August 15, 2026 (Sat.) - A Low‑Key Day Under Level 1 Alerts.
Nothing planned for today.
Lynn was up at 0645 after a rough night — coughing fits and itchy eyes kept her awake, most likely thanks to the worsening air quality. By 10 the AQI had climbed into the hazardous range at 488 (highest we’ve seen)! Kirk was up around 0930, and we had a light breakfast in the RV.
The rest of the day turned into a full‑on movie and chore day. Lynn didn’t step outside the RV once.
The only real event was an alert letting us know we’re now in the Evacuation Zone – Level 1 (Get Ready). The skies remain smoky, the air is hazardous, and since we live on wheels, we’re essentially ready to roll if needed.
Movie/TV lineup:
The Odyssey (Prime Video – 2026) — not the current one in theaters; not great.
In the Grey — Lynn fell asleep.
Hunting Season — okay.
Silo — TV series – entertaining enough.
Kirk’s productivity for the day included booking our next site. Desperate to escape the smoke, we’re heading west to Gig Harbor, WA next week. Pricey, but hopefully the skies will be clearer.
Along with the Watch Duty alert showing our new evacuation status, Kirk also received a text from Thousand Trails staff confirming the same.
The bruises on Lynn’s leg keep looking worse as the days go by — part of the healing process, but still pretty unsightly (fair warning for the photo below). A small casualty of our adventures, but one that deserves to be recorded as part of our journey.
And with that, we called it a day and settled in, hoping tomorrow brings clearer skies and cleaner air.
Weather – High 75*, Low 56*. Winds 3-7/13 mph. Rain = 50% (.05″) – didn’t rain. No humidity. Hazardous air. (AQI 488).
Traffic – None. Didn’t go anywhere.
Food – Nothing to report. Ate in the RV all day.
Notable – Hazardous Air. Now in Evacuation Zone Level 1.
Screen time (notable) – Hunting Season, Silo.
August 16, 2026 (Sun.) - Plain, BBQ and Ash.
Nothing on the agenda today.
Lynn was up at 7 a.m. after another rough night of coughing and itchy eyes. The smoke smell was stronger this morning, and the air was still firmly in the “unhealthy” range with an AQI of 199 at 7 a.m. Kirk was up at 10 a.m., also not well‑rested.
The morning was spent relaxing, doing chores, and blogging. Around 11 a.m., Kirk got a text from Thousand Trails letting us know we’re still in the Level 1 Evacuation stage. Crews would be on site from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to cut trees, so we were told to expect loud noise throughout the day.
By 1 p.m., we needed to get out after being cooped up yesterday. We headed to Plain, WA — the closest spot for supplies, just under four miles from the campground. The little cluster of businesses has a café, all-in-one grocery/gas/ATM and a hardware store all side by side, with the Fire Camp directly across the street.
We stopped at the Old Mill Café and shared a BBQ platter. The pork, brisket, homemade chips, and beans were all delicious — the brisket was the standout. Inside, we sat near the “Dad Jokes” wall, covered in Post‑its with corny jokes that were fun to read while we ate. Since the café also makes a wide variety of desserts and pastries, Kirk couldn’t resist grabbing something to go… which turned into three somethings: spice cake, a pistachio‑something pie, and peanut butter pie.
Next, we walked over to the grocery store. It wasn’t a full grocery store — more of a convenience‑style market with a little bit of everything — but enough to pick up what we needed.
On our drive back to the RV, Kirk spotted either a bear or a moose — he’s leaning toward moose — as we rounded a bend through thick bushes and trees. He caught sight of a large brown ear deep in the thicket, and the surrounding branches were moving in a way that definitely suggested something big was eating or pushing through the vegetation. We turned around to try to spot it again, but whatever it was had already disappeared. No photos or dashcam footage — just a quick, mysterious glimpse through dense trees.
We got back to the RV around 2:30pm and the air quality had worsened even further (AQI 259 — very unhealthy). The rest of the afternoon was spent indoors watching TV, blogging, and doing more chores. We ended up watching Diners, Drive‑Ins and Dives — the episode featuring Jimmy’s Down the Street, since we ate there in Coeur d’Alene a few weeks ago and they advertise it nonstop. Fun to watch. It was Season 11, Episode 7.
Not much accomplished today, but we tried to be productive while staying inside and out of the smoke.
Weather – High 79*, Low 55*. Winds 3-7/13 mph. No rain or humidity. AQI = 199 – Unhealthy.
Traffic – None.
Food – Old Mill Cafe – very good.
Notable – Old Mill Cafe. Fire crews working in the campground.
August 17, 2026 (Mon.) - Reindeer Farm
Today was our visit to the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm — a tour Lynn booked a few days ago since reservations are required.
Lynn was up early at 0545 to a crisp 59°, relieved to see the air quality finally sitting in the moderate zone (AQI = 89) instead of the unhealthy readings we’ve had lately. Kirk was up just before 0800 and suggested breakfast at the Old Mill Café before our 1030 tour. We’ve had lunch there before, but breakfast was new territory. Kirk’s bacon and eggs were very good; Lynn’s chicken‑fried steak was just okay — the gravy didn’t quite deliver (a bit too sweet) — but the biscuits were excellent.
We were back on the road by 0930. Smoke hung thick in the air, carrying that sharp “blown‑out match” smell. On the way into town, we passed a man jogging along the roadside in all that smoke! Crazy!
We arrived at the Reindeer Farm a little early and waited in the parking lot until opening. Once inside, everyone went through a quick biosecurity screening — stepping on a disinfectant pad — and confirming we hadn’t been near goats or sheep in the past week, since they can carry parasites that are deadly to reindeer.
While waiting for the tour to begin, we browsed the large gift shop and visited the camels, bunnies and chickens. Two friendly cats wandered the grounds, greeting visitors. The tour group was around 30–40 people. It started with a short video presentation that was surprisingly informative; we learned quite a bit about reindeer…quite fascinating.
After the video, everyone lined up to receive a willow branch for feeding. We were led into a pen with the “friendly” reindeer — the ones comfortable with petting and close interaction. The less social reindeer were kept in a separate area. Feeding and petting them was a fun and unique experience. The cost was about $45 per person, including taxes and fees.
By 1130 we were finished and headed back into Leavenworth’s Little Bavaria. Air quality had worsened to the ‘Very Unhealthy’ zone (AQI = 206). We walked, shopped, and eventually stopped at München Haus for a snack. A few days ago the line had been long, so we were glad to catch a quieter moment. We shared a pretzel and sausage — both very good. After picking up t‑shirts, stickers, a leather bag, and Danish pastries, we wandered down to Riverfront Park along the Wenatchee River. The shaded trail followed a calm stretch of water where people were swimming and rafting in the afternoon heat.
By 1:30pm we were ready to head back to the RV. Along the drive, one property had a miniature Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty in the yard. We tried for photos, but most came out blurry.
We arrived back at the RV around 2pm and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, watching movies, and going through all the reindeer photos.
Evening movie/tv lineup:
Silo – entertaining enough
The Batman – rewatch; still meh
Arthur the King – excellent; based on a true story
The Last House – very good
A full, interesting, and memorable day.
Weather – High 83*, Low 59*. Winds 3-9/17 mph. No rain, slightly humid. AQI = 206 (Very Unhealthy).
Traffic – None.
Food – Old Mill Cafe.
Notable – Reindeer Farm, Old Mill Cafe, Arthur the King movie.
Photos : Leavenworth Reindeer Farm
Includes pictures of breakfast at the Old Mill Cafe and the drive from the campground to the Reindeer Farm.
