The Top of the States

WE TRAVELED AS CLOSE TO THE CANADIAN BORDER as possible without passports and the journey was oh so worth it! When you receive a gracious invitation from the founders of Campendium.com, you roll!

We met Brian & Leigh eons ago in the Anza-Borrego Desert of Southern California and once again at one of our Top Ten campgrounds, Lost Dutchman near Mesa, Arizona. At the time, this creative duo was passionate about designing and delivering an easy-to-navigate app encouraging accurate reviews (including connectivity reviews!) on locations around the United States. This includes everything from dispersed camp locations to 5-star resorts. I am happy to say they hit their mark and beyond. Today, this is my go-to app to find places along the way. Well done, Brian & Leigh, well done! Looking for a place to hang your hat, be sure to check out this amazing app!

Next up?

NEXT UP? A FERRY RIDE TO WHIDBEY ISLAND! We rolled down the street about a mile from our Port Townsend campsite to board the ferry where we had a front row seat. With numerous islands and lots of water in the Pacific Northwest, this is a common way to travel. At 52′ Airstream hitch to truck bumper, our price was $92.00 for the 25-minute ride. This saved us from having to travel down, around and back up Puget Sound and the Seattle area’s crowded freeway. That afternoon we settled into our first Harvest Host stop at Flyers Brewery in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. HH is a membership collection of family farms, breweries, wineries, etc. where one can overnight. The expectation is that you support the location with a purchase. Flyers Brewery is what I would call an ‘urban’ stop, where we were parked in the back lot. We enjoyed a great burger and turned in for the night.

Puget Sound

THE TRIANGLE OF FIRE is the name given to three forts at the mouth of Puget Sound. Strategically placed, these forts, Worden, Flagler, and Casey, were opened at the turn of the 20th century. We were originally slated to set up camp at Fort Flagler, however, based on outstanding recommendations on the seaport village of Port Townsend across the Sound, we altered our reservations to that area, which placed us less than two miles from Fort Worden. On my bike, I took off from our campsite at Point Hudson Marina & RV Park and headed over the hill to the Point Wilson Lighthouse; then up to Fort Worden where I grabbed a bite to eat before riding around the grounds. After WWII, these three forts were deactivated and in the 1950s/60s/70s, the State of Washington purchased all three for various uses, including campgrounds…lucky us! If you don’t have an Airstream, Fort Worden has rental properties where you can rent Bliss Vista Cottage (pictured) or Alexanders Castle. Look again, if this scenic location and white barracks look even faintly familiar you’re aging yourself. In 1981/82, ‘Officer and a Gentleman’ was filmed here and around Port Townsend. Later that night, I made popcorn and watched this Richard Gere/Debra Winger film for the first time in a long time.

Seaport Village

THE PICTURESQUE SEAPORT VILLAGE of Port Townsend, Washington is the perfect place to hang our hats for a couple of days. With a population around 10,000, we found the welcoming locals and shops, an abundance of sunshine, and the very bike-able town a truly unexpected surprise. (Bill, Dean & Debbie, thank you for your recommendation!) Overlooking Puget Sound, Port Townsend is known as the ‘Key City’ which guarded the gate of the Sound. From our lovely campsite overlooking the water, we saw ferries shuttle people/cars from port to port, kayakers, Naval ships and everyday boaters. There is a family of seven otters that come ashore daily near our campsite to play in the grass. Home to many 19th century ship captains, the remnants of their time spent here can be found in a number of preserved Victorian homes. The Court House, built in 1892, is another example of the local architecture. Port Townsend is truly a beautiful slice of heaven to call home. If you happen to visit, be sure to stop by Elevated Ice Cream. Who can pass up home made ice cream, right! A couple of handscooped pints were added to our freezer

The Olympic Peninsula

AT THE TOP OF THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA in Washington is the seaport town of Port Angeles and long time friends, Dean & Debbie. Waaaay back in time, Jim and Dean were young engineers at the beginning of their careers in El Segundo, California. These days, the not-quite-so-young engineers continue to hone their skills on bike racks and their conversations are still just as interesting 😉 This, our first moochdocking (gratis driveway parking) was over the top. As tour guides they showed us the best of the peninsula which included a beautiful bike ride at Lake Crescent. Deb and I spent time in town at a well-stocked indie bookstore where she also shared the history of the MV Kalakala, a ferry which ran between Port Angeles and Victoria, BC. It’s a little reminiscent of an Airstream, right! Taken out of service in 1967 and used for a couple different venues, it was eventually and unfortunately scrapped in 2015. It was difficult to leave this great get-together but after an abundance of excellent home cooked meals and hugs good-bye, we hit the road for more adventures.

Deb & Dean, your hospitality and OMGosh ahhhhhmazing meals were so very much appreciated!! Both Jim and I will remember forever the introduction to your friend, The General. To meet such a decorated hero with such humility and presence, there are no words to define this life experience. Meeting a man of his caliber was definitely the highlight of our journey, our lifetime. (June 7, 2021)

What’s in a name?

INTRIGUED BY THE NAME, CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT, and assuming it couldn’t be all that disappointing, we pulled into the Washington state park with the same name and 2,000 acres located right on the beach. As with Oregon, the beaches were open to dawgs and this one even had not one, but two lighthouses, the North Head Lighthouse (shown, built in 1898) and currently active along with the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse (1856) to the south which is open to the public.

The names? Apparently the mouth of the Columbia River had eluded sailors over the years, therefore the name, Cape Disappointment. The area around the confluence of the west’s largest river meeting the world’s largest ocean, is hike-worthy but on a better day than we had. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center was also closed so I guess you could say Cape Disappointment was aptly named, even to this day for us.

The L&C Interpretive Center is built on the site of Fort Canby, constructed in 1863 to defend the entrance to the Columbia River from enemy warships. It was manned from the mid-19th century until the end of World War II and here you can take in what remains of the fort.

We met fellow Airstreamers, Roberta & Rick while at Cape Disappointment, who joined us for cocktails. The Pacific Northwest and all it’s natural beauty continues to amaze me and if there is one thing they excel at in the PNW, it’s the abundance of Rhododendrons, my favorite being the brilliant, multi-trunk tree version!