A Quiet Week at Johnny Creek

It’s so nice when Plan A works out. Johnny Creek Campground is located about 13 miles from Leavenworth, WA in the Wenatchee National Forest. The campground is all first come/first serve with two sections, the 15-site Lower Johnny Creek, situated along Icicle Creek and the 49-site Upper Johnny Creek which is across the road. Coming in on Monday, 7/6, we were pretty confident we’d find a spot but we were really hoping to score one of the waterside sites. We pulled over at the pay station in Lower Johnny Creek and walked the campground. There were only 3 or 4 sites large enough for the Short Bus, but the best of those just happened to be open. Score!! It was especially nice since we have 6 nights here before our reservation at Lincoln Rock State Park near Wenatchee.

Icicle Creek.

Plan A is awesome!

The sites are huge and it’s just a short walk along the river to spot where Riley can wade in the shallows. Icicle “Creek” is really a good-sized river with lots of rapids and boulders. Oh, and it’s absolutely gorgeous too. The much smaller namesake Johnny Creek also runs through the campground, and Riley made sure to explore both. Another unexpected treat – there are ripe huckleberries all around the campground! A few minutes of picking and we had plenty for a huckleberry pancake breakfast. Delicious!!

Good thing Riley loves cold, Icicle Creek is aptly named!

Huckleberries! Huckleberry Pancakes! Huckleberry Heaven!

Tuesday we spent a lazy day in camp, Rog did a little RV maintenance and I worked on organizing my pictures and drafting a blog post. Getting anything uploaded though required a trip into town. So Wednesday we loaded up Riley and headed for Leavenworth – a fun, picturesque Bavarian-themed tourist town. We had lunch at Icicle Creek Brewery and found a shady spot in Waterfront Park to catch up on email, the blog, and all things internet. Of course, we made time for a stop at the Whistlepunk Ice Cream Company, but neither Rog nor Riley were interested in checking out the shops – so I was outvoted two to one. Dang, and here I was committed to doing my part to stimulate the local economy. Lol.

Hey Dad, whatcha got? Wanna share?
Riley is the eternal optimist. 

Leavenworth in all its Bavarian-themed splendor. Lol.

Wednesday we packed a light lunch and took Riley on the Icicle Gorge River Loop Trail. It’s a little under 4 ½ miles and one of the few trails in the area that isn’t straight up and then straight down. The trail is a shady walk through the woods with several creek crossings. The day was cool and overcast, we even had a bit of rain – perfect hiking weather for Riley. The scenery was stunning, so put this hike on your to-do list when you’re in the area.

Gorgeous views of Icicle Creek.

White water!!

On the trail.

Brave Riley!
He wasn't too sure about this narrow log bridge, but he did great. 

I don't think we'll do any kayaking here. Lol.

A delicate wild rose and intricate bark patterns on a Ponderosa Pine.

Under the log, across the bridge, and we're almost home. 

We had planned to do some more hiking over the weekend, but Riley ended up with tummy troubles. Not sure quite what set him off, but Thursday and Friday nights he woke us up every couple hours to take him outside. We certainly weren’t going to leave him in the RV with a case of the runs, so we opted to hang out in camp. I picked more huckleberries and we all played in the creek. Rog put up the hammock, it was the first time he’d tried it out. Riley wasn’t too sure what the monkeys were up to though. Our initial attempts at entering and exiting the tree taco were hilarious. Once settled, we found it comfy enough for an afternoon nap together. We also were delighted to have a hummingbird visit our site, so Rog put up the window feeder. Another accessory we’d never used before. It’s been nice to have the time in camp to play with some of the stuff we carry but rarely use.

Camp day!

Dad! What are you doing??

Double trouble. :) 

Lots of butterflies along the river.

A welcome visitor.

While I don’t particularly like being out of touch with friends and family (I missed my virtual happy hour on Friday ☹!), the total lack of cell service also meant a welcome respite from the daily deluge of doom and gloom. It’s a slower, calmer life and, you know, all my ranting and raving has not and will not change the insanity one bit. We left our bubble of serenity on Sunday, 7/12, heading closer to civilization. Ahhh…internet connectivity, both a blessing and a curse. But without it, I can’t post the blog! Lol.