Grandpa's Washington

Washington is a remarkable state. It has it all: majestic mountains, temperate rainforests, and miles of uninhabited shoreline.  It also holds my dad’s memories of his childhood. For that reason, this was the leg of the trip for which I was most excited. I had been as a child and still carry a few, fond memories. I was excited to return as an adult with my own children and my dad as our guide. 

Our trip into Grandpa’s past actually began in Ashland, OR.  We strolled quaint, downtown Ashland, home of a renown Shakespeare festival, and ushered in fall with caramel dipped apples. We met Grandpa’s favorite cousin and her husband. They welcomed us into their home with such generosity as we sipped wine, ate cheese and crackers, and our girls pushed one another on a rope swing against a picturesque background of the mountains. It was such a delightful afternoon.

We then drove to Portland where we squeezed our RV into a hotel parking lot and may have teared a bit at the sight of a hotel room. We stretched out, showered, swam, showered again, and couldn’t even convince ourselves to leave for dinner. We ordered in and watched, well some watched and others didn’t, the presidential debate.

 

We continued our travels up to Mt. Rainier National Park the next day where only a driver with some serious skill could maneuver 35 ft. into a camping spot. Kudos to our driver. We stepped out and into the most gorgeous, deep woods campsite we have camped in yet. We hiked around Paradise Lodge located at the base of the mountain that afternoon, but sadly we could not see the mountain. It turns out Mt. Rainier is so massive it creates it own weather system. Bad news? In the fall, some visitors come and go without ever seeing it. When my girls heard this they became very concerned. “Momma, we just have to see Grandpa’s mountain.” “I know, and for some reason, I believe we will."

Grandpa teaching the girls! He should have been a ranger!

We closed the night cooking out, singing campfire songs, and roasting s’mores. Grandpa held us all captive with stories about his days as a Boy Scout hiking through the mountains. He shared his love of the sights, sounds, and smells of this beautiful place he once called home. It was magical. My girls got to sleep in the hotel with my parents and went to bed with prayers that God would lift the clouds for just a glimpse of His majesty in the morning… for their grandpa.

 

And He did. And not just for a glimpse. We were blessed with an entire day to marvel at Mt. Rainier. We hiked for miles around the mountain in awe. I have never seen fall colors so magnificent. We had hot chocolate and drinks at Paradise Lodge and explored the visitor’s center. We watched climbers begin their ascent and wished them well. We even drove to Sunrise Point, the other side of Mt. Rainier, for a different view, a picnic, and more hiking. As we descended down the mountain, the clouds rolled in once more and we offered thanks for a perfect day.

 

We moved north the next morning amidst low-lying clouds that completely hid Mt. Rainier and toward Olympic National Park and the Quinault Lodge. While the lodge itself was not dog friendly, they offered my dad two rooms in their boathouse down by the lake. My dad said he had no idea what to expect and was a bit worried. We laughed and reminded him we live in an RV. We arrived to our own, perfect, little boathouse down by the lake. 

Our boathouse!

The Quinault Lodge

We fell in love with clam chowder, rainforests, and tidal pools over the next two days. Day one we drove out to the Washington Coast which is almost entirely protected by the National Park system. Sea stacks, driftwood, tidal pools, and bluffs that dwarfed us at the ocean’s edge captivated all throughout the morning. In the afternoon, we hiked through the Hoh Rainforest learning about this unique environment right here in the United States.

Tide pooling!

Jump roping with kelp!

Look at that barnacle! 

We saw WHALES breaching the surface! Look at that face!

Day two we hiked in the Quinalt Rainforest in the pouring rain, hunted down breathtaking waterfalls, and sought out more clam chowder! We were sad to leave this incredible national park, but we were all even more excited to move closer to where Grandpa grew up and stay in our very own cabin!

Chance got a taste of a Banana Slug and suffered a bit of a numb tongue!

In Seabeck, WA we said goodbye to the Rolling Turd as we dropped it off for service. It was not terribly difficult to part ways. Nearby was Costco, and the girls happened to confess that Saturdays we often eat lunch at Costco. I had to correct in that we do not actually eat lunch, we simply sample our way through Costco. It’s kinda our thing. My dad mentioned he’d always been interested in whether or not he’d like a membership, you know, for the gas, and the floodgates opened. Oh, we did Costco. I thought Grandma was going to crawl in a corner. We did some heavy, possibly mortifying sampling, and Grandpa, well, he thought most items sampled should absolutely be in the cart, as should the crab dip, as should the dozen GIANT muffins, as should…we couldn’t even find him most of the time. We had to put a few items back in the end! 

That night we had the privilege to meet grandpa's cousins. They hosted us for dinner and a night of stories, laughter, and such warmth. It was a blessing to hear others speak of my grandparents, my dad, and their memories. We will not forget their hospitality. 

Grandpa's cousins! I wish I had snapped picture of the whole crew. A regret! 

Day one we took the ferry over to Seattle. We explored the city, delighted in Pike’s Place market, stood in line to have coffee at the original Starbucks, and ran into dear friends from Charleston! They were having a much deserved vacation sans kids, yet they gave us a huge slice of their time for which we are grateful. Needless to say we talked their ears off, strolled, had a drink, then wished them a wonderful vaction. Sadly, Hurricane Matthew forced them home, and I hope they don’t long put off a redo! We capped the day off with dinner at Ivar's, a restaurant from my dad's childhood!

Dad and I totally bought each other the same gift!

Day two we all asked Grandpa to give us the “grand, childhood tour.” This time we took the car onto the ferry, which the girls loved, and headed through Seattle to Laurelhurst where Grandpa grew up. We saw his tiny, first home and his second as their family grew. It was a beautiful neighborhood with rolling hills Grandpa use to sled down, a swimming pool right on the water in which Grandpa became quite the swimmer, and a park at which Grandpa used to play and collect chestnuts.  Of course, Shawn jumped out to pick chestnuts and we all followed. I have never actually had chestnuts roasted on an open fire. Leave it to my husband to make sure we all had the experience. We saw where Grandpa went to school, heard stories about trying to tip the school bus as we rounded a tight corner near his neighborhood, the girls got a kick out of that one, and saw where Grandpa went for his Boy Scout meetings. The girls and a few others in the car hung on his every word soaking up each piece of Grandpa’s story. We returned home to a fire in the fireplace and curled up on the couch with a movie the girls had been begging to share with Grandma and Grandpa.

Grandpa's childhood home!

The next day we decided to take advantage of the cabin and all it had to offer and stay put. Grandma and Grandpa took the girls to Old Navy and bought them some winter clothes. Both of the girls have already grown so much on this trip that the winter clothes we packed back in May do not fit. I think we were looking a bit rough and they took pity on us. It was much, much appreciated pity. We returned home and collected oysters, had a campfire all day long, jumped in fall leaves, and made use of the rowboat on the property. Nothing funnier than my mom and I trying to row that boat. We ended the evening with salmon and oysters over the fire and snuggled around the campfire roasting s'mores while listening to the tide make its way out to sea. 

 

Our cabin on Hood Canal

On our final day we had to decide between Whidby Island, whale watching, or hitting the sights in Seattle again, a hard choice. We decided to venture back into Seattle one last time. We rode the ferry like pros, found the famous gum wall, passed through the market once again, and rode the iconic Space Needle all the way to the top! Even though it was dreary, you could see for miles in every direction. Grandpa was even able to point out landmarks from his childhood. I hope the girls don’t ever forget it! I know I won’t! We then went next door to see the Chihuly Glass and Gardens. I had heard from so many that this was not to miss and they were right. We are all now obsessed with glass blowing. What a spectacular form of art! Around every corner we were stunned by art of such magnitude, beauty, and color. McKenna took video of our entire visit and pictures of every piece.  On the way home we rode the monorail... correction, R drove the monorail. Hysterical! The whole day was one of those days you hope no one forgets. Ever.

 

We laughed so hard during these two weeks my cheeks hurt, and my heart felt so full I thought it would burst.  I don’t think we ever get tired of hearing stories of our parents’ past, but getting to see those pieces of the past in person, with your own children hanging on every word, certainly makes the experience that much richer. It is something to be in a place so beautiful and so vastly different that it makes you fully understand a part of your parent’s heart so deeply. I will never forget this time with my dad and together as a family. It was a true gift.