July 14, 2025
I sit in a campground that is growing more deserted as the weekend campers head home after Sunday morning check-out. In St. Regis, Montana, tomorrow I will be head to Glacier National Park. This is a KOA/Good Sam campground in the older, rustic style – gravel roads and lots of tree, things to do. Just learned it was rated third best campground in the USA! 6 days into this adventure/journey and I’m pleased to find myself as happy and excited as I was with the last one.
This sojourn began by pulling out of my 6-week respite RVP where I felt like I overstayed my welcome after the second week and exited the area through the Columbia Gorge – a well-known and beloved drive of mine. At one point in my last job, I spent about 8.5 months driving that route weekly. And of course, family memories – trips to Leavenworth, Washington and then my nephew’s wedding at Lake Chelan years ago – with Dad and other family members. Knowing I’d risk memories, I targeted Leavenworth as my first location – and I am so glad I did!
(Photo Credits to my friend Roberta)
Leavenworth – A Bavarian Village, Sauerbraten and good German beers
I spent my first 2 days, 3 nights in a KOA with a short walk into downtown Leavenworth, Washington. For those who may not have heard of this place, no, it is not the federal penitentiary (that’s in Kansas), This small town/village is one that reinvented itself years ago from a declining mining/forestry town into a Bavarian themed destination for people in the Pacific Northwest, or anywhere else, that wanted to escape into the mountains where you could raft the Wenatchee River, hike, ride bikes, and/or camp or stay in a nice hotel and still enjoy a good sausage and pilsner at the end of the day. The downtown area is now permanently closed to traffic, and their biggest annual draw is their Oktoberfest, actually held in October! But year round, it is popular for its unique little shops, bakeries and eateries. At Christmas, for those willing to drive in the snow or take Amtrak, you can arrive at a winter wonderland with horsedrawn sleighs and a village of twinkling lights.
For me, I walked into town both days – and along the river with Audy on Day 1. We enjoyed a salad and a light pilsner for lunch that day on a sidewalk patio, or rather I did – Audy just greeted those arriving. We even got a little browsing in the stores that welcomed dogs. Day 2, after a good walk with Audy, I went back alone in search of one of my favorite German meals – sauerbraten and red cabbage. Served with a good klotsch, (another lighter German ale), there is something about that tangy roast beef that appeals to my palate, and I was thankful to find a restaurant serving it for lunch. Some more shopping and then home to work under the awning on a puzzle, since I found a perfect sized folding table for just such an activity on this trip!
The downside of this RVP was that I was backed into space on the volleyball green, which was very popular with an extremely competitive, loud and boisterous youth group every evening. I was also flanked by tent campers with young children. I remember when use of the “F” word was naughty, riske and used clandestinely to respect our elders. This group proved, once again, that we now live in a “F-you” culture, where little respect is given to those who might hear the word used as a noun, verb, and adjective during an otherwise friendly game (that wasn’t over the f’ing line, what the f..?, that was f’ed up, and when all other expressions failed, just a loud f..k). Besides thinking of the young children and how they were absorbing the florid language being bantered continuously, I found myself thinking when someone would occasionally yell “bullshit” that was indeed a young person not afraid to break from the pack with a creative choice of words (not). Am I getting old when I say I wish their vocabulary was broader and more innovative – one can only hear the F word for a limited period!
Roberta and I bemoaned the fact that our parents didn’t take a picture of us together when we were little. Film and processing photos was an expense, and money was dear to our Navy families, so picture taking was saved for holidays and celebrations. If they only they had known we’d be poising together 64 years later!
My very first best friend, Roberta Scott
At 6 years old, in that time of life where you play acted your fantasies before you learn to dream about the future, I discovered that you could form an attachment to someone outside of your family –and this was called friendship. I met Roberta (aka Bert now) during this time when our personalities were emerging, and our spirits were developing. We became inseparable for first through the first portion of 3rd grade. She was an avid reader, an advanced reader for her age – Nancy Drew books were her favorite. She also had a cat, Purr Box, of which I was extremely envious. I learned to love reading from her and knew that someday I wanted my very own cat as well. (Okay, so at one point in my life I had about 14 kitties I think, but who’s counting?)
For years we stayed in touch, after learning about the heartbreak of having a friend move away – you see we were both Navy brats and therefore were moved at the whim of Uncle Sam. We both ended up in San Diego but at extreme distance from one another, and after age 16 began to lose contact – until we were in our 50s, I think! Then Roberta found me through Facebook. I remember how excited I was to hear from her, and I knew I would see her one day, but it would take close to 20 years to get there.
But this year, it happened. At 70, my first friend, my early childhood soul mate and reading inspiration and I met up again. It was unbelievable, we didn’t feel like strangers and spent a day and 2 nights talking about life, values and our idyllic beginnings of running barefoot on the Sandy Point* beach among horseshoe crabs, playing in the cornfields, taking rides on an old door in the salt water marsh behind my house (courtesy of our older sisters) and holding onto the wicker baskets in the bay while our fathers scooped up quahogs. 64 years ago, on Narrangansant Bay in East Warwick, Rhode Island – which will be my pivot point for this journey – our shared memories were created. I am so blessed that this journey included hugging the 6-year-olds still within us.
I’ve been blessed with many good friends over the years and still have many in my life – but it was Roberta who set the standard for what a friend should be. And I’m hoping this will be just the beginning of many reunions we have over our remaining lifetime.
I truly enjoyed staying with Roberta and her gracious husband, Dave, on their large, beautiful spread with meadows and forest allowed for sunset watching and boondocking (well, they allowed me to plug in!) We watched random deer and turkey with their youngsters wander across what Roberta and Dave call the freeway in the meadow. Audy also explored a new career of ground squirrel hole excavation. The result was a black tongue and filthy dog (very rich black soil!). Dave and I had to give him a bath.
Can’t thank them enough for the tour of their community, sight seeing and fun places we went for meals – huckleberry pancakes with buttermilk syrup for my final breakfast were delicious as promised!
*I learned from Roberta that the beach was called Sandy Point (now my attachment to the location makes sense? LOL)
Although we don’t have a photo together, this is me in first grade, age 6, when I met my very first best friend, Roberta.
And so, I’m off. My second leg of my retirement adventures is well underway. I’m sitting under the big blue sky, enjoying one of my favorite scents – pine on a warm day. It is close to the dimming of the day, and tomorrow I will wake up, pack up, unhook and go. I love my life. Even in the scariness of this facist dictatorship in the White House, I still will remember that mother earth offers lot of blessings – and I am lucky to be able to experience them and learn in this year of Sandy’s Adventures. Namaste