What a pleasant surprise to have a stretch with virtually no rain in the PNW during winter! The trade-off is very, very cold nights and all that accompanies that living in a camper. Of course, a little cold weather doesn’t keep us from bundling up and exploring…

Brrrr! Freeze Prep!

Wintertime in a sticks-and-bricks abode doesn’t spark panic until temps drop into the single digits. Images of broken pipes, back-breaking ice and snow removal and drained car batteries keep you tossing and turning all night. You frantically Google things like “how to avoid burst pipes in cold” or “non-toxic ice melt” or “Uber Eats discount codes.” Time to dig out the unfashionable winter gear that actually keeps you warm (where did we stuff those things last spring, again?).

The winter panic threshold for camper dwellers is exactly 32 degrees. And most of the precautionary steps we take are either learned from YouTube University or by learning from our past mistakes.

Our first mistake that comes to mind occurred in November, 2023 in Fort Sill, OK upon unsuccessfully flushing the toilet in the middle of the night. No water sounds. No movement. Frozen hoses. The forecast was just over freezing. It ended up staying just under freezing for most of the night. Mental notes were made.

Soon after, we made a similar mistake just a few hours away at our very next stop in Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo, TX. What the heck? We always heard that TX was warm in November. Not in the canyon, apparently! We filled our fresh tank based on the Great Freeze of Fort Sill, but we did not disconnect our hoses. Frozen again… The same thing happened to us AGAIN just a few days ago when we underestimated how long temps would stay below freezing! Mental notes were made.

Adventures Since the Last Blog Post

Tacoma Nature Center

This pretty nature center and one-mile trail around a small lake/pond is lovely even on a gray winter day. We saw frogs and ducks and heard many birds. The nature center is also used by a preschool outdoor classroom program and hosts field trips. One of the students (turning four) was even passing out her extra birthday cupcakes to visitors. Greg really enjoyed that snack!

Pinball

I have always loved pinball and can be somewhat of a wizard when the planets align. Greg loves to walk into arcades and head straight to Tron to reset the high score. Every time. Everywhere. It is fun to be the oldest people in an arcade, set high scores and hear the loud, startling clunk of a pinball machine painfully giving up earned free games (the hard way, not some lame match free game).

Fox Island

There are a bunch of cool islands in the Puget Sound. We decided to drive onto Fox Island which is about 30 minutes from our campsite. It is a small island that is all residential. There is a fishing pier on one end and a sand spit on the other with pretty views of Mt. Rainier. Driving over the little bridge to the island allows a brief opportunity to see both the Olympic Mountains AND Mt. Rainier at the same time. (Side Note: The little market on the island charges almost $5 for a small can of corn. They are just a few minutes from the rest of civilization. I doubt they are relying on a merciful airdrop of supplies to survive.

Lakewood History Museum, Tacoma Speedway, Lakewood Theatre

As we entered this great little museum, I was saddened to see that the only other recent visitors in the sign-in book were the docents. The two ladies volunteering this day, Danielle and Linda, were amazing and so generous with their local area knowledge.

The actual museum is located in the space that used to be the fanciest restaurant in the area complete with a mafia-style cocktail lounge, dance floor and banquet hall. Back in the day, women were not allowed to order at the bar nor carry a drink themselves!

We learned about Ivan the Gorilla who was a pet and then kept in a cage at a store in Tacoma before being moved to the Atlanta Zoo. Many protests and negative publicity in the 90’s. Sad story.

We also learned about the long-closed Tacoma Speedway that was viewed as second only to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at one time. Cars and motorcycles raced on a wood-plank track. They even have a piece of the original track at the museum. The grandstand burned down due to arson, and the speedway went bankrupt after

Clover Park Technical College sits on what was once the infield of the Tacoma Speedway. We tried to find signs of the speedway, but there is nothing left except a historical marker on a rock near Building 3. Not even the security guard who followed us around while we searched (before pulling us over to see why we were there DURING THE DAY) had even heard of the famous speedway that once encircled the college.

Next door is a beautiful, old movie theater (Lakewood Theatre) that is sadly being left to deteriorate. We were allowed in and marveled at the beautiful sconces, woodwork and other details. The creepy mannequin working in the ticket booth proved that my ol’ ticker is still working well.

Point Ruston

Very pretty area full of fancy shops and restaurants along with a lovely waterfront area. We were there on a windy evening to check out the views, and we were not disappointed! You can see the Olympic Mountains, Vashon Island and Mt. Rainier (of course, she’s everywhere).

Fort Steilacoom

This fort with its small parade ground, Civil War cannons and officer’s quarters is just across the parking lot from Western State Hospital (a psychiatric facility still in use) and what appeared to be a prison facility. This fort was established in 1849 to “reinforce the American presence in the Oregon Territory.” Talk amongst yourselves…

Western State Hospital Cemetery/Fort Steilacoom Park

This cemetery is located on the grounds of Fort Steilacoom Park which was once a large farm run by the Western State Hospital and some of its patients. They grew crops, produced dairy, meat, canned goods and more. Now it it a park with a huge dog park, trails, birding, etc.

At the time that the Western State Hospital Cemetery was in use, the patients were often simply placed in the hospital because they were difficult people or their families didn’t like them (from our past hospital visits, this seems to be a recurring theme). When they died, over 3,000 patients were buried with just a number for a marker. An organization called Grave Concerns Association has worked to identify and properly mark over 600 graves with as much information as possible in an effort to give them the respect as humans that they deserve. It’s sad how people can be treated by other people.

Catio Corner

Here’s our freezing weather plan: cat beds, human body heat, sunny spots. What’s the big deal? And we still expect you to leave the catio window open so we can lord over the campground. If you don’t like the cold breeze, put on more clothes and a blanket. We’re done talking about it.