Tolt-MacDonald Park in Carnation, Washington July 2-9, 2025

We left Milo McIver State Park at 10am on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 and drove 4 hours to Tolt-MacDonald Park in Carnation, Washington for a 7-night stay so we could visit with Cindy’s son Jeremy, his wife Wendy and our two youngest grandchildren; Jade and Maxwell.

They Say It’s Your Birthday

July 2nd was also the 70th anniversary of my rotation around the sun. I awoke to a birthday kiss from Cindy and text messages from my daughter and brother wishing me a happy birthday, so that started my day off right. While eating breakfast I received a text from my step-daughter wishing me a happy birthday and a little while later our middle granddaughter paused her day of fun at Sea World to call and wish me a happy birthday. And when we arrived at Tolt-MacDonald I found text messages from our two oldest grandchildren wishing me a happy birthday.

After getting Nomad set up at our site (which was the same one we’ve used the past couple of years when visiting in this part of Washington State) we showered and then drove into Redmond to meet Jeremy, Wendy, Jade, and Maxwell at BJ’s Restaurant for dinner. I received a nice birthday card that Maxwell picked out because he thought it was funny, a new hat with my youngest grandchildren’s photos on it (I have just about worn out the previous hat they gifted me a few years ago) , and was treated to dinner by Jeremy and Wendy in celebration of my birthday.

It was a wonderful time, thanks guys!

We also picked up gifts that my daughter and oldest grandchildren had shipped to me using Jeremy and Wendy’s address and gifts from Cindy who had done the same. And as an extra-added bonus, we took Jade back with us to spend a week spoiling her. (Don’t worry, Maxwell gets his spoiling the following week)

We got back to the campsite and I opened the gifts that Ann had shipped from her, Mikey, Charlotte and Seth.

I got some funny socks that had “I’m not sleeping” written on one and “I’m just resting my eyes” on the other. Ann said they reminded her of when she was a kid and would whisper to her brother that I was asleep on the couch and I would, without opening my eyes, say, “I’m not sleeping, I’m just resting my eyes.”

The things kids remember, right?

Ann and I were going to FaceTime for my birthday but there was a three-hour time difference and by the time we got finished with dinner and got back to the campsite it was much too late for her with a workday the next day. So instead we scheduled a call the day after my birthday and it was, as always, so good to talk to her and our oldest grandkids.

They also sent me a DVD copy of “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, a movie I hadn’t seen since it was first released in 1963 when I was 8 years old. I’ve been wanting to re-watch it for years and just never got around to it. But it’s been on my wish list for years and Ann grabbed it for me.

Cindy gave me an e-book, “The Solie Chronicles”, which had also been on my wish list for years. It’s a biography of a professional wrestling commentator that I grew up watching in Florida and Georgia, Gordon Solie. If you ever watched Championship Wrestling from Florida on various channels or Georgia Championship Wrestling on TBS, you know the guy I’m talking about.

She also gave me the two-volume set of “The Fifty Year Mission”, a history of Star Trek written by the same author who wrote the “Voices From Krypton” book she gave me two years ago during our visit to the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois.

I’m very much looking forward to reading all three of those books!

And, although I’m not on Facebook any longer, Cindy posted about my birthday on her page and many of her friends and our mutual friends were kind enough to wish me a Happy Birthday. So, “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!”, for all the birthday well-wishes.

We were very tired from the drive and the fun of that day, and thus we were in bed by 10 pm.

Boba Tea and Jumanji

Thursday morning the three of us and Bella hiked the Cottonwood Trail in the campground before returning to Nomad so Jade could take her online driving course from 10 am to noon. (They grow up SO fast!) I took care of doing our laundry while Cindy cleaned up Nomad.

That afternoon we went into Carnation where Jade convinced Cindy to try Boba (or Bubble) Tea for the first time. Cindy decided she didn’t care for it. I already knew I didn’t care for it because my daughter’s best friend from high school got me to try it when I visited her in New York City several years ago.

Thursday night we all watched “Jumanji” and the three of us humans laughed so hard that Bella was giving as curious looks all night. I’ve seen the movie at least 4 times and still love watching it.

Happy Fourth of July!

Friday was our nation’s 249th birthday. My dad always said I should have waited 2 more days to make my world debut so I could have sparklers on my birthday cake.

Jeremy, Wendy and Maxwell came over around 10:30 am and we all walked up to the Carnation July 4th Parade at noon. I wasn’t really in much of a celebratory mood, given the condition of our country and its “leadership”, but I WAS especially happy to see the local “Indivisible” branch well-represented in the parade.

Back at the campsite we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs over the fire pit and had side dishes that Jeremy and Wendy brought. I think all of us had a good time; I know I did. After watching fireworks from a distance at 10 pm, Wendy returned home to take care of their doggie Bailey and sleep in her own bed while Jeremy and Maxwell pitched a tent on our site and slept there for the next two nights.

Saturday, In The Park…I Think It Was The Fifth Of July

Not quite the lyrics to Chicago’s smash hit, but close enough for our post.

Saturday morning Wendy returned and we all went to the nearby Remlinger Farms so the ladies could pick raspberries and then to the Remlinger store to buy seasonings and other items Cindy likes to use in her cooking.

We returned to the campsite and ate sandwiches and wraps with chips and other side dishes. Then, while Grandma and Granddad took a needed nap, the others went on a nature walk.

That night we took everyone to Pete’s Pour House in Carnation for dinner. It looked like a dive and had its share of loudmouth drunks, but the food was better than expected.

Lunch With Lynn

Sunday I had the chance to meet an old friend and former FEMA colleague for lunch in Redmond. I found out last year after we left Redmond that she had moved there from D.C., so we made a promise to meet this year when Cindy and I came back.

Lynn and I worked together at various disaster recovery operations for 12 or 13 years and it’s been 5 years since we’ve seen each other, so it was especially enjoyable to share a meal and catch up.

Jade made a meal from a family recipe while I was gone and I heard it was good. Jeremy and Maxwell took down their tent and hammock and returned home Sunday afternoon with Wendy because, well, work.

Seattle Space Needle

Monday, after Jade’s online driving course was over at noon, we drove to the Redmond Transit Center and took the express bus to Seattle to visit the Seattle Space Needle. This was the one thing Jade wanted to do while spending the week with us and it was the first time both she and Cindy had been to the needle. I went years ago while working in Washington State, so this was a repeat for me but an enjoyable one.

We were a little early, so the ladies enjoyed some strawberry shortcake while we waited for the time our tickets would be ready for access.

Yes, we bought timed-entry tickets, but I don’t know why we bothered. We still stood in a long, long line waiting to get to the elevators to the top. You would think timed tickets would get you in faster, rather than just joining the herd and shuffling along.

However we had fun once we reached the top, as I think you can see in the photos and the video. Afterward we ate a meal from the Upton Cafe and sat watching other people walking around the top of the needle. Then we went down one level to the revolving section and found it will take you a few seconds to acclimate to the whole level rotating while you walk. Finally we went to the glass floor section and Jade and I were surprised at how well Grandma did standing on a transparent floor and looking down at the ground from so high in the sky.

We returned to Redmond on the same express bus and then dropped Jade off at home because she had an appointment Tuesday morning. Cindy and I went to Costco and stocked up on some things we needed and enjoyed Costco’s famous Pizza and Pepsi combo one last time before they switch from Pepsi to Coke at all their food courts. At least I enjoyed it; Cindy prefers Coke to Pepsi so she is happy with the switch. I, on the other hand, have always preferred Pepsi and so I will miss that sweet nectar with their pizza combo. Especially because these days I only have Pepsi once every few months.

Tuesday we old people rested and relaxed in preparation for changing campgrounds the following day. We still have one week in the area and a youngest grandson to spoil for that week!

Thanks for following The Wandering Wetheringtons.