Moving On Up

Today is April  22, 2013 and our trip meter on the RV is 4550 miles. We have been gone from home for for 231 days, not counting the week we were home at Christmas.

And we are moving to our next to last place in the continental US, Thunderbird RV Park in Monroe, Washington, about 40 miles east of Seattle. We are leaving Chehalis, Washington which is west and about midway between Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens. We visited both and I will tell you more about that later. I may have said this before but Larry and I both prefer driving in Washington  to California. It is 8:45 and we are on I-5. We can change lanes, drive the posted speed and generally relax, and no one is giving us the one-finger salute. Nice.

For any Thousand Trails members who may be reading this, and I think there are a few, Chehalis was a lovely park with tall trees and huge ferns.  It had a very state park feel. It advertises itself as "Where it all started", meaning it is the first Thousand Trails. Each TT we have been to has been quite different.
Having a membership has been a real money-saver, but most of the parks are very out of the way.  There are so many RV parks on the West Coast, I am amazed. The accommodations at each varies just like hotels, from cheap and grungy to 5-star.  Anyway..

I spent yesterday seriously mapping the trip across Canada. We are nervous to say the least. I guess we are excited, too, but I'm not sure that fear isn't creeping in a little.

Later, when I have pics of Rainier and St. Helens.

Ka-BOOOM

We are headed to Mount St. Helens. Sure hope she doesn't decide to wake up  while we are here.

Washington has been beautiful so far. We got here yesterday, and the skies have been so sunny they hurt our eyes. The skies are as blue as our Carolina skies, and the clouds are stark white, and high and lovely. Sure hope it is clear enough to see the mountain.

We are camped in Chehalis Thousand Trails. It is a quite lovely park with huge trees and ferns. We had to chose between having sewer hook-up or satelite reception for the TV. Guess what we took? My shower in the public bathroom this morning was quite fine. Large shower and very warm. Really. It was about 45 degrees outside, and I was as warm as if I were in the RV. But of course I forgot something...my towel. Paper towels are just a little scratchy on a bare (almost wrote bear) butt.

There are some pretty little farms. We have seen cows, of course, horses, sheep and llamas. There are huge barns that don't seem to match the number of animals. I suspect some of the farms have been downsized.  And the jonquils and daffodils are absolutely glowing. I'll bet you can see them in the dark.

We are driving on I-5 right now. It is so nice to ride on a freeway, and not have people cutting you off and racing to block your path. I know rural life is easier, and this is one fine example. And Larry isn't sounding off like a sailor.

So I had to take a short break to take a phone call from my sweet, busy daughter-in-law. She gave me  update on my grandboys. Growing up and being great is apparently the best way to describe them. Miss those two more than I can describe.

Well, we are back from Mount St. Helens. I thought I would be able to write as we drove, but between helping to navigate and just being awestruck every few minutes, I just couldn't write. This is about the first time I have thought, "OK, the West Coast has bigger mountains that NC." And we have been in higher places. But today, OMG, with trees and snow-capped mountains, even driving through a snow shower...it was amazing.

I don't think I can describe the awe we felt  for the power of nature to destroy and rebuild itself. The best way I can let you know what we saw is to show you. If you have questions, PLEASE post them here.

BTW, if you are like us and thought this happened about ten years ago, fifteen at the most, the volcano caused its most significant damage on May 18, 1980. That was 33 years ago. I find that hard to believe for two reasons. 1. I remember the reports very well, and 2. How old am I that 33 years can seem not so long ago?

Anyway here are a few pictures. If you sit in the freezer while you look at these, it will make it feel like you are there.

Much of the timber was salvaged and Weyerhauser has replanted 45,500 acres. On one side Weyerhauser has replanted and on the other side the U.S.Forest Service is allowing the forest to regrow naturally. There is so much here to learn and see, I highly recommend this if you are passing by, perhaps on your way home from work. TeeHee.