Hello Washington!

We have arrived at Mt. Rainier National Park. We crossed the state line into Washington over the Columbia River and unfortunately the “Welcome to Washington, the Evergreen State” sign was on a bridge with no shoulder to pull over and snap a shot. For miles and miles, every exit had wineries but we did not make any stops. Oddly, there weren’t any rest areas off the highway so we finally pulled over for lunch in Prosser. We passed a shop called Chukar cherries that looked ike a cute fruit stand. We made lunch and walked a half mile to the shop. It turned out to be a chocolate shop, which is tricky to keep in the RV without melting so we settled on hot fudge cherry sauce ice cream topping. We also passed a small town cookie shop and contributed to the local economy.

On our way back to the highway, we did find a local fruit stand and stocked up on fresh local cherries, apples, peaches, and corn on the cob. Much of the drive from ID, through a corner of OR, and the first part of WA is plains with rolling hills and everything is brown, and then the vineyards begin. The trees start getting bigger and more plentiful as we neared the mountains. Our campground is breathtaking. Evergreens galore (redwoods, cedars, firs). We’re situated next to a river as well as a little spring that looks silver from reflections and glacial runoff (hence the campground name: Silver Springs.) There’s a small mountain on the other side of the river with mist and fog coming down when the weather rolls in. I’m not sure which is more impressive: the thick tall, majestic trees tinseled with old man’s beard, or the moss, lichen, and ferns sprouting on the forest floor below.