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Dec 6, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
The calendar still says 2024, but a new year has already arrived for oysters.
Last month, we celebrated “Oyster New Year” at Elliott’s Oyster House on Seattle’s waterfront. The party, an annual event at Seattle’s biggest oyster emporium, celebrates the PNW’s bountiful selection of bivalves and signals the start of a new season.
It was quite a scene: Countless dozens of freshly shucked oysters from providers around the Salish Sea were available to sample -- as many as patrons could slurp.
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Nov 22, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
We have a Thanksgiving confession: The head cook does not like turkey! Before you fly off the handle, here’s Leslie to explain.
Yes, it seems odd that a person who cares so much about food and about gathering around a feast would have an aversion to turkey. This likely goes back to some rocky roads traveled during my childhood.
We lived with Dad after the divorce, but Thanksgiving was frequently spent with my mother on Orcas Island.
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Nov 15, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
Despite what you might see on social media, the life of an RVer isn’t all beautiful sunsets and incredible stays in unforgettable places.
Bad things do happen -- here’s a case in point.
The break-in: Last August, we were preparing to take our RV to the Olympic Peninsula. At the time, we were keeping the Thor Gemini in a storage facility in the Ballard area of Seattle.
One day, John brought a few things to the rig, mostly backpacking stuff.
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Nov 8, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
Daylight is fading, temps are dropping and the famous PNW precip is quickly turning to snow. Soon -- very soon -- we’ll be in the grip of another dark, chilly winter.
If this is causing you panic, perhaps you should consider the life of an RV snowbird -- heading south to bask in 70 degrees instead of planning your day around shoveling the driveway.
If you’ve never tried it, a snowbird winter in Arizona or Southern California is delightful.
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Nov 1, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
November is here and -- oh wow, man! -- we’re experiencing some flashbacks. It’s that familiar Going Mobile wanderlust, built over six years of eventful travels this month.
In our history as RV travelers, November has been a big month. This year, we’re staying put in Seattle, but that hasn’t stopped us from reminiscing -- and feeling a little blue -- as we look back over our past autumn wanderings.
We’re calling this our November Friday Flashback Edition.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
Autumn calls for getting cozy and these creations get us in the mood for the chill – and chili – season.
The slow-cooker comes through: Ever since Leslie scored a mini Crock-Pot several years ago, she’s been doing a deep dive into the art of making soups, stews and sauces in that 1.5 quart cooker. The best example might boil down to the most humble food of all: dried beans.
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Oct 17, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
We’ve come to love our 23-foot Thor Gemini through the good times and the bad. Sure, there have been repairs and frustrations. We’re currently trying to figure out whether we can repair or need to replace our CD/DVD player.
Still, every so often, we toy with the idea of going a new direction with a pull-behind.
Recently, a friend asked us for advice about what kind of trailer to buy. She’s already got a beefy pickup and is adept at pulling an additional vehicle.
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Oct 11, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
VICTORIA, British Columbia -- In the most haunted city in Canada, no one is safe from its uneasy spirits.
“The ghosts are everywhere,” said our theatrical Ghostly Walks tour guide as we traveled the streets of Old Town and learned about Victoria’s many hauntings.
For some reason, we seem drawn to haunted locations in the Salish Sea this time of year.
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Oct 3, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
VICTORIA, British Columbia -- It’s only 70 miles from Seattle to Victoria, but it feels like you’re in a different world when you arrive.
Now, that’s 70 miles for a determined crow flying in a straight line. For those of us who don’t have wings, the trip takes a little longer, with stops for local salmon at the excellent Lummi Seafood Market near Bellingham, then the border crossing and the trek over to Tsawwassen, B.C., to the catch ferry to the south end of Vancouver Island.
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Sep 20, 2024 | 
spokesman.com | Leslie Kelly |John Nelson |Dan Webster |Joe Butler
We can’t get enough of Olympic National Park.
Over the years, the park has been one of our favorite RVing destinations. And we’re not alone -- Olympic National Park regularly ranks in the top 10 most visited national parks annually.
Earlier this month, we visited again with a trip to Kalaloch on the wild coast and Heart o’ the Hills campground on the road to Hurricane Ridge. The two locations are starkly different -- one sits in a coastal rainforest, the other near the park’s highest roadway.
