[a/s] Bellingham, Carnation, Issaquah & Bainbridge, WA - July 30,2000

[HHamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

I am in the Kitsap Memorial State Park.... just outside of Bainbridge Island, 
Washington.  It's been a whirlwind of activity since I last wrote and I'm 
going to try to remember everything.

Last time I wrote I was leaving my Border Collie List friend's farm for 
Bellingham to meet two friends from the RV Newsgroup.  I drove the 2 hours up 
to Bellingham and got settled into the  campground where they pack you in 
like sardines.  I tried to call my friend Pete on the payphone, using the 
number he gave me... couldn't get through.  Hmmm... So finally I emailed im 
that I was at the Bellingham RV Park off I-5 next to the Hampton Inn.  I went 
back to the trailer and waited. No Pete.  I went back and got my email..... 
which included a note from Pete who wondered why I was in Bellingham.... 
considering that he's in Bainbridge... 4 hours from there!!!!!  Oops. 

A friend from the Airstream list lives in Bellingham so all was not lost (c: 
We did get to visit at least. 
Next day back down to Carnation to the little farm again.  My dog, Tucker, 
got to "help" bring in the sheep..... he loved it.
The next day I drove over to Issaquah...about 20 miles away and made "camp" 
in another Airstream Listie's driveway.  I had not met Larry or Rebecca in 
person, just on the internet.... but was sure glad they extended an 
invitation.  Their home and grounds are exquisite.  As they have 4 dogs the 
whole place is completely fenced in which was great for my dogs.  We really 
had a great time, I did anyway I hope they did (c:  Funny, I stayed with 2 
families in a row that I had never actually met before and it seemed like we 
had known each other for years.  Some of the highlights were antiquing and 
going to Snoqualmie Falls...268 feet tall. One of the most visited spots, and 
spectacular, in the state.  (Did you watch Twin Peaks?  This is where they 
found Laura Palmer...)

After two wonderful days there it was time to set out to try to meet Pete 
again.  This time I did go the right way...and I ended up here at the Kitsap 
Memorial State Park.

Pete got there top await my arrival and pay for a spot so I wold be sure to 
have one when I arrived. He was easy to spot when I got there, he was the guy 
with a rat on his shoulder. Pet and Ratatouille (the rat)  have been a great 
hosts.  They are staying on his friend Bob's estate right down on the water 
on Bainbridge Island. We drove around and walked around and explored the 
local towns like Winslow (the main town in Bainbridge) and Poulsbo and we 
went to a Crafts fair in POrt Gamble.

I know I'm in Washington, but it feels like New England.  The towns, the 
shops and the architecture all remind me of villages in Maine.  I even saw a 
sign for a turn off to Bangor. (c:  

Bainbridge has to go on my list of places I could live.   It really is 
fabulous.  Very pricey, but the homes are spectacular.  I don't think I saw 
one I didn't like. Even the new houses are perfect.  Lots of Craftsman style, 
many lovely farmhouses. The houses are expensive, many are big...but none 
seemed pretentious.  Of course many of the homes are on the waterfront, the 
one Pete is staying at has a few hundred feet of water front.... with a pier 
and a dock.  It wasn't hard to spend time there. Lots of Frisbee space too. 
Some of the houses are very close together and others have lots of acreage.  
I did see some horses and cattle.  The island is a few miles wide by about 10 
miles long.  There are five ferries a day that go from the village of 
Winslow's harbor to Seattle. A 35 minute ride.  The problem of course is the 
dreary wet winters )c:

I had a bad experience at the state park the first night.  I got back from 
sightseeing and dinner at about 10 pm and at 11:30 took the dogs out for the 
last pee.  Kids were everywhere.... making  noise, skating, riding bikes 
...screaming and laughing.  I had the dogs in a dark field, with a 
flashlight... when Tucker started going ballistic.  He was barking and 
snarling and straining at the end of the leash.  I flipped my flashing light 
around and up and saw a teenage boy, taller than I am, stalking us with his 
flashlight under his chin to make him look extra scary. Jeeez...... 

I growled at him, "What the hell are you doing???"  Then I called him a few 
names and really lit into him, my adreneline was full blast.  He slunk away 
into the woods, my dog still wanted to eat him alive.  I did sort of like 
that I must say.

When I got back to the trailer it occurred to me that in 10 months of staying 
in campgrounds this is the first time anything like that has ever happened.  
The noisy kids, the weird big kid..... and the frst time I have stayed in a 
state park.  Hmmm...
I will be sticking to private campgrounds from now on.  They are full of 
older people who are quiet and have an owner to enforce the rules. I hate to 
sound like an old fart, but it really unnerved me.

Washington is gorgeous..... on to Sequim.........

Hunter