I thought I'd spend some time updating our travel blog because we have 11 followers, mostly family I think, that are probably wondering what we've been up to since returning back to the Great NW.
We spent a few weeks in Black Diamond, WA at the Lake Sawyer RV Park when we arrived in April. While there, I went down to Jen's to spend time with the boys. I must say teenagers are different but actually these guys are very easy to supervise. I loved spending time with them and my time with them went way to fast. In fact, I haven't been back down there since and I'm ashamed to admit that.
When I got back home to our area, Chuck had moved the motorhome to the RV park in Sumner, WA. Seemed strange to leave from one park and then come home and find your home in another park. We really love the little community of Sumner but the rent just got way to expensive for us. The rent went up and we had to pay for electricity. I know, boo hoo, everyone has to pay for electricity. But that's not true. We don't in the park we're in now.
While in Sumner, we did lots of walking. The little town has very beautiful with old quaint homes and lots of sidewalks and places to walk. Just one little mile away was shopping and restaurants! We were walking 100 miles a month while there!
I found a Zumba class just blocks from the park and spent a month going to classes. I really really miss that class and the girls. If you've never tried Zumba fitness, make sure it's the basic class not the gold when you do...... you won't believe how much fun those classes are. You won't believe how fast the time goes so you're never watching the clock wondering when you can go home. It's awesome and one day I WILL return to a Zumba class someplace. It wasn't easy to leave the girls and all my friends there. An instructor actually cried when we said good bye and she gave me a Zumba Tshirt!
We spent 3 great months in Sumner, WA and we really miss it. Not the park but Sumner. The park doesn't have a clubhouse and everyone seems to work, so there was no socializing for me and I kind of got bored.
When they decided to raise our rent $75 a month, we decided that we just couldn't do that. That would make our rent over $500 a month including ele. $500! That's a huge chunk out of our fixed income.
Back to Lake Sawyer and Black Diamond we went on August 1st. I love it here but it took Chuck some time to get used to not having good reliable power. We only have 30 amps here, whatever that means, but we do pop a breaker now and then when the heat pump comes on. The walking isn't as good around here but there's still plenty of good destinations. Just not as safe and no sidewalks like Sumner. We have to walk along a highway but there is a bike lane so the shoulders are nice and wide and there's the beautiful lake! We now live in a very wooded setting like camping! You can't dislike this area at all.
Just a couple miles away is great shopping........well, I should say a few not a couple, but there's grocery shopping, banks, restaurants, Pier 1, Dollar Tree, drug stores, health clubs with Zumba classes, HOme Depot, and the cutest little town of Black Diamond only 2 miles away. I found a Zumba class there but it was a gold class and much, way too much too easy. I didn't even break a sweat!
This park is part of our membership park system so we only pay about $175 a month AND FREE electricity! We pay nothing else. No water, gas, electricity, garbage bills! Nothing! Peak season ends on the 15th so we pay only $1 a night for three weeks instead of two and then $150 for the 4th week instead of the 3rd. We have a little grassy spot, a picnic table and a place to park the cars. What more can you ask for?
I've been spending lots of time in the clubhouse working jigsaw puzzles with my friends. We have taco Tuesday and eggs, bacon and pancakes on Saturday morning. I think all this ends soon with the coming of fall, though. I love working on the puzzles, having a cup of coffee and spending time with my friends. Many will be leaving, heading south for the winter soon so I'll be alone again except for any travelers that come and go during the winter. I've made so many friends it's wonderful; hard to say good bye but wonderful.
A couple friends I met last year at this park and on the internet have returned one last time just recently. We would normally see them in AZ or TX but we're not heading south this year.
You're probably wondering why we're not going south for the winter. Well, we decided to stick around, help Jack out a little, be some support for him, be home for the holidays, save a little nest egg and then head south next year with lots of extra spending money! Chuck was hired part time at his old office which was going to work out perfectly but their only sales person in Tacoma quit so they asked him to work full time. He thinks he can do it for awhile but not sure he wants to commit to long term. We'll see what happens. It seems funny (weird) to be home alone all day again.
Forgot to mention that in June we spent two weeks at the ocean. We went to Copalis Beach, near Ocean Shores, and had a fabulous time. (in the RV) We had many walks on the beach, went to town shopping and eating. We had an old old friend come visit us. We found a guy that Chuck went to Dunwoody with way back in the early 60s on Facebook and we found out he was in the Portland area so on his way east, he stopped by to spend an night with us in Copalis Beach. We had a great time reminiscing. We hope to see him and little Boe, his tiny little dog, again next year when he's out this way.
Speaking of Boe, it was real interesting when it came time to bring Boe into the RV with our two cats. They spent their time in the bedroom. Frank was scared to death!
Well, that's really about all the news and it should catch everyone up. I will try to post more often when there's actually something to tell you. Maybe I'll get some pictures taken.
