Mo needed to see the Pacific. Thanks to a tip from friends Dana and Muffin, we aimed for Cape Blanco, the westernmost point in Oregon and the continental US. Brilliant choice!
Cape Blanco
Author: sue
Crater Lake National Park
Doug had toured Crater Lake in his youth, and we visited together in 2012. Mo had never been. It’s one of those places that’s so amazing that you can visit over and over again. Let’s go! Except, uh oh, there were several wildfires just west of Crater Lake, impacting air quality and visibility. *Sigh*
Guest on board!
We’re honored to have our niece Monique join us on the road. She flew into Portland and climbed into the RV, launching a week-long, roughly circular tour through and around the western half of Oregon. We’re planning to hit a few select sights, introduce her to these nomadic ways, and spend some quality chill time together. More to come…
Salem – an opportunistic rendezvous
One of my favorite aspects of retirement is the freedom of time, and not having to plan how to cram fun into little boxes. However, when an incredible opportunity arises, we still know how…
Portland – Patty’s Eclipse Porch Party
Patty and I graduated from St Anselm College together. We stayed connected through mountain biking, skiing and hiking adventures for about 7 years after graduation as we settled into and unsettled our careers (as recovering nurses) and moved around the northeast. And although we’ve stayed in touch since Patty moved to Seattle in 1989, and later to Portland, we hadn’t connected live. Time to change that. It was just a coincidence that we’d be in Portland, not far from the eclipse path of totality, the day before the eclipse. We checked in with Patty and after almost 30 years, her response was ‘Come on over, we’re having an eclipse party!’
The Wallowas
We’ve known Nancy and David since… May. Yes – this May, this year, on this trip. We were introduced to them by our friends Mark and Linda at our Lake Powell rendezvous and it seems like we’ve been friends for years. Or, as Nancy suggested, perhaps we knew each other in another life…
Olympic National Park
The smoke cleared! Mostly. For a little while. Where we happened to be. Yee-hah!
Tacoma – it’s not so bad!*
Leanne and I bonded as ski buddies at Sugarbush, a dozen-plus years back in time. About 11 years ago she and the kids up and moved, first to Spokane and then to Tacoma, where we finally caught up with each other. Leanne hasn’t changed a bit! The kids, however…
West coast!
We’ve seen the Pacific! Ok, Puget Sound. It’s salt water!
Profiles of North Cascades National Park
Having skirted the worst of the smoke, we entered the North Cascades National Park from the west, up wind from the nearest wildfires. Although the air quality was improved – it smelled like a 24/7 campfire but it didn’t hurt to breathe – the skies were still smoky and views obscured. Oh, and add to the wildfires a record breaking epic heat wave torturing the Pacific Northwest. We’d figure out how to turn this into an adventure…