I am writing this Blog describing our Washington state adventures while relaxing at a free campsite surrounded by sky scrapping granite rock and shrubby Yucca covered mountains. The sun is just starting to peek over the top and will soon flood and heat up our calm cool basin oasis. The still morning sky is cloudless and brilliantly blue. The sounds are just a few birds squawking, infrequent cars passing by on the upper roadway, and Steve working on the Scamp. We have a full day ahead of us but this moment is heavenly. A sneak peek pic from this site for a future Blog :-)
Current Location, any guesses?
The first leg of this big adventure, driving to Alaska and back down to the Lower 48, was very thought out and detailed. I knew where we were going to be staying every night with a combination of reservations and arranged time with family/friends. Our plans became much more fluid after leaving Vancouver, B.C. and entering Washington. Since I am an extremely nervous, anxious, and overly detailed human my preference is to have all of our overnights planned out. The most difficult part of this new leg for me has been trying to let go of the pre-planning and being more flexible - learning to flying by the seat of my pants. I have a long way to go in learning how to be spontaneous. Thankfully Steve is more comfortable with figuring out last minute arrangements!
In order for us to have this amazing adventure we have had to manage our finances frugally by alternating our stays at: campgrounds, family/friends, free camping spots, overnights in store parking lots/casinos, highway rest areas, and now utilizing Harvest Host (HH)! Harvest Host is an organization in which members pay a yearly fee ($80 with discount) and local businesses that permit free overnights on their properties with the expectation that you will purchase around $20 worth of their merchandise. We have thoroughly enjoyed using Harvest Host so far which you will see below!
HH#1 - While in Washington we took advantage of several Harvest Host locations. Our very first HH stay was at Sampson Estate Winery in Everson, WA. Although a bit off the beaten path we had a delicious time tasting a variety of products and purchased a bottle. The view outside the Scamp presented us with the beautiful vineyard and we were among just a few other guests for the night!
HH#2 - Keeping with the wine theme our next HH stay was at Eagle Haven Winery in Sedro-Woolley, WA. We had such a fun time! The wines were yummy, there was a guest speaker, hors devours, and we met a couple of amazing single traveling women each towing their own campers!
HH#3 - Traveling onward to Strawberry Fields Alpaca Ranch in Arlington, WA. Our knowledgable HH host provided us with our own private camping spot overlooking the farm. We had a tour seeing many alpacas, visiting the shop, learning a bit about the owner, and Steve even fed a few of his new friends. We were amazed at how quiet the ranch was with very little noise from the animals. We had a peaceful night’s sleep!
We spent the next day exploring nearby Seattle. During our short visit we: navigated the Metro, explored Pike Place Market, rode the Monorail (built in 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition) to see the Space Needle, and took lots of photos! Although I do enjoy a cup of Starbucks the line to go into the original store was several blocks long. We opted for an amazing cup of coffee at another nearby local coffee shop and ended up with amazing and relaxing street view seats.
HH#4 - After seeing Seattle our next HH overnight was at Reed’s Sweet Wines in Tacoma, WA. Although we do not go for the sweet berry wines our stay was fabulous. The owners were very welcoming and graciously opened up their property to us. We purchased a set of tasting samplers and walked about the grounds eating berries off of vines, admiring the beauty of the gardens, and really enjoyed the fruity wine tasting.
Olympia, the capitol of Washington, was our next day trip. Such a picturesque small waterfront city. We enjoyed our walk about here and Steve had many opportunities to feast on wild blackberries, apparently an invasive species.
HH#5 - Honeysuckle Meadery in Rainier, WA - This small business owner gave us the opportunity to sample some delicious Meade and provided a secluded woody overnight campsite. Our Jack of All Trades host not only shared his extensive knowledge, but also dropped off two amazing fresh brewed “to go” cups of coffee (created from his own roasted beans) the next morning!
HH#6 - I can’t say enough positive comments about Harvest Host. Having the opportunity to visit local businesses, meeting new people, and staying in safe environments has been amazing. Next stop - Stone City Farm. When we arrived our initial greeting came from the cutest resident Labrador puppy along with one of the older herding dogs! Our afternoon and early evening was spent lounging outside with the owners discussing their goats, property, and local politics. Steve enjoyed eating dropped fruit from an enormous plum tree as we learned about goat yoga and why farming chickens may be a bad idea!
HH #7 - Sandstone Distillery located in Tenino, WA. We obviously chose our Harvest Host locations relative to what we would like to purchase! Our host was amazing and chock full of history and information regarding hand crafted distilling. The varied spirits were very interesting and we also had the opportunity to try non alcoholic Sipping Vinegars. We learned that this small business made hand sanitizer for the local community during Covid which was a huge help during the crises.
Washington is a HUGE state. We headed up the west coast to camp at Kalaloch Campground located in Olympic National Forest. I found another happy place for me on the majestic shores of Washington. The campground and beach were again beyond spectacular: beautiful views, the most marvelous sunset, sand dollars, and happening upon the “Tree of Life”. I could have stayed much longer!
Tree of Life
Moving on to the northern coastline of Washington where we spent two nights at 7 Cedars Casino in Sequin, WA. [Travel Tip: Many casinos allow overnight parking for campers, sometimes up to three nights. You may need to register with the casino upon arrival but it is free!] We do not gamble so we typically either purchased drinks, dinner, or morning coffee. This particular location also had electric and water hookups!
We were able to unhook the Scamp at the casino and took a hike in Olympic National Forest. The drive to the trailhead was questionable and we almost turned back several times. The Rav4 made it and we were happy to see other hikers on such a remote trail. That being said it was a difficult trek - 1.5 miles UP hill and then the hike back down straining the knees. Happy we did it - a beautiful, lush, and magical place to spend time outdoors.
Another long Blog! At this point I will be blogging about each state as we continue on this journey. Next on the itinerary is Oregon where we are looking forward to spending a month with Steve’s cousin just outside of Portland. Sending love to all our family and friends - we miss you!!
Farewell Washington!
Coddiwompling “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”
“A yawn is a silent scream for coffee.” - Coffee shop in Olympia
“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hands of man.” - Unknown
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” - Anita Desai