Washington (5) Winthrop and Leavenworth July 22-29

We said goodby to Ron and Leanne and headed to Mt Vernon, Washington and Freightliner for our annual RV engine maintenance. Not much to report from the visit to Mt. Vernon. We then headed out through Cascade National Park to Twisp.

It was a rainy day, and I could not get many great photos but the trip through Cascade National Park reminded us how much this trip is about the journey. Through the entire trip through the park we could see this amazingly beautiful green water winding through the park...


...and the imposing rocky mountains.


















There is not much to see in Twisp but the view of the clear running river from our campsite was so serene.





However, neighboring Winthrop has created a real tourist spot by creating a "wild west" look. We enjoyed the western look like this "local bank" that you can catch a small glimpse of in the background. What the photo shows what happens when a City, out in the boonies, adds a little "local color" and the amount of tourists it can attract!





We surprisingly enjoyed a great lunch on the patio keeping dry under the picnic table umbrellas in the pouring rain. We don't just sit at home and wait for it to rain.








It was time to move on so we followed the Columbia River the entire trip from Twisp to Leavenworth.



Imagine our surprise when we pulled into Leavenworth and found ourselves going from the "wild west" of Winthrop to a Bavarian haven in Leavenworth...



where they really love their flowers...


and have done a great job in creating an impressive downtown.






We played golf at Leavenworth golf course and were as surprised to see a deer enjoying a shady spot on the first hole...













as we were to find tubers relaxing on the beach beside the fifth hole!




They were having so much fun we knew we would have to try it. So we rented these large tubes with mesh hammocks on the bottom and boarded the shuttle to the upriver drop off. Here is the view as we headed into a faster section.


Mark is "kicked back" and enjoying the ride.


... ...and, as the temperature is in the 90s I am enjoying the cool water and the gentle breeze as we watch the world float by or rather as we float by.




But, once again, it is time to get out of the water and head out to our next stop: Moses Lake, Washington to hook up with our friends Angie and Frank at their vacation campgrounds.