WE LANDED (FINALLY)

We finally landed back in Washington state just above Walla Walla. What a trip... we wanted to see the Oregon coast. We did and it was beautiful ...

We drove across a very long draw bridge between Washington and Oregon. It was half in the fog so you couldn't see the other side. This photo was taken while looking back at the bridge and it really shows the fog...

Going through the little town just after the bridge there was an old fashion lemonade stand. I had not seen one of those in years. Had to hand it to that little girl sitting there on the corner. Not many kids would do something like that anymore. Most expect money to be given to them while doing nothing to earn it. Here is her stand...

 We stopped at a hang-glider spot called Gammon Launch. I took this photo just for Phil. He loved the feeling when he was hang-gliding. Here's to you, Phil...

Phil taking in the view from Gammon's launch...

Phil's view was of the pacific ocean and the Oregon coastline being over ran by clamdiggers that were taking advantage of the tide being out...

As you can see the people are the size of ants... that lauch is high on a mountain, which is perfect for a take off launch. Seemed like almost all the beaches had clamdiggers...

We traveled a little over half way down the coastal highway and found the farther down we went the more packed the campgrounds were. Most didn't have room for our dog's pen. It finally dawned on us that August in not the time to visit the Oregon coast and that the summer rates are high. As a matter of fact, everything is over priced. With that thought we decided to go across state and back up north to a cooler area. We also noted that August is not a good time to head south. Phil put in about twelve hours behind the wheel as we drove down the coast and half way across the state. After checking out several campgrounds we ended up sleeping in a rest area beside the highway. We left the trailer hitched to the truck but slept inside it on our beds. My bed is closer to the truck then phil's and I was awoken to the sound of something in the truck being moved around. We got to the outside before they could get far. It was a man, woman, boy, and two dogs. They were the only ones around besides a man asleep in a car farther away. Everything is locked down in the truck so there was nothing taken. We just wanted them to know we knew what they were up to. Later in the morning we found out that they trashed out the men's restroom. Although I dislike their ways I do feel sorry for those negative people.. we reap what we sow (in thought or action). We hit the road again and angled our way northeast. Heading back towards cooler weather and less crowded places...

                                        

   

We passed snow capped mountains. There were three almost in a line that really looked beautiful. The above photo is one of the mountains. They were hard to get all in one picture so I decided to take a picture of what I could. Just as I snapped the photo it looked like a herd of horses ran across the screen. What the heck was that...

In looking at the photo I realized they were metal not real. I couldn't have gotten a better shot if I had planned it. After many miles we saw another very unusual sight... A real prairie schooner...     

There were other interesting things to be seen but I didn't take pictures of them. We checked out a few campgrounds and turned them down. We went through Walla Walla, Washington. Got onto highway 12 and went through Dayton. Finally landed at the Lewis and Clarke State Park on the banks of a river. In Texas we could call it a creek. The area is mostly wheat farming. Here and there are small ranches on the river valleys. There were a lot of people here in the park yesterday but it is almost empty this afternoon.

At Walla Walla Phil replaced the tires on the trailer. What I didn't know was that when we replace the axel shackles on the trailer one tire had wore off most of the rubber from the misalignment of the wheels. Phil was starting to get worried because of the wires showing through. I was shocked when I looked at that tire. It is a miracle it didn't blow and that is a guote from the man who took the tire off and replaced it. Phil went ahead and bought four ten-ply tires and had them mounted. Keeping the new tire that was bought in Lousiana as a spare. So all is well and we are resting up. We are watching what is happening with the wild fires of the west and planning our  next route accordingly.

It was nice to find a tincan with the label peeled off sitting on the picnic table filled with sunflowers. Such a nice gesture to leave for the next person using the campsite. Must have been left by an angel... When you expect good things you get good things... I simply love dancing with Angels to the tune of life... Not all of us are dancing to the same (soul) beat but the important thing is that we Keep On Dancing...