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We had a second full day in Fall City, just to the east of Seattle.  We didn’t want to drive back into the city to explore, although of course there would have been so much more to see.  Instead we thought we would check out a couple of other campgrounds in the area so we can avoid the hefty US$95 per night at Tall Chief.  The others weren’t as nice but were cheaper, so at least we know what to expect next time we are here.
We drove through Issaquah on our way back.  What a delightful village it is.  Hanging baskets everywhere, all gardens beautifully presented and lovely houses.  It really was lovely.  Washington State is turning out to be right up there with Oregon, Idaho and Colorado for beauty!
More Blackberry picking in the afternoon.  I can’t believe how many blackberry bushes there are everywhere we go-they are prolific.  I guess in many ways they are an invasive pest, but they produce so much fruit that the deer, birds and bears all love.
Being surrounded by tall fir trees is so wonderful when you arrive, but after a few days we both can’t wait to get the coach back on the road out of the shade and darkness they provide.  I don’t know how someone could live in a forest under trees, it becomes very oppressive.  Leaving Fall City for Sequim (pr Squim) on the Olympic National Park took a little planning.  There are lots of lake and sea crossings and we needed to be careful not to get ourselves on an electronic toll-only road.  Typically the toll cost would be sent to your house for payment.  For us it would be sent to our lawyers who manage the LLC for the coach, which means the cost quickly escalates by the time we get it!  We went the long way around.  We still had to drive over some bridges, some of which were very impressive structures.
We are going to travel anti clockwise around the Olympic National Park and Sequim is a good stop off point.  We are staying at the John Wayne RV park.  Strange name, but John Wayne was an obsessive boaty who owned a yacht called the Wild Goose.   He would spend as much time on the yacht as possible when not filming.  He took the boat into Alaskan waters and all over the Pacific NW, but his favorite bay was Sequim.  This is a very sheltered bay with a natural breakwater that stretches almost right across the entrance.  He must have loved knowing this was a safe haven.  The Wayne family bought 150 acres of land in Sequim including the land the marina and RV park are on.
This campsite is the first we’ve had on this trip where our coach is facing the sea.  It’s very peaceful and picturesque.  We are at this campsite for 2 nights.  On the afternoon we arrived we walked up a nearby hill and got on the Olympic discovery trail.  This is a 130 mile trail that is used by hikers, cyclists and horse riders.
The next day we cycled into Sequim for an explore along the same trail.  The town of Sequim is very nice.  Old America, still with lots of character, not too built up, not too busy, but not a hick town-very nice.
I really liked the town, but also the surrounding countryside.  It’s open fields, summer flower meadows, crops and hedgerows that are full of every type of wild flower you can imagine.  It reminds me of Norfolk when I was growing up there-the summer season always brought about an abundance of flowers, insects and smells.
Lavender is big business in Sequim, must have the perfect climate for it.  There are lots of lavender farms and it grows in abundance all over the city in variety’s I never knew existed!
Once back at the campsite I set off again for a bit more blackberry picking.  I find it a very relaxing, peaceful past time, I saw a deer and a scary fat rabbit on this venture.  Eventually I will make pies, but I need a few more yet!