Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Politics? Whatever!!! Pictures

Last year I took the first real vacation I've had in 20 years (maybe more) not including holidays or the occasional day or two for hunting.

One of my best buddies (the guy playing drums in an earlier pic) goes with his family on a week long vacation to wherever each year. He has a twin brother and his parents refer to me as 'the triplet'! They even made up a faux legal document 'adopting' me officially...

Anyway, they insisted I join them at a house they rented in the Lake Chelan, WA area. I tried to decline feeling like an interloper but they wouldn't take no for an answer.

Interesting country...you're up on the plateau and for as far as you can see its scrubby, dry land wheat farming. Then you drop down a grade and, boom, you're in the heart of apple and grape territory with orchards and vineyards as far as the eye can see. Lush, verdant landscapes to take your breath away. Plus, you're right next to a huge, long, deep, crystal,clear lake.

The itinerary for the week was relaxing, hanging in the pool, checking out some local eateries and drinking fine wine and beer. The only thing scheduled was a float plane tour to a winery on the Columbia. It was myself, my buddy and his brother and their wives.

Now, I'm a bit of a plane geek so getting to fly on a DeHavilland Beaver to a winery was awesome for me and a real highlight of the trip. We took off from Lake Chelan and landed on the Columbia literally dockside at the winery. Tried out some wines in the tasting room and each ended buying a case to take back (fantastic wines, btw. Rio Vista Winery).

Here's some shots from the plane and I'll throw a couple of vids up from the takeoff and landing. IIRC, the pilot told me he had 12,000+ hours in his logbook (might've been 20,000+ he used to be an Alaskan bush pilot).

Love the old radial engines!