We’ve enjoyed our time here in Vancouver, and even though it’s only been a few days, we’ve been busy. We both agree we want to come back again.
Yesterday morning we drove a few miles east to Washougal, where we toured the Pendleton woolen mill. No photos were allowed on the 45 minute free tour, but it was interesting to see how they bring in raw wool and create beautiful blankets and fabric that will be used to make everything from upholstery to clothing.
We arrived a half hour before the tour and spent the time looking at the things for sale in the mill store. They had some neat stuff, but I was disappointed to discover that, while the blankets and woolen fabrics are made in the U.S.A., all Pendleton clothing is fabricated in Mexico and China.
Later in the afternoon we drove back across the Columbia River to Portland to meet Bruce Miles for dinner. Bruce narrated the audiobook version of Big Lake, and will start production of Big Lake Lynching, the second book in the series, in a few days. Bruce is a nice guy and we enjoyed our visit with him.
When we were in Florida last winter I bought a Rand McNally RV GPS , but I kind of forgot about it and never got around to using it until our trip from Douglas, Wyoming to Gillette for Escapade, and then for the rest of our trip here. Several folks have asked me what I think of it so far. Pros are the larger screen than the Garmin Trucker GPS we have been using, and that it can be set to alert us to changes in speed limits, approaching state lines, steep grades and sharp curves, and things like that.
Like the Garmin, we can also input the length and height of our RV to avoid roads that are not suitable for a big rig. We still have a lot to learn about it, as far as using points of interest (POIs), campground searches, etc., but we’ll get there. The one big con for me is the mechanical computer voice. It can be hard to understand at times. I switched to the male voice, which is somewhat better, but the sound quality is much better on the Garmin. Overall, I’m happy with the unit.
Speaking of GPS units, Passport America has just released POI files that can be downloaded to your GPS and list all Passport America affiliated campgrounds. If you aren’t a member yet, you really should be. At $44 a year, it’s absolutely the best deal around for RVers who want to save money on camping from coast to coast. You will get your money back on your first RV trip.
Today it’s time to move on, and we’re headed for the Elks lodge in Bremerton. It’s only about 170 miles so it should be an easy trip. We’ll stay there a week, maybe two, and use it as a base to take the ferry across Puget Sound to spend a some time on the Seattle waterfront, we have some folks in that area who want to get together for a visit, and hopefully I can get some writing done while we’re there.
Thought For The Day – Having a child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee.
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Nick Russell
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I almost wholeheartedly agree with your statement about Passport America being a good value. But I think they need to back off saying they are a 50% off card. Seems like more and more parks are adding on fees, like extra for electricity, so that it isn’t half off any more.
When we first joined up it seemed like more parks offered the discount everyday, now that is the exception and extra charges were for things like cable or WIFI. Rather aggravating but I guess something is better than nothing, right!
Sure wish we were in the Pacific Northwest right now. We are on the east coast and surviving the high 90’s in temp and humidity. Yuck! But the daughter is here so we are too!
Safe travels you guys,
Karen