The heart of an RV'er is adventure! The excitement and thrill of travel while anticipating what is over the next hill or around the bend is what keeps the traveler's heart beating. Well, with over eighty national parks within its boundaries, Washington State is the perfect place to travel in August. While others sit and melt away under sweltering summer temperatures, you are going to enjoy the average daily temperatures of seventies with an occasional rain shower. Having to layer on a light sweater isn't too much of an inconvenience when you're surrounded by mountains, pristine lakes, bald eagles, hills, and valleys, mixed with a scattering of a few funky urban neophytes. After all variety is the spice of life. Who doesn't enjoy pulling up to a buffet once in a while or a smorgasbord of delicacies to feast on? Washington is a Smorgasbord of adventure.

State parks are conveniently located throughout the state with more than 1700 convenient, long, paved, full hookup RV sites. Each park offers a wide variety of scenery with bountiful ocean experiences, mountains, or deserts. See and experience the Pacific Northwest's natural, historic, and cultural wonders. The parks also offer a variety of hiking, biking, fishing, and boating opportunities. Remember that all national historic parks allow seniors and those with disabilities free access once you've registered through the national system for your cards. State parks, such as Washington's give seniors a discount. So if you are a senior RV'er ask for your discount. Visit the Washington State Parks at www.parks.wa.gov to find the locations you desire to reserve and plan your itinerary from there. Many activities will require a separate tow car as some activities within the nearby cities or surrounding areas require a day trip out.

In Washington, a number of the RV parks were limited to size or did not provide propane or dump stations. When ecologists and naturalists as well as RV'ers become more involved with taking care of the environment, there is a shift in thinking about disposing of black water. I would suggest purchasing a Woodall's 2004 North America Campground Directory which has up-to-date information on which RV parks will and will not allow dumping, or provide amenities you may think are standard. You'll find many parks which are well suited to your needs. There is even one which bared no expense. Really! It's a family oriented nudist RV park. I'll let you hunt for it. There is a KOA in the Seattle/Tacoma area which will take you on an excursion tour into Seattle to visit the Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, Hiram-Chittenden Locks Salmon run, and Pioneer Square. Golfing, shopping, and sporting events are also within easy access to this particular park. Visit KOA at www.seattlekoa.com or seattlekoa@aol.com located at 5801 S. 212 st. Kent, Wa. 98032.

At Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Carson and Packwood, there is over a million acre forest located between the Columbia river and Mt. Rainier. This scenic area offers lava beds, tubing, caving, ice caves exploration, wild huckleberry picking, interpretive talks, scenic waterfalls, and access to Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic monument. At Eatonville take the tram while it roams through a native animal preserve and watch as buffalo, elk, moose, caribou, and bighorn sheep graze about their environment. Observe predatory animals such as wolves, grizzlies, cougars, roam in separated areas surrounded by moats yet still kept in natural environments. Visit Hell's Canyon, miles of the Snake river wind through America's deepest gorge. You'll be able to whitewater raft through the canyon, or jet boat excursions can be arranged. Try crossing Hood Canal Bridge, the world's longest floating bridge over tidal water. Hood Canal is an eighty mile long natural inlet of Puget Sound where you can enjoy fishing, clamming, shucking oysters, or combing beaches. Want to get out and just walk awhile? The Theler wetlands are almost 4 miles of boardwalk surrounded by 150 acres of wetlands. An exhibit center contains native plants, wood sculptures, and carvings. And last but not least when the kids get tired of all the nature things to do, take them to Seattle and visit all the parks and kids places. The science fiction museum will surely have their hearts pounding by the time they leave. Better yet, the water parks boast of having sixty foot drop offs in sheer darkness at fifty mph. See if that is adventure enough for them! Call the City Wide Concierge in Seattle to help you get set up with any place you desire. They'll be glad to offer you that smorgasbord of fun – 206.461.5888. Happy Traveling!

All photos courtesy of Snohomish County CVB