I made it to a military campground with plenty of daylight left to set up. I’d made reservations a few days prior but not sure why I bothered. The office was closed when I arrived and the camp host was off site. There was no welcome packet for me. The brand new manager just happened to be there so he stepped in to help me. Finally got my site number and was able to set up. Some time later I left the base via the same gate and noted that it was an obstacle course that me and my 5er would never be able to navigate. The next day I asked the lady in the office how I was supposed to get out and she was clueless (brand new employee). Since I was staying there for 5 days, and with the help of Google Maps, I was able to explore the base and find a suitable route/gate to depart. The campground itself was nice, although rather gloomy with all the tall trees and frequent rain.

During this 5 day period, I was also able to personally visit the RV park where I wanted to stay in Sequim. When I introduced myself to the lady in the office, she immediately recognized the name and relayed some very good news. They usually try to keep one site open (the largest site in this small park) for overnighters passing through but they decided they’d rather have 2-4 months of guaranteed revenue. There were no problems getting from McChord to Sequim but I did make that trip on a Saturday since it included some I-5 travel. Of all the terrible commute cities I’ve seen, the Seattle/Tacoma area ranks second worst, right behind Atlanta.

So, I’m very glad to be far away from the madding crowd and will only return on weekends (for the most part) to visit family. It will also be nice to spend the next few months in a rain shadow, much drier than the surrounding area. I’ve been able to get in walks of 4-6 miles a day and will try out the road bike soon. I also found an RV dealer/repair shop about a half mile from the RV park and started the wheels turning to get my awnings replaced after the accident in Indiana earlier this year.

Totem Pole in Sequim WA

One odd thing I’ve noticed since arriving here is my gas mileage. It seems to be better than anytime since I’ve bought the truck. I’m not sure if that’s due to terrain and wind, or the station I’ve been buying from. Gas Buddy led me to a Shell station with the lowest priced diesel in the area by far. I guess we’ll see if that changes when I fill up someplace else.

And for the people who’ve noticed my tag line about Chinese buffets, I re-visited 2 that I’d previously been to on a prior visit. The AAA Buffet in Lakewood WA was disappointing. The Super Buffet in Lacy WA was still very good. And I discovered a new one, the Asian Buffet in Port Angeles WA. For a small town buffet, they had a very good selection of fresh food at a decent price. I especially liked that they had rice noodles, and coconut shrimp for lunch.