September has come and gone and so have we. We have finished our commitment at Rainbows End RV Park in Sequim, Washington and left many good memories and friends and family behind. We have had the chance to see the many wonders of mother nature.
We had the opportunity to visit and walk thru the rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula.
We drove up to Hurricane Ridge and marveled at the beauty of the mountains and valleys.
We saw our first glimpse of the mighty Pacific Ocean from high up on Cape Flattery Point.
We wandered on many Forest Service roads, some which ended at the proverbial rock. At least there was room to turn around.
We went to Forks and LaPush vampire hunting. We didn't find any, in case you were wondering; at least any we could photograph.
The dogs loved to run on the beach (when this wave came up on the beach Brutus ran right out of the picture).
There were really big trees.
We had lots of time to go on walks and bond with the boys.
We were able to spend time with Holly's Aunt Lorrie and visit Marymere Falls. We went on a trip to Victoria B.C. courtesy of the Black Ball Ferry Co. and attended a high tea at the famous Butchart Gardens
We spent time with my sister Debby and her husband David when they came and stayed with us over the 4th of July. We also had a chance to go to dinner with them and their son Ryan just before we left. Wish they didn't live so far away.
We visited light houses on Whidbey Island and at Fort Worden in Port Townsend.
Holly's friend Sue and her husband Jon came out and stayed at the park in their motor home. We took them around the Peninsula and showed them the sights. Holly's sister Debbie also came out and stayed with us during the famous Sequim Lavender Festival. We want to give her big thanks and many hugs for putting us up when we took the ferry across to go sight seeing and visiting friends. I personally want to thank her for the great pies...she knows I have a sweet tooth.
Now before you do a double take just let me say that yes, the three girls in the upper picture are the same three that are in the picture to the right. I must also add that I didn't know anything about this when we were married. When she called them her sisters I just figured it was a figure of speech...any further questions should be directed to Holly.
This is the Seattle skyline from the ferry. We went over one day and walked around downtown and saw a whole different type of people. Some were just down on their luck and homeless, but some were just downright strange.
We did go back over to Victoria B.C. just before we left so we could walk around and go to the Royal B.C. Museum. They had some great displays and was very informative about the early Northwest Territory. We also saw a circus parade. It was one of the displays in The World of Miniatures. They had several different displays of many different things, plus doll houses. Everything is carved and made by hand, including an operating saw mill.
We walked uptown and toured the Craigdarroch Castle. This was a house that a lumber-coal baron built for his wife. He died before it was done and she only lived in it for 18 years. Their children spent more time in Europe than in the house. It was very beautiful and the craftsmanship was outstanding .
On the way home we spent one night at the Badlands National Park. We got up and drove to one of the turnouts to make coffee and watch the sunrise.
When we got home we were introduced to our new grandson Jason. A very nice thing to come home to (and of course, all the rest of the kids and grandkids, too). We will be home for about three weeks to do some preventive maintenance on the motor home, do some repairs around the house and get things ready for winter. When we started this adventure we said that we wouldn't go back to the same place twice because there is so much to see in this great country of ours. So keeping that in mind, we will be headed to Elephant Butte Lake State Park for the winter. I know, we already broke our own rule. Manny, who is the volunteer coordinator at the park, called and asked us if we would like to come back. We decided that we had such a good time and made such great friends there that we would break our rule this one time (besides, Maria's, which is my favorite restaurant, is there). That's it for now. In a couple of weeks we will be on the road, headed to New Mexico to get reacquainted with old friends and to make new ones. See you all then.
Holly's friend Sue and her husband Jon came out and stayed at the park in their motor home. We took them around the Peninsula and showed them the sights. Holly's sister Debbie also came out and stayed with us during the famous Sequim Lavender Festival. We want to give her big thanks and many hugs for putting us up when we took the ferry across to go sight seeing and visiting friends. I personally want to thank her for the great pies...she knows I have a sweet tooth.
