Ray's in Everett, July 7-11

Ray and Kay heading out on the Harley:

The trailer parked in Ray's driveway:

Ray played tour guide and took us for a really nice scenic tour on the mountain loop highway in the Mt Baker area:

Here's Gary (hiding behind the big tree) trying to scare Ray, Kay, Kyle and Debbie on the wooded trail:

North Cascades scenic drive

After the reunion in eastern Washington, we headed to the west coast over the North Cascades. It's a beautiful drive and not too bad of a climb going east to west, but it looked like a pretty tough climb going from the coast east! We hit the coast and headed down south to Ray's house in Everett for a few days.

Pearrygin Lake State Park, WA - July 1-7

We met up with Gary's family in eastern Washington for a family reunion the first week in July. Sue and John brought their cute little teardrop trailer which was quite an attention-grabber from passers-by. Everyone had a great time with Ray's boat and our little inflatables. There was a rope swing on the other side of the lake which entertained everyone, though Ray's son Troy broke his finger on the rope! Kay was the only woman brave enough to try it - you go Kay!

Having fun with Ray's boat:

Chris (Kay's son) and Troy paddling back from the rope swing:

The little town of Winthrop nearby is touristy with lots of little restaurants and shops, but Ray had trouble with his boat for 3 days because they sold him gas that was 1/4 water!!! It was warm (maybe a bit too warm) most of the week, and turned out to be a fun little family reunion.

More from McCall, Idaho

Saying goodbye - Steve and Diane had to get back home so left a couple days before us. Off they go with their cute Boler trailer! We'll see them again in August.

Gary and I spent our last day in McCall area at a local hot springs (Gold Fork). The top pool was 118 degrees (a bit too warm for us!) and then progressively cooler in each lower pool. It was a really nice setup and terrific place to relax!

McCall, Idaho - June 25 - June 29

We met up with Steve, Diane and the girls at Ponderosa State Park on Payette Lake. It was a very nice camp spot and we had very nice weather too! Here are the girls having fun fishing, and being flower girls at Diane's cousin's wedding in McCall.

Gary and I enjoyed the bike path out to the tip of the peninsula (though Gary's bike fell apart!), and the girls had fun in the trailer which they remembered staying in at mom and dad's in Missouri. Anna says "I LOVE this trailer!"

Grand Tetons - kayaking the Snake River

We spent most of our time in the Tetons, kayaking the Snake River. It was a fun trip with lots of wild life and fantastic views of the Tetons, though you had to be watching constantly for obstructions (rocks, fallen trees) in the riverway, and choose your channel wisely. There was a bald eagle with two hatchlings we saw on most trips down, plus a beaver with 3 pups. We will definitely be back for more sometime down the road!

Grand Teton Nat'l Park - June 17 - June 24

We stayed at Colter Bay Campground (had a terrific spot backed up to miles of woods and a few steps from the lake). It was much nicer than the Colter Bay RV park which had hookups but again, packed in tightly. We took a few nice hikes and really loved the Tetons! Saw bald eagles, elk, bison, and even a grizzly bear which ran through our campsite (Rexie saw him first!).

Yellowstone - more pics

We did a lot of hiking around Yellowstone, saw bears, coyotes, deer, bighorn sheep, fox, and of course, bison - but never did see a moose! Gary had a good time making Rex a star attraction on the roadway by hiding behind a rock while Rex sat in full view; quite a few folks went home with pictures of a "wolf" on the side of the road.

We had quite a bit of rain on and off, and the mosquitos were thick around the lake. We were not crazy about the Old Faithful area which was so congested and overbuilt. We will probably not stay again at Fishing Bridge RV park (the only spot in Yellowstone with RV hookups, but the spots are tightly packed together); we left early and headed down to the Tetons, where we found a terrific campground with no hookups but great location.

Yellowstone June 4 - June 17

We spent 1 week on the west side (Madison) and 1 week on the east (Fishing Bridge). While at Madison, we had a big snow storm come through and it was a beautiful winter wonderland for a day. We had a wonderful time hiking through the various "hot spots" in the snow. One evening in Madison, we had a wolf run just behind our campsite (Rexie spotted him first). There were of course, the daily Bison Jams and Bear Jams on the roads. We liked Madison campground very much and might try hosting there sometime.