Safely nestled at Tillicum Beach at least 10 miles of sand beach 50 feet from our site. Weather 70 ish.  Two days of running on a deserted beach and yoga on the beach and balance is restored.   Vern in his element fires every night sights that are so beautiful it takes your breath away over and over. Yesterday we found ourselves bathed i oxygen in the suislaw national forest it is like an tropical jungle in temperate climate. We thought we would love the ocean but the forests are equally amazing. Bookmarked lots of cat ate park campgrounds for the future. Each corner reveals a new “best”.

Vern walking on the beach looking for shells

Our site at Tillicum

Steps to our beach

Toes in the pacific

How amazing found 2 halves of a sun dollar

My footprints on the beach running

Looking the other way

View from the top of cape perpetua

Flowers along the path

Cape perpetua beach

Heceta light house keepers quarters

Heceta lighthouse

A family learn to fly a kiteb

We had some crazy winds and rain on our travels but we are now in White Salmon Washington and yesterday marked our last day with the Salem Eh Caravan.   As of this morning we are officially “on our own”.  The Salem Eh Caravan has been wonderful way to cut our teeth on the airstream life.  I swear there is at least 400 years of airstream know how between the 15 couples on the trip and quite possibly more.  In the last few days we visited the Coulee Dam the history of which is fascinating,  Camped at Sun Lakes Dry Falls state park for two nights ( which was not enough).  Yesterday we did some much needed shopping in Portland ( no sales tax in Oregon)… Did not get to any of the really neat places but did mange to find a Costco, Walmart and a Camping World we are not well stocked for the next leg of our adventure….Last night we had our farewell dinner with the group cruising the Columbia River on a steam boat…Today we head to Tilicum Beach recreation area for 4 nights, which is on the Pacific Coast parallel to Salem in Yachats Oregon.

I think this is Mount Rainer on our way into White Salmon,  but there are lots of big mountains here.

The lake at our campsite at Sun Lakes Washington

Our Airstream parked at Sun Lakes

The Coulee Dam,  This dam is a mile long and has enough concrete in it to go round the earth at least once.  We saw a fairly hokey lazer light show there at night.   

Lazer light shows

Could not resist a monster truck at Sun Lakes

Spotted on my nature walk at Sun Lakes

I just liked this shot.

More deer 

The drive into White Salmon along the Columbia River was amazing.

T

Our message board for our fairwell dinner.

The wheel on the steam boat.

The motley crew of the Salem Eh caravan.   The t-shirts are for the parade at the Salem international WBCCI rally and helped us not get lost on the boat cruise.  

Wonderful Vern

The smoke stack

View over the bow

The trip into Waterton was nothing short of exciting… the excitement of seeing the shadows of the Rockies as we approached from the prairies left us speechless.  Everything got really quiet in the truck…

However, coupled with the excitement was hurricane force winds which forced us off the road about 20 km outside Waterton.   A gust came through and caught our side awning and opened it up. . . we truly were sailing.   Thankfully we were able to get the awning back in place and with the four ways flashing crawled into Waterton.   We were the fortunate ones others we discovered, lost entire awnings, steps were twisted, awnings were ripped and a skylight cover simply blew off.  Wind and rain and hail persisted on and off throughout our 3 night stay, our airstreams literally shook at night with the winds…Vern and I appreciated being in a caring and supportive group.  Collectively we problem solved awnings, sky lights, we learnt how to rivet and all was well.   Thankfully we left this morning with sun at our backs and much calmer winds… Beautiful drive to Cranbrook and an urban campground experience tonight.  We are literally backed up to a road.  But still a deer came to visit.

Tomorrow we cross the border into Idaho, so a huge potluck was held tonight where we all cooked and prepared anything and everything that could not cross the border…Plus as an added bonus we practiced our parade song for the Salem rally ( which Vern and I will sadly miss). . Alongside which, the true musical talents of our fellow airstreamers were revealed.   There needs to be a campfire singalong before we part ways in Salem…

Pictures tomorrow as wifi really really slow…

First glimpse of the Rockies as shadows ahead

Arriving at Waterton

Skylight repairs Vern holding the ladder. we actually used the torn awning from another trailer to help with the temporary fix

Swings blowing in the wind

It came up so suddenly we were all eating a group dinner and then kaboom. 80 – 90 m hour winds.  Scurried like hell to get the awnings down and batten down the hatches. Power went out, wind and rain and thunder we prayed we had no leaks….we did not wake up in a puddle  . . . so today another adventure begins.  Today still windy and heading to Waterton Lakes it will be a slow and steady drive

Part of our tour was a mock trial. This guy played he judge.

RCMP standard issue items for new recruits and their bunk

pelts at the trading post

Scarecrow wearing a Parks Canada uniform

Walking to the tour start.

Saw people on a horseback trail

Conglomerate Bluffs in the Cypress Hills. Simply stunning

Our guide Lucas he was great 

Fort Walsh built when Canada was still considered British hence the British flag.

Things I learnt at Fort Walsh  the term “red tape” originates from the practice that all communications going to the federal government had to be tied up with pink tape.  Also much of our history revolves in some way from the prevention of illegal sales of whiskey, protection of our border from the USA or making friends and or enemies of indigenous people

We actually had a great day in Moose Jaw it was an expensive day but a great day.   Started with a run, then a tour of the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, followed by a scavenger hunt for the Murals of MooseJaw, a little retail therapy, a massage for Vern and a pedicure for me.   All in all not a bad day!!   However we had to replace Verns cell phone in Moose Jaw which was unexpected occurrence and needless to say an expensive one….

the liquor store ( although this is the second pic we did not go twice lol)

sunset

sunset

magpie on my run

images along the way

route

startled squirrel

magpie

Moose Jaw tunnel tour, about bootlegging with Al Capone during prohibition and chinese immigrant exploitation

Picuture of the bathing beauties of the time…

great chandelier not to be bought but nice to look at

Hat and pants for Helen

And the Phone

Oh and or course the Murals..

A very poor imitation of a plane…

Off to Maple Creek Saskatchewan..

Mac the Moose…

We are staying just outside town,  at the Prairie Oasis  Tourist Complex… We are about 5 km from downtown which we plan to explore tomorrow….Capones tunnels and more…

Out camp ground for the night.

Apparently Capones hid out here many many years ago..

Liquor store building

Inside

Oh and it is snowing out