TRAVELING THURSDAY ~ Sulkum & Huff-and-Puff

My furry nemesis is back, so yesterday I slapped some big bucks down to have it trapped (hopefully – there is no guarantee). I will keep the trap for a month before it will be removed from my lot.

But, it is here. It is baited. And this morning I “set” it before I left to have my coffee hour with friends in Naselle.

Morning w-friends & Salkum Timberland Library Daytrip.

The trap will be sprung tonight; and hand tripped in the morning if it is empty.

Naselle from Heron Pointe - 59 mins.

Leaving Naselle for Salkum.

Daytrip adventures are flexible.

Chehalis from Naselle - 1 hr.46 mins.

I followed a log truck at a snail's pace coming into Pe Ell – a Jerry Debriae log truck … it was a long way from home base; and shockingly, this cowboy driver was following the rules of the road. Debrae himself – nor his drivers ever behave.

This is why I prefer backroads; it engages the senses far more than freeway travel does.

Nearing Adna via the Pe Ell loop route, I saw a sign that advertised a County Park … so, I turned right and checked the locale out.

When I am on a Daytrip drive, I tend to dink around enroute 😉

This Park is supposed to be “excellent” picnicking, hiking, playground, volleyball, exercise trail, horseshoe pits; ect.

NO WAY!

From what I could see past the rusted metal gate blocking entrance, was a lot of neglect and overgrown areas. It was obvious it has not been used for years – possibly decades. It looked pitiful.

Rose Park - up close and personal - does not match the glowing reports on it.

Adna mountain view & Napavine pit stop.

Caught sight of this upcoming Bazaar Sign pulling out of the gas terminal at Napavine. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll be back here on the 1^st …

The google mapping showed a generalized idea of where Sulkum was located; I didn’t ever recall Bob & I going through (or past) a town named Sulkum. I knew where Mary’s Corner was, but I was not familiar with the stretch of highway google maps and the car’s GPS was prompting me to drive.

About 5 minutes into the unfamiliar territory, I passed the Tucker Road spur off Jackson Highway: and was into familiar territory again – but I was still mystified about Salkum.

Mary's Corner from Chehalis via Jackson Highway - 20 mins.

Salkum via Highway 6 at Mary's Corner.

Mt. Rainier.

Salkum Timberland Library from Mary's Corner - 10 mins.

I don't know how we missed this sign for years ... Sulkum is an eye-blink town.

Cool rustic Arbor. The woman in the vid is the Librarian; we talked for about half an hour.

After she went back into the Library, I strolled around the pocket gardens – I was there … and so were they; and my legs needed to be stretched.

Raised garden beds.

Pretty little flowering plant.

Pretty pale lilac tulip with a white base w-blue splotches, black stamens & bright yellow pistil.

This plant was pretty all over.

A strawberry plant with pink blossoms; unusual - and pretty, too.

(https://www.monrovia.com/toscana-strawberry.html)

Walking through the cozy pocket gardens area, I liked the rustic garden supports – I like rustic 😊

Rustic garden support.

Rustic garden support.

Rustic Ladder Trellis.

Done walking the pocket gardens, and knowing the library would not be open to walk through until June 1^st, I decided to hop across the highway and check out “downtown Salkum”: population 216.

The Librarian had clued me in. 

But I wanted {to see} for myself.

'Downtown Salkum' consists of 3 buildings; grocery store, P.O., and tavern.

Salkum Post Office.

Salkum's Brown Shack Tavern.

I don’t know how I have missed the Library as often as Bob & I drove this highway: the Library Sign is big enough. In my defense, I will say that we always had kids with us for 44 years … and they snagged my attention 90% of the time we were out and about; so maybe I was busy with one of them as we passed Salkum: it’s an eye-blink town with nothing to grab your attention as you sail right past it.

So far, I am not a fan of the ‘Traveler’s Companion’ handbook; I believe people who submit road travel info for booklets like this one, should be honest and prepare people of what to expect when visiting the destinations, they highlight.

I like small towns, and would be perfectly happy living in a ghost town – but, a ghost town should be advertised as a ghost town, not built up to be something else.

Just sayin’.

However, I do like the drive along this roadway: and that was a redeeming factor as I blinked my eyes and left Salkum.

Hungering for a Huff and Puff hamburger.

I knew the Tulip Bulb farm was along this route, too; so, I decided to nip in there and see what they had to offer. The place is wildly expensive, so I was going to be very selective if I walked out with a purchase 😉

I stopped at the DeGoede Bulb Farm along the way.

(http://www.degoedebulb.com/retail.htm)

Last time I was here with Bob was in 2017; we had Aza with us.

I bought a strawberry jar for the garden area at home, and fertilizer stakes for inside houseplants. I’ll start transplanting strawberry plants, mid-May.

My garden is my “peaceful place”.

Huff and Puff was still half an hour away ...

Delicious hamburgers here; worth the long drive.

I got an Elk burger; low in fat, high in protein. A Healthy 'burger.

The drive home was smooth and easy – I know it by heart.

Toledo from Salkum Timberland Library via Tucker Road & Jackson Highway - 20 mins.

Mt. St. Helens seen coming into Toledo off Jackson Highway.

GEE CEE'S Truck Stop, from Jackson Highway Airstrip - 13 mins: I stopped and got gas here, and washed bug guts off the windshield again; the kamikaze bugs are thick this time of year.

Paradise Cove from Gee Cee's via Imboden Rd & Barnes Drive - 11 mins.

Delameter Road from Paradise Cove via Old Pacific Highway - 15 mins.

Heron Pointe from Delameter Road. 16 mins.

Bob and I drove that highway for decades, and I drove it several times solo lobo, throughout 2019 and 2020.

Only the location of Salkum threw me … and that short stretch of highway at Mary’s Corner.

But that’s okay: I know now.

And these Daytrips are as much about learning the highways and byways, as they are about just enjoying a relaxing and adventurous road experience 😉