[todeen]

Herzog arrived in WA for an upcoming week of vacation. The itinerary included visiting Seattle, going to a Mariners game, various sightseeing locations, and then going camping at Sullivan Lake and crossing the border to Canada.

Well, once his tour guide arrived in Seattle, he immediately got extremely sick due to complications from a colonoscopy (what a coincidence). The tour guide spent three days in the hospital, and Herzog missed the Mariners game, missed sightseeing, and missed Seattle.

But! We still went camping and to Nelson, BC, Canada. The campground was East Sullivan Lake Campground. It is a gorgeous setting just ten miles from the Canadian border. On Day 1 of the adventure, we stopped at Metaline Falls. This small town is the site of Kevin Costner's apocolyptic film: The Postman. You might recognize the bridge that Herzog is standing on from multiple scenes within the film. On day two of the three day trip, Herzog crossed the border and visited Nelson, BC, Canada. Nelson has an art school, and it is slightly touristy. It is not yet a Jackson Hole type location, but it is tourist centered. It is worth a trip. And if you need to make reservations, it is highly recommended you stay at the historic Hume Hotel. It was renovated over the last ten years - which took away some of the rustic charm. But it is across the street from a museum, and the entire town is within walking distance. When we returned from Canada, the rest of the afternoon was a beach day to help find relief from 100 degree temperatures that had taken over the Pacific Northwest. One thing that makes East Sullivan Lake Campground so unique (other than the gorgeous views), is that an airport is located right on the lake. The end of the landing strip drops into the lake. If you get to Sullivan Lake on a big weekend -- exp 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day -- there are usually a dozen planes that have flown into the airport to camp. That night after swimming Herzog was introduced to S'mores.

We got back from camping and another opportunity presented itself. Moses Lake, WA, was about to open a new Latter Day Saint Temple, and tours were being offered to the general public. So we jumped into the car and drove halfway across the state to see the temple before it is closed to member only access. My oldest child was born in Moses Lake, so we brought the whole family for some fond memories. If you ever need to pull off the road in Moses Lake for a bite to eat, consider going downtown to eat at Pho Saigon Vietnamese, J's Teriyaki, or Tacos El Rey Taqueria. These are much better than any common fast food.

If you are interested in traveling with Herzog please reach out to me, but until the card is sent, more sightseeing might occur in Spokane WA.