Crater Lake

Drive to camp site. Flat areas for parking, tents, and trees for hammocks. 
Amenities: 2 community water hydrants, fire pits, firewood bundle, vault toilet.
Outdoor hot water for shower (Apr-Oct), except freezing winter temperatures.
Camp away from noisy highways, near grocery stores, restaurants, & coffee shops. 5 miles to three I65 exits. 14 miles to I24. 18 miles to I40. 18 miles to Nashville downtown riverfront. Steep gravel drive entrance. Hosted sprinter & VW vans, and variety of vehicles.

Secluded, wooded hilltop camping

Quiet neighborhood that is walking distance from grocery stores, bars, and entertainment.  We have a pool, small gated backyard, garage to work on things, and a washer/dryer.  If your rig is big, we have street parking right out front or you can back up along the fence in the rocks.

Driveway is slanted so you'll need jacks.  Street is flat and legal to park on.

I will watch/feed/walk your pets for $20 a day as long as they are easy going, friendly, and social with other dogs.

Pet Friendly & Fun House near Las Vegas

Welcome to our quiet neighborhood. A leisurely 5 minute walk east has Safeway, Starbucks, DIY Tea Lab, Yea's WOK and other restaurants. A short 15 minute walk south is Lake Boren park and offers playground, tennis, fishing and more. We're next to a public graveled gas pipeline trail and is great for all bikes and walking. 

Our backyard patio deck has a BBQ, firepit and bench seats, please help yourself. Afterwards turn off all propane tanks. Don't cover the firepit or BBQ until they've cooled down, but please ensure they are safely covered before you leave.

WIFI
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We provide two WIFI networks, a 2.4Ghz and a 5Ghz. If your device supports 5Ghz then you can connect to that network but I recommend connecting to which ever has better signal and speed. The two networks aforementioned have their own repeater/booster to boost the signal strength while hanging out in your Van. The repeaters/boosters broadcast a separate network name, each ending with _EXT.

2G: ELITE_Guest
2G: ELITE_Guest_EXT
5G: ELITE-5G_Guest
5G: ELITE-5G_Guest_EXT

PUBLIC TRANSIT
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The King County bus #240 stops right around the block from our home (bus stop is at Newcastle Way & 125th Ave SE) and will take you straight to the downtown Bellevue Transit center. Last time we took bus #240 to Bellevue Transit Center it took about 15-20 minutes.

HIGHWAYS
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Public roads and highways are managed by WSDOT, you can view their latest travel alerts at https://wsdot.wa.gov/.

We're a stones throw away from many highways, including I5, I90, I405, SR 900 and SR 169. I90 will get you to Mercer Island, Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass Ski Resort, Ellensburg and Yakima. I405 will get you to Bellevue, Kirkland, Renton and Everett. Both I90 and I405 will quickly connect you to the I5 highway if you plan on going to Tacoma, Olympia or Everett. SR 900 is one of our favorite local highways to drive especially in the fall when the colors are out. It will take you through and past Cougar Mountain State Park, Squak Mountain State Park and Renton Highlands. SR 169 is another local highway and will get you moving toward Enumclaw, Mount Rainier and Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.

MOUNTAIN PASSES
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This one warrants it's own section, separate from HIGHWAYS above. Most days in the winter WSDOT requires you to have chains in order to legally drive through the snowy passes unless you have a AWD or 4x4. When in doubt check the WSDOT status and requirements of the mountain pass(es) you intend to cross.  https://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/default.aspx

If you ever get stuck please shoot us a text with your GPS latitude and longitude and a couple of situational photos and if we're available we'll get your vehicle unstuck. We have a very capable rig and if our rig is not enough we will rendezvous the volunteers at Washington Offroad Recovery Network  to get your vehicle unstuck.

It's important to understand that sometimes when we're dumped on with snow both I90 Snoqualmie Pass and US 2 Stevens Pass get CLOSED due to hazardous driving conditions. These are literally the only two mountain passes that will allow you to cross the Cascades during the winter season. When this happens you can be stuck on which ever side of the Cascades you're on for a long time. Always check WSDOT's website for the latest travel alerts regarding mountain passes and road closures.

The other highways that would otherwise allow you to cross the Cascades close every winter season due to avalanche risk. These highways include, but not limited to: SR 20 Loup Loup Pass (north of US 2), SR 410 Chinook Pass (south of I90 and runs along the northern edge of Mount Rainer National Park), US 12 White Pass (south of SR 410 Chinook Pass).

BLACK WATER DUMP STATIONS
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We do not provide black or grey water dump at our home. However, there are nearby dump stations.

Factoria Shell provides black water dump station for a fee of around $14.99 to dump. Due to the lack of lighting they require you to arrive before sunset.
3204 Richards Road Bellevue, Washington
(425) 746-8945

Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Washington provides a dump station, but I've heard they require a Discover Pass to enter the park. The dump station is inside the park, past the entry booth. At the dump site there are self-serve envelopes for paying the $5 dump fee and an "iron ranger" for depositing said fee envelopes. The dump site has flush water, but no potable water.

Silver Lake Rest Area (South Bound) is a WSDOT managed rest stop featuring  Drinking Water, Picnic Area, Vending Machines and RV Dump Site. https://goo.gl/maps/pCQfReachBX7z5Zz6

I-5 SeaTac Northbound Rest Area  is a WSDOT managed rest stop featuring Drinking Water, Picnic Area, Vending Machines and RV Dump Site. https://goo.gl/maps/4YeoZg1rrXRaQbJv6

SKI RESORTS
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There are lots of ski resorts in the area. Take a short 50 minute drive down I90 to get to Snoqualmie Pass Ski Resort. A 2 hour drive north east to US 2 will get you to Stevens Pass Ski Resort, one of my favorite ski spots. Or drive  2 hours south down SR 169 and SR 410 to get to Crystal Mountain, another popular ski spot with great slopes. Be sure to carry snow chains in your vehicle because WSDOT usually requires you to have them when passing through one of the many snowy passes. If you ever get your Van stuck off the road please reach out to us, we have a very capable rig to help get you unstuck.

SEATTLE TOURISM
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When visiting Seattle we highly recommending buying the CityPass as it's value and savings are worth it given the experiences and views you get out of it.

Pike Place & Madison Park: Start the morning by wandering around Pike Place Market, don't forget to visit the original Starbucks coffee shop, Piroshky Piroshky and the Gum Wall while you're here. Afterwards head west to the piers aka Alaskan Way and visit the Seattle Aquarium (included in CityPass), the entire aquarium only takes about an hour to enjoy. Then go next door and enjoy the skyline view of Seattle from The Seattle Great Wheel (tickets required). From here trackback toward Pike Place and visit Seattle Art Museum (tickets required). 

Magnolia & Green Lake:

Driveway parking - Quiet Van Lifers / Vans Only

Quiet and quaint dead end street tucked into the heart of SLC. Less than 2 blocks from the popular 9th&9th area which includes trendy stores, adorable coffee shops, and great food! 

We have a sweet pup who would love to greet you and your family. Fill up with water, plug into electric, and utilize the backyard. 

If you are here far adventure we are not far away! Close to the capital building and foothills where you can find great hiking/biking trails. If you are here to ski or snowboard we are about 35 minutes to park city and 45 minutes from solitude resort. 

Crater Lake Guide

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