Morton, WA


It gently rained all night long, as I spent my last night at Mount Rainier National Park. It took almost an hour to exit the park, on a mission to find gasoline. I still had some in my tank, however there is no gasoline available anywhere inside the entire park, nor is there any cell service. It's a big park!

I drove to the town of Morton for a lunch date. As I headed into the small sleepy town, its surrounded by smaller mountains, and almost reminded me of a green forest version of my hometown, AZ, neighborhood. There was a large logging operation, as I entered the town, with a lot of trees and cut lumber.

I had a lunch date with my Aunt Maria, and Jim, who came in from their camping spot directly west. We enjoyed a really great lunch with huge sandwiches and coffee. The River Cafe apparently bakes their own bread, and even makes their own flavored coffee sweeteners. A surprising find in a small town. They had a wall full of books and it was a quiet, peaceful way to spend some time, and conversation. Just before meeting them, I threw in a load of wash at the local laundromat that was just around the corner. Eventually, I proceeded back to the laundromat to start the dryer, while we continued our conversations, this time with Jo Jo. It was really nice to see both of them as I said goodbye, but not before a stop to get groceries, where we ran into each other, yet again. I guess it really is a small town! 

I headed south on a mission to find forest lands for my overnight stay. The first spot directed me right to the area I had in mind, however there are now signs dictating: No Camping. Ugh. So I proceeded further south on this forest road, and found an open cleared space, with three fire pits. That was enough evidence needed for me, and where I would spend the night. I was the only one here amongst deafening silence. If Sasquatch is out there, this would have been the place to come find me, or for me to find him. I did check it out. I found a few ripened raspberries as Jo Jo and I walked along this wet, mossy, and beautiful forest. I watched the "Horse Whipserer" on dvd. Love... Robert Redford.







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At home now… from the great 2023 Alaska Road Trip!

Image
​ Jo Jo and I are home, from the trip of a lifetime! 106 days, 11,539 miles, 675 gallons of gasoline, a ton of fun, beautiful views, and amazing experiences. Other than a brief head cold, no other mishaps, except my souvenir windshield chips. The Sylver Gypsy performed wonderfully. She kept me safe and warm. My last days were drive heavy, but I managed a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park. My last night was in the Coconino Forest near Flagstaff, where I also made a brief stop at Sunset Crater. I’ll need a few moments to adjust being back to reality, but it’s nice to be home!
Read more

Bryce Canyon National Park, then almost home

Image
​ A great night in the Utah desert, and a rather chilly morning, surprisingly, but I got up and hurried out of there with the intention of getting to Bryce Canyon National Park. I wondered if I would have enough time and decided it was only 20 minutes one-way, out-of-the-way as I continued on my route home. This would be my third time visiting Bryce and I’m so glad I did. As with any National Park, there are some new changes and the Ranger told me that because I’m over 20 feet I would have to park in the main parking lot and take the shuttle bus in to see the viewpoints. She gave me a tag to hang in my window. My heart sank to the bottom, since I know the shuttle buses will not except pets, and I was not willing to leave Jo Jo. However, upon examining the tag, it indicated vehicles over 23 feet to park and shuttle. My Travato is 21 feet. Hmmmm, I was annoyed. So I ignored the directions and went straight to the parking area at the sunrise amphitheater and not only did I see other campe...
Read more

Montana to Blackfoot, Idaho

Image
​ Well, other than spending the day driving I didn’t do much else. Unless you consider the excitement of filling up my gas tank for $80.00. It’s the first time in a long time when I looked down I saw my gauge in the red and the yellow warning light came on indicating low fuel. I never do these things, but I must’ve been in “the zone” while driving. Either way, I made it to the next gas station and I also have 2 gallons as a spare mounted to my ladder. I wound up staying in the same place that I stopped in May, as I was traveling up north. It’s Rose Pond Park near the town of Blackfoot, Idaho. I even recall exactly where I stayed and it was open and available. However, there was a radio concert going on right around the corner. I wasn’t into listening to the “boom boom.” I found another spot just as a truck came with three ATV, mini bikes and kids who spent the next two hours driving around, mostly in the parking lot. I was actually concerned that they would come by too closely or lose ...
Read more