One hot hot getaway.

After a gorgeous couple of hikes and a night in Mt. Rainier National Park, we ventured up and over White Pass, with that stunning mountain behind us. What an incredible place I live in!

Dropping down on the East side of the Cascades brought high temps, dry weather and, yes, a wildfire across from our campsite along the Tieton River. We were evacuated at 8 a.m.

After floating the Yakima River  and hitchhiking back to Gloria, we set out to find a place to camp for the night and ended up in sweet Roslyn, probably the second cutest town I've seen in Washington (after Edison).

I am not sure I'll ever be able to drive Gloria Clementine in the mountains without feeling a little stressed. Do bus owners ever stop worrying that something is about to go wrong? I suppose I should just embrace it--expect something to fail...and hope it isn't serious. 

Mt. Rainier and beyond

Gloria is all tidied and packed. Oil level is leveled after the mechanic overfilled it (grrrr.....) so I'll be keeping an eye on the drain plug to make sure the washer I reused does its job.

Headed out for a few days in south-central Washington, including Mt. Rainier National Park. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about Chinook Pass in the summer heat. Everyone behind us will just have to relax.

"Summer"

Wow, I've really been remiss at updating Gloria's blog!

It's summer here. By "summer" I mean it is kinda warm and raining a little less. Still, the mania is on and we northwesterners are attempting to pack every minute of every long day with fun.

Gloria is doing well, except someone decided to rip off her antenna for no good reason. And on one trip out to the coast I learned that you really have to pay attention when driving on the beach--sand conditions can change very quickly from one point to the next :(

We were out in less than five minutes and, yes, I felt like an idiot! Gloria has a way of bringing out the spacey part of me. Perhaps it's the perpetual faint smell of exhaust.

We ended up spending the day near Tokeland, which is a funny name for a town, especially when you drive a hippie bus.

Gloria also took a trip out to Orcas where one morning was spent lounging and reading at the water's edge.

Not a bad life.

Next big stop: Methow Valley!

Very sad news

Yesterday a man was shot and killed by a stray bullet in a street shootout while driving his VW campervan through the Central District in Seattle. The incident is the complete opposite of what I think about while driving my bus.

My heart goes out to his family who were all with him at the time, on their way to a long holiday weekend.



Here is the story.

The Bus Movie

Local screening announced!

June 4, 2012 – Seattle (North Bend) WA, North Bend Theatre, 7:30 pm

See ya there, hippies!

Heat, just in time for summer.

After looking long and far for an affordable, in tact heater box, Gloria is now outfitted with a completely rust-free replacement. This means the heat will actually feel (somewhat) warm--it is still a VW bus after all--but more importantly, exhaust fumes won't be seeping into the cab anymore. Now maybe I won't get so sleepy on long trips...

Itching for adventure.

Sharp and sparkling.

After a good wash 'n wax and a beautiful afternoon at the water's edge, Clem went straight to work hauling soundproofing materials. Such a champ.