I am writing this blog sitting outside a recreation centre in an RV Park so I can get an internet connection. Hands are that cold that I can hardly type.

I spent my last night in Issaquah having dinner with Elizabeth and Earl. I had asked Elizabeth if it was possible to get Earl back over and she got it sorted. I found it fascinating talking to a guy of his age (96) and life experience. I did ask Earl what is fondest memory was and he told me that it was working at the World Trade Fair in New York when it was held in 1939 and he was 19yrs old. I doubt that there would be any other person left that could make that claim!

I set off the next day and really just took my time as I only had just over 220klms to ride. My friend the Mayor (Donna) had organised for me to stay at the same RV Park where her sister (Brenda) and brother-in-law (Guy) were currently holidaying. They had a site that had plenty of room for me to put my tent up.

As I am travelling along I see this;

I am not sure if its the real deal or a chinese knock off. I keep going and call in on a town called DuPont. I go around to the local Police Station and its closed with a sign on the door that staff would be back in a couple of hours. Just as I am about to get on Fred a guy comes up so I ask if he works there. Turns out he is the City Attorney who rides a Triumph tiger and wants to do South America next year. We have a good chat and I promise that I will hook him up with some friends of mine that have done the trip and can help.

Later on I find a bargain;

I am thinking that when my 2 mates come out from Australia that it will be perfect for them to camp in. At this stage I am out in the country and the riding was great;

The arrangement with Brenda & Guy was that I was meant to text them once I reached a small town called Chehalis so that they could come down to the entrance gate to meet me. Well somehow I missed Chehalis and came in thru another town called Centralia. I get to the gate and speak to the park attendants and they tell me that they have no idea where Brenda and Guys site is and that I should just go up to the top of the hill where the store is and phone them.

The RV Park is an older type one and really spread out amongst the trees. I get to the store and get my phone out and its dead flat as I had mistakenly left it on. I then got out my laptop and hooked everything up to charge. At this point I did not have any email address for my hosts so I sent an email to Donna asking her to her sister know I was there. It then became a total shamozal as my phone kept losing coverage as I was trying to text. After about half an hr they found and rescued me.

I found a great spot and set up camp next to their RV. Better yet there was a toilet block/showers right beside me;

Brenda and Guy turned out to be great people and a lot of fun. They hooked up their wii and we had a bowling contest. Talk about take it serious – most competitive game I have ever played. Guy also decided that we should have an International lite beer drinking contest – USA v Australia. I was totally ambushed here given I haven’t had a beer for some time. Although not embarrassed I must concede that I was whipped by the better man.

The next morning I had a heavy head and didn’t get up until around lunch time – thanks to couple of headache pills from Brenda I started to recover. We all got organised and headed off to go and see Mount Rainier which was a fair distance away. Brenda and Guy went in their small car with their dog (Blue) and I rode Fred. Along the way we stopped at a great little logging town called Morton;

We made our way up to the top of Mount Rainier where the large visitor centre is located. Lots a people around and a very popular tourist attraction. The ride up there and down the other side was well worth it;

Time was starting to get away from us so we began to head home. On the way I found this pair on the side of the road for sale;

After a few detours and lost motorcycle riders in the RV Park we all eventually get back to the RV where Brenda serves up dinner.

Again I have been totally blown away by the generosity I have received from people that don’t know me! Next stop Washougal and the Motocross.