About Me

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I am retired and like to travel by motor home across the United States and Canada. In the winter I hope to spend more time with my WIN (Wandering Individual Network) friends in the California and Arizona desert. I know my trip reports are having too many details, but I am writing them for myself, if anybody else enjoys them, that is fine too.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Gig Harbor (2) Washington 2016

8-28-2016
I left Forks at 5:45 AM and leisurely drove along Lake Crescent. Only one car was passing me on that stretch of the highway. The speed limit there is 35 MPH. I could not go faster with the motorhome and the car. The road follows the lake and it is very curvy.
In Port Angeles I stopped at Walmart and in Sequim I got gasoline for the motorhome at Costco.
When I arrived at Mel’s place in Gig Harbor, Tom mowed the grass before I parked the motorhome on top of the property. I get more TV stations there than at the place below, but so far no network station.
I will be staying here for a while and see what the future holds for me.


Donna Lee really is hurting. She broke her left arm in two places on Friday. Monday she has to see a surgeon.
Jytte and I had a wonderful lunch at Anthony’s Fish Restaurant. The restaurant is at the harbor and the setting was beautiful. I enjoyed seeing all those sailboats. The meal was outstanding. Both of us liked our choices.
After the meal we walked up the wooden steps to the next level of the town. We could see Mt. Rainier but the mountain is not visible on the picture. Where we stood was no sun but the mountain was very bright. It is not easy to photograph that snow covered mountain.



8-29-2016.
Jytte and I had planned to drive to Poulsbo, the small Norwegian village. But she had to take care of her grandchildren.
I went to the library and came back to the motorhome and organized my pictures from this trip.
The weather is just perfect now.
Donna Lee and Mel did see the surgeon today and she is going back tomorrow for the operation.


8-30-2016.

This was a wonderful, busy day.
In the morning I did my walk and then waited for a call from Jytte. She was waiting for the air conditioner mechanic to check out her heat pump.
While I was waiting I cleaned the windows on the motorhome. Then I started cleaning the walls of the motorhome. This was doing it backwards but it worked.
At noon I went to the library for a short time. When I came back to the motorhome Jytte called me, she was ready to go to Poulsbo.
I picked her up and we had a wonderful late lunch at a fish restaurant in that small, touristy town.
After lunch we went for a walk along the waterfront.
Then we stopped at a Scandinavian Delicatessen where Jytte bought some items. One of them was marzipan. She shared it with me. The weather cooperated, it was just a perfect day.



8-31-2016.
This was a rainy day. I was able to do a three mile walk before it started to rain. Then I went to Safeway and had the butcher cut me ten pieces of thin meat for rouladen.
He knew what I wanted and cut them to the perfect thickness and size.
I spent over an hour preparing the rouladen and two hours simmering them in a pot.
It was a perfect day for cooking and taking care of things in the motorhome.
Mel picked up Donna Lee from the hospital. She feels better now. Her arm was put together again with a titanium splice.


9-1-2016.

I walked the three mile loop early this morning. At about 9:00 AM Jytte called and told me that she was ready to walk. I walked with her the same loop again. The last mile is tough, it goes from the waterfront up.
After the walk I went to the library and then to the Visitor Center to find out what there is still to do in town. A lot of tourist activity will close next week, after Labor Day.
At 1:00 PM it started to rain.
 

9-2-2016.
It rained in the morning. We did not walk. In the afternoon I started cooking red cabbage and mashed potatoes. I had cooked already the rouladen and only had to heat them up when Jytte came to the motorhome at 6:00 PM.
This was a wonderful day.


9-3-2016.

This was another fine day. In the morning Jytte and I walked the three mile loop.
At 2:00 PM I picked her up and we went to First Saturday, Arts Walk.
We went to twelve Art Studios and Galleries. Several galleries were along the waterfront. We did some more walking.


On this picture I can see the gondolier with his gondola. I did not see him when I took the picture.


One gallery served snacks and wine like they do in Eureka. At the last place the ladies noticed that we were worn down and they gave us water and wine and chocolates. Jytte told me that she will go back in the future and buy something from that place.
To really recover from all that walking we went to an ice cream store and picked up some calories.
The weather could not have been better.
I never ate so many blackberries and pears as I do here. Mel has a pear tree and it is loaded. Nobody picks the pears. Tree ripened pears taste a lot better than the store bought. The blackberries grow along the road and along fences.



9-4-2016.
In the morning we walked and in the evening we went to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner.
During the day Jytte cut the grass on her property. It took her one hour and fifteen minutes on her little John Deere tractor. She has a very large lawn.


After dinner we drove to the park where one can see the two bridges over the Narrows. Gig Harbor is on one side and Tacoma on the other. We were late and could not stay very long. The park closes at dusk.




9-5-2016.
This was a dark day. The sun was hiding.
After our morning walk I went to McDonalds and did my computer work. I ordered a large soft drink. The lady gave it to me free. I feel guilty every time I go there to use the Internet. Now I felt double guilty because I did not have to pay.
When I was done I walked along the waterfront.


This motorhome looked interesting. I would have liked to see the owner.




9-8-2016.
The last few days Jytte and I went walking in the morning. In the afternoon I did my own things. This morning should have been our last day of walking, but the fog was pretty heavy and we canceled it.
Jytte’s brother and his wife will arrive tomorrow from Denmark. She will take them to Yellowstone, the Black Hills and other places. When they are gone another brother and his wife will arrive.
I am getting ready to join the WINs again.
Late morning I took Donna Lee to Walmart in Port Orchard. On the way home we stopped at a clothing store for women.
Donna Lee feels better, but her broken arm still hurts. After shopping we had late lunch at Panera Bread.



9-9-2016.
This is my last day in Gig Harbor.
After my morning walk I drove to Tacoma. One has to make it worthwhile to cross the bridge; it costs $ 6.00 for toll.
I went to Best Buy and bought a spare battery for my new camera. Walmart did not have camera batteries.
There is no Laundromat in Gig Harbor. Donna Lee and Mel told me several times to use their washer and dryer. I did not feel like it. They have done enough for me. I do not want to overdue it. I found a Laundromat in Tacoma and did my laundry there.
On my way back I drove past Jytte’s house. She was mowing the lawn again. Her brother and wife are arriving today.