RV Tour Leg 40 – North Cascades and Seattle: Ferries, Friends, and Flour (the Glacial Kind)
- Judy Carmein
- Jul 10
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 1
June 30 - July 11, 2025
We started this leg of the journey with a ferry ride. I had booked our ferry reservation weeks earlier, not realizing that July 1 is Canada Day—and that meant many of the ferry tickets were already sold out. The only time I could get was 9:30 a.m., which wouldn’t have been a problem except we were sitting in Sol Duc Campground at Olympic National Park, a full two hours away. And we’ve gotten soft—used to sleeping in and not rushing through travel days. So, we decided to leave a day early and stay near the ferry. Excellent decision.
We landed a peaceful campsite right on the water with a beautiful view of Mount Baker and a great little seafood restaurant within walking distance.
The ferry ride itself was a blast. We drove the entire truck and trailer onto the boat and headed to the upper deck to enjoy the ride. David’s sister Nancy had tipped us off about Ivan’s Clam Chowder, which we happily sampled…until our truck alarm went off. Apparently the motion of the ferry set it off. We were scolded for locking the truck (lesson learned—ferries and car alarms do not mix), and we hustled below to silence the alarm. Embarrassing, but memorable.
We camped outside the national park at a lovely KOA and spent several days immersed in jaw-dropping scenery and incredible hikes.
Our first day was guided by Shaka Guide, a GPS-based audio app that told us all kinds of stories and facts as we drove through the park. We stopped at overlooks of the park’s three stunning reservoirs. The vibrant emerald color of the water comes from “glacial flour”—tiny particles of rock ground down by ancient glaciers. As the light reflects off the silt-rich water, it creates a breathtaking green hue.
We hiked down a steep trail to Ross Dam, where we marveled once again at the massive scale of these engineering feats. While we’re impressed by the hydropower generation, we always wonder what the landscape might have looked like before the dams were built on the Skagit River.
Later that day, we took a quiet walk through the forest to a mountain lake. The trail featured interpretive signs about the local ecosystem, and we learned about two things we hadn’t even noticed before: the beard-like lichen hanging from the trees and the curious “pistol butt” stumps—bends in the tree bases caused by the creeping weight of snow. Once we knew what to look for, we saw them everywhere. Kind of like when you buy a new car and then suddenly notice it on every road.
One of our all-time favorite hikes came next: Sauk Mountain in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, just outside the national park boundary. We climbed 1,500 feet through meadows blanketed with wildflowers and enjoyed expansive views the entire way up. Near the summit, the trail curved around a snow-covered ridge and delivered jaw-dropping 360-degree views of the Cascades—including a perfect panorama of Mount Baker.
We spent some time in the charming town of Concrete (yes, that’s the name), where we had a great lunch at a local bakery and stumbled into the town museum during its rare open hours.
We made a spontaneous stop at a roadside stand run by members of a local Indigenous community and lucked into some of the freshest salmon imaginable—just hours out of the water. To our surprise, we weren’t just buying fillets; we were buying the whole fish, head, tail, guts and all. Thankfully, we got a hands-on lesson in how to clean and cut it into steaks—a lot of customer service for just $5 a pound! Back at the camper, we butchered our way through and ended up with a delicious salmon dinner and several more salmon steaks in the freezer.
We also hiked through Rockport State Park, a lush forest filled with towering trees, rushing creeks, and endless ferns.
And finally, we tackled the steep trail to Oyster Dome, which rewarded us with sweeping views of the San Juan Islands. Just when I was about to give up, the trail opened into a wildflower-filled meadow. A perfect boost to finish the climb.
From there, it was time to start our journey homeward. Our next stop was Seattle. We booked a nice little campground in Bothell, just outside the city, and used the first day to do all the city tasks we’d been putting off: haircuts, Costco run, and a much-needed PetSmart stop.
Then, a surprise! Our friends Scott and Theresa heard we were in Seattle and decided to fly out to meet us. They have a boat docked in the city, so they made a mini getaway of it. We had a fantastic day together that included a breakfast at the campsite, a tour of their boat and a visit to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (aka the Ballard Locks), where we watched salmon working their way up the fish ladder—so impressive and exhausting just to witness.
Finally, we strolled Pike Place Market, watched the famous fish-throwing antics, and peeked inside the original Starbucks. We ended our day with a unique, delicious dinner and great company. A full and wonderful day with our dear friends from Minnesota!
Next stop: Union, Oregon, where we’ll visit my childhood friend Beth and her husband Steve. We’re slowly turning east and inching toward home—but there are still more adventures to come.