This year we did two small road trips exploring the national parks in our state. The first trip was on the Cascade Loop covering the North Cascades and Lake Chelan. Rachel unfortunately had to work so we were only a family of four.
We started with camping at Newhalem Campground in the North Cascades. In the past we've had some rather wet experiences there, but this time it was sunny and a bit too hot at 90 degrees during the afternoon. The following morning I rode my bike up to Washington Pass. I had done the 6000' climb before, but it was still a spectacular and challenging ride. Jamie and the kids met me at the top and from there we did a short hike to Blue Lake. The lake was beautiful, but a bit buggy.
The next day we drove to Winthrop and moseyed about the western themed town before continuing on to Lake Chelan. It was 100 degrees at Chelan and unfortunately our rental's air conditioning was broke when we arrived. The issue was eventually fixed after a couple uncomfortable nights. We visited multiple wineries and one cider house during our stay. We were grateful to have such patient kids, especially after we had perhaps wine tasted a bit too much.
We also explored the towns of Mason and Chelan and checked out our old timeshare at Watpato point. The buildings had been renovated and were no longer run down units, but luxury properties which we'll never be able to afford. Times have changed at Chelan.
We ended our trip with a visit to the touristy Bavarian themed town of Leavenworth. It had been many years since we lasted visited, but the traffic and crowds were still the same.
Overall it was a good trip. The North Cascades continues to be a wonderful experience. Lake Chelan has changed a lot, but we still enjoy the beauty of the lake and its experiences and wish to return.
