Travel Day

Today was our last big travel day!  We headed out from Salt Creek early to get to the Ferry Dock in Port Townsend to wait our turn to ride across to Keystone on Whidbey Island. 

It was very foggy the whole way, but otherwise uneventful. 

When we arrived at the Port Townsend Ferry dock we were told that we wouldn’t make the 11:15 crossing because they were too full – too many large vehicles already in line.  They let us in the holding area though and we were able to make lunch and enjoy some American cell phone signals!  We all caught up on emails, facebook, etc. 

I’d never driven my car onto a ferry before, I’d been in cars which were driven onto a ferry, but never as the driver, so it was exciting!  Since we are driving RVs we had to be sure the propane was turned off so Dad had to show me how to do that! Soon it was our turn to get on.  They loaded him on 1st and then loaded some cars and then me.  It was really easy, just pull in and park! 

I was parked in the middle and couldn’t see anything so I got out and went up to the deck where I could watch them load the rest of the cars and then watch the water, and the fog, as we crossed. 

Loading the ferry is a job for people whole like puzzles! You have to see the cars you have and figure the best way to get them all  on so that the most cars fit!  I’m thinking it would make a good story problem about measurement for my kids! We could even use matchbox cars!

As soon as we were arriving on Whidbey Island the sun came out!  Doesn’t that figure!

We drove up WA20, the same road we’d driven through the North Cascades 3 weeks ago! At one point we must have been by a Naval or Air Force base because fighter jets were flying overhead.  One fly directly over my little RV and I nearly wet my pants.  It sounded like it was coming right at me and I couldn’t see it!  Those things are LOUD!!!!

We arrived at our campground and got parked up.  It was now very sunny and warm and we had seen views of Mt. Baker – North Cascades resident volcano – so we went to walk on the beach at the campground to see if we could get some good pics – we couldn’t, there’s a refinery or something industrial right in front of it!

Later we were walking on one of the campground roads and we saw what looked like another snow capped mountain to the south.  Mt. Rainier!  I took a bunch of pictures!  Then when we were walking back it looked like Mt. Rainier had moved.  Hmm…maybe I had just moved…better view now…more pictures.  A little while later we were driving out of the campground and what we thought was Mt. Rainier had grown – it was now a huge mass of towering white!  Unless it erupted and we didn’t hear it or feel it, our Mt. Rainier, was a bunch of clouds!  :-)

We were headed back to Deception Pass, we’d come though there earlier and it looked neat.  We decided to stop for an early dinner 1st though because the place we wanted to eat at closed at 8.  After dinner we headed down to the pass.  As we approached we noticed the fog.  The thick, impenetrable, fog.  When we got to Deception Pass you couldn’t see a hand in front of your face!  Oh well!  We drove back to the campground – where it was sunny and clear – for an early night.  We all had stuff to do – Mom and Dad had computer stuff and I needed to pack!

Ferry