Charbonneau Park in Burbank, Washington July 1

On Monday, July 1, 2024 we packed up and left Plymouth Campground for a short, 45 mile drive to Charbonneau Park in Burbank, Washington.

Charbonneau Park is another Corps of Engineers campground on the shores of Lake Sacajawea, which was formed when the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam were built on the nearby Snake River. The site was not level but it was well-shaded and long enough for us to put up the screen room right behind Nomad.

They Say It’s My Birthday

July 2nd was my 69th birthday.

I had a great start to my day by hearing from all my grandchildren via phone call or text, a delicious breakfast (and a book I wanted) from Cindy, and a day spent mostly finishing another book I was already reading. My daughter let me know she pre-ordered another book I wanted that will arrive in October, so…delayed gratification, lol! Throughout the day there were phone and video calls from other family members and texts from friends. And so many posts from friends on Facebook!

Then Cindy treated me to a delicious steak dinner and dessert out at a restaurant. She also promised another birthday gift arriving next week! A new Swiss Army Pocket Knife and sharpener.

What a day! Thanks to family and friends who called, texted or Facebook-posted to wish me a happy birthday.

Now, in the true spirit of the old man I am becoming, get off my lawn!

As usual, on July 4th there were fireworks around the campground until well after midnight. Poor Bella, even though we gave her some calming pills, was SO nervous.

Ice Harbor Lock and Dam

On Wednesday, July 10, 2024 we drove about 2 miles up the road for a tour of the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam. As you can tell from the photo in the album for this post, we were able to see the dam from our campground.

The Ice Harbor Lock and Dam project was authorized in 1945. Construction began in January of 1956 and the first three generators were put into operation in December of 1961. By January of 1976 three more generators had been added and all six units were producing power. The project includes the dam, powerhouse, navigation lock, two fish ladders, a removable spillway fence and a juvenile fish bypass facility.

This was the first time in touring dams that either Cindy or I had seen fish ladders. These ladders allow the spawning salmon (and some other varieties as well) to return to their birthplace without having to go through the dam and its waters themselves. It was pretty interesting to see both the aboveground view topside and the underground view through the windows provided inside the dam facility.

The dam is 2,822 feet long with an effective height of 100 feet. It is made of concrete and is a gravity-type dam with an earth filled embankment section. It is the last dam located on the Snake River before that river merges with the Columbia River.

Lake Sacajawea

The dam created the reservoir known as Lake Sacajawea on which Charbonneau Park sits. The lake extends upstream about 32 miles and has a surface area of 9,200 acres. There are many recreational activities on and around Lake Sacajawea including boating, swimming, hiking, camping, picnicking and fishing. Right next to the campground on the lake is a fairly good-sized marina and we observed several houseboats docked there during our hikes around the area. Thinking about trading in our RV for a houseboat and traveling around on our country’s waterways.

Not really; I just wanted to see if Cindy is reading this post or not, lol!

This was another nice, relaxing stay. We were able to run some errands in nearby Kennewick, Pasco and Richland but still enjoy the campground for most of our visit.

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