...you have reached Fisherman's Paradise.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Ah yes -- Fisherman's Paradise!!!!! That is what it said at the end of the driving directions. But first --- one must drive on a treacherous road path trail hazardous deactivated forest road.

Well let's see now. We left our luxurious accommodations at the Hampton Inn in Kamploops and drove an easy hour and a half to Little Fort where we would have lunch as it is the last town before MLFC (Meadow Lake Fishing Camp). Of course there was the stop at the Fly shop before lunch to ensure that the fisher people were equipped with the correct flies and information.

From Little Fort we drove a nice 12 miles on the highway to the first turn onto the unpaved part.

 

We were to continue on this "good" road for another 5 miles.

The road. Trying to take photos of our companions driving ahead of us.

 

Continuing on the good road

 

...to the next turn to MLFC

 

We had to keep our eye out for the signs to direct us

 

And then this sign appeared. HUH??? What are we doing on this road!!??!!??

We persevered on through wash outs with holes and ruts big enough to overturn anyone who was not paying close enough attention to avoid them! Susan did an admirable job of driving this road with no help from my screeching, hanging on, using some profanity and assuring her I would never come on another fishing trip and John needed to leave me off the invitation the next time he asked her to come along for a "Fisherman's Paradise" adventure!

 

The road was already narrow and we see this sign for narrowing road!

 

Out of focus but these are some tire swallowing mud gullies along the way

 

Susan turned on the GPS to see where we were and what was around us...!

 

Alas, we turn into the driveway to the camp

 

And here we were -- in Paridise!

 

And home sweet home (tongue in cheek)

 

Inside our home sweet home

 

With drinking water and wash up water at our disposal

 

And showers right next door! The outhouses are further away for a nice refreshing walk when one needs it ;'-)

I have lived to tell this story, and that was doubtful for me during that treacherous drive. Perhaps tomorrow I will have a better outlook on things and can be more positive???? We'll see.

Right now they (all the others) have gone out fishing so I decided to at least put this in writing while it is fresh in my mind.

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A bit more "catch up"

July 2016

Our camping trailer is a "Livin' Lite" model. For the first time, there was a "rally" organized and we registered to attend for four nights (that's five days!!!). The Grands had the grandest time ever. It was the two oldest grands -- Jaydon and Lucy -- without the parents. I can't say that we did not have a few melt downs over these days, but we all got through them intact.

 

We rode bikes everywhere, and one of the days, the grands rode 14 miles. They are each and both very accomplished cyclists and do enjoy our outings with them.

We rode to the lake...

 

...explored lakeside critters

 

We read mystery books!

 

We biked to the ocean

 

Jaydon (purposely) rolled down the sand dunes

 

Lucy was a "sand angel"

 

The wreck of the Iredale at the beach

 

They jumped waves and gotten sopping wet and totally full of sand (two days in row)

 

Jaydon found a spot to do his summer homework of reading 20 minutes a day

 

Jaydon acted as part of the cannon firing team

 

Lucy "drove" the jeep

 

We rode across bridges

 

Jaydon rode up ahead on the hill with Grandma packed for fishing and all activities!

 

And they made new friends

The grands played a lot with two sets of new found friends and were on and off bikes all day, playing baseball or hide and seek or tag, or whatever someone came up with. This trip was such a success, Jaydon said maybe we can do it again next year! That is a testimonial if there ever was one.

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An interlude to our 2016 retirement trip

I have been so remiss in the keeping of this blog, it is impossible to get "caught up". However I want to post some photos of our adventures with the Grands, and photos of a few other adventures I have had.

During Susan and Jaydon's spring break we took the two older grands camping at Birch Bay for a couple of nights. It's a great place to take them as there is a nice bike ride to ice cream. Unfortunately, this time the ice cream store was not yet open for the season. We rode to lunch instead.

We got more riding and activities into the few days we had.

 

Getting buckled into helmets before getting on the bikes

 

Getting to the playground and dropping bikes for swings and play stuff

 

Sarah came up for the last day and brought Kaitlyn to join in on the adventures

I took a bit of a ride on my own through the town of Birch Bay while the others played at the beach.

 

Eagle spotting!

 

Scene at the Bay in town

Other outings I have had have been with wonderful friends -- some on bike rides.

 

My friend John D (who is a train enthusiast) rode the northern end of the Centennial Trail -- and lo! There came a train.

 

Dorothy, Bette-Ann, Nancy, Linda, Brenda -- a great ride on the Burke Gilman Trail where we spotted 3 eagles

 

Right across from where we stood -- 3 eagles posing for us.

For the first time, Iearned about the lavender farm that is just off the Sammamish River Trail.

 

Through the lavender farm

 

Heading for some lavender lemonade and lavender ice cream.

 

Nice setting on the trail on the way to lavender

 

Another day, Cindy led us on a ride that came upon a lemonade stand we could not pass up.

I lead rides occasionally for the senior rides out of Lynnwood Senior Center. One of my favorite rides, and that of many others, is the ride to Anacortes and Bayview.

 

An old wooden train car in the field on the return trip from Anacortes

 

A duck rock on that same road of the train car

 

Along the trail into Anacortes there is a "public art" work where everyone is invited to add something to the collection

 

A different group (Rainbow Riders) I lead on this ride search around for something to add to the art

These are only a few of the photos and stories I "should" have posted in the past few months. They represent only a sampling of the fun and adventures I have been fortunate to share with family and friends. My next post will be about our four night camping trip with Grands. THEN I will be posting about this current trip we are on.

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Susan's retirement summer (2016)

Sunday, August 21, 2016

I will start with posting an email I wrote to a friend who asked about our trip and what we would be doing. Here are the plans in a nutshell:

Now that Susan is officially retired, we are planning a latish "vacation" trip. On Sunday (8/21) we will drive up to BC Canada for a family/friend fish camp! We will be at Meadow Lake Fishing Camp (about an hour north of Kamloops) in sparse cabins that have no electricity except in the "lodge" building. Susan's college friends (and consequently their children are friends) are fly fishing enthusiasts and talked Susan (and Sarah & family) into doing this 4 night fish camp thing. I am not into fishing AT ALL, but made a bit of a trade off. After our adventure at fish camp (where I will most likely do a lot of reading), Susan and I will drive on to Wisconsin for a Road Scholar bike tour of the Nothwoods area.

After our week long bike tour we will explore some more -- return to Door County WI for some biking on our own which we enjoyed 10 years ago (how can it be that long ago?). Then we will meander toward home via more of WI, Colorado, Montana, etc., taking our time to explore and to visit friends and family along the way. We will have about a month all told, and must be back by at least the last weekend of September.

So - here we are on Sunday, August 21, all packed up and ready to go.

Traveling light this time -- no microwave, and only one ice chest!

 

As noted -- traveling light ;'-)

Our first night is to be spent at a Hampton Inn in Kamloops where the grands and their family friends (Cayden and Brenna) would have fun in the swimming pool, and the adults (John, Elaine, Greg, Wendy, Sarah, Jeremy, Susan, Nancy) would have a break from driving to "camp".

We stopped for lunch in Merritt, BC at a "real" western pub and grill.

 

Lunch time on the road

We will all rest and relax for the short drive tomorrow when the "fun" will really begin.

 

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