The last leg home..through Seattle and on the ferry.

Richards present from the sea gulls at the ferry terminal!

Really heavy storms over night but we have a lie in breakfast at 8pm Terry & Linda went at 6am, a short walk to breakfast, rain and thunder as we pack up the Pick Up and Moke, we are off just out of the hotel Richard slows down and stops we are behind and stop too a little damp in the ignition is quickly fixed.,On to the motorway, its bucketing down so much so we have difficulties seeing some times when a truck went by we could not see anything at all for a second or two, water pours in from the windscreen seal but we keep going. It rains with thunder till we get to the ferry, we have spot of lunch then queue for the ferry for an hour still raining.

Rog “The Hat”

Rain, did you say rain? It was raining outside and raining inside the Moke as we flew along the I405 on the way north..it was raining so hard, we had difficulty seeing the road, and getting passed by semis spraying .. the rain was flowing up and into the car through the front top of the top, then dripping onto our shoes! We had to pull over and fix the truck s there was a carbon arc across the distributor cap.a bit of cleanup and some black take over the latch and we were off again, but now soaked from standing in the rain! The rain came in sheets and followed us all the way to the ferry terminal in Anacortes..where we have boarded the ferry for the last leg home..Mike

Moving North via Mount Ranier July 2

Up and away from Bend at 6am Rog Rog was asked to navigate to breakfast as its got a nose far better than Tom Tom so down highway 97 about 10 miles nose come into action a Food sign is also noticed at Terrebourn a motor bike, and couple of trucks once inside its just one table left for the five of us a very tasty breakfast and cheap only 3 pounds including as much coffee as you could drink, Rog Rog received full praise. The rest of the day was uneventful, lunch in a MacDonald, with old American classics as tables, next door to Sears tool shop some goodies are bought then onto Enumclaw for the night, we say good by to Terry & Linda as the have to get up early 6am to go shopping in Seattle.
As we clime into bed the thunderstorms are starting what will the morning bring?

Rog “The Hat”

This was the day we headed out for Enumclaw..we were going to head off with Terry and his family, but 6am came and went and there was no sign of them, so we moved on stopping for breakfast.As we pulled in for gas at the border of Oregon and Washington state, they had just arrived at the same place, as they had left an hour after us, and must have passed by while we were eating. The trip up 97 was kind of like the Desert Bus game (the worlds worst video game, you drive a bus from Vegas to Reno in real time, and the bus pulls to one side so you constantly have to correct the steering..one way trip take 8 hours!) The day got warmer and warmer and as we pulled into Yakima, it was scorching again..but cooled off as we headed out of town and onto the 410 through Mount Ranier National Park, where we had some great roads. The rest of the trip was good into Enumclaw, where after a great dinner at a local bar and grill, we watched the thunderstorms. Good thing we put the side curtains on the Moke as it rained heavy all night..The Moke was running a bit rough, so we changed the plus and adjusted the valves, which made a big difference.. Tomorrow a short leg…and home..Mike

Onward to Bend via Crater Lake and Lassen

Up early again, and off the breakfast at the local Mexican place..where we had a huge breakfast for $5.95! We continued on via 89, through Mount Lassen /volcanic National Park, where we had spectacular views and a small delay due to road construction at the top. No issues with any of the cars, even though there is a long winding climb up to the top at around 8000 feet again. Then down the mountain and off to I5 and up to 97, where we grabbed a quick lunch at Weed. Back onto 97 and into Crater Lake..we had hoped to do the Pinnicles Observation road, but the east side of the lake road was still closed due to snow and slides. There was still a lot of snow on the sides of the roads and off in the fields surrounding the park. They were expecting to open the east side within the next two weeks. After that we headed down and onto Bend Oregon, where we drove through a blinding rainstorm..in one day in the Moke, I have experienced cold at 56 degrees in the morning, heat up to 86, blinding rain, and at the top snow..and cold again..the rest of the crew in the cars don't seem to feel it as much! After heading out for dinner in Bend, we arrived back to find another Mini in the parking lot of the hotel..it was Terry from Pentiction, so we will hook up for part of the trip home tomorrow. We were planning to go to mount St Helens, but the roads are still closed due to snow and there is one bridge washed out, so we have had a change in plans..and will be heading home via Yakima...Mike