We have been enjoying our time here in Oak Harbor’s Windjammer Park, situated right on the water. This city park is a wonderful place and is well used by the community. Yesterday we went with friends by ferryboat to Port Townsend, WA, a pretty little town on the northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula. Because of the town’s emphasis on historical preservation, this well-known 19th century seaport with its ornate Victorian architecture has been well preserved. The railroad never came to Port Townsend, so the town never became the industrial hub that was expected. So the Victorian commercial buildings and ornate homes with spectacular views of the harbor still remain. Our friends built their home overlooking Puget Sound several years ago. Needless to say, they love it. We’ve had a lovely time visiting, eating, and touring. ... read more

Yesterday we drove the 33 mile Rim Drive around Crater Lake. The road is aptly named, as we did indeed travel on the edge of the rim of the crater. Many of the pullouts were perched on steep cliffs, offering panoramic views - - as well as causing a bit of vertigo. The lake rests inside a caldera formed about 7700 years ago when Mt. Mazama erupted and its summit collapsed. The lake is fed by rain and snowmelt, and at 1900 feet deep, is the deepest lake in the U.S. The depth accounts for its intensely blue color. The lake is also considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world. There is an island in the lake, Wizard Island, named for its resemblance to a sorcerer’s hat. It is a cinder ... read more

Canyonlands National Park has some of the most remote and difficult-to-reach sections of all the national parks, accessible only to hikers, boaters, bikers, and 4 wheel drive vehicles. Luckily for us, there is a paved road to Grand View Point, with several lookout points along the way. We left our campground under grey skies, but when we got to the top of the mesa, we had a lot of sun. The vista is 360 degrees and reaches 100 miles, so it was fascinating to see blue skies mixed in with ominous thunderclouds. This afternoon as I write this, we are having a thunderstorm. I thought we were in a desert! Maybe this is normal, but I think not, judging from the devastation this weather system has brought to Colorado as well as to New Mexico, and ... read more

We had a pleasant trip along Interstate 40 with stops in Lebanon, TN, Forrest City, AR, Checotah, OK (2 nights), and Amarillo,TX . It was sunny and hot, in the mid 90’s, so hot in fact that we didn’t even make use of the nice outdoor pool in Oklahoma. We left Amarillo yesterday and had a beautiful ride on Routes 325, 87, and Interstate 25 up through Texas, New Mexico and into Colorado. Our first picture is where we stopped for lunch on the NM-Colorado border. The landscape was dramatic as we climbed into the high desert with mountains in the distance. We arrived at Mountain View RV Resort in Canon City, CO yesterday, to be greeted by a cold front and clouds. I waited for a colorful sunset picture and then for a sunrise picture, ... read more