'River flowing from a canyon...'

Some days none of your plans come to fruition......not your time of departure.....not your destination......nothing.......and do you know what?  It doesn't really matter....being open to changes, unexpected, or otherwise, is what adds richness, and texture to this experience.  I think being open to change causes you to be more observant......to see many more possibilities.

Originally we had thought we would get as far as the little town of Wenatchee located on State Highway 2 along the Wenatchee River.....Wenatchee is a word from the Yakima Indians carrying the meaning displayed in the title of this post.  Many years ago we drove State Highway 2 from Spokane all the way to I-5 in Everett, WA, but that was before we retired.......we were intent in making it in one day to Mt. Vernon, WA and just pounded out the miles, which was our style back then.  I do not remember much of that drive......this is such a beautiful region of Washington and should be taken in smallish doses.  

A few days before our departure we had planned to go as far as Monitor, WA and maybe stay at a local county park called Wenatchee River County Park, but I decided to call the park and check on the availability for two nights beginning Saturday.....I was advised there was none, so suddenly our plans were in flux.  The next thing that changed was the weather, which delayed our departure from Coupeville until Sunday.  Then we were almost an hour late in departing Coupeville Sunday.

As we left Coupeville in our review mirror there were several things weighing on my mind.....

1) Going back to our brief stay at AM Solar (I haven't told this story yet) when Cody advised me he saw ATF dripping on the pavement as I backed into the shop to have our solar panels installed....of course my mind goes to a dark place where I imagine the worst case scenario.......having to pay big bucks to repair, or replace our transmission......my initial diagnoses, however, was that the ATF filter was leaking, so I tightened it about 1/4 turn, which mostly stopped the dripping, but not completely.  While we were in Vancouver I drove down to the local Napa Auto store and bought a new filter plus four quarts of the correct ATF for my Allison transmission (I had added two quarts while I was at Valley River Center after determining we were down two quarts).  While at Coupeville I changed the filters out, and hoped that would stop the leak, but I was still unsure my fix had solved the problem as we left Coupeville.

2) Getting stuck in the parking lot at Valley River Center, getting out of that successfully, and then missing my turn on to the Interstate and having to turn around in a small parking lot.

3) My horrible mistake backing the coach into the drainage ditch in Coupeville, which came close to causing major damage to the coach......the exhaust was barely off the ground just avoiding being crushed, the city water plumbing was just an inch away from being crushed, the oil pan for the Detroit Diesel was just a few inches from the pavement, and both the transmission ATF filter and oil filters had about 2 inches clearance......all could easily been damaged resulting in some major expenses, etc.

So, as we are cruising northward on State Highway 20 towards Deception Pass and ultimately I-5 these thoughts are going through my mind.....my self confidence is a little shaken, and I'm still hoping the replacement of the transmission ATF filter has solved my leaking problem.  TLE could tell I was a little pensive so she spent her time being positive, and encouraging me to take my time......so about 10 miles down I-5 we stopped at a Rest Area so I could take a break, check the transmission filter for leaking, and check our oil level in the 6V92.......the ATF level on the dipstick was unchanged, and there was no leaking evident below the transmission ATF filter....YAY!  I did add two quarts of oil, but that is the first time since South Lake Tahoe, and almost 1,300 miles.  So, as we continued south on I-5 my disposition was improving dramatically.

After we left I-5 to head eastward on Highway 2 and began our climb along the Skykomish River towards Steven Pass at 3,700' elevation the scenery began to distract me from my worries, and we settled in to a delightful drive taking our time........

On HWY 2 moving towards Stevens Pass

Skykomish River

Eventually we crested Stevens Pass and began our long descent down the eastern slope of the Cascades towards Leavenworth we followed the contours of the beautiful Wenatchee River.......

Wenatchee River

About 34 miles from Monitor, WA we stopped at a Rest Area to take a 'potty break'.....I decided to call the Wenatchee River County Park once again to see if they had any availability and they did!  On top of that they accept Passport America meaning our daily cost is one half of the normal $30/night fee.....we arrived at the county park just before 1500 hours, were assigned the last pull through site.

Wenatchee River County Park - courtesy internet

I was able to watch the last quarter of the New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys, and then the evening match pitting the San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants, and also the MLB playoff game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers.

I know I have said this before, but I have to say it once again......I am blessed with a wonderful partner in TLE......she knows me well, and does such a wonderful job of supporting me during our travels, and keeping me positive.  I realized the day I was leaving the Valley River Center, without her help, how much I depend on her, and how different this experience would be without her there in the passenger seat.

Thanks for stopping by!