We arrived at Issaquah Village RV Park in Issaquah, WA on July 27th for a 5-night stay. I chose this park because of its proximity to Seattle, WA. Since I had never visited Seattle before, I wanted to spend a good amount of time to explore the "Emerald City". I decided the best way to check out the sights and attractions was to buy a Seattle City Pass. The pass includes a visit to 5 Seattle attractions. We decided on the Space Needle (our ticket included a day and night visit), Seattle Aquarium, Harbor Cruise, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), and the Chihuly Garden & Glass. Over the course of our time here, we enjoyed visiting these attractions.
Space Needle day and night.
Aquarium, harbor cruise, MoPop, famous gum wall (yuck), extremely crowded Public Market, and the truly amazing Chihuly Garden and Glass.
On August 1, we arrived at Birch Bay RV Campground in Blaine, WA, for a 2-week stay. The campground is situated a few miles south of the Canadian border. Vancouver, British Columbia is about an hour away from our location.
We've always wanted to visit Vancouver, BC, and it did not disappoint. Our daughter, Alyssa, decided to join us during our stay. She had been to Vancouver before, but enjoyed it so much, she wanted to go again. We had a great time touring the city, including Stanley Park. The highlight was a visit to Capilano Suspension Bridge. Imagine a sturdy, swaying bridge suspended high above a roaring river, surrounded by towering trees and breathtaking scenery. That's the Capilano Suspension Bridge experience in a nutshell. The bridge itself stretches 137 meters (450 feet) across the Capilano River and hangs 70 meters (230 feet) above the canyon floor. We were so happy this was a dog-friendly attraction. Surprisingly, Myah did great walking on the moving bridge and wasn't afraid at all!
Visit to Vancouver, BC and Capilano Suspension Bridge.
We spent a nice day exploring nearby Whatcom Falls Park. It was an absolutely perfect day to relish the beauty of nature and time spent together.
Whatcom Falls Park
We savored every moment of our time in the Blaine/Bellingham area enjoying walks near the water, watching the harbor seals basking in the sun, and admiring the breathtaking sunsets.
Fun in Blaine, WA
Unfortunately, the time came to bid goodbye to Alyssa and head to our next destination on our Pacific NW adventure.
We pulled into our new site at Elwha Dam RV Park & Campground in Port Angeles, WA on August 15th for a 5-night stay. The RV park is located on the Olympic Peninsula and has easy access to the ferry that goes to Vancouver Island.
We took the ferry over to Vancouver Island and decided to spend the night in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Victoria is a charming and picturesque city located on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island. The city's architecture reflects its rich history, blending British colonial influences with modern designs. The iconic Empress Hotel, a grand landmark since 1908, highlights the architecture of the period. Victoria is often referred to as the "City of Gardens", home to over 900 species of plants and floral displays. The Butchart Gardens, located just outside the city, is a world-renowned attraction featuring meticulously landscaped gardens, including rose, Japanese, and Mediterranean gardens. We spent several hours strolling through these amazing and colorful gardens. They were the prettiest gardens we had ever visited! Myah had fun, too.
Butchart Gardens, the city of Victoria and Beacon Hill Park
We took advantage of the awesome trails close to the RV park and loved walking around the town of Port Angeles. We had the best ice cream (non-dairy for us) at Welly's Real Fruit Ice Cream in downtown Port Angeles. They are known for their New Zealand-style ice-cream. It was so good, we got it a couple of times while visiting the area. Myah loved it, too!
Enjoying our time in Port Angeles.
We rolled into North Whidbey RV Park, Oak Harbor, WA on August 20th for 7 nights. This was a wonderful park located on Whidbey Island. The island is located in the Puget Sound and at approximately 40 miles long, is considered one of the largest offshore islands in the continental United States. Deception Pass State Park (the most visited park in the state of Washington) is located across the street from the RV park. The main reason we wanted to stay here was because of its close proximity to Anacortes, the port where you can take a ferry to the San Juan Islands. A fellow RVer had told me about the San Juan Islands after I had told her we were going to be in the area. She said it was a must see, and now I can see why.
There are several islands that make up the San Juan Islands, each offering its unique charm. We decided to visit San Juan Island, the largest and most accessible island in the San Juan archipelago. After arriving at Friday Harbor, the main town on San Juan Island, we spent the day exploring this beautiful area. We visited Lime Kiln Point State Park, known as the "Whale Watching Park" and is a fantastic spot for observing orcas and other marine wildlife from the shore. It provides stunning views of the surrounding waters and has informative exhibits about the local ecosystem. We were fortunate to witness a few water spouts off in the distance during our visit. Roche Harbor, a historic waterfront village is filled with charm and character. We strolled around the marina, visited the sculpture park, and explored the beautifully manicured gardens. We visited Pelindaba Lavender Farms and immersed ourselves among the aromatic smells and purple beauty of the lavender fields. It is a very pet-friendly place, which is always a plus for us! They sold everything lavender in their store, so of course, we needed to buy a few things to take home.
We could have spent more time on this amazing island, but before we knew it, it was time to catch our ferry back to Anacortes.
Our day exploring San Juan Island
We also explored the area around the RV park and visited places like Ebey's Landing, Fort Casey Historical State Park, and the quaint town of Anacortes.
Deception Pass, Ebey's Landing, Ft. Casey and Anacortes.
Our next stop on our PNW journey was to Paradise RV Campground in Silver Creek, WA on August 27th for a 7-night stay. During our stay we visited Mt. Rainier National Park. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side this day, and mighty mountain (or technically volcano), hid from our view. We did enjoy a nice hike, but it was a little wet. We'll need to try again during a future visit to this park.
Cloudy day at Mt. Rainier.
On September 3rd, we arrived at Seaside RV Resort in Seaside, OR for a 7-night stay. We had a wonderful time is this area. It was so nice to be close to the ocean. We spent a lot of time walking on the beach, and especially enjoyed visiting Cannon Beach where we saw the iconic Haystack Rock. We also hiked in nearby Ecola State Park.
Seaside, Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park.
We could have definitely stayed in this area longer, but it was time to roll on out to our next destination, Portland, OR.
On September 10th, we arrived at Portland Fairview RV Park in Fairview, OR for 7 nights. The Columbia River Gorge and Willamette Valley is another great area to explore. We visited the famous 600' tall double cascading, Multnomah Falls, Washington Park, and the historical, dome-shaped Vista House at Crown Point.
Our Uncle Rick and Aunt Rina, from Rochester, NY, have a son and his family who live in Vancouver, WA, a short 20 minute drive from the RV park. They decided to visit while we were there. We had such a wonderful time visiting with them and our cousins, Matt, Laura, Cole, Owen and their adorable little Frenchie, Gemma.
Visiting with family and exploring the Portland area.
Our time with family sadly came to an end, and it was time to hit the road yet again. Next stop Mt. Hood and the Hood River.