We say goodby to Winchester Bay, Oregon, with another spectacular sunset.
And we will sure miss all the fresh Dungeness crab!
On May 15 we left our two-month “home” in Winchester Bay, OR, on the way to our next destination in northwest Montana. Our first stop was in the little Tillamook Bay town of Garibaldi, OR. Garibaldi is a small fishing town, which also has an increasingly scarce lumber mill in operation. We spent two nights at the Old Mill RV Park located about a hundred yards from Hwy 101 and right next to the mill. This camp is very large and apparently used to be the county park. There is an obvious attempt to upgrade the old utilities, but this place has a long way to go. On the plus side, the mill was fairly quiet and almost no road noise could be heard from the highway. The park is located close to the several restaurants in town and very close to the local marina, docks, and fish markets. On the down side, all interior roads are dirt or gravel (I would assume a lot of mud in the rain), there were a lot of permanent residents with old rigs and dogs running around loose. If the new park owners can get some gravel or paving in, improve the utilities, and start enforcing the rules, this place would be a real gem. While there we toured the coastal town of Rockaway Beach, dined at a real nice local eatery, purchased some outstanding salmon at the fish market on the docks, and revisited the nearby Tillamook Creamery for their wonderful ice cream cones.
How about a couple of ice cream cones from the Tillamook Creamery?
Fishing boat marina at Garibaldi, OR.
Another Garibaldi marina view.
Garibaldi's Old Mill RV Park has unmet potential.
A Tillamook Bay view from Garibaldi.
After a beautiful day drive north to the mouth of the Columbia River, we passed through Astoria and crossed the river into the Washington state town of Longview. Rejoining Interstate 5 at this point we drove a bit further north and stopped for a couple of nights in Centralia, WA. We had a nice pull through site at the Midway RV Park, which is located several miles off the Interstate and, as luck would have it, right next to another operating lumber mill. I thought all these operations were gone! This mill is very loud, possibly because we were there during a chipping process, which can be very noisy. The park is really quite nice despite the adjoining mill and has all paved interior roads, a nice office and store, and a real nice little country café. The spaces were fairly narrow but the pads were all cement and there was grass between the sites. This park had a good number of permanent residents, but most of the sites were clean and the rigs fairly new and well maintained. (there were a couple of notable exceptions!) The nightly rates here were fairly reasonable for the location near the Interstate and shopping. We spent one day getting in a little shopping and locating some of the local geocaches. As we signed the logs for the caches in town, we were interested to see that our mentors Barb and Dave O’Keeffe had preceded us in all cases. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!! Since a little clear weather was in the forecast, we decided to drive up to the Mt Rainier National Park’s Paradise Inn about 85 miles to the southeast of Midway. On the way out to the mountain park, we noticed a turnoff for a small road to a Mt St Helens overlook. Although it was a bit hazy, we were able to look directly into the still active crater of Mt St Helens 24 miles distant. Steam and fumes could be seen rising from the resurgent lava dome in the center of the crater and the viewpoint information board gave us a major surprise. We discovered that we had arrived at this point exactly 27 years from the May 18, 1980 eruption of the volcano. The information on the sign told of a day very much like the beautiful morning that we were standing at this beautiful viewpoint…this was a somber reminder that Ma Nature can be a little tough on us at times!
Juanita located this park geocache in Centralia, WA, with our names following friends Barb and Dave O'Keeffe in the log. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!
Mt St Helens can be seen through morning haze on the 27th anniversary of the May 18, 1980 eruption.
The Paradise Road entrance to Mt Rainier National Park had just reopened several days previously after November floods in 2006 had torn the road apart at several points. On the way up to the inn, it was obvious where the rushing waters from the spectacular white mountain above had overrun large chunks of highway and several bridges. Clouds were beginning to form over the over 14,000-foot mountain, but the summit was still clear as we passed the snow line at just over 3,000 feet. The road through the park was closed at the Paradise Inn due to over ten feet of snow remaining, but the view from the end of the drive was unbelievable. We spent some time at the visitor’s center and took a good number of photographs before the clouds from the west blocked the view of the mountain. As it was, we had fine couple of hours to view spectacular Mt Rainier…PRICELESS!!
The southwest (Paradise) entrance to Mt Rainier National Park frames happy passenger Juanita.
Spectacular Mt Rainier!
The spring snow cover is still deep along the roads in the park.
I don't think 4 wheel drive will help us much at this point!
Mt Rainier from the Paradise Inn...the road is closed from here until sometime in June.
Interesting Park information is updated daily in the visitor's center.
Gordon at entrance to Mt Rainier visitor's center on May 18...ten feet of snow is still on the ground at 5,000 foot level.
One more view of snow and glacier covered Mt Rainier as clouds close in from the west.
Leaving Centralia, WA, behind, we traveled just south of Tacoma and Seattle on a Sunday to avoid workday traffic and set up camp at the Whispering Pines RV Park in Cle Elum. You can read further information on this camp and location in the previous posting on Roslyn, WA aka Cicely, AK.
The Yakima River runs along the side of our camp at Whispering Pines RV Park in Cle Elum, WA.
Great business mural in Cle Elum. We never did get a chance to try the sausages!
Valley approach to Roslyn, WA.
After a too short visit to the Cascade towns of Cle Elum and Roslyn, WA, we moved east to the Blackwell Island RV Park in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. This is our second visit to this very nice RV Park, which is located just off Hwy 95 on the south side of this beautiful lakeside town. The park, with good paved and gravel roads and mostly level gravel pads, is located right on the shore of the Spokane River where it enters beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene. It is also…. GASP!...located right across from another (scarce?) operating lumber mill. As with other nearby mills, this one can be quite loud at times! Otherwise, this is a spectacular location and a park worth more visits. The price is fairly high at about $34 per night, but it’s all about location. We really got lazy here and did absolutely nothing. Sometimes that is enough!
Camped at Blackwell Island RV Park in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
The beautiful Spokane River is directly to the east of Blackwell Island RV Park.
After two nights in Coeur d’Alene it was a short 180-mile drive up to our next location in Polson, Montana. Because of very reasonable monthly rates we decided to spend an entire month at the Eagle Nest RV Resort located just south of spectacular Flathead Lake and the lakeside town of Polson. This very nice park, situated right alongside the eighteenth hole of the local golf course, has all paved interior roads, level gravel pads, cement patios, and a nice, heated pool and spa, small playground, and a small guest room. The grounds are well maintained, regularly groomed, and clean. The owners and hosts are very friendly and “hands on”. The owners are doing all the interior park upgrades themselves and seem tireless working from sunup to sundown. All the folks in this resort are extraordinarily friendly and always ready to exchange greetings and conversation. Our back in pad was located right next to the golf course’s eighteenth tee and within view of an old cherry orchard backed by the high snow topped Mission Mountains to the east. A drive around Flathead Lake is a real treat with clear water reflecting the Big Sky blue of Montana. The largest town in the area, Kalispell, is located just to the north of the lake and Glacier National Park is not far distant. We spent a very nice Sunday noon taking a former Castro Valley, CA, neighbor Chris Welsh and his wife and stepson to lunch in Whitefish, which is located north of Kalispell. A day was also well spent with a drive along the east shore of Flathead Lake to a gem of the north, Glacier National Park. The famous Road to the Sun through the park was closed because of the heavy remaining winter snow, but we were able to drive along the entire length of beautiful Lake McDonald to the road closure. Clouds covered the high mountain peaks during our visit, but the short ride into the park was well worth the effort and we will return at some point. Juanita has begun work on a new quilt while here and I have just been goofing off and schmoozing with other park guests and residents of the area. Juanita flew from Missoula to Oakland, CA, and a one-week visit to her grandchildren Olivia and Michael leaving me holding down the fort in Polson. During that time I have been working on a few maintenance issues, playing the banjo a bit, reading some books, and yes, still goofing off!
The Mission Mountains run along the east side of Hwy 93 south of Polson, MT.
South approach to Polson and 50 mile long Flathead Lake.
Our "home" for one month at Eagle Nest RV Resort in Polson, MT. We are located on the eighteenth tee of a very nice looking city golf course.
A little fresh snow falls in the Mission Mountains to the east of the park and just over the old cherry orchard.
The spring storms begins to break over the Mission Mtns.
East shoreline of Flathead Lake.
Juanita and Bodie relax a while along the shore of this beautiful NW Montana lake.
Juanita begins her new quilting project at Eagle Nest.
Another view of the Eagle Nest RV Resort in Polson, MT
Moon rise over Mission Mtns.
West Glacier entrance to spectacular Glacier National Park, MT.
View along Lake McDonald, the largest of many lakes in Glacier NP.
One of the old Depression Era Ford tour buses in Glacier NP. These buses were completely refurbished by hand at Ford. The drivers are known as "gear jammers" for obvious reasons once you hear one of these rigs pulling a grade in the park.
Another view of these fine old Ford buses.
Lake McDonald is a splendid glacial valley lake in Glacier NP.
Heavy spring snow melt creates an interesting "X marks the spot" scene in Glacier NP.
Cherry orchards line the roads on Flathead Lake's Finley Point.
We can't leave without one more glance at Flathead Lake reflecting Montana's blue Big Sky.
We plan to leave Polson on June 24, and with a short stopover in Ennis, MT, arrive for a two month visit to our all time favorite RV Park in Idaho, Red Rock RV in Island Park.
"Down on the boardwalk"...Virginia City, Montana, that is!!
The rear and one side of Content's Corner (1864). Old rubblestone building apparently housed the entire territorial government from 1865 to 1875.
Another view of Content's Corner.
The Fairweather Inn (1880's to 1946). The original log core has received many additions and alterations over the years including a fire escape salvaged from a dredge boat.
Looking west on Wallace St (Hwy 287).
Looking east on Wallace St, the large stone building down the street is the Masonic Temple (1867). 
The 1946 reconstruction of the 1866 Variety Store, which originally served as an auction house.
Kiskadden Stone Block (1863) is Virginia City's first stone building. The ground floor originally housed three businesses including a bakery, and is is rumored that Vigilantes held meetings in an upstairs room. The building was converted to a livery and blacksmith shop in 1872.
Buford Block (Wells Fargo Coffee House)(1888,1889) with S.R. Buford Store (1874) on the right. The Buford store was the first red brick building in Virginia City and both buildings housed a large variety of items for sale to the miners. The Wells Fargo Coffee House was established in 1947 in the old brick stores.
Inside one of the several blacksmith shops in town.
The Madison County Courthouse (1875-1876).
The Bale of Hay Saloon (1863) operated as a liquor store until about 1890 and a saloon until 1908.
Smith and Boyd Livery Stable (c.1890's)(Opera House). The original livery was converted to theater in 1949. The original store facade remains but the porch was added in 1949.
The Adobetown School (1873) was relocated from nearby Adobetown in 1950 by the Vigilante Club.
Hangman's Building (1863-64). A stout wood beam in this unfinished home provided an adequate support for the hanging of five "road agents" by Vigilantes on January 14, 1864. After completion, it housed several early pioneers of Virginia City and, later, the town's Water Co.
Visitors can tour the town on this nice stagecoach.
...and in this old fire wagon.
..or even in your own modern automobile!
Bodie found a nice shady spot on the boardwalk to rest up for a bit.
We couldn't pass up the local cremery!! Bodie indulged in some fresh cool water....Juanita and I NEEDED the fabulous malts. :-)
