On the day we finally left Dayton, won't you have it, the sun was out and the flowering trees along the RVs pathways put on quite a show!

Not that I was complaining because it's always so much nicer to travel in good weather don't you think? Everything looks much nicer and it's a lot safer on the roads too.

It took us a while to get everything ready but we didn't have very far to go so we took it easy and also took the time for a relaxed farewell coffee with our neighbours David and Allison.

They're such great people, we really enjoyed talking to them and we've picked their brains all winter about Alaska since they both lived there for some time.

Their little dog Gus, a 'skipperke', kept us entertained with his youthful antics. Boy, did he have some energy!

At 12 pm we were finally on the road again and I had the opportunity to take a picture of our 'combination' which shows off te decals we put on the truck matching the RV. Doesn't it look great?

Traffic was light towards and around Portland and it wasn't long before we crossed the state border into Washington.

Our first, and only, stop of today was the visitor center at Mt. St. Helen's, about 5 miles east off the I-5 at Castle rock.

The 110,000 acre area around Mount St. Helen's is a U.S. National Monument called Mount St. Helen's National Volcanic Monument that was established on August 27, 1982 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helen's.

Exhibits at the visitor center include the area's culture and history, and the natural history and geology of the volcano and the eruption, including the recovery of the area's vegetation and animal life. The Center includes a theater, a gift shop and outdoor trails.


After watching the very impressive video about the blast we walked the beautiful trail through the wet lands that surround the Center. A series of wooden bridges guide you over the water and provide you with a beautiful view of the mountain.

It was a little too early for the waterlilies to bloom but if you look carefully at te middle of the right picture this little frog made use of the leaves to soak up some sun and a little farther the 'skunk cabbage' was in full bloom.

Traveling farther North we abandoned the I-5 and followed the 12 and 7 that wind their way through the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Natl. Forest.
This Forest contains many scenic and historical points of interest. Mountain tops gradually rise from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) on the south end of the forest to 7,000 to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) in the north. Two tall volcanoes, Mount Baker and Glacier Peak, tower thousands of feet above the adjacent ridges and are visible most of the time (if the weather allows for it).

The Forest is home to more glaciers and snow fields than any other National Forest outside Alaska.

The road, although windy and one lane only, is in very good condition and the truck had no problems pulling us up and down.

Around 5 pm we arrived at the Alder Lake campground where we set up camp for the night.

It's a nicely wooded place with big sites, spaced well away from each other.

Since it's still 'off season' the sites with a lake view were closed but we didn't mind too much, our space was nice and quiet and we enjoyed a beautiful evening 'in the woods'.

A perfect time to bring out the creamy goat cheese brie Allison gave us as a goodbye present and some delicious humus with pine nuts. No need to cook and very yummy!

The next morning brought another beautiful day and we continued our way north through the beautiful forests and lush pasture land until we arrived at Seattle where we caught up with the I-5 again.
Although traffic was a little more busy it was an easy drive and after we passed the city we had some lunch and gave Esther, James' aunt, a call that we were almost there!

Camano Island, where she lives, is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland, about 50 miles north of Seattle.

Esther has a beautiful 5 acre property on the East side of the Island, big enough to accommodate our RV and truck and than some!

This is our new 'set-up' and will be our home base for about a month or so before we leave for Alaska.

My camera doesn't do it justice but the view of the Cascade mountain range and Mt. Baker (10,778')  is spectacular!