We've had a pretty mild winter here in the Pacific Northwest, but it's still good to get out in the spring and start adventuring again. For our spring shakedown, we've returned to the Fidalgo Bay RV Resort, just about 5 minutes south/southwest of Anacortes, Washington. For this trip not only did we enjoy a good visit with our kids over the Easter weekend, but we were celebrating the birthday of my golden goddess, Linda. Happy birthday, my love!
The day started off pretty ok, as we employed a relaxed manner to get things loaded up. You know, the usual loadup before a trip. Running things into the rig, making sure all the all the systems are working, etc. Unfortunately, the day had some minor excitement in store for us.
Glitch in the Plans
When we are packing up, the last thing we load are the perishable items that go in the fridge. About two hours prior to departure, I fire up the generator and set the fridge to its "Power-Cool" mode, which gets the fridge temperature down to where it needs to be in order to keep our milk from souring and whatnot. After about twenty minutes of runtime, the generator stops. What the heck?! I fire it back up, and it starts with no problem. Before I can get back in to check the draw and make sure the fridge comes back on, it shuts off again. Hmm, maybe there is a short somewhere that only becomes apparent when the transfer switch kicks over. So, I flip all the breakers to turn everything off, including the inverter/charger. Basically, the generator is by itself. I even flipped the breaker on the genny itself to make sure.
Sure enough, it fired right up and ran for about 30-40 seconds, then shut itself off, giving me no indicators other than Code 33. After a little sleuthing in operators manual as well as the internets, It seems to be indicating an overheat condition. I check the coolant, it it is full. Interesting thing is I find the coolant to be actually cold. Strange. A little more sleuthing seems to indicate that this is a temperature sensor or thermostat. Now I call my favorite mobile tech, who luckily enough is able to come over and check it out. After explaining the symptoms, he agrees with the potential problem description, and was able to replace the temperature sensor and get us back on the road.
This little adventure set us back about four hours for departure. Since we are celebrating the co-pilots birthday this weeked, all the kids were coming with us to Fidalgo Bay, so Linda and the kids were able to head up there about 3 hours ahead of me. It's a short, one hour drive, and they were able to stock up on junk food, and even do a little bird watching. After stopping at Swinomish Casino/Fuel/Tobacco to take on propane, I was able to arrive with the Grizz at about 6:30pm.
Finding Our Spot
During this trip, we were lucky enough to get one of the waterfront pull-in spots. These spots are right on the beach, steps from the water. Waking up in the morning is a treat when you look out the front windows of the Grizz, and all you see is the peaceful waters of Fidalgo bay. Even better, sitting on the beach enjoying that first cup of coffee of the day. 
Since we were already paid up for this trip and had a specific spot reserved, I was able to navigate to the space straight away without stopping at the front office. Turning left off of Fidalgo Bay Road, it's almost a straight shot to the "water side" of the campground. There is a single-lane road across a spit of land that takes you over, then a quick right, left, then another left by the boat ramp to get to our spot in the front row.
It looks like the spaces have been well maintained, and there appears to be a fresh spread of gravel for each spot, with a well-maintained strip of grass between the spots. Our spot (#4) was pretty level, and not much levelling was needed. For this trip, it seems we are just using the jacks for stabilizers. It was that level. The hookups are in good repair, with electric pedestal providing 50-amp service, and the water spigot providing an average pressure. I'd still recommend a good pressure regulator, just in case. Also, be sure to run the water for a few seconds prior to connecting it to your rig. This gets rid of any contaminants that might be lurking in a disused spigot. For example, when I ran the water, it ran brown for about 3 seconds, before turning clear. Might be a good idea to have a decent water filter installed.
Good Birdwatching!
During our stay here, we got treated to a number of sightings.
- Brewers blackbirds
- Gulls
- Bald Eagle
- Blue Heron
- Loons
- Ducks
- Geese
- and more!
We even caught site of a small seal or maybe an otter cruising around in front of campsite.
A Small Oops
I have to relate one small oopsie that I had while we were on this trip. On Saturday morning, I got up and made coffee, then turned on the water heater to get it warmed up for showers this morning. Thought nothing of it until I got um, "notified" that there was no hot water in the shower. Hmm. Puzzled, I began investigating. The hot water tank had hot water in it, evidenced by the steaming blast that met me when I cracked the pressure release valve. But no water hot water getting to anywhere else in the rig.
Turns out, during my preparations the day before, I had apparently turned the bypass valve the wrong direction, preventing the flow of hot water from the tank. Turning the valve the other direction fixed the problem. Sorry, dear!
About the Campground
If you would like to know about our experience at the resort, you can check out our previous post, which has a list of all the amenities, facilities, and connectivity.
In short, this is a nice place to stay, and I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.
Contact Info
Fidalgo Bay Resort
4701 Fidalgo Bay Road
Anacortes, WA 98221
360-293-5353
Email: reserve@fidalgobay.com
Quoted rate for pull-in site on the waterfront is about $54.43 per night, plus applicable taxes.