4th PNW Bird Retreat, 2006

[Jo-Ski]

ANNOUNCING THE 4TH PNW BIRD RETREAT FOR 2006! ALL BLUE BIRDERS WELCOME!

Hi, folks!

Well, enough of the gang have expressed interest in having a 4th retreat this
year again at the good ol' Rest-A-While campground hugging the beautiful Hood
Canal, so I come for to tell ya that I'm gonna go for organizin' it again this
year.

Last year we had a wonderful flock of 11 Blue Birders from not only Washington
State, but also Oregon, Wisconsin, and BC, Canada. 3 more Birds, including one
from Southern California and one from the Gulf Islands, had signed on, but
couldn't make it due to last-minute coach problems, so we sure hope to see you
folks this year! If we get 10 or more Birds, the owner hosts a free oyster
barbecue for us on Saturday afternoon. Besides the coach tours and our
traditional Saturday night potluck, this retreat will include some new
(surprise) group activities that we hope will be fun for all!

Anyway, here are the full details, and we hope you're gonna be just lovin' it!

Dates: Oct. 6-7, 2006 (same weekend as the area's annual OysterFest--the West
Coast Oyster-Shucking Contest and Washington State Seafood Fair)

Campground: Rest-A-While RV Resort, Marina, and Dive Center
27001 N US Highway 101
Hoodsport WA 98548
(360) 877-9474
Toll Free: (866) 637-9474
Website: http://www.restawhile.com/ (check out the photos on the home page for
an idea of the area's natural beauty)

Please note: Again, the campground has asked that you use me as your contact
person instead of each person calling them individually. Only about 30 spots
along the water, so please let me know ASAP if you're in!

Like last year, we will have the spots right along the water (yippee!), facing
the beautiful Hood Canal. The campsites are about 30 feet from water's edge,
with full power (30-amp)/water-sewer hook-ups plus cable TV. Right in front of
you at water's edge is a private oystering/clamming beach run by the campground
(originally seeded with Pacific Oysters from Japan--quite a change from what is
carried in a lot of markets, and they're just scrumptious). We have reserved a
nice little clubhouse a few steps away for things like the Saturday evening
potluck in case of inclement weather, and we also have a fire pit plus a
facility with Internet connection capabilities. (Also, they've just installed
wireless capability this year.)

As many of you may know, this "canal" is really a natural channel, not a
man-made canal--a historical glitch in interpreting the exploratory maps/notes
resulted in "channel" being mistakenly identified as "canal" and hence, the
current nomenclature. According the campground brochure, Hood Canal is actually
one of the only two glacier-carved fjords in the lower U.S. (the other being in
Maine), with most of the world's fjords in Norway. You'll find the natural
beauty of Hood Canal just spectacular!

We're hoping the area's year-round resident Orca pod might be visiting the canal
when we're there. Last year, the pod gave the campground a grand show in the
canal for several weeks (photos on their Website). So,we have the possibility of
our own whale-watching extravaganza just yards from where we're camped! Also,
according to the Dive Center at the resort, some of the world's largest octopi
have been photographed in the canal.

That same weekend, Oct.7-8, is OysterFest, a gala that includes the West Coast
Oyster-Shucking Contest and Washington State Seafood Fair. This is held at the
Mason County Fairgrounds, a few miles down Highway 101 from the campground. In
addition to the seafood-related events, the festival offers an art fair and
non-stop music on multiple stages plus special concerts of classical and sacred
music at local churches.

For you wine buffs, the Hoodsport Winery is just a few miles down the road and
hosts wine-tastings. There's also a neat little area with great shops and
galleries.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you are coming because, like last
year, 2 other RV clubs have already reserved the rest of the campground across
the highway for that weekend, so we again lucked out getting the beachfront
sites.

Just think of it--camping right on the water, natural beauty, possible Orca
sightings, oyster-feeds, festivals, music, art, and, as always, plenty of
Bird-talk and camaraderie! Does that sound great, or what?!

COME ONE, COME ALL FROM EVERYWHERE! IT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER GREAT RETREAT WITH A
SWELL BUNCH OF PNW BIRDERS AND, WE HOPE, FRIENDS OLD AND NEW!

(Dave Beatty, could you please forward this to Bruce's forum? Many thanks!)

Best regards,

Jo-Ski (Jo Slivinski, also for Stew Sanders)
(360) 371-0301
'83-FC 35 RB
"The Bird Abides"
Blaine, WA

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