01-08MAY10 - Monroe, WA (& casinos)

01MAY we moved the RV to the RV facility located next to the Evergreen State Fairgrounds & the Evergreen Speedway, in Monroe, WA. If you have read our BLOG for any length of time, you know that for the past three years we have stayed there often & for long periods of time. This is because it is reasonable priced, near family & friends, & less than eight miles from our property in Sultan.

http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2009/04/15-30apr09-monroe-wa-via-centralia.html

Spring weather in the Pacific NW be “iffy” at best, so it was no surprise when we were treated to the third windiest day on record for May, & very cold days that brought late winter snow to the passes & a couple of hail storms to Monroe. In fact Cinco de Mayo was the coldest on record! In celebration of the occasion we did something really original, we went to Mexican restaurant. Friday, 07MAY, we pulled up chocks enroute to Orcas Island in Washington State’s San Juan Islands.
Although we could make it to the ferry terminal in Anacortes, WA, in less than two hours, we decided to take two days to get there to catch a ferry to the islands on Sunday. This is because it is costs more to take an RV on the ferry Wednesday thru Saturday, & the cheapest rates are Sunday to Tuesday.

First stop was Angel of the Winds Casino. This is a small, out of the way casino with no hotel, where it costs $15 dollars to park your RV. Although the sites are not level & all you get is 30 amp electricity, it is a very good deal. Why? – because of all the “freebies” they give you for the casino. First you get a five dollar bill free & clear; then you bet $5 on blackjack & they match it (Dan won $12.50); they give you one free keno play (Dan won $4); one free item off their $0.99 value menu; & they also give you $5 off at their “hi-end” restaurant (but since they serve great breakfasts for $3 each, that means we paid $1 for two very good breakfasts in the restaurant). And to top it all off, Corrie won about $50 on the penny slots.

http://www.angelofthewinds.com/

In addition, Friday afternoon we stopped by a housing company called HiLine to sign a contract for a house to be built on our property. After much research (& debate) we decided to go with this firm that appears to offer complete service, including permitting.

Saturday we continued enroute to the Anacortes ferry terminal & camped at the Northern Lights Casino RV park. This is a much better RV facility with full utilities, but costs more & the casino gives you no freebies. We were here almost three years ago, & they gave you freebies back then. The gods of chance were not so kind to Corrie, but Dan did okay. Thankfully, the weather has changed from wet & cold, to gorgeous.

http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2007/09/2223sep07-everett-anacortes-wa.html

http://www.swinomishcasino.com/
Tomorrow a ferry boat ride through the San Juan Islands!