August 27, 2010 -- Back in Antioch, CA

Where did summer go? We were enjoying the Olympic Peninsula, and now suddenly, we are back in Antioch, CA.

I promised a report from Hoodsport, WA and the Hood Canal area. My report is short….we were there two nights and it was enough.

Driving to Hoodsport from Sequim along Highway 101 is not for Sunday drivers. State law requires slower cars to use the pull-outs to allow the race-car drivers to pass and zip out of sight. The pull-outs are short on this route so we had to come to a complete stop after pulling over, which slowed us down even more. It’s not a relaxing drive. I don’t know if we are much slower these days, or the others so driving faster than 18 years ago when we last traveled this road.

We spent two nights at Sunrise Resorts’ Dow Creek, a pleasant rustic, woodsy Coast to Coast park, located just below scenic Lake Cushman.

We were disappointed to find Lake Cushman State Park was turned into a privately-owned campground resort about 8 years ago. They have a very nice campground ($28) and the the resort is the only public access the lake. The rest of the lake front is privately owned and off limits to visitors.

Lake Cushman on a misty day.

In wandering around the area, I spotted this National Forest Service “rustic rest stop.” I don’t any pass rest stops, so I had the perfect opportunity to had to take this photo.

The roof is about 4 inches deep in moss and ferns; an old-fashioned sod house.

We were in the area to explore spots from we remembered from 15 years ago. Next stop on our rote was Shelton, WA. We returned to Elk’s Club. for one night. The club has about 20 RV sites down below the lodge building ($17) and it is surrounded by woods. I heard coyotes calling during the night.

We arrived during the Elk’s Club annual yard sale. “That is wonderful,” I told Larry, “I can donate a few things we don’t need to tote around.” (To make room for some things (from sales-tax free” Oregon.) Jerry and Mary Frye drove down from Poulsbo, WA, to meet us for lunch. We tried a local restaurant called Nita’s; it’s like stepping back to the 1960s, complete with a lunch counter and stools. Mary said her berry pie with ice cream was delicious. Next time, we will go Blondie’s, just down the street.

Larry wanted to check out the local boat harbors so we drove up the Sound a bit. I took this photo in the Shelton Yacht Club parking lot. Aren’t they lucky to have some fantastic views?

It was a beautiful day! Here, see it again; which photo do you prefer?

Then on to Salem, OR, again. Remember back when I wrote we see the oddest things on our travels?

As we were approaching the Salem Elk’s Club, we noticed something a bit unusual at the airport—an Airship.

The airship’s mooring tower is mounted mounted on a truck. Farmer’s gave the rides in the Airship gondola all week. We were too late to take advantage of it, oh double darn!

I could hear it taking off the next morning and ran out to get a shot.

Up, up and away. Isn’t that a beautiful sight? We do see some interesting things as we travel around this wonderful country.

After four days in Salem, we continued south on I-5. Whoops, what is that on the rear view mirror. Is it broken? What are we doing in this heat? Oh No, is that real? The mirror thermometer MUST be broken or we are crazy, out of our minds driving south.

We passed up our favorite dry-camp stop at the Klamath River Rest Stop and continued south to find a place with electric hook-ups.

Taking turns driving, we continued on to the Redding Elk’s Club ($20), and hunkered down with the air conditioner on full blast. One look at the camper thermometer was enough to chill me. Where are we, in Phoenix?? The 97 degrees was inside the camper and the 117 was outside.

Luckily it cooled down during the early morning hours and we got up at 6 a.m. and headed south to Antioch, CA. We are here to do Larry’s monthly lab work and see his kidney doctor next week. The weather is comfortable and in the 80s and we hope it stays that way!

We are settled into the Antioch Fairground RV park ($20) and will be here for about 10 days. We are sticking around to help my dad with a garage sale next weekend. He has finished relocating to California from Washington and has a bit of stuff “left over.”

Let’s take a short side trip into our daily world.

Have you wondered how we manage living in 10 feet, six inches of space without killing each other?

It is tight, but the camper meets all of our daily needs.

Here is our bedroom with a queen-sized bed and we each have a small cabinet and a long cabinet next to the bed for clothes, etc.

The “living room” has room for reading, eating, TV watching and working on our computers.

And of course, we have a nice shower stall and a compact bathroom. All the comforts of home—in a shoe box!

The kitchen was too cluttered to take any photos today. We visited our favorite fruit stand, Smith’s Farm in Brentwood, CA, for our fill of field-ripened tomatoes and corn and peaches, and, and, etc. Get the picture? Our eyes are bigger than our camper kitchen and refrigerator! What a great way to live!

Life is good and we are having fun!