Mary and Dianne’s Great Train Adventure!

As most of you know trains have my heart in a way I can’t describe. So thankfully friends and family find a way to indulge this quirk of mine. And so appreciative I am for friend Mary, who has a husband who also has a love of d]d]riding trains. She planned a trip for us on the Amtrak Cascade to Seattle, to stay at her nephew’s condo right on the waterfront. Excited is an understated for how I was feeling.

Now I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say--it was a most interesting adventure!! Memories to last a life time--and be sure to ask me for the details when I see you next. But I can tell you it was all good.

I think this was definitely the most fun

I have had in Seattle in a long time. The city has so much to offer, and we tried to do it all!

Thanks Mary for being such a great friend--it was fun right??

Now you know the underground of Seattle is a must do for everyone--thanks for convincing me to do it--I learned so much & enjoyed it all.

Mother's Day Tigard OR

A most wonderful Mother's Day BBQ with our family was provided for Dianne at our son Frankie's home where we are currently parked. All of our children, most of the grandkids, Dianne's mom, as well as uncle Vern & aunt Doreene were here to celebrate the day. Great weather, yummy food and warm feelings of love were ours for this day.

Happiness is seeing friends from the road!!

We truly feel blessed to be at home with our family and good friends, but it is so nice to visit with friends from the road as they pass through Portland. This day Jim Baker & Diane Fisher allowed us to spend time with them as they were on their way to their nesting place for the summer in Lake Chelan, WA. We had a great dinner at Wankers Corner in Wilsonville, WA.

Grayland WA with family

Every year when we return to the NW we so enjoy visiting family and friends. Since 98% of our family & friends live in this part of the country, we are able to really enjoy our time in the midst of those we love.

Dianne’s Uncle Gene & Aunt Darlene live in Grayland, WA, and they are the most gracious of hosts, not to mention wonderful cooks. Their property allows us room to park the motor home with hook-ups and gives as an opportunity to visit and explore this part of the coastline of WA with very knowledgeable longtime residents. We always love our visits here!

Dianne’s 82 year old Mom who lives in Missouri, was visiting with us in Oregon. She was able to travel with us to visit her younger brother Gene & his wife Darlene. Their youngest brother, Vern and his wife Doreene, also joined us. It had been much too long since these 3 siblings were able to be together at one time.

Gene gave us a wonderful tour of the area and a history lesson of Westport to boot. They both volunteer their time at the Westport Maritime Museum which we all toured on a bright & sunny day. This is a historic museum building which was built in 1939 to serve as the Coast Guard's Lifeboat Station in Grays Harbor. The Colonial Revival structure served in that role until 1972 when a new station was built several blocks to the South, and in 1985 became the museum it is now. It was definitely worth an afternoon of viewing and reading the important role of Coast Guard, how cranberry growing provided a way of life, what life on the edge of the ocean was like, and how whales and whaling shaped the lives of those that lived and worked here.

In another building the 3 siblings stand in front of a lit and rotating display of a first-order Fresnel lens from Destruction Island. It is AMAZING. It is considered to be one of the finest first-order lens display in the world. We had a great time with everyone and enjoyed exploring the area and so hated to leave--but alas we must.