Thursday, September 12, 2013

The best laid plans are flexible...

We woke to drenching rain that just wouldn't stop.  We all got soaked to the gills as we went about our business, getting ready to head to a new location (thank goodness).  Ironically, I actually took a shower and while it was great to get cleaned up, I might as well have just stood outside in the rain and shampooed my hair.

See the water running down the road?  Wet, wet, wet.  That Bronco wasn't looking like it would be much fun to ride in, either.  They cleared out as did many others.  I don't know if they had planned to stay longer, but I can't say I blamed the people that left.  It wasn't looking like the rain would stop any time soon.

It won't be fun riding in that Bronco!


Syd managed to keep himself entertained while we got ready to go.

I seem to have wrapped myself around the firepit...

The drive to Winthrop wasn't long, so we weren't in a big rush to get going (other than to get away from the rain).  We ate a nice breakfast, packed up, and headed north.  The drive was very pretty, but when we hit HWY 20 at Pateros we got a big shock -

HWY 20 CLOSED 15 MILES WEST OF WINTHROP

But, but... we were planning to go that way!  Surely it will be open!  It must!

Then reality struck and we decided that would probably not be the case.  It turns out there were several mudslides across the highway, and it would take days for it to reopen.  Here is just one of the slides that got in our way (photo courtesty WSDOT).


Mudslides on SR 20

So that was freakout number one.  Another small freakout was yet to come, when we got to Winthrop.  We stopped for a quick pitstop at the grocery store before heading through town (we stop frequently).  As you can see, it was dry and the skies were dramatic.  Much better than rain!

Dramatic skies

We pulled out our directions to Pearrygin Lake State Park and headed into town.  It had been years since I'd been to the park, so my directionals were a bit rusty.  First instruction - "at the four way stop, go straight..."

When we got to the four way stop, we were faced with a blocked road and scads of vintage cars on the other side of the blockade!  FREAKOUT!  What to do?  Where do we go?  How do we get to the park?  I have to go!  People are waiting at the four way stop!  Think fast!  HELP!!!

We turned left, and just around the corner we were able to pull over across from the bike shop.  I ran over and got directions from the man working there - "go back to the stop sign, straight up the hill and take a right at the T."

Okay!  We can do that.  But when we started up the hill Michael (who was VERY stressed out at this point) directed me to turn left to meet back up with the road.  I was sure we needed to go to the end of the block and turn right, and to confuse things a couple of men walking by started pointing us up another street!  I told them we were trying to get to Pearrygin, and they said, "You should be going to the vintage trailer rally!"

Well hell's bells!  We had no idea that was going on, and weren't ready to attend any such thing, but it all began to make sense...

At last we made it to the park and got set up.

We're getting a lot better at backing in and setting up!

We're starting to get the hang of this now!

We had one last adventure ahead for the day.  Dinner with my dear friend Michelle, who lives just outside Winthrop.  It was wonderful to see her, and meet her fiancé Charlie.  It's been eight years since we saw each other!  Too long.  Dinner was very good, and Syd went for a swim!

Sort of.


Syd decided to walk onto the pool cover


Poor Syd!  He waited very patiently for rescue.  We had to pull him around to the steps so he could get out.  It was pretty damn funny!

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