- Custer State Park, SD 6/28

It felt rather luxurious to spend two days at the same campsite. When we arrived last fall at Custer State Park we fell in love with the Black Hills and vowed to return and bike the George Michelson Trail - or at least parts of it since it’s 109 miles long! After driving into Hill City we took a dirt road for about 12 miles until we came to the Mystic trail head. The bike path was a very slight uphill grade for about 11 miles. We rode over several trestles, thru two tunnels and alongside a river. The rolling hills were bright green, the sky was deep blue and the wildflowers were still popping up everywhere. (See today’s pic). We took a break once we reached the abandoned town of Rocheford then had the best time riding back – since it was downhill almost the whole way! We ended up doing a little over 23 miles. By this time we were famished and decided to take a trip into town (Hill City) for some lunch and also to do some errands, like give the Winniemobile a much needed car wash and do some grocery shopping. We headed back to Sylvan Lake and just hung out for awhile on the deck of the general store enjoying a soft serve in the warm sun and looking at all our pictures. It was a fun, lazy summer day!

Wall to Wall Adventure- Custer State Park, SD 6/27

Ned here again. We woke to a beautiful morning on the Missouri River. The drive through western South Dakota was gorgeous, with lots of green rolling farm and pasture land. The constant Wall Drug billboards along the interstate kept us entertained as we approached Custer State Park, and eventually we agreed to partake in the Wall Drug experience. (We had purposely avoided it on our trip here last Fall.) It was WAY more than I had expected, including the extensive assortment of cowboy hats and boots, collectible historic rifle reproductions, homemade donuts and ice cream, and a roaring fiberglass T-Rex dinosaur out back, all populated by a frantic crowd of tourists. Despite all the chaos, we received two good things from our trip there: Two delicious buffalo burgers for lunch, and a couple of good sessions at the shooting gallery for Debi. (Did anyone know that Debi absolutely LOVES using a rifle at a shooting gallery???) Once we arrived in Custer State Park we were stunned again by the beauty of the place that had impressed us so much last Fall. We took the Needles Highway to our campground at Lake Sylvan, and loved every scenic turn of the road. To our amazement, two full size touring buses were making the same trip, even though one of the tunnels is about 8 feet wide, and 12 feet high. I don’t understand how they made it through, but they apparently did. After checking out our campsite, we walked a little around Lake Sylvan and the general store next to it. Both were absolutely buzzing with activity on this warm Summer afternoon, which was a far cry from how we remembered them both last October when almost no one was here. We retreated to our campsite for a short rest, before returning to the beautiful Sylvan Lake Lodge to eat dinner on their outdoor patio. Dinner was great, and our extremely polite waiter from Bali only added to the experience. Afterwards we stopped at Sylvan Lake again and made a complete hike around it as the sun cast wonderful light on all the surrounding granite boulders. (See today’s pic). The lake was completely calm, and only a few people were there, so it was a delightful after dinner stroll. We’re looking forward to biking the Michelson Trail tomorrow, followed by a possible dip in the lake.

Bushels of Fun– Snake Creek State Park, SD 6/26

We had a long drive today through southern Minnesota. Actually, this part of the state doesn’t look much different than Iowa with miles and miles of cornfields broken up by the occasional dairy farm. Our original plan was to camp at the western border of Minnesota at Lake Shetak State Park that boasted swimming and a 6-mile bike path into the town of Currie. After about 5 hours of driving we finally pulled into the park, but deliberated whether or not to camp for the night. The concern wasn’t so much the campground, but the 70 mph winds, hailstorm and weather warnings that were continually being broadcast on the radio. So far we were fortunate in that we hadn’t seen any rain, but knew it coming. Even though we had already done a lot of driving, we figured it didn’t make much sense to stay put and be in the inevitable storm that was heading our way. On the way out of Minnesota and into South Dakota we decided to stop by Pipestone National Monument famous for the red soft stone that was the preferred source of pipestone among Plains tribes. The Visitor’s Center had several Indian crafts men and women carving and creating stone pipes and jewelry and a nice museum. As we drove down the main street of the nearby town, Pipestone, most of the buildings were made from this rock. While the architecture was similar to many small towns across America, the colors were definitely unique. I’m glad we made the side trip. Once in South Dakota we drove thru the storm, impressed by the strong winds and sheets of rain pelting down, but were pleased that in half an hour we were driving out of the storm and into blue skies/ We heard on the radio that the place we were going to camp was being pelted with golf ball size hail stones. Good call Team Russell! The next stop was the world famous and only Corn Palace! See today’s pic of Ned looking corny but cute in front of the Palace. (bad pun, I know). We pulled into our campsite quite late, about 8ish, but were rewarded with the last campsite directly situated on the expansive Missouri River. It’s a gorgeous evening and we’re enjoying a glass of wine, playing cards and taking in the sunset.

La Familia– Arrowhead Campground, Wisconsin Dells, WI 6/24-6/25

Before we left the campground Ned suggested we check out Kitch-iti-kipi or “The Big Spring”. We had a short drive to these springs and were really surprised by the beauty and interesting geological phenomenon. We were the only ones there and took a short walk to a pier with a self operated raft. Ned wheeled us out into the middle of the small lake, and viewing into the covered opening in the center of the raft you could look 40 feet down into the clearest emerald green water and see the bubbling sands as the springs flowed up. It bubbles up at 10,000 gallons a minute and is a constant 45 degrees year round. The tiny spring lake is located in a heavily wooded area and the sun was breaking just as we entered it - a truly magical moment. Our next stop was Lake Arrowhead for the family reunion. After a six hour drive we pulled into the campground, circled around, went to the site where the family was supposed to be and even checked at the office for the Santos-Saar family reunion. Nothing, nada, zilch. At one point, as we were sitting in front of the campsite that we thought was our group, a very worried “dad” came on over and asked us if we needed help. Yeah, will you be my family?! After a few phone calls, it turns out we were at the wrong Arrowhead Campground!! Fortunately the other Arrowhead Campground was only about an hour away and we finally caught up with the real family or at least the ones that haven’t disowned us yet. We had a great two days with everyone. Ned and I loved playing with all 4 great-nephews and they loved us for our van, which they considered a really cool playhouse. (See today’s pic of all 4 boys on the top bunk of Winnie). In all there were 6 boys ranging from age 7-3. We swam, played bean bag toss games, biked, and generally were worn out keeping up with the little ones. Ned and I took a daytrip on the Elroy-Sparta rail trail. We biked 23 miles through two former train tunnels along a gorgeous trail under arched trees. Others took side trips either playing golf, riding “the ducks, or enjoying the waterparks and we all met up for a true Midwest feast. Gary and Dru outdid themselves grilling up brats, burgers & dogs, Brunswick stew, salads and even homemade ice cream. The highlight of the evening was watching 6 little boys taking whacks at a piñata that wouldn’t break open. There are some serious baseball sluggers in this little group, perhaps even a future Cubbie or two. Later in the evening a pretty impressive thunderstorm rolled through adding plenty of drama to the night. This separated the men from the boys. Almost everyone scattered for their cabins or campsites. A hearty few of us – Marc, Gary, Becky, Andy, Laura, Lane and I played cards doing “shots” or drinking mai tais under a tarp as the storm raged on. As I’m writing this, early on Saturday morning – no one is yet up! Ned and I are on the road again for our next destination, Minnesota, leaving behind hung-over, weary campers. A good time was had by all.

Poncho Villa Rides Again! - Indian State Park, Thompson, Michigan, 6/23

Today was just too much fun. We were hoping the big rainstorm that was headed our way would hit last night, but unfortunately I only saw stars every time I woke up. By the time we headed for Mackinaw City early this morning, the storm was definitely headed our way, the skies were clouding up and rain was imminent. We decided, “What the heck, let’s just head for Mackinac Island and take our chances”. We embarked on the passenger ferry, with our bikes of course, and had a great ride viewing the suspension bridge and other ferry boats with their huge sprays, like rooster tails, spouting behind them. Once we landed on the island we decided to ride the 8 mile trail around the island before exploring the town. Well, we got to about mile 3, felt a couple of rain drops, heard the huge thunder crack directly above and just barely managed to get our ponchos over our heads before the skies opened up. Oh and what a mighty storm it was!! We rode another half mile, getting completely drenched, then finally spotted a snack shack and ran for shelter. We were not the only ones there, and as the bike refugees huddled under the very narrow eaves, the water poured off the hillside and came in torrents around us. We soon found ourselves in ankle deep water wondering how long the storm would last. Some of the troops didn’t think it would abate so they abandoned ship and rode back to town in the pouring rain. Soon there was only a small contingent left, a dad with two daughters, and Ned and I. Our fellow band of brothers decided that it was best to retreat, so they headed off into the rain back to their dry hotel room once the thunder and lightening stopped - but not Ned and I. No, the fearless duo was in it for the duration and we were determined to bike around the island. Ned spotted a restroom sign through the woods and we made a mad dash for it. Once in the ladies room I stripped down and used the hand dryer to dry my clothes. After about 10 minutes of intensive drying two young girls came in and I’m sure I scared the pants off of them too! The last thing they expected was to open the restroom door and see a half naked lady in front of the hand dryer. Once somewhat dry, we threw on our ponchos again and damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. As we rode off into the light drizzle we both yelled, “Poncho Villa rides again!” (See today’s pic). These brave warriors were rewarded with the road to themselves and calm skies. We rode triumphantly back into town the l-o-n-g way. Once in town, we thought it was a great time to grab lunch and reconnoiter. As we finished our lunch the owner of the restaurant came on over and said we looked like adventuresome folks so he showed us some other fun, more off the beaten path, places to bike. By this time the skies had cleared up and we had a great time exploring the middle of the island passing horse drawn carriages, grand estates, the tiny airport and historic battle places. By the time we landed back in town we had ridden 16.5 miles. We grabbed the 3:00 ferry and headed for Yooperland. Our first stop in the Upper Peninsula was at one of the many smoke fish shop joints that line the highway, a just reward for our valiant ride. We arrived at Indian Lake Campground and were thrilled to get a site right on the lake, including our own dock and bench. After spending a bit of time cleaning out poor Winnie (too many peanut shells and cherry pits), the sun broke and we took advantage of the warmth and went swimming. As I write this, it’s beginning to cloud up again and we are hearing the distant roar of thunder. Mmm – might be a good idea to start rounding up all our gear that is airing out and batten down the hatches.

CheBOYgan, Baby! – Cheboygan State Park, Michigan, 6/22

Ned here. (Debi’s talking to Josh in China…) Last night the skies opened up and produced the biggest thunderstorm of our trip so far. We ate breakfast in the van to keep out of the rain, which is something we did quite often on our trip last fall. As we headed north along the coast of Lake Huron, the rain stopped, although it remained cloudy. We soon stopped at a produce stand along the road that advertised both blueberries and cherries. We were soon on the road again, stuffing ourselves with some of the best blueberries and cherries we have ever tasted! We followed the “Scenic Sunrise Shore” drive suggested by our Most Scenic Drives in America book. Frankly, it was the first time we felt disappointed in one of the drives suggested by that book. There were only a few short areas where we were able to see the lake, which, however, we are pleased to report is much cleaner looking than our experience last night at Saginaw Bay. For at least 100 miles we passed very modest homes with lakefront property, along with 50’s vintage mom and pop vacation cottages. It felt like a time warp of when families loaded up the station wagon and vacationed at a cabin along the lake. During most of this time, Debi became obsessed with finding a place that sold smoked whitefish, a delicacy which she fell in love with last Fall on our trip through Wisconsin. However, we have yet to find any that meet her stringent specifications. We felt triumphant when we finally reached Cheboygan State Park. Last winter, as Debi was planning this trip to avoid cabin fever, we often joined in a chorus of “Cheboygan, baby, Cheboygan!” It was fun to actually get here after all that buildup! We stopped in downtown to buy some groceries, and decided to treat ourselves to dinner in town. We both ate a nice whitefish dinner on an outdoor patio, as the sun began to shine, next to the Black River,. As we ate, we watched three different fishermen pull in large fish across the river from us. On our way back to camp, we stopped at the beach in the state park. (See today’s pic) We verified again here that water in this part of the lake is relatively clear, but mysteriously to us, only a few inches deep, even several hundred feet from shore. We’re hoping for good weather tomorrow on our bike ride around Mackinac Island.

 

Cheboygan on Dwellable

A Gourmet Day, Back in the U.S. of A – Bay City State Park, Michigan, 6/21

We woke up to gorgeous blue skies this morning. We decided to revise our plans about passing through the Detroit area and headed straight toward Lake Huron, crossing into the US at Sarnia. We had 6 Canadian dollars (or 3 double loonies) left to our name, and wanted to spend them the best possible way before re-entry into the home country. For the past few days, we’ve driven past several Tim Horton’s (Canada’s version of Dunkin’ Donuts), and decided, what the heck, that was as good a place as any to blow our wad. Ned and I very rarely eat donuts, so this was quite an adventure. Three dollars and two wrong orders later, we were not impressed. By the time we reached the border, we discovered that we had a pay a $3 bridge toll to get back into the U.S…. Voila! Our first goal of the day was accomplished. Once we were back in Michigan, we desperately needed to make a fuel stop. Low and behold, the fine American institution of White Castle Burgers stood next door. Having grown up in the Midwest, I was smart enough to not partake. However, Ned had not been indoctrinated into the White Castle experience. After my strong encouragement, he ordered 4 “sliders”.(See today pic, before the big event.) Oh! The joy of the miniature steamed burgers, complete with micro-minced onions and dill pickle, which went down so easily for him! Two hours later, the joy was not so much… I had to admire his gusto in taking on both a Tim Horton donut and 4 White Castles on the same morning. (These Food Science majors will try anything in the name of research.) We drove along the shore of Lake Huron, on our way to Bay City, hoping to view the lake. However, for most of the way, the shoreline was obscured by trees or modest houses. When we reached Bay City State Park, on the shores of Lake Huron, we went for a great 15 mile bike ride. We really enjoyed riding the Rail Trail, a large part of which is shaded by over-arching trees. We rode through heavily wooded areas, along marches, and near the beach. It felt really great to get two long bike rides in back to back. Wanting to pick up something to barbecue tonight, we decided to check out the local grocery store. You can sure tell you’re in the Midwest: we don’t have cases of sausages and cheese stacked up like this back in California. We settled for a NY strip steak, corn and salad. After dinner, we decided to hop on our bikes again, cool off, and put our feet in the lake water. Yuck!!! This part of Lake Huron is smelly, thick with sludge, and dark brown. And this was the “swimming area”! After seeing the blue waters of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and, last fall, Lake Superior, we were quite shocked. Tomorrow we take the highly recommended scenic drive from Bay City to Cheboygan, where all the timber barons built their mansions. It’ll be interesting to see if that stretch of beach is any better.

Oh Canada – Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario Canada 6/20

We thought it would be fun to cross over into Canada and check out the falls from our Northern friend’s side. It was crystal clear blue skies and the day was quite warm with not much of a breeze, quite a contrast from yesterday. Once entering Canada we took the Niagara Parkway along the gorge and we stunned by the beauty of this area. The drive is thru a park and we passed botanical gardens, a tomahawk and woodcutters area, saw the flower clock and really just enjoyed the pristine beauty of the gorge. The parkway ultimately spilled out onto an area overlooking all three falls. It was really quite stunning and much more of a panoramic view than on the US side. (See today’s pic). The last time I viewed this was about 15 years ago and I remember it being much more tacky than this. It seems that the touristy kitsch shops are now all located on one main street somewhat away from the falls. The crowed was a bit more sparse than yesterday and didn’t seem so frenzied. We continued down the parkway following the Chippawa Channel and enjoying the scenic drive with all the homes overlooking the waterway. We finally picked up highway 3 or the Crown Road as it is known in Canada and drove for about 4 more hours. We drove through tobacco country (didn’t know Canada grew that!) and through rural farmland, passing several dairy farms along the way. We finally reached Rondeau Provincial Park, which is a small peninsula that juts out into Lake Eerie. We had originally planned on going a bit further, but I was getting car crazy and desperately in need of stretching my legs. This is a pretty neat provincial park, with a sandy beach area along the Eerie Lake side and a really cool marsh area on the Rondeau Bay side. Eager to explore the area, we took a 14 mile bike ride on the Marsh Trail out to the point. It was so cool to ride down a sandy road through marshes and hedges that were at times higher than us while dodging the bunnies and chipmunks. We stopped at a lookout tower to get an overview of the area and read about the unique eco-system of this area. We have a sweet camping site, with a huge tree (diameter around 4 feet!) shading us and most of the campground to ourselves. You gotta love Sunday nights!