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Published: August 21st 2015
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Heading South
I've been as far north as I'm going to go this trip so now it's time to head south and then a little east for a few days.
My time in La Conner has been wonderful and I've really enjoyed being with nature again and just sitting by the water with it's ebbs and flows. The air has smelled wonderful so close to the ocean water and the freshness it brings. Being nestled in the pines, the cedars and spruce trees on a bed of pine needles offered it's own set of smells and feelings. So calming.
Now it's time to face civilization again and head east then south to Silver Creek which is about an hour and half north of Portland. I had to negotiate the traffic through Seattle first and that was not a pleasant trip. I hate it when you have to pay attention to traffic instead of look at scenery, and boy was there traffic. I took I-5 south and it's the main corridor in that congested area so I expected traffic but all the way past Seattle and Tacoma was a little much. It was stop and go for
about 45 min, 4 lanes in one direction and it was 11 am! Where do these people come from.
Past Tacoma it was clear sailing and I turned east on 12 and my GPS brought me right to the door of the TT campground. I thought I was on the wrong road as it turned to dirt and narrowed but no, at the top of the hill there was a sign that said, "Take you time to enjoy the view, this is Paradise" and it truly was. The name of the campground is Paradise. The view was priceless, a one of a kind. Nestled in the valley below was a lake with beautiful trees all around and several farms, then the hills and then the mountains. Oh I'm talking big mountains, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams both snow capped and Mt St Helen's standing bare and brown to the right. I had to just sit there for a few minutes to take it all in. Three peaks in one view, amazing.
I checked into the campground and drove around the whole place and found my spot, it just called to me. I'm under a huge cedar tree, picture,
with a lake nearby and almost nobody around me, at least for now, oh and close to the restroom. I got settled and took Oscar and me for a walk to get our bearings and see what this place had to offer. It's a very nice park with 2 lakes, tennis, lounge, camp store with dvd rentals for $1.00 and a restaurant with breakfast on the weekends. I get one station on the tv, PBS, so I'm glad there are dvd's to rent. The cell service is extended service 1 X whatever that means but I can get internet with my little device that's very fast, so I'm happy.
I wasn't going to drive anymore today after driving here, 197 miles taking 4 hours but I couldn't stand it, I had to see what was around the bend. I drove into Mossy Rock, just a little town, and saw a sign for the dam and a scenic view. So of course I had to do that. It was an interesting ride but the dam was undramatic and the view was non existent. On the way back through town I stopped at the local grocery with VERY creaky wooden floors
and got a few necessary items. These were nice and friendly local people unlike the people I've encountered in northern Washington. In most campgrounds people have been very friendly but not here in WA. Hope that changes.
I took some pictures of the mountains as I was coming back to the campground, got home and settled in for the night. I rented an old movie remastered in 2010 about a family's trek from Missouri to Oregon in 1864, a true story and pretty amazing but not done to today's standards. I did enjoy the adventure.
Hopefully Mt St Helen's tomorrow.
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