July 2017 - Next Stop Always

Bavarian Done Disney Style

A place we had never even heard of before our travels, Leavenworth, WA, kept popping up on many must visit lists. National Geographic called it one of the 100 best adventure towns and Country Living hailed it as one of the most charming small towns. We were headed towards Colorado and wanted to go through Walla Walla (wine of course) and Boise to visit a friend. So, we decided we needed a stop in this Bavarian-styled village to see what all the fuss was about.

As we drove in from Seattle, the Cascade Mountain views were forget-to- breath beautiful. As we got closer, around every corner we saw more snow-capped mountains. It was like we were driving into the Alps, not central Washington.

But, pulling in to the Germanesque downtown was more intriguing than awe inspiring.

Not to be outdone by actual Germans, the city of Leavenworth takes their theme seriously. When we pulled into our campground, we were handed a cheat sheet of German words just to be sure we could fit in with the “local” language.

While it was the tiniest bit cheesy, we do have to admit we had fun exploring the town by bike and feeling like we were in a Bavarian village done Disney style.

In Leavenworth you can pig out on everything from schnitzels to cider kraut and wash it all down with a stein in one of the beer gardens. Don’t worry, if you are like us and not the biggest fan of bratwurst, they have plenty of food besides the typical German fare. Rest assured though, you will still get the Bavarian experience. All of the other shops and restaurants toe the themed line, even the local Starbucks.

Best thing we did?

Icicle Gorge Hike.

It had the four elements of what we consider our perfect hiking trail.

1. It all starts with a great name. Icicle Gorge. It sounds like when you take off on this route, you may end up channeling a Viking explorer or getting stabbed by a falling chunk of ice. Either way, the name kicks ass.

2. It was a loop. TeamTary doesn’t like to go backwards. We are always full steam ahead and hiking trails are no different. We want to explore new sights around every corner and loops are the way to go.

3. It had action along the way. From rushing water and waterfall-ettes to rocks and bridges to traverse it kept us guessing with every step.

4. It took no more than two hours to finish. Don’t get us wrong, we can do more and will take on any challenge, but this size makes it comfy enough to get plenty of other stuff done in a day. And really, we don’t know where the time goes now that we have so much less to do. It’s exhausting.

Best thing we ate?

Before heading out full time in the Airstream, we bought a cast iron skillet. I think we thought it was a camping requirement. Maybe idealistic thoughts of grilling out over a wood fire even floated through our heads. Well, the glampers that we are were using the stove and grill all the time. The skillet was buried deep in a nook in the under couch storage until now. A recipe for a cast iron citrus upside down cake pushed us to reach into the crevices of storage to get our skillet and boy were we glad we did.

It baked perfectly in our little oven and thankfully, even though we wanted to, we didn’t eat it all in one sitting. We wrapped up the individual pieces and put them in our freezer (after eating 2 or 4 of course). They are safely tucked away for the days when we don’t feel like doing all this.

What we learned?

It doesn’t matter whether your home is stationary or on wheels. There are still two rules that always apply.

Rule number one: It’s all about location, location, location.

When we arrived at the KOA in Leavenworth, they tried to stick us in a subpar spot. It was up front amidst all the in and out traffic as well as by the bathrooms. You couldn’t get any worse. As we walked out the door, we thought if we didn’t say something we were going to have a miserable few days. So, we marched back to the desk and asked for a more secluded spot and they changed us to this beauty.

Rule number two: Anything that can break will break.

At this stop it was our window blind.

Who knew that little string could easily wear out, break and take out the blind? You can certainly tell who has patience between the two of us, since Gary is the one weaving that string back through.

Next Stop: Fort Collins, Colorado

Fiddleheads and Goose Eggs

While we were super excited to get to Seattle, we had an overnight pit stop to make first at Mount Rainier National Park. As we drove around the park we got caught up in the pristine beauty.

Until we saw this sign. Our amazement turned into intimidation as we were suddenly reminded that Mount Rainier is an active volcano.

It is easy to forget you aren’t just in the mountains, but in volcano territory. Nevertheless we were staying overnight, so we had to change out of our scaredy pants into our big boy and girl pants.

When we got to our campground we were shocked to discover that we were the only ones there for the night. That never happens! At this stage of our journey we are campground people. Neither us nor our rig are truly ready for boondocking just yet (read about our first experience with dry camping here), but we understand the appeal for sure. It isn’t just the free camping on BLM land, but more importantly the luxury of not being crammed in like sardines where you not only hear your neighbors conversations, but you also know exactly what they are eating for dinner by the aromas wafting into your RV from their grill.

So, for a moment we savored our aloneness in the wilderness.

We enjoyed quite time by the creek doing nothing but sipping cocktails and reading with the sound of the babbling brook in our ears instead of our next door neighbor’s music selection.

Little did we know this was the calm before the storm. Seattle rain storms that is. Unfortunately, this was the last time we would be dry for a couple of weeks.

We had some fun weekend jaunts to Seattle in the past, so we were looking forward to this stop. For a moment it seems like the perfect area to live—it’s a foodie mecca while being surrounded by the outdoors in all directions. With the exception of the ever expanding Amazon empire jacking up all of the real estate prices you would think this would be an amazing place to settle down. Uh, no. They call it the Emerald City for a reason. Green, green, green means rain, rain, rain. While our other trips to Seattle have only been for a few days, this time we were here for a couple of weeks. A solid two weeks of rain cemented the thought that no matter how great the food is or that beautiful national parks are just a short drive away, we would never ever chose to live here. Sorry all you Seattleites, we just don’t get it.

As we explored the city we realized after being in quiet areas for so long we didn’t like going back to the hustle bustle and traffic of a big city. So, we found ourselves some nature at Deception Pass State Park. Something as simple as playing with rocks that looked more like works of art than plain stones made us very happy that day.

Oh look, a break in the rain for a few minutes! Notice the ominous grey cloud above just laughing at us.

We also found out that Seattle, even in the city, has some amazing nature trails and parks. We loved trail running at Discovery Park for the view alone.

Now, Seattle might not know how to do weather, but it does farmers’ markets like a boss. From the original, Pike Place Market, to each unique neighborhood version, you can find heirloom produce, game meat, and foraged goodies that would delight even the snobbiest epicure.

While Pike Place is a must visit to explore and taste your way through, it can be touristy, crowded and expensive. We found the neighborhood markets, like Ballard Farmers’ Market, were better for weekly shopping and also grabbing a slice of wood-fired pizza straight from this portable oven!

Best thing we did?

The Color Run Seattle.

The giddy energy of this event is contagious and it was nuts getting blasted with color and jumping through bubbles. But, the reason this event was the best thing we did was because it was more about possibility than rainbows and unicorns. See, running used to be my thing. I would do 5 and 10Ks and Gary would be there to send me off and take pictures. Since Gary had knee issues most of his life, he could never run and there was even a time when he could barely walk around the block without being in extreme pain. However, over the last several years with tons of physical therapy and perseverance he is now comfortably hiking 4-5 miles at a time on this adventure. Still, when I signed up for this race a month beforehand, he shocked me by saying he wanted to run with me. So, we started wogging daily instead of just walking or hiking. By race day he was feeling pretty good and we headed out bright and early for the 8 am run through downtown Seattle.

While it wasn’t easy–maybe breathing in a bucket load of yellow #5 had something to do with it–we pushed to the end. It’s amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it and take the first step. Being out on the road exploring new things everyday has opened our minds even more to the possibilities of what we can do.

Best thing we ate?

On a day trip by ferry to Whidbey Island, we stopped for lunch at The Oystercatcher. Shockingly we didn’t even eat oysters. We could have eaten one of everything on the menu because it all sounded so good, but our favorite dish was simple and fresh. It was a farmer’s cheese dumpling in a broth of pea juice and topped with house-cured prosciutto and pea shoots. Surely we got some nutritional bonus points from slurping the last drops of the phytonutrient rich juice from the bowl.

What we learned?

It’s possible to do the things you love anywhere, if you do the work to seek them out. We found hiking with amazing landscapes and the small town feel of neighborhood farmers’ markets hidden within a metropolis. In order to rise above our negativity about being in a big city with all of the hustle and bustle that entails, we challenged ourselves to find the things that made us happy even in a place that didn’t fit like a glove. When we looked beyond the obvious, we found what we needed.

Having this perspective will serve us well as we continue to travel across the US with our now pre-booked route instead of our former “flying by the seat of our pants” style. In the past, if we had feelings of disappointment in an area where we landed, we would just pick up and move. And sometimes that is okay. But as we start to slow down more and more, we are booking places in advance for a week or even two (gasp!) at a time and it isn’t as easy to leave. Slowing down is a process. Instead of pushing down our feelings and moving on, we are learning how to deal with them and figuring out how to make fizzy lemonade out of just plain old lemons.

Next Stop: Washington’s Bavarian Village

That One Time When We Drove into the Ocean

Heading up towards Washington we felt that we would be terrible road trippers if we left Oregon without a stop on its spectacular coast. Our last opportunity before crossing the border was the port town of Astoria. We found the perfect State Park (Oregon has quite a few great State Parks with RV hookups), Fort Stevens, just across the bridge from Astoria. What made it great you ask? Two things. The first was the feeling of being swaddled in trees in our own little nook in the forest and the second was that we were within throwing distance of the Pacific Ocean.

We soon found out we were a little quick to be giddy about our perfect spot. What we neglected to consider was one simple equation:

(Trees x 10) + humidity = billions of bugs and blood sucking mosquitos

Once we settled in, we realized we couldn’t even sit outside in our chairs without being eaten alive! So, to avoid the turf war with the bug overlords, we spent most of our time exploring Astoria. We found there were plenty of things to do that didn’t require a shower of bug spray or the burning of citronella candles. Like…

Lunch with a view.

Or channeling our inner children and launching balsam wood airplanes off of the tippy top of the Astoria column.

Do keep in mind that if you are not an actual child, you absolutely will need to give yourself 15 minutes or so to recover from dragging your burning legs and scream lungs up the dizzying circular 164 step staircase.

It is quite high and you will likely feel the urge, like Gary did, to grasp the railing while throwing your glider off the edge.

This view of not only Astoria, but also the state of Washington across the longest continuous truss bridge North America, is worth the climb.

We also spent time at the beach. Were we found hundred year old shipwrecks.

And perfect sand dollars.

Wait, you aren’t here for all of that nonsense. No, you are here for the story about the drive into the Pacific Ocean. Okay, you have been patient enough. Read on friends…

Best thing we did?

One of the cool things you can do in Fort Stevens State Park is drive on the beach. I knew the moment we decided to do this I was going to love and hate it, especially with Gary driving.

As we slowly pulled onto the beach and Gary drove down the sand beside the waves it was all very relaxing…the calm before the storm.

The minute we saw a couple of other cars doing donuts on the beach, I knew the storm was brewing and I’d better hold on with everything I had. A few dozen donuts later, Gary thought it would be fun to drive IN the water, albeit the very shallow water. You know, the tiny waves you stick your toes into as it gently rolls towards you.

As we were riding along I was hanging on and praying under my breath, but Gary was driving with a huge smile on his face. I do realize that some of you (mom) are reading this thinking that you would be doing the same praying if I was driving down a regular street with you in the car, but seriously, this was the OCEAN.

There could be a problem when your weather app says you are in the Pacific Ocean and you are in a truck instead of a boat.

You know how when you are walking in the shallow waves and all of the sudden that one wave sneaks up on you? You run backwards with a yelp so the water doesn’t splash up above your ankles. That is exactly what happened, but in our case it was splashing up the tires and onto the doors. I freaked out and yelled at Gary to get out of the water, so he starts to turn out. That’s when–KABLAM!–we hit a giant dip that was hidden under the water and went flying General Lee style. Luckily we were able to get out onto the packed sand quickly and stop to assess things. We were a bit shaken up, but the truck was fine. However, we noticed we only had three bike tires. We realized one flew out of the bed of the truck and into the ocean. Gary quickly ran to grab it and barely got there before it was lost at sea.

This was by far the scariest thing that we have done during this entire trip. Gary probably would have preferred to hike Angel’s Landing with me instead of this. Thank goodness the flying bike tire was worst that happened!

Best thing we ate?

When we arrived in Astoria the first thing we wanted to do was go out for great seafood. When we were Yelping to find something, Bowpicker came up with a million positive reviews, but it just was a fish and chips “boat” stand. We were thinking oysters or mussels not fish and chips. So, we ended up at a nice-ish place on the water that shall remain nameless, but it was just okay. Which left us annoyed that we spent money on it at all. Out of disappointment, we gave up on seafood at this stop.

The next day as we explored the town we saw a massive line formed at Bowpicker. Well, anywhere you go that has a line out the door is a place that should definitely be on the radar. We realized our mistake right away and hopped in that line.

We waited in fear as we read the scare tactic sign posted that claimed they were only open until they sold out. Luckily we made the cut and it is likely the anticipation of waiting in line that made our basket of meaty, battered and fried albacore tuna even tastier. They say they do one thing and do it well and they aren’t lying. So for $11 bucks we shared the best meal we had in Astoria.

What we learned?

There is a certain amount of calculated risk that creates a fun, exciting experience. The key word in that sentence is calculated. When you are using your only vehicle that also tows your house, risk = crazy. So, moving forward we will save risky moves for fun hikes like Angel’s Landing or for lottery tickets.

Next Stop: The Emerald City

Does Size Matter?

One of the interesting things about Oregon is that it has a lot of charming, small-ish towns. Having been jam-packed in SoCal like cattle for so long we were itching to check out towns where there was space to spread out, but also where people were comfortable enough to speak to each other and get to know each other instead of hurrying to get inside their front door for fear of having to say hello. Somewhere we could engage in the community and feel like a part of something…make it a forever home.

We picked out two of these Oregon towns, McMinnville and Silverton, to stop in on our way towards Seattle. McMinnville is home to about 30,000 people, so it isn’t a super small town, but we chose it because it is considered a foodie town and #TeamTary can get on board with that! It is indeed a quaint town with some top notch restaurants, several unique wine AVAs in the region, and the requisite downtown shops. However, it is just big enough and kitschy enough to attract a lot of tourists. Great to visit, but not the place we envision for where we want to grow roots.

Silverton is much smaller, around 9,400 people, but had a slightly dorky charm and the hometown kind of feel that was missing in McMinnville. Silverton is a “little engine that could” kind of town. By looking down the main street you would think it was just like any other small town, but once you dig in, it tugs and tugs at you (I think I can, I think I can) until you believe it is much more than it looks on the surface.

The main thoroughfare downtown, Water Street, runs parallel to a creek (obviously), so there are several restaurants where you can eat on the patio and enjoy the soothing sounds of flowing water while sipping a flight of wine (or two) from Willamette Valley.

As we strolled through downtown, we were surprised we didn’t see a ton of tourists. What we did see were kids and parents lined up 20 deep at the local café for the $1.00 ice cream cone special after school. We watched in shock as they took them to the park next door to enjoy them and actually talk and play with each other.

It isn’t just the downtown that is better than average. Silverton also offers unique things to do instead of the typical touristy activities. One of the things we did was tour the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in Oregon, The Gordon House. This house wasn’t even built here, it was taken apart piece by piece and was moved here…uh engine that could! The docent’s fascination with the house came through and made us love the tour. The entire house has a theme based upon the 15 degree tilt of the seat in Mr. Gordon’s truck where he was most comfortable. From couch to countertops, everything aligned with this credo. Even the tourist attractions are overachievers in this town.

Plus, Silverton is just down the road from the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. There the mischievous, ambitious tulips even strive to make this field more than just your typical soldier rows full of flowers.

Best thing we did?

The Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park.

Yes, more waterfall hiking. It is definitely time we called the Guinness World Record people to find out what we need to do to get in there. You are surely wondering why a basic waterfall hike is making our best thing list in a town where we also went to a tulip festival and one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses. Well, hold on, let me explain.

Normally a waterfall hike consists of one, maybe two if you’re lucky, waterfalls. But Silverton, Oregon, the little town that could, had a trail with ten, yes 1-0, waterfalls.

We were still all about the waterfall selfies on this hike, but given there was a waterfall about once every quarter mile the progression of our pictures got selfie silly towards the end.

Apparently I need to teach Gary the difference between a rabbit ears and a peace sign! Oh, and you are welcome for not putting all ten pictures in this post.

Best thing we ate?

While we may not want to move to McMinnville, we do not deny it is home to some great restaurants. Our dinner at Thistle was amazing. It is a small place with locally sourced ingredients (of course, so on trend). Depending on your memory skills it could be a bit of a challenge to order since they don’t have menus, just a chalkboard with their daily offerings. Luckily it is a short list and you can’t go wrong.

The best thing we ate were the Oysters from Netarts Bay, Oregon. One of the things that we really wanted to do was to get out to the coast from this area and harvest oysters, dig clams or rent a boat and go crabbing, but we just couldn’t make it happen. At least we got to have the oysters almost right out of the sea and we can book the trip for finding our own next time.

What we learned?

During this journey we are realizing that what we thought we would want and need was a city in the 50,000 – 80,000 population size. We thought we needed somewhere this big so there would be things happening downtown and enough for us to do to keep us busy. However, we are finding out that we need to go even smaller to get the community feel we want and have a bit of character. It doesn’t need to have a million things to do, but needs to have the things we want to do. Figuring out what those things are is the tricky part, but luckily we still have more journey to keep figuring that out.

Next Stop: Astoria…last call before Washington