Summer Into Fall

No trip to Western Washington can be considered complete (in our opinion) with out a "cruise" on one of the Washington State Ferries. We took the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle, a trip of approximately 60 minutes. The sky was blue, the water was blue, and the scenery was magnificent. Cruise ships in Seattle were loading their last trips of the season for Alaska. Boaters were taking advantage of a glorious day on the water and seals and seagulls were everywhere. We enjoy watching the gulls riding the air currents flowing around the ferries. They swoop and dive and then climb high off to the side of the stern and seem to hang effortlessly, pulled along by the air. They are master aviators to be sure!

We left Bremerton twelve days ago and headed for the Washington Coast. There are some beautiful sights along the Olympic Peninsula of Washington and Crescent Lake is one of them. The lake is very deep and nestled in the valleys between the mountains. It was a lovely day and Don had a chance to play with a polarizing filter on his new camera and captured some great reflections in the water. It is magical to twist the filter and see into the water where before only a mirror existed. We continued on down the coast into Oregon where we stayed for a few days. Had some great local sea food and Don shopped for Myrtle Wood which is found in Southern Oregon and Northern California along the coast. It will be consumed in the wood shop this winter.

We left the coast and headed inland to Klamath Falls, Oregon. We went close to Crater Lake but did not stop. The mountains were filled with smoke hanging in the trees. There were several active forest fires in Southern Oregon, most started by lightning strikes. We proceeded into Nevada with the intent of visiting Reno and Lake Tahoe.

We arrived in Reno with a horde of motorcycles. We had seen hundreds of bikes on our trip and they all seemed to be going our way. Reno was hosting the "Street Vibrations Fall Rally" and several blocks downtown were cordoned off and a street fair was in full swing. Anything a biker could want was on display and we had a great time wandering about and people watching, a fascinating pastime. We found the celebration was not restricted to Reno as several groups were in Carson City and almost anywhere where motels, etc., were available. Those folks really know how to party!

Yesterday we were in Vegas. Don had seen a TV show featuring places to eat around the US and the buffet at the Bellagio was mentioned. It was expensive but definitely something to do once. The smoked trout was fantastic and there were so many dessert choices it was hard to choose. After dinner and losing a few dollars on the slots we had front row "seats" to watch the "Fountains of Bellagio", wonderful music accompanying lighted jets of water.

Tonight we are parked at a casino near Montezuma's Castle in Camp Verde, Arizona. It is hot and we are running the generator for the air conditioning and hot water for showers. It should cool off soon and we will have the cool desert air to sleep in. Tomorrow will be a short drive to Gold Canyon and our winter home. There will be lots to do.