The RV park that we are staying in is listed as being in La Conner, Washington, which is a cute, artsy town just a few miles away. It sits on a channel that runs between two different parts of the sound. This afternoon we spent some time exploring.
Several of the people we spoke with in Winthrop recommended that we visit Deception Pass State Park when we were in La Conner. We headed that way after work today. They park spans 3 different land masses, the mainland and parts of two islands. It features a neat bridge, hiking trails along the coast and cliffs, and some old trees.
Susan and the kids hit the beach while I was at work today. The tide was low so they were able to explore a lot more than yesterday. They discovered many crabs, big and small that live amongst the rocks.
Today we made the drive from Winthrop to La Conner. It took just a few hours and was a beautiful drive through the northern Cascades. It looks and feels more like fall here than anywhere we have been so far.
Today we celebrated Susan’s 40th birthday! It was a little different, being on the road.
This afternoon we rented some kayaks to use on the lake at our campground. Susan and the older kids immediately took off for the far end of the lake. They were gone for nearly 90 minutes and made it back with sore arms and sore butts.
Susan still had some energy for a ride with me and Rose.
I took the day off today for Susan’s birthday (tomorrow) which meant that this morning I had a chance to run some errands with the family. It was my first time visiting the laundromat with Susan, which I really enjoyed. We also stopped by a cool grocery store in Twisp. The owner is an avid hunter and he has animals from around the world on display.
Rose’s hair was beginning to look a little ragged, so Susan decided it was time for a haircut.
This evening we made it into Winthrop for the first time. It is built like an old west town and is really cool. We just had a quick visit since we were ready for dinner and some of the shops were closed since it was late in the day.
When we pulled in to our campground one of the first things people told us we had to do in Methow is visit the smokejumper base. We took some time this afternoon to do just that. It reminded me of a firestation tour, but instead of firetrucks they use a plane. They gave us a full tour and showed us all of their gear. It was pretty neat.
Life on the road can be rather friendless. Everyone is always moving. At our campground in Winthrop were were blessed with some nice neighbors who provided us with some community, even if only for a few days. Dean was waiting with a beer in hand for me as we hooked up. He knew Susan and I both like it so the next day he had a whole six-pack for us.
Throughout the next few days their acts of kindness continued, toward us and others in the campground, including the stray cats. They pulled out this morning, headed for home. It won’t be the same without them.
