Everytime I would think of retirement, I never realized just how great it is!  This walk is one of the most beautiful ones in Washington.  There isn't a trail in that park that isn't beautiful.  And if you've never did the Camas Fields, it's even another treat.  We got hung up in traffic, but eventually we made it and Joe waited for us.  He said his walking group walks Monday through Friday every week in this park.  The guy who started it passed away about 2 years after Joe came and their group dedicated a park bench for him with his name on it..  We divided up the 5k walkers to flat and hilly and then met back at the parking lot.  The 10k walkers came in about 10 minutes after us.  Most everyone headed over to the Chalet for lunch, but the Merrywalkers were in for a treat.  Mike Lama invited us back to his houseboat for lunch..  It was pretty tricky getting there and then as we were coming down the street he lives on someone spotted the Island Cafe, one of our favorites, right on the other side of the water.  We stopped at Subway for sandwiches and drinks heated up the chilli and munched on beer bread while we enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  What a great way to end a perfect day.  Today's walk was full of surprises, wasn't it?  First we didn't get rained on and the walk turned out to be such a beautiful walk. The lake, water falls, the ferns and all the fall leaves just starting to turn colors! Then the sound of the water along the route and the falls at the end...just when you think it couldn't get any better...but wait! 
We get a special invitation to enjoy our lunch on a house boat! Wow~ Now that's a way to end a perfect walk. On the water with fellow Merrywalkers eating a lunch and watching all the river traffic. Water fowl, sunshine, the chatter of friends and the jet's flying overhead!
It really doesn't get any better...Thank you for inviting us along with you & a very special, "Thank You" to Mike for being a perfect host. --Starr*

Boy did we have a crowd today.  After we took the banner picture, we ended up with 4 additional walkers, Judy came with her 2 granddaughters and then Pam as well, and we even had a new Snail today, Debbie.  All together we had 20 walkers out there today.  We almost fainted when we saw Dana today, it's been way too long since we've seen her and it was fun to have Starr at our walk today too!  Yesterday I had talked to Mary Ann and we really thought we would have a Mary Ann siting today, but this morning she was doing as well as she hoped, but tomorrow she will finally get the results from her MRI regarding the shoulder and will also be having her ankle looked at as well, so maybe by tomorrow she will have good news for us..  Lou Ann rested at her special spot on the trail with Arlene and Barb and a deer with her youngens' came by for a visit.  
This Wednesday we will be heading over to Camas to Lacamas Lake, one of our favorite walks and to the Chalet for lunch.
Just a heads up for this coming week:
Saturday is a walk in Lake Oswego and Sunday we will have a group walk in Taulatin at REI at 10 a.m.  And...MONDAY is the Snails and coffee after.

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The consensus was:  WE LOVED THE WALK!  Two great walks this weekend, that has happened in a long time.  Paula, who did her first walk on Wednesday, joined our club today and we let her do the directions.  It was great, we ended up doing the walk in about 4 hours (we were having so much fun we added on an additional couple of 8).  We saw Mike out there with his dog Sophia and then we ran into Sandy doing the bike portion.  There were so many restaurants to choose from, we decided on French today, and our waiter was adorable and the coffee was the BEST, Nostra Familia Coffee, and I am heading over to Whole foods to pick up some this week.
It's hard to believe, but there is still another great walk coming up on Wednesday at Lacamas Lake.  

Sometimes you take a walk and sometimes you TAKE A WALK, and this was one of those times.  It was a perfect 68 degrees when we hit the 5k trail.  We met up with Starr (who had a camera, I forgot mine), Jane(2), Judy.  Mike and Carolyn drove myself and Andrea so we had a nice group that showed up from the Merrywalkers.  We also had a chance to see Rachael and Carol Reed out on the trail, and it was indeed, a beautiful trail.  You walked along Salmon Creek, where we did see one heron, until you got to the bridge for the turn around.  Right before the bridge there was a great spot for the dogs to jump in the creek and swim around, then we just did the turn around.  But when we got back, we decided to do the little part that included KlineLine Pond.  We did head over the bridge and what an amazing place to have a family picnic.  There was this sand beach, BBQs, shelters and lots of picnic tables.  We all wish we had our suits on.  At the sand beach, it was cleared out of that mucky stuff and was sand for quite a way out, so the kids could have a ball.  There was also a raft for the older kids that they could drive off of.  We checked out the fees and it was only $3 a car, but no dogs allowed.  The water up by the beach were warm, but the water comes right out of Salmon Creek.  What a beautiful place to rent for a big gathering or just to take the grandkids on a hot day.  I'm sure that we will have to go back there and do that walk again and again.  It was a great area that we would have never found had it not been for the Event.  I didn't have my camera, but this is the link that will give you an idea of what we are talking about.
Anyway, see you at the Park Blocks Walk tomorrow.  Hopefully we will start by 9 a.m. http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parks-recreation/parks_trails/parks/salmoncreek.asp

it was my first trip to the Grotto and the grounds were beautiful, especially nice on a hot day.  There was is one chapel that over looked Portland with these big comfy easy chairs, and I thought, "it just might be worth it on a nice rainy day to pay the $3 and take a book up there and just relax.
On the way back I did catch Wes Haines doing his geo-caching and that was interesting.  
Lunch was great.  We ate at the Cameo, right on Sandy.  It was the cutest diner with the best food.  Sandra and I had the French toast with fresh peaches (and they were so sweet), and Andrea and Laurel had the salad.  Everyone took something home but me, I forced it all down!

The Daffodil Valley Volksport Club sponsored 4 walks and a pot luck (with bingo games) on saturday night at the Grayland Community Hall in Grayland,WA. I saw many people I knew from near and far (even people that I had been on different walking tours) ... I was surprised and happy to see them all. 
The walks ... The Cranberry Bog Walk was through the countryside of Grayland along the cranberry bogs, making me crave cranberries (for some reason); saw two huge piles of oyster shells (making me wonder if they have oyster parties or just really like to eat them daily). The Beach Walk went by some cranberry bogs, homes, businesses and then onto the beach. The tide was low, the sun was high and the breeze was perfect. Then onto the Montesano, WA - Chehalis Surge Plain Trail Walk was a converted railroad grade (now a gravel trail) that follows a route along the edge of the tidal "surge plain" wetland of the Chehalis River. For a very warm and sunny day, it was nice to be near water and lots of tree shading. Birds were off in the distance (making noises so you knew they were there .. but made sure you couldn't see them). The Raymond, WA - Willapa Hills Trail Walk was through historic Raymond with many eclectic (silhouette style) metal sculptures,Grayland Community College, the Northwest Carriage Museum, Veteran Memorials, downtown shops and the Willapa Hill Trail along the Willapa River. Took so many pictures I had to change the battery (aka, the town was quite interesting).
While I was there, I also checked out Westport,Wa for their art fair. Where I enjoyed live entertainment while eating festival food; bumped into more friends from my October Fall Foliage Tour last year (it was so nice to chatting with them, that I forgot to take their picture). At the potluck dinner I ate awesome salads, main course dishes and of course .. deserts. The bingo games were great too. It was a very fun weekend.--Angela
Angela has a great way of capturing an entire walk.  Check out her pictures under the PICTURES tab and you will see what we mean.  Great job, Angela and why didn't we go with you????

I have this great group shot but it's on the "clipboard" of my camera and I can't find the connector.  Oh well, it was really nice out there this morning.  We did see an eagle at the end, but the weather was nice and cool and it felt so good after the hot weather.  We had so many people at the walk today.  At the beginning a guy was getting ready to walk and the other guys in the club got him to join us and he even went for coffee and said he would meet us there next week.
Just to give you an idea: Mike, Mel, John, Russ, Bill, Ted, and Mike Lama
The gals:  Andrea, Laurel, Sandy Reid and Sandra, Linda, Jan, Barb, Barb, Lou Ann, Kathy, Pam, Carolyn and Jane 2
We had a pretty good crowd show up for coffee after and already we are planning the Wednesday walk, which is at the Grotto.
See you there.

It was the first time I walked at the beach and I was hot!  That sky was so blue and the water looked so inviting, that we had to stop at Baked Alaska and have, a baked Alaska!  The walk down by the river front was so nice and we were all impressed with the new park they are trying to build.  Lunch was at the Shipwreck where most of us decided on the senior lunch for $6 that included fish, chips, slaw and chowder.  A good place to revisit when we do the Bridge Walk.
We are putting together a nice plan for the Astoria Bridge walk and as soon as I have all of the details finalized, we'll keep everyone informed.Saturday at Astoria! Wow~What a wonderful way to celebrate Astoria's 200th birthday!  Sunshine, Surf & Smiles !!  The sky was blue, the sea lions sang to us, the ships sailed passed and we even got to see an Eagle sore in the trees!  Thank you to all the hard work & effort to make such a beautiful & fun AVA walk!--Starr&
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