August 28th – 30th ~ Way too many miles of driving from Whidbey Island to Los Angeles
Crossing the Deception Pass Bridge, heading home
Well, they say, when it’s over, it’s over. And that pretty much summed up our final few days of an otherwise fantastic three-month road trip.
Saying goodbye to family on Whidbey Island, we weighed our options of which route to take south. Still not quite filled up with my desire to see as many of our National Parks as possible, I navigated us toward Mount Ranier National Park.
A quiet, lush campsite just outside of the park allowed us a wonderful good sleep.
Camping near Mt Ranier National Park
Being surrounded by trees always seems to bring me a wonderful sense of peace.
Unfortunately the west was still very much ablaze with wildfires and the air quality was really poor. Visibility of what we came here to see was sadly just not happening.
Hmmm, I think Mt Ranier is somewhere over this way
Oh, well. It was hard to feel sorry for ourselves after having such an amazing adventure since leaving home three months earlier. Instead, we were simply sad for the many thousands of acres of trees and land that were being scorched, animal habitat lost, and the uprooting of those forced to evacuate.
Now this town has a catchy name 🙂
It was time to simply put the pedal to the metal and head for home. Curving back to Interstate 5, we followed it south. The smoky conditions only got worse, and continued to dog us all the way until we were almost back to Los Angeles.
I know that we will have a chance to return to this area some day to witness the natural beauty.
Our trip ended with more of a whimper than a bang. Long days of driving, overnighting in a Wal-Mart, catching a snooze at a rest stop. The many miles were filled with hours of talking about the trip, rehashing favorite moments, and sharing our hopes and dreams for the future. This was mixed with long moments of comfortable silence and internal pondering.
The trip was indeed epic in scope with the amount of time spent together in close quarters, thousands of miles traveled, wonders shared, parks explored, hikes and pictures taken, blog stories written, and memories made.
And, YES, we can’t wait to go again!
GRATITUDE MOMENT: After three months on the road, it was wonderful seeing our son and receiving a huge “welcome home” hug. As much as we enjoy our travels, there is always a tug to return to your point of origin, reconnect with your friends, touch the things you left behind, and go back to the known, comfort of home. We are blessed!
For those of you who have followed along with us on our travel journeys we extend our sincere thanks. All of you become an intricate part of our travels because having an “audience” to write to makes it even more fun, gives me an occasional nudge to get busy and forces us to pay more attention to details so that we can share.
COMING SOON: Our next trip is right around the corner. We are in the final planning stages of an adventure to New York City and a Fall Foliage Cruise. We hope you will join us!
A Note From Abroad 
I have loved our journey, but I have to say I always looked forward to your gratitude moment. That’s what is really about. Welcome home. See you amidst the fall foliage…Donna
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*your journey.
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Thank you so much Donna. There are so many things we are grateful for. It always feels good to take a moment to reflect on just how blessed we are.
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I hope there is some fall foliage left for you after these storms. Pretty wild here in Rhode Island this week! Still wondering about Maria’s path too…
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We too have been keeping an eye on the storms. Fingers crossed.
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Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure with us 🙂 … on a sad note, the wildfires took out a good chunk of Waterton National Park, thankfully the Prince of Wales hotel got a bit of a fright, but nothing more. The visitors center wasn’t so lucky though. 😦
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It was heartbreaking hearing the news of the fires there, especially after just visiting. I’m thankful that the iconic Prince of Wales Hotel was saved.
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Quite a summer you have had journeying to beautiful places and enjoying the wonder of nature.
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It was an amazing trip. The natural world rarely disappoints us!
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Thank you so much for sharing the photos and impressions of so many incredible places, many new to me. Bon Voyage for your fall sojourn.
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Thank you Mike. Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated. 👍
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What an exciting journey you’ve had! Epic indeed!
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Welcome back to SoCal! My wife and I enjoy traveling with you! Pics are wonderful, your writing is descriptive, insightful, and thoughtful! It is a delight, I am so glad I found this blog several years ago, we have been all over the world, thanks to the two of you! At least Tim did not have to courageously immerse himself in foreign cuisine this trip, finding out the hard way whether the menu was good for him or not!
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HaHa, sadly though I still manage to poison him all by myself on occasion. Thankfully very rarely these days as being able to cook for ourselves in the RV was wonderful. We are so pleased that you and your wife continue to follow along with us. A very sincere THANK YOU!
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The end of trips usually are anti-climatic, as you wish to continue but feel the draw from that home base. Glad you had a great trip and hope you are planning the next.
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Thank you Terry. Just wrapping up our plans for our October trip to NYC and a Princess fall foliage cruise.
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Very nice, I am still planning my Alaska trip in August but need to adventure before then. Maybe hit the Southwest National Parks for a 2 week trip first part of the year. Southern Utah here I come. Suggestions welcomed.
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We enjoyed seeing each of the big five in Utah. Really kicking myself for not diverting over to Monument on the way there. Try to squeeze in the Narrows and Horseshoe Bend if you have not already been there. We are contemplating a return to Alaska in the next year or two. Possible road trip and/or cruise. Talk about photo ops!
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Great journey, Joanne. I always enjoyed checking in when I wasn’t out on my own adventures, which was most of the time. There isn’t much in the way of Internet when you are backpacking. 🙂 You traveled to many of the places Peggy and I have visited in out extended trips. (Watch out, being out on the road can become addictive.) Good job! –Curt
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Too late – we are already addicted to road tripping! I kind of have a love hate relationship with the Internet when we travel. I need it to post and stay connected with the world, but it sure is cleansing on occasion to have that break. ~ JJ
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🙂 On the addiction. And I sure hear you on the blogging. And the need to escape on occasion. –Curt
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It all sounded wonderful!
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It was 😃
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That last leg is always a challenge.When we took our (almost) cross-country trek last fall, we really tried to make the return trip as interesting and exciting as the trip out and we did a mighty fine job of it, for the most part. But when it came to the last couple of days, it was impossible to ignore that we were, in fact, just trying to get home. And then it’s all about the comfort of being in your own bed again, right?
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As comfortable as we made our bed in the RV, it still paled in comparison to our bed at our tiny cabin. There is always a special feeling that only home can bring.
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Thanks for sharing your journey ~ I loved reading about your adventures!
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Thank you Sandra!
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I will definitely follow your adventures on the East coast.
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Thank you Wifsie. We are so happy you will be joining us!
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Loved following along with you both and looking forward to your next adventure.
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Thank you Jill. Next trip is just 10 days away.
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Welcome home.. Rod & I and other friends enjoyed your latest travel. Looking forward to New York
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Hi Alice and Rod! Thank you (and your friends) for following along with us. New York is right around the corner!
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It’s so amazing to be your “virtual companion” !!! Your letters are very much informative , writing style deserves prize, pictures are wonderful. Now it’s being some years that I am in a company of great, energetic, brave, adventurous people – both of you -Joanne and Tim.
I have learned from you how to enjoy a moment and to appreciate each given day !!
Thank you for sharing,
Always you follower,
Mila
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Mila, what a lovely compliment you have just bestowed on us! We are grateful and humbled by your kind words. Thank you so much!
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Bravo! I have loved reading about your adventure.
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Thank you Candy.
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I have enjoyed going along on this venture with you. You put me back in touch with places I have loved and introduced me to sites I’d like to see. Thank you. I’m looking forward to tagging along as you visit New York City and the fall foliage of the east coast.
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Thank you Janet. Always a pleasure having you tag along ❤️
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What a fabulous Journey! I love visiting this fabulous country. We just got back from an 18 Day Road Trip and always something new and exciting to see.
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I totally agree. Much to see and appreciate right here in our own backyards.
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We, too, took a trip up north from Phoenix to Hillsboro, OR. I know what you mean by the sadness that f not being able to see what you came for. We experience haze at Mt Shast, Klamath Falls, Crater Lake and many areas in between. We hope to this trip again and see the beautiful area for what they really are.
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Crater Lake is especially worthy of a revisit. One of my favorite places from my childhood.
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Great! You’re really doing awesome. And Keep updating us. Couldn’t have done it better myself.
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Your trip was epic indeed! So sad about the devastation across the west. You saw so many of our national treasures, plus Canada’s as well. I’m looking forward to your next adventure. 😀
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Thank you so much. Our National Parks are so varied and I’m so thankful they are saving these treasures for future generations.
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