In and around the Puget Sound - Sedro Woolley and more

July 1 - July 5th Sedro-Woolley

Time with family

Uriah had the week of the 4th off from work so we got to visit with him more than would have been possible otherwise. On Monday we went up into the Cascades with him. Up over the pass and down into the Methow Valley and the towns of Winthrop and Twisp.

 On the way up we stopped at Diablo dam. It's the first time I have actually been at the dam. Diablo lake is a jewel. Its color is striking and is caused by the glaciers that feed it. 

 A cascade coming down the mountain and feeding in the Skagit river

 Diablo Dam

 None of the sluices were open.

Uriah taking pictures

We also stopped at the overlook for Diablo lake and then again at the viewpoint just past Rainy Pass where the Pacific Crest intersects the highway. Highway 20 is the longest highway in Washington and is also the most scenic. It begins at Hwy 101 and runs to Newport Washington on the eastern border with Idaho. More on that later.

 

 Ross lake and the surrounding peaks lost in the clouds. The reason we headed east this day was to find sun!

 Ross lake from the overlook, on the left side is where the dam is located.

 Highway 20 as it winds down the mountains after Rainy Pass

 Liberty Bell Mountain from 5,477-foot elevation Washington Pass on North Cascades Highway

 We did not stop in Winthrop. It's a tourist town and there was no parking. We continued on the Twisp where we had lunch in a little Mexican Restaurant. It was now sunny and 90'. Denise and I were in heaven.
 Uriah is more comfortable with cooler temps so we stopped at Rainy pass on the way back to give Pata a change to see snow. It was a first for her.. Uriah took a slide down the slope with her

July 2nd Anacortes - Washington Park and Emilee's birthday

 Monday July 2nd Denise went to do laundry while Uriah and I went to Anacortes to kill some time.

 As we pulled into town he asked me if I wanted to see a cool shipwreck. Of course I said yes and we headed to where this was.

 A large wooden ship up on the shore with trees and bushes growing through it. I don't think it was an actual shipwreck but rather a bulwark put there to shelter the little harbor. It was cool no matter what.

A river otter at the end of the pier.

The side of the ship, it was long.

 This is a cute houseboat that would make a nice summer home.

Washington Park

Washington park is an Park frequented by the locals. It's on Puget Sound has a forested area and a great overlook at the top of the hill. There were campgrounds and a boat launch, all this right in town. Very nice!

 A Columbia black tailed deer in Washington park.

 Down at the beach on Puget Sound.

 Ferry transport for a tanker truck

 A Madrone tree on the overlook

 Snow capped peaks in the background makes for a nice viewpoint.

 Bridge at La Conner Washington

 Totem pole

Emilee's Sweet Sixteen

Evening came and we drove to Granite Falls to have dinner with the family and to celebrate Emilee's 16th birthday. Time does fly and our little granddaughter is almost grown up. We finally got to meet Ashley too. Ashley is our great granddaughter.

 Dylan, Emilee, Denise, Heather, Chuck, Ashlyn and Tyler, Uriah and Christian.

 Ashlyn sitting in grandpa Uriah's lap while we look on.

 Cake. Everyone loves cake! YAY

 Heather and Christian

Emilee lighting all those candles

4th of July in Sedro-Woolley

For the 4th Uriah and Emilee came to be with us and we spent some time going to town to see the woodcarving then on to the rodeo for a couple of hours. Back a the campground there was a carnival set up and the town shot off the fireworks from the field behind so we had a front row view from our lawn chairs in front of the trailer. There weather cooperated also and we had a great day.

 Chainsaw carving

The Rodeo

Bull dogging. Grab that calf!

 

 

 

 

Fireworks

We had originally planned to move up to Verlot the 5th but we had a faucet leak and I wanted to get that taken care of while we were still in town. The faucet had been leaking for a few days and I was thinking it was just the o-ring but of course it's never that simple. Uriah helped me tear it apart and we discovered that the cartridge that holds the o-rings was cracked and that's where the leak was. We tried the RV repair place in Sedro-Woolley and they had a faucet that would be a replacement but no repair modules. They told us to try Lowes or Home Depot in Arlington so we headed over there to see what they had.
 Home Depot was of no use, they don't carry RV parts and all of their faucet repair items were for home faucets and too big for the one we had. We didn't bother with Lowes as that would be more of the same. There is an RV parts place there in Arlington so we tried that but they had nothing that would work. So back to Sedro Woolley and to the RV place there. $85.00 plus tax for a new faucet lightened my wallet by close to $100. Errr, but at least they had one and it fit so we were back in business although the counter is now warped from the water. Another project for next winter.
 The next morning we packed up everything, hitched up the trailer and went up to Verlot to see if we could score a campsite. No luck! It was again a Friday and the weekenders beat us to the campground. We headed back down into the valley and found a site at Lake Goodwin. It used to be a State Park, it's now a county park and at this point is the most expensive place we have stayed. Forty bucks a night. That's cheap motel prices. We stayed two nights.
 It's a nice park and a nice little lake but the weather was cloudy and it was still cool. We were just down the road from where Emilee takes riding lessons so we went over there on Saturday to watch her.

 

Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis

 Lake Goodwin

 They're redoing the beach area at the lake.

  Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

 

Musk Mallow Malva moschata

 Too high to jump on.

 Emilee getting her riding in.

The following Sunday we again packed up and headed to Verlot early in the morning.
We got up there and were able to get the campsite that we had hoped for. Riverfront camping in Turlo Campground. Yee Haw.