[VAC] Re: Thoughts after a short Pacific NW trip

[Dave Huffman <huff@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

My wife is the organization/volunteer/leader type, so our '67 Caravel
has sat patiently, outing for the two of us for short trips only a few
times, going out w/me alone for a week trip a couple of times.  So my
wife has finished her busy year as head of one of her volunteer
organizations, we had a wedding to attend north of Bellingham, WA, about
230? miles from Longview, WA.  Lois actually suggested we take the
Airstream and "explore" the area for 4 days.
    As usual for me I hardly got the Stream outfitted for the trip, but
we have managed to store the trip-stuff together.  So we weren't really
missing anything... we could enjoy the Stream.
    Ours is clean, polished a bit, but now Wriggly-gum-wrapper-shiny.
Nevertheless, we got half a dozen or so compliments on it.  (You all are
aware of interest in AirStreams).  We have had little leisure time in
campgrounds as we usually have had a schedule to meet.  This trip I
caught a glimpse of campground comraderie when a neighbor chatted with
me about AStreams and LandCruisers (our tow vehicle).  While we chatted,
one of the ladies of the 3 couples seated together brought out a pie.
As Lois and I left for dinner, I called out the window: "Just what kind
of pie is that?"  A freindly reply called out, "Come on over, have a
seat, and find out!"  I hated to turn that offer down!
    Noise: We often boondock, but this was a WA state park (Larabee)
w/both tenting and full-service trailer facilities.  A pickup/trailer
pulled into one of the long-slot tent areas I had eyed.  But when we
returned from a day of sightseeing, he had his noisy charging unit on.
It was around 4:30 PM, maybe 5 -- time for a nap, maybe a drink for us.
I walked the entire campground and there was no other noisy equipment
running.  I talked to the ranger who reported the "quiet hours" are
9-9PM... he could do nothing about the generator noise for 4 hours.  As
I approached the noise to have a word with its perpertrator, he turned
it off.  What a relief -- quiet, that is. Now we have discussed
generators in this forum, but is it fair to run these other than a few
hours -- maybe 10-2?  It's not as if these folks HAD to boondock --
there were a few untagged full-service spaces open.  The rates were $20
for full-service, $14 for "normal".  Not really a great savings, and not
one I'm willing to subsidize by allowing neighbors to pollute (noise
pollution) my environment unecessarily.  There is a road on the hillside
right above the campground, a RR (geeze, Amtrack runs an actual TRAIN to
Vancouver, BC now, rather than the bus they used to connect those two
cities only a few years ago!).  I found neither of these noise sources
as bothersome as the drone of that generator.
    Other than that, a great trip.  My wife is hungering for more.
    If any of you are venturing into this area, Larabee is a nice base
to explore Bellingham (Old Fairhaven is really fun), surrounding Pacific
Coast, Mt. Baker's magnificent rain forest.
    But, please, leave the generator off -- or run it a short while
around noon?

Huff