Evergreen Coho RV Park is an Escapees Co-Op park located in Chimacum, WA. Escapees is a member-driven RV club who owns several Rainbow Parks that are owned and operated by Escapees.
Escapee Co-Ops are wholly owned and operated by each individual coop and its members. Members of a co-op lease their lots giving them a base of operation if they are full-time RVers. Co-op leaseholders can rent out their lots if they don’t use them and co-ops usually have spaces for short-term rentals as well.
It just so happens that Evergreen Coho is located 12 miles from the historic town of Port Townsend, WA and is on the Olympic Peninsula.
It was hot the day we arrived so after setting up camp we took a drive into Port Townsend to explore our new home. As we entered the town we were intrigued by the boatyard with hundreds of sailboats under repair, storage, etc so turned off and just happened to end up at the Port Townsend Brewing Company.
The beers were good and the town was quaint.
We were blessed with clear days for the most part and explored much of the peninsula. Our first morning we took Bella out for her morning constitutional and we were surrounded by the aroma of cedars and other firs in the park.
We were off to Hurricane Ridge that day and were rewarded with magnificent vistas of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan De Fuca. The day was so clear we could see Victoria, BC from the trail a short distance from the visitor’s center.
The ferry to Victoria leaves from Port Angeles so we stopped downtown for lunch. Our view from the restaurant gave me a chance to pull out my sketchbook and sketch the small park and wharf just outside our window.
One of our neighbors at Evergreen Coho mentioned kayaking at Fort Flagler so the next day we followed the signs to one of three former Army Forts with Coastal Batteries built to defend Puget Sound. Fort Flagler has a museum, old artillery batteries and even former Army officer quarters available for rent!
We talked with the volunteer coordinator and found out they hire volunteer RVers for the summer to man the museum, gift store, and act as hosts for the campground. After talking with the coordinator we drove down to Marrowstone Point and photographed the old lighthouse keeper’s home.
A highlight of our trip was a visit to the Port Townsend Aero Museum. This museum’s aircraft are almost all in flyable condition and flown throughout the year. They have youth program that mentors young people on aircraft maintenance, they specialize in aircraft restoration, and also gives them the opportunity to learn to fly.
The third weekend of July is Lavender Weekend in the town of Sequim (pronounced Skwim). Ilene and I drove into town early after being warned of horrendous traffic and enjoyed a day touring the vendor stands and listening to music and watching the dancing at Lost Mountain Lavender Farm sipping lavender laced lemonade.
Monday the 23rd of July we headed toward San Juan Island’s Friday Harbor whale-watching for Orcas with the Puget Sound Express.
We were skunked on the way out as far as the orcas went but did get to see some seals hanging around/on a buoy. We anchored at Friday Harbor and had two hours to wander around the town and enjoy a Pacific Northwest lunch at the Cask & Schooner.
After lunch the boat captain motored us around San Juan Island to the West side where we had the opportunity to observe J pod orcas. We had to keep our distance since one of the young whales was known to be ill but we still marveled as these noble creatures swam along the shore rising and diving.
We found out the next day that one of the other females in the pod had a stillborn calf and would spend the next three weeks carrying the baby on her muzzle. Grief isn’t solely a human trait.
How do you follow a day on Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands? How about a walk along Dungeness Spit in the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge! There are two paths out to the spit and we opted for the busy, paved trail on the way out. This trail was nice as it brings you along the edge of the forest and you have more of an opportunity to see the Strait of Juan de Fuca as you walk.
Dungeness Spit is one of the longest natural spits in North America and is surrounded by vistas and views of the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island. Walking along the beach we marveled at the driftwood logs left there by the tides.
As our stay at Evergreen Coho began to get short we ventured further West in the Olympic National Park (ONP) and visited Sol Duc Falls and the Hoh Rainforest.
We were told Sol Duc Falls was the ONE waterfall you absolutely need to see in
ONP. A pleasant hike of about a mile brought us to the falls and we were not disappointed. We had plenty of opportunities to take photographs and took full advantage before heading back for a picnic lunch.
It was off to Hoh Rainforest the western-most point on our adventures and a walk through The Hall of Mosses.
Named after the mosses that hang from the Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedar, I was surprised to read the moss gathers all its nutrients from the air. Although you’d think the moss was feeding off the tree—NOT SO!.
Our adventures at Evergreen Coho came to an end with the only real wet day of the two-plus week stay. Naturally it was rainy and drizzly the day we left. A perfect end to our ONP stay, a REAL PNW day!
To see more photos click: HERE
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