June 20 - 26, 2010

June 20 24, 2010:   We stayed in a city park in Merritt, BC.  Just as we got set up, there was a torrential downpour!  You could hardly hear each other talk inside of the rig.  A one-night stay, then we moved onto Williams Lake, BC, at the Fairgrounds for another overnight.  On the way, we inadvertently went over a bridge that spans the Thompson River.  We were following Pat, and it was too late to turn around, when we noticed a five-ton limit!  No wonder there was a narrow opening at the beginning.  Sure glad we didn't end up in the Thompson River!!   As we were traveling on the bridge, we could see the new bridge -- oh well.

We moved on from Williams Lake to Prince George, where we stayed for a couple of nights.  Walked around a few city parks where the Fraser River flows through.  The rivers are getting very large!!

June 25, 2010:  Chetwynd, BC, to Dawson City, BC.  Chetwynd is famous for its chainsaw art, and I mean art. Not very many totem pole things but magnificant carvings.  They have a contest every year.  I took lots of pics but need a better internet connection to upload them, which I'll do when we reach Alaska.  Dawson City is "Mile Zero" for the Alaskan Highway.  I can't believe it took us two weeks to get here, but we are taking our time.

June 26, 2010:  Stayed in a Wal-Mart parking lot for one night in Ft. St. John, BC.  There were 12-14 rigs there, so we were not alone!  It is free, but of course we did shop in the store.  Our first time for a Wal-Mart stay and we will probably do it again.

June 17-19, 2010:  River Bend RV Park, Winthrop, Washington.  My mother was raised in this area between Twisp and Winthrop, Washington.  My grandfather moved his family here from Red Bank, New Jersey when my  mother was a young child (I'm not sure how young, but assume around 10 years of age).  He was a baker by trade, learned in Germany.  He developed an allergy to flour dust and so moved west to this area of Washington and bought a farm with apple orchards.  My mother graduated from high school in Twisp and then went onto Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where she met my father who also was attending school there.  She always spoke of this area and how much she loved it, so she was laid to rest in the Sullivan Cemetery in Winthrop underneath a lilac bush.  This is our third time to visit the area and to pay respect to my mom.  

The town of Winthrop has a very western theme and is quite the tourist attraction.  We ate lunch at a local brew pub which has a beautiful deck right on the Methow River.  

                                                                  GARY AND PAM!

       PAT AND BERNIE

Tomorrow we will be on the road around 9:00 a.m., with a destination of Merritt, British Columbia.  Canada here we come!!  

June 11 --

June 11, 2010:  We left Napa on June 11, about 9:30 a.m., heading for the Redding Elks Club RV park for our first stop. We always say we are going to leave around 9 a.m. and it usually is around 10, so we got an early start!  The Elks in Redding is a very nice park with full hookups right on the Sacramento River.  A bicycle/walking path was close by and we went for a couple of nice walks.  For one night we didn't take the bikes off of the rack.

We are traveling with our friends, Pat and Bernie Whalen, who also have a fifth-wheel trailer.

June 12 - 13, 2010:  We left the Elks in Redding, heading for La Pine State Park outside of La Pine, Oregon.  Arrived at our destination in the afternoon in time for a walk around the park.  It's beautiful and there are so many things we want to see, so may stay another day.  We did stay another day and hiked up to Fall River which is an 8-mile river, fly fishing only, and very beautiful.  Also hiked to the largest ponderosa pine tree in the area, 500 years old -- nothing compared to a Redwood!  Very nice area and would like to spend more time here but will be moving on to Yakima, Washington tomorrow.  

June 14, 2010:  Arrived at Yakima Nation R.V. Park in Toppenish, WA for an overnight.  Very windy here but seems to have calmed down this evening.  We will be moving on to Leavenworth, Washington tomorrow and will stay there at least two or three days! 

June 15-16, 2010:  Pulled into the Icicle River Resort in Leavenworth, Washington around 2 o'clock in the afternoon.  Great little RV Park right on the river, which was roaring down the canyon.  You could hear it all over the place, which was very nice for sleeping on my part!  Our friends, the Henri's, have purchased a house here recently.  Their daughter, Jodie, and her husband, Mike, live here so we got in touch with them and they showed us the house.  Very nice!  Beautiful yard which borders a golf course.  I hope they will be able to spend lots of time here.  Leavenworth is a small town which looks very much like a Bavarian village.  I would imagine the winters resemble a European ski resort.  We will have to come back and spend more time here.