Washington

Marine Corps Marathon

/ marniesteve / 3 Comments

We have visited Washington DC many times over the years. As kids, with school groups, and for work, we’ve seen the monuments and museums multiple times. Years ago, we were here during Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) weekend and were so inspired. It’s been on our list for a long time and it didn’t disappoint.

The MCM is the fourth largest marathon in the United States with over 30,000 runners from all over the world. The weekend event begins with a large expo where we picked up our race bibs.  We enjoyed the festivities with cheerleaders from the local NFL team, the Washington Commanders. We learned the best way to get to the start line and picked up some fun goodies. 

Trains begin running at 5am on race morning
Go Commanders!
Pre-race photos

At 4:45 a.m. on race morning, we left Cherry Hill Park, our basecamp for the week and headed to the nearest Metro station. After a 30 minute train ride, I got off the train and headed to the 10K start line. Steve rode a few more stops before getting to the marathon start line.

Waiting in the warmth of the Metro station before the race
Sunrise over the Capitol at the start of the 10K
10K start line

By 8:00 a.m. we were both beating the pavement. My 6.2 mile course took me around the mall, into Crystal City, and past the Pentagon, before crossing the finish line at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial. Steve ran his 26.2 miles through Arlington, Georgetown, Rock Creek Park, and around the mall before crossing the same finish line as I did. 

Mile 5 of 6.2
Finish line!
Marines award the coveted medals
State #37 (Virginia) Accomplished

The course is lined with supporters, including enthusiastic marines who fist bump and cheer you along. The race is one of the best in terms of organization, support, and energy. For both of us it was a successful event. Highly recommend!

Marines ready with fist bumps
Crowds of supporters at the finish
The coveted medal (and a new hat)

While in DC we did a little exploring. We noticed that security around the White House is greater than it’s ever been. The photo below shows the barricade that keeps the public at least a block away. Who remembers when you could get right up to the fence and almost see in the windows? 

Can you see the White House?

Being in the area of the White House, we had to grab lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington’s oldest saloon, established in 1856. We also checked out the view from the Old Post office, a historic building with quite a history. 

The back bar at Old Ebbitt Grill
View from the Old Post Office

One new stop for us in the DC area was a visit to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. It’s about a 30 minute drive from DC and a world away. The Academy, established in 1845, prepares young men and women to become professional officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. Notable graduates include Jimmy Carter, Ross Perot, David Robinson, and Roger Staubach. We loved seeing the athletic facilities, the chapel, and Bancroft Hall, the largest college dormitory in the world.

Bancroft Hall
Inside Bancroft Hall
Naval Academy Chapel
Crypt of John Paul Jones

While staying at the closest campground to DC, we enjoyed the park’s weekend celebration of Halloween. Many RV parks have special activities on weekends in October, and our RV parks have been packed on the weekends with families enjoying the outdoors. Cherry Hill had a big celebration that included site decorating contests, wagon rides, and trick or treating. Hundreds of kids and families dressed for the occasion wandered the park collecting candy. We didn’t have costumes, but Bob enjoyed the attention. Have we mentioned he’s a “little girl” magnet? 

Bob is very popular in the campground
Our home on wheels

Leavenworth to Spokane with Santa’s Reindeer

/ marniesteve / 1 Comment

Sometimes when you travel you stumble upon things you would never expect. Heck, that’s why we travel. But we never expect reindeer to be part of the story. Recently we spent time in Leavenworth, Washington as part of our Pacific Northwest roadtrip. As before we were based at a Thousand Trails campground. This one was quite a drive from the closest town, Leavenworth, but the surrounding area was spectacular. 

While in the area we took a day trip to Chelan, one of Washington’s premier resort towns. On the south shore of Lake Chelan, this town is all about the water. We checked it out, had a picnic, and then found ourselves at a local cidery to try out the local stuff. On our way to this area, about 75 miles from our campground, we drove through miles and miles of nearly ripe apple orchards. The cider, made locally, comes from those fields. Yes, we bought a few bottles to bring home!

One of the big highlights of our time in Leavenworth was a visit to the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm. While normally a holiday event, the local herd was happy to greet us and the local family that runs the farm told us all about the reindeer. Did you know a reindeer is really a domesticated caribou? We were introduced to each and every member of the herd and given a chance to feed them. These were some very friendly reindeer! We even had a chance to meet the farm’s flock of chickens.

Leavenworth is a German-themed tourist town, and it was packed the day we went to explore. In an effort to avoid the crowds, we just hit the local brewery and a nearby winery. We would definitely return to this area as there is so much to do. 

After a few days in Leavenworth we drove about four hours east to the Spokane area. Our first stop was at Walter’s Fruit Farm, a Harvest Host property, which allowed us to park in their field.  Along with one other RVing couple who parked next to us, we enjoyed the beautiful farm views and visited a local brewery that was just down the road. This area north of Spokane is called Green Bluff and has over 20 farms open to the public. Fruit and vegetables of all kinds were available right out of the ground. Too bad we were only there one night!

We heard there was great biking in the area and it did not disappoint! Twice we drove from our Thousand Trails campground to Spokane to explore the 37-mile, paved Spokane River Centennial Trail. The trail begins at the Idaho border and runs through Spokane to Riverside State Park alongside the Spokane River. First we focused on the downtown Spokane portion and took in Spokane Falls and the many bridges that cross the river.

On the second day we headed to Riverside State Park and jumped on the trail again. Views of Spokane and the Spokane River were incredible, and if we had more time, we would have covered more miles on this gem of a trail.

Some folks have been asking how we spend our “downtime” while on the road.  Well, Steve is sticking to his exercise routine and either biking or running from the campsite every day.  That gives me time to write, clean up, or pursue my newest “hobby,” needlepoint! I type that with sarcasm because I really don’t know what I’m doing but it’s been fun to fiddle with something while icing my foot. I can’t say this is going to be a life-long hobby but it’s kept me busy.

We’re headed east into Idaho next. Stay turned for more pretty scenery pictures and probably more reports of breweries!

North Cascades National Park

/ marniesteve / 1 Comment

In our continuing quest to visit as many national parks as possible, we ticked another off the list–and this one was beautiful!  North Cascades National Park is located in the northern part of Washington State in the middle of the Cascade Range. IMG_0444It’s brimming with old-growth forests, hundreds of glaciers, swiftly flowing rivers, and alpine lakes. You kind of have to want to come here, as it’s not a park you just drive by. Certainly the remoteness makes it all the more special.IMG_8870We visited just one day and saw what we could from the car and short trails. However, the real way to see North Cascades is on foot with a pack on your back. We are not traveling that way these days so we settled for the tourist route and it was still spectacular.  We can’t help but wonder what we missed by not being able to get to the back country.IMG_0461From our campground in Concrete, Washington the park was about a 30 mile drive. Of course the visitor center was closed due to COVID-19 but rangers still greeted us outside with maps and suggestions. Our first official stop was the town of Newhalem. This old village was once the “company town” for Seattle City Light, the power company that has transformed the power of the water in these mountains into electricity for Seattle and the surrounding areas. As such, there are large power lines, old pump houses, and hydroelectric dams throughout the park.IMG_0460Not far from Newhalem we came across the Gorge Dam and Gorge Creek Falls.  While man has certainly altered the landscape here, it is still a spectacular natural site.IMG_8877The most incredible views were found at Ross Lake. We could have spent days here if we were down at water level. Instead, we soaked in the glacial-topped peaks and glacial-green waters. The Ross Lake National Recreation Area, at over 100,000 acres, is a lot to explore!IMG_8884.jpegWe took in a few short hikes that gave us a flavor for what the back country might look like. The Ladder Creek Falls trail features a suspension bridge over the Skagit River, gardens, and a 1920’s powerhouse. IMG_8894

The powerhouse was constructed to produce electricity for homes in Seattle as part of the Skagit Hydroelectric project.IMG_8905The Trail of the Cedars was a short, 0.3 mile loop starting on another suspension bridge and weaving through an old-growth forest along side the Skagit River. Just lovely.

Lunch beside the river in a shady spot and a quick stop at the Cascadian Farms Organic Farm Stand for the best chocolate ice cream on the planet rounded out the day. We left feeling like we saw a lot but left much yet to explore.

IMG_8914Steve also made a habit of picking wild blackberries from the bushes around our campground. With so many berries he made his first pie! We were in this area for just a few days and spent the rest of our time shopping for an internet jetpack, barbecuing, and enjoying the cooler-than-Arizona weather.  From here we begin to travel eastward.