The Libators go Corner to Corner: Playing Across the Middle.

We left Kansas City early to get to our next Harvest Host early enough to enjoy it. We stayed at the American Tractor Museum in Perryville, Missouri. Our next one night stay was at the Clarksville RV Resort in, you guessed it, Clarksville, Tennessee. Then we got a break from fast travel again in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This route through Tennessee was specifically so I could buy a mountain (or country) dulcimer at Smoky Mountain Dulcimer. I have a hammered dulcimer (a 12/11 size) at home, but it doesn't travel well, so I figured I would try an instrument of a different color, er... size. It's played completely differently, but I still liked the sound and the feel of it, so its mine now. The second day in the Pigeon Forge area was devoted to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which we hit at an excellent time for leaf peeping. Fall color extraordinaire.

Illuminating drive.

A Fantastic Museum.

Our quiet spot at the American Tractor Museum.

They have an amazing collection.

I think this was the Mississippi, or maybe the Missouri?

A very brief trip through a small corner of Kentucky.

The Ohio River.

Sweet Tennessee.

Downtown Nashville. This is as close as we got to the big city.

 

Views from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Alum Caves Bluff.

A kind fellow hiker took this picture for us.

Fall color from Inspiration Point.

My new beauty.

At the Old Mill Restaurant.

The Libators go Corner to Corner: Fast Track to Kansas City and More Friends.

The main goal of this trip is to spend time in Florida, on Key West. So instead of our more typical slower pace, we are moving fast through the center of the country with two brief pauses until we reach the other corner. The first fast leg ends with a two-night stay in Kansas City so we can briefly visit with friends from Russ' time in graduate school. This stop and a visit to a luthier in Tennessee constitute the breaks from travel mode. We left Prosser and moved west and south until we reached I-80 north of Salt Lake City, and then moved mostly straight west to KC. We stopped for only one night at each camp site, either a Harvest Host, a state park, BLM dispersed camping or a RV park. I like to stay in a park every 4-6 days to get full hook ups and reload the trailer consumables.

Roll on, Columbia, roll on.

Little Creek Campground (Harvest Host), Caldwell, ID.

Cedar really liked this spot surrounded by cornfields and an irrigation ditch.

The Snake River by the Boathouse in Burley, ID (Harvest Host).

Great views backed up to the Snake River.

Sunset over the Snake.

White Mountain Road Dispersed Camping over Green River, Wyoming.

This spot is a favorite. Unbeatable views.

We were all alone on the ridge.

A fun way to mark our passage at Cheyenne RV Resort.

We had full hook ups here and took advantage.

Sandy Channel State Resource Area, Elm Creek, Nebraska.

Sandy Channel was a state park. Again we were the only ones there.

Cedar liked the view (especially the bunnies).

Dinner with friends in Kansas City (Overland Park).

Views of downtown Kansas City.

The Libators go Corner to Corner: Starting out with wine and friends.

The plan is to take our trailer from Tacoma to Key West, Florida, with a slow return along parts of the gulf coast and Thanksgiving in New Mexico with Russ' family. We had seven days to get packed and go after we returned from Port Townsend. Some of the necessary things were started or even finished before we left for Port Townsend, but most of the work happened after we returned. 

Before: mail forwarding set up, order medications so we don't need fuss with them on the road, some purchases (a new lens, new shoes), some food processing like drying the apples from our tree, R-Pod and truck maintenance and cleaning. 

After: Clean inside of the R-Pod and truck, laundry, clean and prepare the house to be empty, arrange for house sitters, visit with as many of our friends and family as we can fit in one week, cancel Pilates classes that I will miss, schedule Spanish lessons less frequently for on the road, final harvest of the garden and clear it for winter, process garden bounty for later use, pack food for the trip, pack the cat supplies, pack clothing and entertainment (electronics, books, knitting, cameras).

Home in the rear view mirror (not really, this is the Yakima River Canyon).

The last harvest. I made fried green tomatoes for our final dinner at home.

The food packing list and the start of something delicious.

I use these collapsible crates to load everything, and then for laundry on the road.

The first Corner: Tacoma.

Not much water in the reservoir at this time of year.

Summer at Home

This is a placeholder post. I want to write it, but I also feel like I need to start posting our travel blog posts since we are currently on the road. I just don't want this one to be weirdly out of order.

Flowers for the house in the summer, candles in the winter.

It was a good year for the garden.

Smoky sunset from Point Defiance.

Midsommar Bakery at the Proctor Farmers Market.

Roses from the yard.

Silver Falls at Mount Rainier National Park.

 

Port Townsend Fall Blowout (Blow IN).

My parents chose to reserve a spot at the Point Hudson Marina and RV park in Port Townsend for the last week before the Autumnal Equinox and invited us to join them. Of course, I said yes, but didn't pay attention to the fact that we planned to leave on a two month R-Pod trip nine days after we returned. The equinox was on the day after we got home on the 22nd, and we were leaving on October 1st for Key West, Florida, just about the farthest point we could drive to in the US from our little northwest corner. It turned out to be a great shake down cruise, so to speak, and it help me build up some excitement for the bigger trip to come. This was the week of the big film festival, so town was pretty full, but we made our reservations so far in advance that it didn't matter much until our friends that live north of Seattle decided to come and join us for the weekend by getting a hotel room. They had trouble finding one, but did manage to get something on the opposite end of town from us. Still, we had a great weekend with them to cap off our week. We also lucked out with great weather until the last day, when a big storm blew in to remind us of the first day of fall the next day as we drove home.

 

Cat and Crow.

Friends about town.

Fog bank.

Meditation on the beach.

There was some fall color.

Sunrise over the Straight.

Reflections of a tall ship.

Downtown selfie at sunset.

Pole sitting.

Another magical sunrise.

The Port Townsend-Whidbey Island Ferry

Our spot. Views all around.

Sailing.

A Long Weekend at Long Beach

We spent three nights at the Ocean Park house of our friend, Z. Just for fun. Just because we can. It was the Kite Festival Weekend, but we ignored that and only saw some kites flying in the distance once when we were in town. It was an enjoyable three days with a quick drive home on Monday in time to go to a routine doctor's appointment for me. We just relaxed and had a nice visit.

Long Beach sunset.

The Ilwaco Sunday Market.

Shells along Willapa Bay at Leadbetter Point State Park.

Someone was in LOVE. Leadbetter Point loop of trails.

The Pacific.

Sand Dollar skeleton.

Selfie with beach.