Washington State- VW owners and family

We crossed the border at a quick and simple check-point, and entered Washington state. The northwestern side of Washington is unexpected and beautiful. Wide rivers, fertile grassy fields and lovely farmsteads. We spent a night in the small town of Wilbur, just so I could take photos for my family.  My mother’s maiden name is Wilbur!   This was a quick overnight, and a great way to ease back into the US RV park culture.

The next night was spent in a driveway of a gracious VW Vanagon owner and sticker buyer! Rick contacted us ages ago, (after purchasing a “slowcarfasthouse” sticker) and invited us by.  When we knew we were on the way, we reached out and found that he was out of town.  But he sent us the alarm code, hidden key location and details for being comfortable.  It was so generous and trusting!  We had a great overnight, did some laundry and enjoyed the little Bavarian town of Leavenworth. The dogs even relaxed and enjoyed the space!   Thanks Rick!

Next stop was family time!  We had a great couple of days with Anne and Seenu in Mukilteo, WA.  Yummy meals, great conversations, terrible movies, an interesting museum, and walks along the green space were enjoyed by all.  We look forward to seeing them again at their new place in Queen Valley, AZ.

While we were in the Seattle area we attended a gathering sponsored by Peace Vans.  After a personal shop-tour led by owner, Harley   we went to a local hangout and shared stories and dinner.   Harley shared t-shirts with us and we left some stickers behind.  What a great shop he has going there!  We wish him the best as he continues to find ways to keep Vanagons on the road.  And if you need mechanical support in the Seattle area, we urge you to check out Peace Vans as a provider of repair, restoration, parts and possibly rentals in the future.  Go Peace Vans!  

Our drive out of Washington included a loop through Mount Rainier National Park to view the beauty from a distance.   Then we stopped by the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center to learn more about the volcano of 1980.  It was a very informative display that gave us great information about the occurrence.  And the view of the mountain was beautiful from there.    We continued down the backroads, headed for our next overnight with a fellow VW van owner,  Overland Teahouse, where we hung out with their awesome kiddo and had a delicious dinner!  We hope to see these folks again on the road soon!