Sequim Lavender Festival, Sequim, Washington
18th thru 20th July, 2014
“Lavender Capital of the Nation”
Jardin du Soleil Lavender Farm
Purple Haze
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Monthly Archives: July 2014
Light at the End of “The Spit”
Through the “kindness of strangers,” who I now consider great friends, I am driveway surfing in Sequim, just 3 blocks from Dungeness Bay. I mentioned to my Winnie friends, Scott and Jan from Eugene that I really wanted to visit the lavender festival. After all, Sequim is “The Lavender Capital of our Nation.” But I was late in making my reservations, and all the campgrounds were full for the weekend. Continue reading
Paradise to Sunrise (Mt Rainier Part II)
The weekend masses have not yet descended upon Cougar Rock Campground, so it is a cool, quiet morning. I marvel at my good fortune to get two blue sky days in a row in one of the “the snowiest places on earth.” I can see a few wisps of clouds, though, so I know the weather system is changing, so I hurry out for my intended destination for the day, Sunrise. Continue reading
Off the Grid and On to Paradise
After being in Oregon for two glorious, fun-packed months, it is finally time to say goodbye. Summer is fleeting, and the entire state of Washington is still yet to be explored. I have loved the state of Oregon more than any other state in the US…granted, I have yet to spend a winter here. But the winters would have to be pretty darned horrendous to offset the glory days of summer. Continue reading
Portland is a Hoppy Place
My friend Jane said it best. “Portland is probably best known for its food and its beer!”
Having now visited all three of the “weird” cities, that is, those cities who have adopted the marketing slogan of “Keep XXX Weird,” – Asheville, Austin, and Portland, it’s interesting to ponder how a movement like this gets started. It’s hard to say what constitutes “weird” when defining a city. Continue reading
Overexposed?
I had more social interaction during my time in Portland than the past year all put together. From seeing old friends to meeting new ones, I find myself wondering what happened to my introverted self? I am feeling a little like the Kim Kardashian of the RV community. Continue reading
The Dalles to the Dry Side (Road Trip Part II)
Since it is now long after dark, I decide to go for the cheapest option, so I pull into the Motel 6. The clerk behind the desk is helping a man who is angry because his TV does not work. He asks to move to a different room, to which the clerk replies, “You got the last room. We are full up.” GULP! I decide to wait anyway, thinking I can ask her if she knows of any other hotels that may have rooms. She hands me a list of hotels in the area, and suggests I start calling… Continue reading
Pack a Bag…It’s a Road Trip!
I booked two weeks at the Columbia River RV Park – not only to take care of some “city errands,” but also to hunker down in a location with a reservation to ride out the holiday madness of the Fourth of July weekend. It is a rare treat for me to have a weekend in between work weeks where I don’t have to reposition the Winnie. Two whole days with no driving required, so what do I do?? Take a road trip! 😉 Continue reading
Hello, Walls…
Sometimes the shift in “vibe” from being in the solace of a remote location, then immersing myself into a big city and back again can cause me to feel discord. I attribute this mostly to my work situation, and to the fact that I am trying to treat this odyssey as “life” rather than “vacation.” One wouldn’t typically go from building Excel Pivot charts in the middle of the woods one week, to the middle of a new bustling city the next “in real life.” Continue reading
Anchored in Astoria
My final weekend along the Oregon Coast now behind me, it is time to once again find a place to anchor for the work week. The little town of Astoria, “oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains,” looks like the perfect spot to spend the week exploring before pivoting east. Continue reading