Home Base .................. The Beach on Puget Sound
Home sweet Penrose Point State Park Washington. After 4587 miles on the RV, we have arrived to the first “working” stop on our summer 2008 journey. Penrose Point is located on the Puget Sound about 15 miles from Tacoma (but 5 miles if you can fly.) It is a quiet park filled on the nice weekends by city-dwellers, clam diggers and fish-people. It is nestled in a forest described as second growth. The trees, mostly Douglas Fir and Maple, are tall and majestic. They not only shade the sun, but they catch most of the light rain in the area right up in the canopy.
We arrived in late April, meet the ranger staff, then we flew away to a camporee for Washington State Park Hosts. We endured countless demonstrations (ok, so you could count them) and seminars on the aspects of being a good host and representing the park in a professional manner. The Hall goal is to make ourselves available without making ourselves intrusive. As with other stops on our journey, the food was excellent. We also learned a little about Dutch Oven cooking, something Sally has vowed to try. Actually Sally is ready to go back to solar cooking at the last stop in the summer work cycle.
We arrived in late April, meet the ranger staff, then we flew away to a camporee for Washington State Park Hosts. We endured countless demonstrations (ok, so you could count them) and seminars on the aspects of being a good host and representing the park in a professional manner. The Hall goal is to make ourselves available without making ourselves intrusive. As with other stops on our journey, the food was excellent. We also learned a little about Dutch Oven cooking, something Sally has vowed to try. Actually Sally is ready to go back to solar cooking at the last stop in the summer work cycle.
Driving across Snoqualmie Pass .... The Camporee
At the Dry Falls near Grand Coulee Dam
The first weekend at the campground was very quiet. We filled our hours doing small labor jobs and tending to the campground. We did, however, get the opportunity to attend a training session for the Harbor Wildwatch. We were participating with naturalists spotting and “collecting” saltwater animals for the touch tanks for the demonstrations. This was so much fun; we decided to get a license to do some collecting of our own.
Harbor WildWatch at Penrose Point
We bought shellfish licenses and we are now clam diggers. Our first clam dig got us three steamers (little neck clams), three horse clams and one cockle. We are just learning the process, but Sally steamed four of the clams and the cockle and made some delicious clam chowder. This could turn into a habit.
Our first "weekend" took us on a riding tour of the Olympic Peninsula. We drove up to Port Angeles, stopping at several state parks and visitor centers to retrieve the offerings (check our pamphlets) to prepare for future journeys in the area. We are sure we will try to stay one night at the Salt Creek Recreation Area in Clallam County. It has a beautiful view over to Vancouver Island in Canada. We also drove up Hurricane Ridge to see the Olympic Mountains. It has some very nice views. It still has several feet of snow, but the roads are clear.
View of Canada from Salt Creek & Sally at Hurricane Creek
The work is easy, the area is nice. Sally made a good choice for our first work stop. More on the area will appear as we explore.
Mt Ranier from Penrose Point
Happy Trails.
Happy Trails.
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