[Bloated Chipmunk]

Family business brought me up to eastern WA in the summer of '21, and we did some bummin' around the west side as well. I saw 2 exes and visited some old stomping grounds. Did not do any hardcore hiking cuz of the timeline and company I was with...instead it was just a relaxing vacation. The weather was mostly favorable, much to my relief. DAY 1: San Diego to Orland, CA I left home about 6:30am, prepared for a long ass drive to northern CA. Minor(!) congestion going thru L.A., then smooth sailing. I'd planned to camp @ Orland Buttes but it was incredibly hot, smokey, and apparently now requires an advance reservation (not so in the olden days). I stayed @ a motel in Orland instead.

DAY 2: Orland, CA to Redmond, WA Once again I got on the road about 6:30am to continue my journey north. Lots of smokey air until finally somewhere in northern OR it let up.

I arrived @ Chango's place in Rdmd about 6:45pm, & took a lil walk in the 'hood.

DAY 3: Carkeek Park, Marymoor Park In the mid-morning I drove to Shoreline & met my x husband @ Diva Espresso for a little catching up. Hadn't seen him in years! We took @ walk down to the beach @ Carkeek Park, where it seemed much busier than when I'd take walks here back around 2007-8. Nevertheless it was a pleasant walk down memory lane, though kinda strange @ the same time.

We said our goodbyes & I was off to the AP to pick up my sis. We drove back to Redmond to unload, then took a walk over to Marymoor Park.

Later, we had dinner @ The Matador in RTC.

My brother's flt had a series of delays, so we had to stay up late to pick him up & then we all came back to Redmond again. DAY 4: Redmond to Kennewick The 3 of us packed up & headed out, stopping in Issy for lunch @ the Issaquah Cafe, then drove by my old apartments. One more stop @ Boehm's & we were on our way to Kennewick.

We met my other brother there and visited the cemetery where my dad is buried. We then checked into Clover Island Inn where I hung out while my sibs went to Denny's for a late dinner.

DAY 5: Tri-cities wanderings Time to check out some old stomping grounds that we visited as kids when our parents would take summer trips to Kennewick to stay w/my grandpa. I don't have much memory of these places, since my grandpa died when I was pretty young & after that we no longer went up there. However, my sibs have many fond memories and wanted to see all the old sites. Naturally, some things had changed over the years, and usually for the worse. After our stops around town, we headed back to the hotel & my sister & I soaked in the hot tub.

DAY 6: Dippin' into OR In the morning, we checked out of Clover Island Inn & stopped @ the nearby lighthouse for a few pics.

We stopped @ the cemetery again & talked to a woman who worked there regarding finding one of our relatives. We moved on to Plymouth, where my sibs were determined to find and old fishing hole along the river. After bushwhacking through spider-infested grasses and brush, we popped out onto a rocky beach & hung out awhile.

We crossed the border to Umatilla, OR, & had lunch next to some very fit cowboys @ Subway. Then, brief stops @ McNeary Dam and another old fishing area. We drove back to Redmond after that. DAY 7: Heather Lk. I chose this hike cuz it was pretty short n ez, and to leave time for picking up my friend later that evening. It was a chilly, misty day...good for a lake hike.

Margs in Kirkland afterward.

DAY 8: Greenwater Lks.

Dinner @ a Thai place in Redmond:

DAY 9: Twin Falls Did a short, close-in hike as we needed to get my brother to the AP later that day.

DAY 10: Mt. Fremont Lookout 3 of us did this old favorite by Mt. Rainier, then took my friend to the AP afterward.

DAY 11: Issy wanderings, Woodinville walk My sis & I visited my old haunts in Issaquah. It was a nice relaxing day!

Then we headed to Woodinville to meet an old friend of my sister's, & the 3 of us took a walk.

We then met Trailblazing Todd @ a Mexican place in Kirkland.

DAY 12: The Peaklet (Echo Pk.) Time to visit another old stomping ground...a place I'd walk in Maple Valley when I wanted something short & close by. Trailblazing Todd arrived a bit later & met us on the summit. The 3 of us did some shopping afterward, then back to Chango's place for leftovers. Said goodbye to TT.

DAY 13: Coal Creek Falls I took my sis to the AP, then hit CCF on the way back for a lil loop.

Once back to Redmond, I took a short walk down to the blackberry patch. Then, packing up for the big drive back south.

DAY 14: Redmond to Orland, CA Left Chango's place about 6:35am, stopped @ Woods Coffee in Bellevue, then continued south. Once again hit smoke in southern OR. Made it to Orland & checked into the same motel, then had dinner @ the nearby La Corona.

DAY 15: Orland, CA to San Diego Checked out of motel & on the road by 6:35am. Sandwich lunch @ a rest area in the Central Valley, hit a bit of traffic thru L.A., & made it home by 5:20pm. What a nice vacation, w/some trips down memory lane!!