North To Alaska Day 8

We spent the weekend in Elma, WA at the Elma RV Park.  Mostly, we spent time with Rogers' cousin Bobbie and her husband Larry, who live in Montesano, WA.  On Saturday, we spent the day with them at their house enjoying great conversation and a wonderful fajita meal that Larry cooked up.

On Sunday Larry and Bobbie picked us up and off we went to Downtown Seattle and the Puget Sound.  It was hard to decide if Pikes Market or The Seattle Space Needle was the highlight of the day.  I don't know, maybe it was the fabulous meal we ate at the Crab Pot.

Larry, Bonnie, Roger & Sue

World Famous Pike Place Fish Market (Man behind counter is catching a fish)

Some people actually eat this!

Flowers at Pike Market

Fresh Veggies

Seattle Space Needle

View from the Space Needle

Puget Sound

The Crab Pot

Feast of Dungoness Crab, Alaskan King Crab, Mussels, Clams, Shrimp, Sausage, Corn on the Cob, & Potatoes;

 

I'll post more from our trip to Downtown Seattle tomorrow.  Today, we drove over the Canadian border.  We are spending the night at the Hope Valley Campground in Hope, British Columbia. The view is unbelievable.

View from the Hope Valley Campground

View from campground

View from campground

View from Campground

Cedar tree at camp site 5-9-11

North To Alaska Day 5

We left Midway RV Park in Coos Bay, OR this morning and continued North on Highway 101 (Pacific Coastal Highway).  Along the way we decided to stop at "The Treasure of the Oregon Coast"; Sea Lion Caves.  The caves were developed by volcanic eruptions over 25 million years ago.  The interior now soars to the height of a 12 story building and stretches the full length of a football field. 

Sea Lion Caves

Actual Size of Stellar Sea Lion family

Sea Cave

Sea Cave Rocks

Sea Lion Island

Sea Lion Island

Waterfall view from Cave platform

Birds with Red Feet

Ground Waterfall

Hunter Lighthouse

It was a cool, rainy day, so the cave was very damp and cold.  Being down in a cave almost 12 stories is quite an experience! Thank goodness I could see 3 different entrances or I think that I would have been a little claustrophobic.  We drove a little further and saw some beautiful rain forest and ocean views.

Yellow Coastal Flowers

As we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, we came to the sleepy little town of Tillamook.  As we were just about to leave the town, we came upon the Tillamook Cheese Visitor's Center.  Tillamook Cheese is one of the most popular cheese's on the West Coast with a 100 year tradition of consistently producing the highest quality cheese and dairy products.  I couldn't leave without purchasing a good Sharp Cheddar and some Swiss.  Yum!

North To Alaska Day 4

We left Arcata, CA; The Mad River Rapids RV Park, this morning and went straight to Redwoods National Park. 

Field of Purple Flowers at Visitors Center

 

Elk in a Meadow

Entrance to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Redwood in the LBJ Grove

Sue next to a Redwood

 

Roger in a "Family" of Redwoods

A "Growth" on the side of a Redwood

Hanging Moss in the Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Dedication Plaque

Ferns growing in a dead Redwood

Little Flowers

Pink Flower

White Flower

Roger inside a Redwood

Sue inside a burned out Redwood

 

A "Family" of Redwoods

 

Mule Deer next to our motor home while we're eating lunch

Scenic Overlook at Redwood Nat'l Park

Scenic Overlook

Coastal View along Highway 101

 

 

We drove to Coos Bay, Oregon and spent the night at the Midway RV Park; a very beautiful park.

North To Alaska Day 3

We left Lodi, CA this morning and headed North on Interstate 5 to Redding.  On our way we stopped at the Olive Hut and picked up some fresh olives from a family owned orchard.  As soon as we left the Olive Hut, we could see Shasta Mountain.  It looks just like the mountain on the can!

Mount Shasta

When we hit Redding we traveled West on Highway 299.  What a beautiful drive, 130 miles of scenic wonders, curvy roads, steep grades, mountains, and valleys.

Trinity Mountain

 

 

Whiskeytown Dam

Whiskeytown Shasta Trinity Nat'l Recreation Area

Burn Area with Mountain in background

Purple Wildflowers on side of the road

Trinity River Overflowing Its Banks

Shasta Trinity National Forest

Shasta Trinity National Forest

We are staying for the night at the Mad River Rapids RV Park in Arcata, CA.  It's a very nice RV Park just off of Highway 299 and Highway 101.

North To Alaska Day 2

We left the scenic Soledad Canyon for the farming area of California.  We traveled 346 miles today over what the locals call "The Grapevine", through hundreds of citrus groves, nut farms and cattle/hay farms.  The scenery was beautiful, but; it was nice to get to the Flag City RV Resort in Lodi, CA.  We stumbled across this RV Resort in the Camp USA catalog which offers this campground sites at half price.

North To Alaska

This morning we said our good-byes to our friends at the Blythe/Colorado River KOA and started heading North to Alaska.  We drove 270 miles to Soledad Canyon where we stopped for the night at another one of our favorite KOA's, the Acton/Los Angeles North KOA.  We were able to get our beautiful pull thru spot that faces the Canyon. 

Gazebo at Acton/Los Angeles North KOA

Soledad Canyon in the Spring time - front view from our site.

Pretty flowering tree in campground

Rear view from our site