Ended up at Sacajawea State Park - a beautiful area - where the Columbia & Snake Rivers meet. We found a small museum open and had a nice chat with the volunteers & a park ranger. We were really looking for directions to the Ice Harbor Lock & Dam; we got that and much more. We spent some time in the museum and strolling around. It is rather sobering to realize that you are actually standing on land were Lewis & Clark once camped.
We then trekked on to the lock & dam and it was just as I remembered it - only we could not get down to the ladders as I had back in 1967. In talking to the locals, we can thank "9/11" for that. Roger got some shots, but 41 years has taken its toll on the salmon population. There are all types of programs afoot to remedy that now - forty-one years too late.
Drove back to Yakima and found our supper a bit 'overcooked'. I had left a pork loin on low in the oven, but something went wrong. Guess I didn't have it wrapped good enough and all the liquid cooked out. But - gravy will 'save' anything, so I whipped up a bit and salvaged supper. As 10:00 p.m. rolled around we broke out the lawn chairs and walked over to the dike separating the campground from the Yakima River. We had the 'best seat in the house' for a really nice 30 minute fireworks show the City of Yakima put on at the fairgrounds, just 2 miles away.
Saturday was another gorgeous day, and we tried our luck at furniture shopping again. Not but two stores in the Yakima area that carried Lazy Boy recliners (BOTH the chairs in the fifth wheel are completely broke down!). Our first stop I found - and fell in love with - a gorgeous red leather one. Of course, my 'champagne taste' on a 'beer budget' always gets me. We cussed & discussed, Roger did some 'bargaining' - and we still decided to run our other errands and 'think on it'. And, as always, after letting the 'moment' age a bit, a cooler head prevailed and we decided to look further.
The second store had MUCH better prices, but not near the selection. But, we decided that - for now - Roger could be happy with a dark brown leather (at half the price) and I'll get my red leather another day. It is SO NICE to once again have a comfortable chair to relax in. Basically Roger gets it in the evenings - and I claim it in the mornings before we start our day.
Found a Super Cuts and I got a needed trim, while Roger picked up some printer ink cartridges and tried to find a supply of Diet Coke. Funny, in the North East we always had trouble finding my Diet DP, but out west it is the Diet Coke that is tough to find. Never did find it in Yakima.
Sunday afternoon found the campground a bit of a 'ghost town' with the holiday weekend coming to an end. We put on our yellow shirts and went back to work. Turned out to be a bit of 'an exercise in futility' for we learned the campground is to be closed in mid-September. The Bureau of Land Management has purchased it. It will be 'returned to its natural state' and then used to widen the Yakima River as part of a flood control plan. What a waste - but the owner basically had only two options: take their buy-out offer OR they would 'take' it. At least they feel they got a 'fair offer' and they are ready to retire anyways.
Monday found us trekking north to Leavenworth, WA. Off the beaten path, but what a lovely area. Nice visit there and then it was on to Winthrop, WA. Another gorgeous park with great folks. Wish every park was as good as these two.
But, now it's time once again to cross the border into Canada. We have been hassled so many times when crossing the border, that we have really come to dread it. It shouldn't be that way, but we weren't surprised when we, once again, were asked to pull over and check in with the 'officer in charge'. We were in our 'yellow' and we clearly stated the purpose of our visit. When that was not satisfactory, Roger stated that the border patrol officer in Ontario had told us that as representatives of the franchisor (KOA), that we had the right to come in to Canada to inspect our franchisees.
BUT, this guy didn't like our use of the word "right"! So we got to stand and listen to this guy lecture us that "we didn't have any right to come in to Canada - it was a privilege! When asked exactly what we 'did' during an inspection, Roger then made the almost fatal mistake of saying that 'we do everything from check water temperature to GFI outlets'! Wrong thing to say! The border officer then stated that if he 'really wanted to' he could refuse to let us enter Canada, for in doing 'actual work' we were taking jobs away from Canadians. At that point, I was ready to say, "Ok, fine . . . we'll just turn around, call the Home Office, and let them send someone else in to do these visits! That's four less parks for us to have to do - and a week earlier we could be back in Oklahoma!"
He then told us to sit down, he was going to 'run some checks'. About that time, I noticed his supervisor walk over, they had a bit of a conversation, and he decided that 'he would let us in THIS time!' How nice of him! So we surrendered our one onion and half bag of potatoes, and we were allowed to go.
And, believe it or not, he tried to tell us that we were pulled over due to a 'random' selection! Do they really believe themselves!?! I might believe it if we weren't grilled EVERY TIME we cross the border.
I told Roger that they just must not like his looks! Whatever it is, it is NOT random!
Continued on to Revelstoke, BC. We were traveling Highway 97, and what a mistake. Much to our surprise, it was almost solid 'towns' from the border until we got about an hour from Revelstoke. It was a beautiful drive, but so much "stop & go" that it took us almost 8 hours to go 298 miles. We even got a call from the campground, as they were getting worried about our late arrival.
Once we got there, we had a 2-hour walk-about to do, for this is a large park. Had to get it done before dark, so we parked the rig, threw some chicken pot pies in the oven, and got started. Sat down to supper about 8:45 p.m. (so much for eating early) and then about 9:30 there was a knock on the door. Our hosts were feeling so sorry for us, that they brought us ice cream bars for dessert, since we had missed their ice cream social.
At least the weather was unseasonably cool. Up till midnight getting the report done and we met with them over breakfast the next morning. Thursday (July 10) dawned gray & cold, and by 10:00 a.m. it was pouring rain. Another long days drive ahead, as we trek along the Canadian Rockies to Hinton, Alberta.
So much for being hot!
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