Four Camping Trips and a Hotel Night

Hubby and I took off with Huaka'i Annie, our '57 Aloha trailer for the long, long trip in August. We took Snoqualmie Pass, stopped for lunch at DRU BRU, brewery number one.

Our first overnight stop was for two nights at Elk Ridge Campground along the Naches River.

I love this campground! Tent, RV spots and cabins, movie night, the river, the twinkling lights display at night, and the wonderful owners. Tim is the campground marriage counselor, he comes out and helps your hubby back into your spot.

The selfie isn't what is significant about the photo.  It's the rock wall pool in the background. Two days of floating, yes please!

We left Elk Ridge to attend the annual Nile Valley Rally, a private rally hosted by friends, Steve and Rita and Ben and Denise. Yes, our vent was up.  We turned out of one park and into the next, the Jim Sprick Community Park. The rally hosts rent the park and we have it all to ourselves.

On to Camp-Heep-A-Fun!
Oh Denise and Rita, you are the best!

Nile Valley Rally is a summer camp theme and we can earn badges, take classes, flamingo float, enter the rubber duck race, go to potlucks, and have an open house for the public on Saturday. 

Since Annie is so small, we used a trailer dolly and flipped her around, so our front window had the river view.  I took this pic out of the window and I am guessing Hubby is reading instructions for something.

It's dry camping so we rely on our battery for lights and fans and solar lights.

Liz taught a wood burning class. Students made leather bracelets.

I taught a Old Book to Scrapbook class.

Every one's book turned out so great.  The creativity was just overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Hubby went to a cooking with a Dutch oven class.  He is psyched to find some cast iron and get cooking.  There was axe throwing too.  Lisa led a domino necklace class. Something for everyone on Friday.

Saturday morning we all cleaned up and got our trailers ready for the bed making inspection and for the public open house.  I think we clean up pretty well considering it's a 3 minute campground shower and no power.

I love my peeps!  It was fun to be neighbors.

We're ready!

Okay, so we were ready, but wow, not ready for that many people!

There were so many visitors. Larry and Shelly went for a walk and while they were gone I had a line up to see their Airstream.  Crowd control!

After open house we went for ice cream at Elk Ridge.  Huck and Bean ice cream is crazy good and has the best story.  The owner, Izzy, started the business when she was 11.  She is 14 years old now and is restoring a vintage trailer to sell her ice cream.  Her little sister works for her.

 

 Saturday afternoon everyone brought their flamingo float to the river and we relaxed.  Hubby floated across the river to take photos of camp.

 Our neighbors, Cindy and Wade relaxing by the river.

 Larry and Shelly floating the natural lazy river.

Saturday evening after burgers and potluck we enjoyed the closing ceremony and got our badges.
Our rubber duck came in first place so we won the cash.

Some people are always working...

Sunday morning we enjoy sweet cream pancakes and raise funds for the local fire station.

Then it's time to say good bye.  

The third stop was Yakima for Hubby and I.  We enjoyed Bale Breaker Brewery and Guerra's food truck. Then we checked into a hotel for the night. 

I had the pool to myself. We took an uber (remember we had Annie hitched up to the Jeep) to dinner at Cowiche Canyon Kitchen and Icehouse.  Yum! We had long, hot showers and a king size bed.

Monday morning we took the back roads to Moses Lake where we stopped at Ten Pin Brewery for lunch. A stop at Safeway and we were off to our next destination.

Smokiam RV Campground in Soap Lake is a very well maintained park with a lot of amenities.  I was excited about the pool... until I got there.  I went in the morning, every chair had something on it, no one was actually sitting on a chair, there were 23 children and myself in the pool area. Uhm, yeah, I wasn't happy.  I went to the office as it clearly stated (in two languages) no one under 14 could be in the pool area without an adult. I was not willing to be any one's adult.

It was disappointing.  After the office lady kicked all of the kids out of the pool, she left and they all hopped back into the pool. 

I had high hopes for this campground for family reunions or Sisters on the Fly gatherings but unless you come with your own tribe you'll have a tough time using the amenities.

We did relax in our site, read a lot and played cards.  Max and Kassie came for dinner and that was fun too. The scenery is very pretty. The bathrooms are new and nice. Besides the pool area and unfriendly people it was a nice campground.

We spotted this little Hanson Love Bug on our trip and I did talk to the owner.  He wasn't willing to sell but I'll keep checking in with him.

 Next stop was at Max and Kassie's house. We had a great visit and it's fun to see them settling into their home and marriage.

 Bo likes to lay in Annie.

On our way home we stopped at Flyer Brewery at the Skagit Airport.  It's a great setting, marginal beer, good food and boring wait staff.  I'll let you decide.

 Then it was home for one night where we did laundry, got groceries and packed up to leave again.  This time we went to Silver Lake with my family.

 No family trip is complete without Jeans bars and licorice.

 Jeff and Kathi tented, Bill and Jodi car camped and the kids tented. Ken took his camper.

 There was a shelter behind our spots and that was fortunate as it rained most of the time.

 Aurora was the cutest little camper.  It was her second trip and she is 3 months old. Her Mom is pretty determined to camp.

Hubby and I played pinochle with Jeff and Kathi and reminisced about what a great card player our Dad was. It was good to get together, remember Dad and Mom and all our camping trips with them. 

This is a long post and it should have been five, but one and done!
Elk Ridge Campground
Nile Valley Rally at Jim Sprick Park
Best Western Hotel in Union Gap* not camping but hey we needed to shower and stretch out.
Smokiam RV Park
Silver Lake Park

Hubby went back to work today, school starts tomorrow and fall is in the air.
The mornings are foggy, the nights are cool and I am freezing peaches... must be the end of August.

We are thankful for all of the safe miles we had, the fun with friends and family and a beautiful summer.
Good stuff, my friends!

August Random

Happy Friday friends!

August isn't my favorite month. Everything is so dry, it's too hot and Target has the back to school supplies in my face. Even though it's not my favorite, I have had some good stuff going on here.

One evening I offered to drive Hubby and friends to dinner in a cooler location. I didn't tell them where we were going and I was impressed that they trusted my judgment.

I drove them to the Lummi Island ferry where we made it just in time to walk on and walk off.  That's how it feels because it is a short trip.  A cool and beautiful trip.

We sat on the front porch of the Beach Store Cafe and we actually got chilly sitting in the shade.

Later that week we drove to Winthrop for lunch.  Yes, it's a long way to go for lunch but it is a beautiful drive and we enjoyed our day trip very much.

This week I have stuck around home because we had seven large trees taken down.  Ice storms and wind storms were becoming stressful.  We called in an expert and he agreed with our choices. There was only one tree of the seven that we are mourning but we do have a lot of trees.  It is Phase I of a much larger project.  Hubby and I are DIYers and we knew we needed the pros for this job. They were fantastic!

I also stayed home this week because a wasp flew up my pajama pants on Monday evening and stung me. I do have bad reactions and though I wanted to ignore it that wasn't possible. Stinging, itching, tightness, swelling and pain on the back of my calf.  And my eyes get puffy.  I'm pretty much shot when I get stung as the Benedryl knocks me out.  I'm better today but I do have a 3 inch bruise on the back of my leg. #ihatewasps  

Since the back to school supplies are at Target I am in a panic about not tackling enough projects this summer.  I cleaned out the linen closet, donated two garbage bags full of  linens to the thrift store and now I'm pretty much over it. 

I am still floating in my pool for one. It's pretty great, actually.

You will all be relieved that I got my sample of my old book to scrapbook finished. Yes, after making one I am prepared to show twenty other campers the how to's of this little project. Hahaha

Next up a two week vacation. I guess August isn't sooo bad.

Kat's Bridal Shower

 Yesterday my sister, Kathi and I hosted a bridal shower for our nephew, Levi's fiancee, Kat. I've always wanted to set up one long table and have a party in the pasture. So that is what we did.

Entertaining takes a village.

This shower is brought to you by Kathi and I and my daughter-in-law, Kassie and the gardens at Shelly's farm.  All flowers are from Shelly's gardens! Thank you Shell!

Hubby helped with set up and tear down. 

 I made the balloon installation.  I saw it on Pinterest and thought, "how hard can it be? I can do that."

When fools rush in...and Amazon helps.  Anyway, I won't be quitting my sub job to create balloon art but it did turn out okay and Kassie and I got in the tree.

 We used our tiki bar for the mimosas and champagne cocktails.

 A million thanks to Kassie for pouring and refilling and yeah, helping me set up.

I love her!

 The bride and her sister, Brooke. Twinning much?

 Kat with her future sisters-in-law Hana and Serena and Serena and Alex's Baby, Aurora.

 Kat and my sister, Jodi.  Kat is getting a wonderful mother-in-law and Jodi is getting a wonderful daughter-in-law. It's a win win.

 The mimosas made everything so pretty!

 Everyone enjoyed the brunch. Kathi and I tried new recipes.

 I love my sissies!

 I can't wait for the wedding! Not because Levi and Kat are getting hitched but because Brooke gets to make a speech with a microphone. Aren't sisters the best?