So........
We've talked about doing another GTG since the Lake Sammamish GTG. Any ideas when & where for this summer? Anybody know of a good park near the Washington/Canada border?(either side)

I am up for anything. I am even willing to have another GTG next month if anyone is up for that.
As for this summer, Lake Samish sounds good to me. The only time that won't work for me is August 16th, since my friend would be upset if I miss his wedding.

Well, this is going nowhere fast.:(

I am sure that more people will see this sometime.

My plans and availability from June forward are a bit unclear.

So I will stayed tuned!

I think some of our CAN friends wanted something a little closer to them. I believe that Bellingham was even suggested.

As for time, I'm free for the most part except for July. My p's are coming back to the States so I will be with them here, then in Chicago.

Here is a link to Lake Samish, it is near Bellingham: http://whatcom.kulshan.com/Washington/Whatcom/Bellingham/Outdoors/Samish_Park.htm

I might check it out sometime

Closer to or in Canada would be fine with me, although that might limit the number of Washington people that would come. Bellingham might be a good compromise. At this point, most any time would be fine for me also.

So how does sometime in either June or August sound? I know Rick's daughter is getting married sometime this summer, I think sometime around mid August, around the same time as my friends are getting married, so I think that would work out.

I think it is a great idea that we are starting to plan out the GTG several months ahead of time. I hope we can get even more people to come to this next one. It would be great if several more Unimogs would show up this next time around :D.

June is a bit busy for me. My youngest has her High school graduation, and we're leaving for vacation the last week. Yeh, and August 16th is my daughters funera.....er...wedding;)
But other than that I'm open. (I'll be up in Lynden on Aug 2nd for my antique tractor club meet anyway, so would be easy to go to that in the AM, then cruise on to where ever we decide to meet from there for the afternoon)
As willing as I'd be to go further north, even into BC, I realize I'm about the furthest north of you all. Bellingham seems to be a good location distance-wise for everyone. I just hate to always make the BC folks be the ones to fight the border crossing. But if they're willing..........

Aug 2nd sounds like a good day to me. My friend's grand parents live in Sumas (the one that is getting married), so I might bring him along if we meet in the Bellingham area.

Aug 2 at Lake Samish sounds good to me :) .

Aug 2nd seems to be a good date for me. Any location is fine, also.

So, Aug 2nd at Lake Samish park, for now.:)
It's still a ways off, so any other ideas are welcome still. Let's try to get at least as many as we had last month:cool:
Eric, let me know if your gonna take a cruise up there. Maybe we could caravan a couple old diesels up I-5 together:D

I invited jassz to it, but she doesn't want to cross the boarder.

Rick, I will let you know when I take a cruise up there. It looks like that might not be until mid-May. All of the sudden I am going to busy for the next 3-4 weekends.

Hi Rick,

Just let me know when and where...I'm In!


Talk to you soon,
Jay

So far I guess we're still on for Aug 2nd at Lk. Samish park. One of us still needs to cruise up and scope it out and make sure it's a decent place to meet. (I may be able to in the next weekend or two)

Rick, I might be able to check it out on May 10th... I should have the time to check it out...

Hey cool:cool: Let me know and we could meet somewhere and criuse up:)

I'll let you know Rick ;)

I think East Lake Samm is by Microsoft Issaquah Office...off 90 - Exit 900. I heard it's a nice park.

http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp?selectedpark=Lake%20Sammamish&pageno=1

Lake Sammamish is where we had the last GTG, Lake Samish is located near Bellingham...

Nice looking park Lake Samish...I'm in.

Ok. Went up to Lake Samish park today to check it out. All I can say is, well, I don't think so. It's small. Way small. Too small. And I see on the web site someone has made a comment on how crowded it gets on a hot summer day.

Another view

Sooooo....
I tooled on up the freeway a little further to another park I knew about. It's up in Ferndale, about 10 miles north of bellingham. Hovander park. (The antique tractor club I belong to uses it for a June club meet)
It's a pretty nice place, and may suit us pretty well, if no one objects to going a little farther north. It's an old farm that has been donated to the state (or whoever runs the parks). Lots of room for the kids to play, and a decent parking area. If the main parking area fills up, they over flow out into one of the adjacent fields.
Down side is not too many picnic sites, and those that there are are a little walk away from the parking area. But we usually just hang out around the cars anyway. Here's a couple pix.

looking the other way

One more shot. There was some kind of a plant sale thing going on today. Usually this area is wide open.
They've got a bunch of Peacocks that hang around mostly the barn area. Out back of the barn is a another big field area. That's where tha picnic sites and play area for kids is. Not much shade in the parking area. But USUALLY there is a breeze that blows thru that makes a hot day bearable.
Well, there you have it. If that doesn't look/sound like it'll work, there's a couple more parks i haven't been to, but have heard about that I can check out another weekend.
Does Aug 2nd still sound good?

Here's a link the the web site for the park:
www.co.whatcom.wa.us/parks/parklist/hovander.htm
I couldn't get the link to go thru, but maybe one of you can.

Hovander park looks like a better choice... Is there any kind of parking or usage fees with the park?

The only problem I see with this park is that I would be off looking at the landscape and architeture, instead of doing the hanging out in the parking lot with everyone else. I am sure I would have more pictures of these things than cars :D

Here's a few links that work: http://whatcom.kulshan.com/Washington/Whatcom/Bellingham/Outdoors/Hovander_Park.htm

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/mg/program/hovander.htm

http://www.ohwy.com/wa/h/hovandeh.htm

Nice work, Rick. I don't see anything wrong with the location or the date.
Thanks,

Good point Eric. I did see a sign. I think it said $4 per car.

Hey Steve:) Thanks!

Hope we can get a good turn out. I'm working on another of our friends from up north(Hi Natalie;) )

I'll post directions to the park if we all decide to go there. It's not too far off the freeway, but no one will ever find it on their own. BTW, there's lots of gas stations, grocery stores and burger joints in the area.

It looks good bro..Thanks for scouting the place.

Thanks Jay!
So, which car ya gonna show up in, the E500 or the E55? You need a co-driver so you can bring both:D And maybe one more to bring the Audi;)
BTW, I'm trying to pull together some kind of GTG for the Audi bunch over at that forum. There's one up in BC in a couple weeks, but seems there's enough of us to do one somewhere around here.

Rick, $4 isn't that bad, it's $1 less than at the last GTG at the state park... Did you see any Texaco's or Shell's that sell diesel :D

There are several stations in the area. I'm sure one was a Texaco. Ferndale seems to be a major stopping town between Bellingham and the border, as there is a lot of stuff right off the freeway.

Hi rickg! :)

Is there anyway to check to see if anyone else is planning to use that park that weekend? What if... what if.... what if there was a RAP MUSIC festival on at the same time?? Gasp! We don't want anyone competing with the klatta klatta klatta music :p

Ferndale has some big event every year.... is it a rodeo?

Still get twitchy when I think about crossing the border, but at least my loony might just be worth something for a change! I could load up on milk, butter and diesel purge! What's a gallon of diesel cost in Washington?.

Originally posted by jassz
...What's a gallon of diesel cost in Washington?.

Right now a gallon of diesel sells for $1.539 in Central Washington, it should be around that same price range throughout the state, but some areas tend to be higher and lower. I'm sure by August that price will have changed...

Originally posted by jassz
Is there anyway to check to see if anyone else is planning to use that park that weekend?

Yah, I thought about that too. I tried to find out that kind of info before we used Lake Sammamish park last summer, to no avail. But I'll see if maybe they're a bit more helpful up there. I guess we should have an alternative spot picked out just in case.

Looks like I'm coming too. August 2 works for me.

I don't know if I will still have my car in August, but I will still try and make it if you don't mind me showing up in something other than an MB :D (my car is making me so mad, that I am about ready to drive it off a mountian)

Sure, c'mon out anyway. We'll consider it just temporary insanity, and trust that you'll get good counseling and be back in a Benz soon:D

Originally posted by rickg
Sure, c'mon out anyway. We'll consider it just temporary insanity, and trust that you'll get good counseling and be back in a Benz soon:D

Don't worry, I am still thinking about getting a 'Mog, but that won't be for another few years, I just need to get away from having a money pit for a while :D

So have we finalized on a date and time and location yet? Has anyone figured out if we need any reservations, and if we are going to have bbq of any kind?

I still think I am going to be able to make it, since my schedule is still somewhat flexible for most of the summer... I might even still keep my car since it has been behaving a little better...

Hi Rick , did a place get selected yet ? Anywhere in that area sounds good . Looking forward to it :)

Just let me know...

Far as I know we are still on for Aug 2nd at the park in Ferndale. But I guess I still need to try and contact someone to make sure there isn't a rap concert scheduled that day. I'll try and look into that the next week or so. Check in here once in a while and see if I post anymore info here. Have my vacation behind me now, so I can get back to real life;)

Thanks Rick,

I'm on the way to Lake Wenactchee today...have a great weekend.

I checked the parks' event listing on their web sight, and nothing is scheduled for Aug 2nd. I also found their email address, and sent them an email making there wasn't an unlisted event for that day that we should be aware of. I'll let ya'll know if/when I hear back from them.

I don't think I will be able to make it to the GTG due to my new job. I can try and request the 2nd off, but am not sure if I will be able to get it. I will try my hardest to make it though :D

We'll just have to have our next GTG in the parking lot of the Wenatchee Lowes:D
No answer back on my email yet. Don't know why they list an email, if they won't answer the ones they get:rolleyes: Oh well.

It looks like I won't be able to make it to the GTG for sure :(. Maybe the next GTG I will be able to get the day off :D, and I might have a nicer MB, if not I will probally show up in my 300CD or a nice Sube with a turbo :D

Too bad Eric. We'll keep a spot open for ya though!:)
Just found out that Greg Samuelson won't be there either as he's moving to Newfoundland, and Natalie's not sure if she'll make it.
Hope the rest of ya make it though! I haven't ever heard back from the park, so let's just go and cross our fingers that there won't be some big biker convention going on. I'll post directions to the park here soon.(I'll try to get it on this weekend)

Ok. Let's see if I can get directions here.
Off I-5, take exit 262/Ferndale. Off the exit, you want to go west on main street. Just as your dropping into the town, you'll see a big concrete railroad bridge going over the street, with a big round pillar right in the middle of the street. Just past that pillar is where you'll take a hard left onto Hovander Rd. (I think there's a left turn lane). Go to Nielson Rd and take a right. Down that a ways you'll see a gate entrance straight ahead, but the park entrance is immediatly to the right just before that gate. The road into the park is a narrow one lane road, so if you meet anyone coming out, one of you will have to pull aside and let the other out. But it's mostly grass on either side, so there's room.

Rick, I think that map will only work for you.

Oh. Drat! Let's try this then.

Ok. That worked.:D
I probably won't get there until around noon-ish. I'll be over in Lynden at my antique tractor and engine club meet for the morning, unless I decide to run up to that friday afternoon(It goes on thursday till saturday)
See ya'll at the park:)

Everyone here is invited to our meet in Central Oregon August 30th and 31st. Hope to see you there.

Would love to come down to that, but I have a daughter getting married that weekend. But hope you have a good turn out:)

Anyone want to have a GTG this fall, maybe sometime in October or November. If anyone is interested in doing this, the sooner we start planning, the better the odds of me getting time off :D

Hope we have a good turn-out today!

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it this time. My brother and his family are visiting today on their way back home to Kamloops, he's hoping his house is still intact after the forest fire swept through the area last night . I'll see y'all next time , have fun :D

I must have missed all the fun. Got out of Kent late, and traffic was sooo bad, I didn't get to Ferndale until about 2:30pm. Didn't see anyone there, so came home.

Steve (Dakota),

I was not able to go..Wife and kids arrived this evening. I had to clean up my mess at the house/garage. They were suppose to arrive yesterday from the Bay Area.

Where in Kent do you live? I'm just here at Auburn-Black Diamond...right by the Washington National Golf Course.

Hmmm.......

Oh well.:(
I got there just past noon, hung around until about 1PM, then took off.
At least it was a nice day for a cruise:cool: I picked up another dark blue SD just past Mt. Vernon on the way home, and we caravaned together until I got off the I-5 at Arlington. We waved at each other as I blasted past him doing about 90mph so I could get thru the traffic to get over in the right hand lane.
Sorry I missed ya Steve:( Was the traffic thru Mt. Vernon going north still all backed up for ya? It was down to stop and go when I was heading north. Felt like I was going thru Seattle!
I've been thinking that maybe GTG's in the middle of summer aren't such a good idea, as too many people have stuff going on. Guess maybe we'd do better to have them in the spring or fall from now on.

I wish I could have gone:D, but the Lumber Yard would have fallen apart if I called in sick today :rolleyes:.
If anyone is serious about trying to put another GTG, we can do one sometime this fall if we can come up with a date soon so I can put in a request for that day off :D

Sorry I missed you, Rick. Yes, traffic was very nasty when I left. Lot's of Seafair traffic maybe. Nuts to butts all the way to the Sedro-Wooly exit!

Great views of the Blue Angels and Fat Albert when going thru Seattle. An F/A-18 sat on its tail and lit its burners right above me...beautiful view right thru my sunroof. Fat Albert did a high-speed low-level pass right over me too.

ESVIC...I live just south of the Fairwood area on East Hill.

Jay and Steve, I'd come down that way somewhere if ya guys want to have a meet sometime after the summer. Eric sounds like he wants to try again too.

Yes, Eric wants to try another GTG :D

Some place near the mountians would be nice, since the leaves will be changing colors :D

At least you got a parking spot in the shade Rick. :D Sounds like the stars weren't quite alined for this one.

My brother and his family are visiting today on their way back home to Kamloops, he's hoping his house is still intact after the forest fire swept through the area last night .

Were they evacuated? This is pretty scarey stuff this year.:( Thousands evacuated....

Hope it rains soon.

Hi Natalie , it looks like their neighbourhood was spared so far , they live just across the river from the Rayleigh fire and just south of the Black Pines fire . As long as the winds keep blowing to the north they'll be OK , but there's no rain forecast in the near future. I'm glad we went camping last weekend as this long weekend went up in smoke :(

Go to this link for planning of the next GTG: http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72037

Originally posted by rickg
Hmmm.......

Geez Rick, if it weren't for the fact that I am on the other side of the continent, I would have definately been there!!!

Hey Greg:) I take it you made it back there ok.
Yeah, missed seeing ya......and everyone else;)