SEQUIM WASHINGTON

WE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT SEQUIM (PRONOUNCED "SKWIM") WASHINGTON WAS A VERY NICE TOWN AND  IT'S KNOWN FOR IT'S MILD AND SUNNY CLIMATE. THIS AREA SITS IN THE RAIN SHADOW OF THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS AND IS  WARMER THAN WESTPORT. WE WERE IN SEARCH OF SUNSHINE, WARMER TEMPERATURES  AND MOST IMPORTANTLY IT HAS A WALMART.

ALSO, WE WANTED TO TAKE A FERRY TRIP  TO VICTORIA, BC AND IT  IS  JUST A SHORT DRIVE TO THE FERRY FROM THE CAMPGROUND. THE CAMPGROUND IS VERY NICE, WHILE WE WERE OUT LOOKING IT OVER, WE SAW THESE "THINGS" GROWING ON THIS TREE. I ASKED WHAT THIS NOBBY  FRUIT IS AND THE MAN WHO WORKS THERE TOLD ME THEY ARE  CHESTNUTS!!

 

THERE IS  ALSO A PLUM TREE, PEAR, AND APPLE TREE.   THE MAN SAID WE COULD HELP OURSELVES TO ANY OF THE FRUIT ON THE GROUNDS.  DARRELL PICKED ME A HANDFULL OF PLUMS EVERYDAY.

 

 

 

IT IS A SMALL CAMPGROUND, BUT THE GROUNDS ARE VERY PRETTY.

 

 

WE WERE HAPPY WITH OUR SITE.

 

 

AFTER A FEW DAYS, WE PRACTICALLY HAD THE WHOLE CAMPGROUND TO OURSELVES.

WE MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH  LINDA, WHO WORKS IN THE CAMPGROUND OFFICE,   AND ALSO   DOES DOG SITTING, ( ANOTHER REASON TO COME TO SEQUIM,) TO TAKE CARE OF MAGGIE AND MARLEE ON THURSDAY, SO WE CAN GO TO VICTORIA.

  MEANWHILE, ON TUESDAY MORNING WE HAD BREAKFAST AT IHOP. PANCAKES!!! YUMMY!! WE STOPPED BY  THE VISITOR CENTER AND GOT INFORMATION ON WHAT THERE IS TO SEE AND DO HERE.

 

WE KNEW WE WANTED TO GO TO OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK. WE DID A LITTLE SHOPPING AND DROVE AROUND CHECKING OUT THE AREA. WE FOUND A CASINO AND WENT IN AND SAW THEY WERE HAVING A STEAK SPECIAL. WE STAYED AND HAD SUPPER, IT WAS VERY GOOD!

THE NEXT MORNING WE HEADED FOR HURRICANE RIDGE IN  THE OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK.

 

 

WE STOPPED BY THE VISITOR CENTER AND PICKED UP SOME BROCHURES, AND WERE HAPPY TO READ ON THIS SIGN THAT THE ROAD WAS OPEN!!

 

 

WE WERE ABLE TO USE OUR SENIOR PASS TO GET IN FREE AGAIN.  THE LADY, ASKED IF WE WANTED A MAP.....I SAID  "I DON'T KNOW.." SHE SAYS, "WE DON'T WANT DUALLY TO GET LOST" AND GAVE US A MAP.

 

 

 

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DRIVE.

 

 

 

WE DROVE THROUGH SEVERAL TUNNELS AND THE HIGHER WE GOT, THE COLDER IT GOT. WE WERE GLAD WE BROUGHT OUR HEAVY COATS.

 

 

 

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS VIEWS ON THE TOP....I HAD SEEN PICTURES OF THIS...BUT, IT DOESN'T COMPARE TO SEEING IT IN PERSON.

 

 

 

IT WAS LIKE YOU WERE STANDING ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD!

 

 

AND IT WAS COLD!!

 

 

I WAS SURPRISED IT WASN'T WINDY.....WITH A NAME LIKE HURRICANE RIDGE, I EXPECTED IT TO BE. WE  FOUND OUT IN THE INFORMATION CENTER THAT OVER 75 MILE AN HOUR  WIND GUSTS BUFFET THE RIDGE, LENDING THE NAME "HURRICANE." AND THEY RECEIVE  30-35 FEET OF SNOW ANNUALLY.

 

 

 

IT WAS INTERESTING TO STAND AND LOOK AT THIS BILLBOARD, WHICH POINTS AT THE MOUNTAINS IN FRONT OF YOU AND NAMES THEM.

 

 

AS WE WERE LEAVING WE RAN INTO THIS FELLOW.

 

 

 

WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE STAYED LONGER, BUT IT WAS WAY TOO COLD UP THERE FOR US!!

 

 

WE WANTED TO GET BACK TO PORT ANGELES TO STOP BY THE FERRY OFFICE  AND GET A LITTLE MORE INFO ON THE FERRY TRIP AND  MAYBE BUY OUR TICKETS  TO VICTORIA.

 

 

WE BOUGHT OUR TICKETS TO VICTORIA FOR TOMORROW. THE ROUNDTRIP FARE FOR SENIORS WAS $17.00 EACH. WE WILL LEAVE AT 8:15 IN THE MORNING AND IT WILL BE A 90 MINUTE CROSSING.  WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A LARGE FERRY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR LAST DAY OF WORK AT AMERICAN SUNSET RV PARK

 

 

WE HAD NEVER HAD A SCHEDULE  SO, WE HAD DECIDED TO MAKE OUR LAST DAY OF  WORK  SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, TO MAKE SURE THE FLOWERS WOULD LAST A WHILE LONGER. GAIL STILL HAD CLUBS COMING IN FOR A FEW WEEKENDS, AND WE STILL WANTED EVERYTHING TO LOOK NICE FOR THE GUESTS.

 

SO, WE  WEEDED, WATERED,  AND PUT DOWN SNAIL BAIT.

 

 

THE FLOWERS WERE STILL GORGEOUS! NO SIGN OF  THEM DRYING UP.

 

 GAIL SAID LAST YEAR THEY DIDN'T BRING THE FLOWERS IN UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF  OCTOBER.

 

 

THE HANGING BASKETS HAD JUST GONE CRAZY!! ! AND THE FLOWER BEDS WERE  STILL IN FULL BLOOM!

 

 

 

WE HAD ENJOYED OUR SUMMER OF GARDENING....BUT WE ARE OFF ON ANOTHER ADVENTURE!!!

A FEW WEEKS EARLIER WE HAD APPLIED FOR A JOB SELLING PUMPKINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM OCTOBER 5 TO NOVEMBER 3 AND FOUND OUT BEFORE WE LEFT THAT WE HAD GOTTEN THE JOB. BUT, FIRST WE WERE GOING TO

DO SOME SIGHTSEEING IN WASHINGTON. 

 

 

 

 

THE PICTURE, AND THE FAREWELL WORKAMPER DINNER

 

THE DAY BEFORE THE  FAREWELL WORKAMPER DINNER, IT WAS PICTURE TIME! WE ALL MET WITH OUR UNIFORMS ON TO TAKE THE PICTURE, WHICH IS A TRADITION HERE AT AMERICAN SUNSET RV PARK. IT'S ALSO TRADITION TO HAVE A SERIOUS PICTURE, WHICH IS THE ONE ABOVE AND A GOOF BALL ONE, WHICH IS THE ONE BELOW.  MAX WAS BEING A GOOF BALL TOO, HE EVEN "MOONED" US IN THE GOOF BALL PICTURE. 

 

AFTERWARDS, WE ALL WENT OUT TO EAT AT THE LOCAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT. IT WAS FUN! THE FOLLOWING NIGHT WAS THE LAST WORKAMPER DINNER. THE THEME WAS SURF AND TURF.

 

 

GAIL AND DON PROVIDED THE TURF, DON COOKED STEAKS AND THE TWO AVID FISHERMEN, STAN AND JIM PROVIDED THE SALMON.

 

 

THIS WOULD BE OUR LAST GET TOGETHER BEFORE EVERYONE STARTED LEAVING. PAM AND RON WERE LEAVING THE NEXT MORNING.

 

 

IT WAS A RELIEF TO BE DONE AND A LITTLE SAD......THESE FOLKS HAD BECOME OUR FRIENDS.

 

 

PICTURES WERE TAKEN, PROMISES TO KEEP IN TOUCH WERE MADE AND WE ALL WISHED EACH OTHER SAFE TRAVELS.

 

 

 

THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS, AS USUAL!

 

 

AFTER THE DINNER,  WE WERE ALL PRESENTED WITH OUR PACKETS.....WE RECEIVED AN AWARD FOR "WESTPORTS  BEST  GARDENERS IN  2013".  DON PREPARED A  LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF SUMMER 2013 WORKAMPERS.  ON THE LIST WAS TWO ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT PERTAINED TO US. THEY WERE:  " RESTORED PATIO SITE FLOWER BEDS" AND " IMPROVED LANDSCAPING AND VISUAL ESTHETICS TO A LEVEL THAT GAINED AN EXTRA HALF POINT FOR US IN OUR TRAILER LIFE RATINGS."  DARRELL AND I ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT!  ALSO IN THE PACKET WAS THE PICTURES THAT WERE TAKEN THE DAY BEFORE AND WE WERE VERY SURPRISED TO RECEIVE A VERY GENEROUS BONUS!  WE ALSO RECEIVED A $50.00 VOUCHER EACH.......  TO BE USED IN THE STORE. DARRELL AND I GOT TEE SHIRTS LONG AND SHORT SLEEVES THAT SAY WESTPORT.  IT WAS A FUN NIGHT!  WITHIN A WEEK, ALL OF US WILL BE GONE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JIM AND LAURIE JEAN AND LINDA AND GRANT GOUGH, THEY ARE STAYING THE WINTER.

  PAM AND RON LEFT FIRST, FOLLOWED BY GEORGE AND SANDY, FOLLOWED BY CHERYL AND LARRY AND THEN  JAN AND STAN, AND ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16 THE REST  OF US LEFT. GAIL AND BOB PULLED OUT FIRST AND THEN KATHY AND BILL.  WE BROUGHT UP THE REAR. WE HAD BEEN AT AMERICAN SUNSET FOR FIVE MONTHS.  GAIL WANTED US TO KNOW THE DOOR WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN TO US IF WE WANT TO COME BACK. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FISHERMAN'S BOARDWALK

 

ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON WE WALKED FISHERMAN'S BOARDWALK, THIS IS WHERE  YOU GET THE VERY BEST PICTURES OF THE LITTLE TOWN OF WESTPORT.

 

YOU ALSO GET A GOOD VIEW OF THE SEA WALL WHERE THE BOATS GO OUT TO SEA.

 

 

LOTS OF FISHERMEN......WE STARTED TALKING TO THIS FELLOW FROM ARIZONA, HE WAS CRABBING, HE WAS VERY NICE AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO US.

 

 

 

HE SHOWED US HOW TO MEASURE TO SEE IF THEY ARE " KEEPABLE".

 

 

THEY USE CHICKEN PARTS FOR BAIT, LEGS, THIGHS....

 

HE WOULD REEL THE CAGE IN ABOUT EVERY  TEN  MINUTES AND IT WOULD BE FULL.

 

 

HE OPENED  IT UP AND THEY WOULD GO SCRAMBLING! IT KEPT HIM BUSY!

 

 

WE ENJOYED WATCHING THE BOATS COME IN AND GO OUT.

 

 

 

THE FOG STARTED ROLLING IN, AN EVERYDAY OCCURANCE IN WESTPORT.

 

 

 

IT WAS TIME TO GO.........

 

 

 

AS WE WERE LEAVING WE SAW A FEW OF THE "JETTY CATS".

 

 

THE RESIDENTS DONATE FOOD FOR THESE FERRAL CATS.

 

WE WALKED ALONG THE SIDEWALK BACK TO THE TRUCK AND JUST APPRECIATED THIS  BEAUTIFUL LITTLE SEA TOWN.