Washington Summer 2021 - Where are the Dickens?

Another wonder-filled Summer in Washington with the Dicken Clan!

The Big Surprise

As of June 12th we were living a “little white lie.” We had to go into stealth mode cuz Mom is a Sherlock Holmes! I had 2 travel calendars, the one that kept us on track and the one I sent Mom. She thought we were exploring Yellowstone. Meanwhile we were on our way to see them! Thanks to all who kept the secret!

The BIG Surprise was showing up early to surprise John’s parents and celebrate Father’s Day together! And, they were surprised! After having the door slammed in our face due to shock, we were welcomed with open arms!
We also surprised the Grands, crashing their annual last day of school dinner at Red Robin! The squeals and laughter was heard throughout the parking lot as we hugged and kissed and hugged some more!

Celebrating our Fathers, Sons, and Husbands

Enumclaw, WA

Since we arrived early we had to find an alternate home for 2 weeks. Enter Enumclaw Expo Center. A little pricey for only having water and electric ($), it was still a sweet spot. Beautifully manicured lawns and shade trees, fabulous people, and close to family and Mt. Rainier. I would recommend for anyone needing a short stay in the area.

Back @ South Prairie Creek RV Park

This year we were in an amazing spot with no one in front of us and a view of Mt. Rainier. We’ve already reserved it for next year!! Price is still $750/month +electricity. This year our electric bill was a little higher. We had an unbearable heat wave in early July. The AC barely managed to keep us around 90 as the temps outside soared to 100+. Here’s a few of my fav pics from our site.

Christmas in July

While Covid kept us away last December, it didn’t stop us from our traditions! We loaded up the sleigh and arrived with a tree and bags of presents, a Christmas story to share, and the makings for Papa John’s Christmas pancake breakfast! Britt had Christmas music playing and Christmas movies cued up! The Elf on a Shelf even made an appearance! It was perfect!

Christmas morning was followed by Christmas at the lake! Sister Sherry brought out the decor and we had our ‘adult’ gift giving moment! I’m always amazed at the thoughtfulness that goes into the gift giving!

Camping with the Grands

Taking the Grands camping is one of the many highlights of our summer. This year I started planning in February! (I’ve learned things book up fast in the summer!) The girls wanted to see a volcano! Unfortunately, Covid still had Mt. St Helen’s visitor centers and rest areas closed. So they chose going back to the Beach! Gma Jan is okay with that! #my happy place I found Copalis River Campground as our base camp so we could explore Ocean Shores and the surrounding areas. What a gorgeous place! And the marine layer cooperated so we could finally get some amazing sunset pics!

I offered white water rafting with Papa John for the boys in Wenatchee, near Leavenworth. They were all in! Got everything scheduled; then, a week before our camp, wildfires hit the region. Luckily, I was able to find a spot at Howard Miller Steelhead Park near Concrete, WA in the Northern Cascade mountains. It was magical! They had a rafting the Skagit River water with Papa John and a fun-filled day with me exploring the Northern Cascades National Park! And lots of bike riding and Frisbee fun in the park.

Labor Day Birthday Celebration

Another Dicken Family Tradition is celebrating the plethora of birthdays that happen in late August and September. This year we added the October Bdays!! Me and John! It was a Great Day on the lake even as the temps started to chill.

Can’t Forget the Projects

Between his Mom’s Honey Do list and maintenance on the Beast, John was kept busy this summer.
We highly recommend putting water sensors anywhere you could have a possible leak. After damage was done to the floor in our pass through, we put them under the water heater and water distribution panel. They sound like a fire alarm and also send a text alert to the phone.