HEADING TO PORT TOWNSEND AFTER TWO WEEKS IN OAK HARBOR

We planned to stay in Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island, for 5 days when we arrived.  Now, two weeks later, we’re finally leaving Staysail RV Park to ferry over to Port Townsend, on the Olympic Peninsula.  What kept us so long?

While Oak Harbor is lacking in charm, its central location made it an excellent base for exploring many interesting and beautiful areas of Washington, either by ferry or by car.  As it turned out, it also was a great base for socializing – we saw more friends here than we knew we had!  Let’s see if I can remember everyone…

We began with lunch in Mt. Vernon with our clamming friends, Bill and Wilda, who we saw again on our visit to the Bellingham farmers market.  Diana and Steve (we last saw them in Yellowstone National Park) invited us over to their temporary home near Coupeville as they prepared for a family wedding, and the next day we saw Steve’s mom and dad, our friends Marlene and Richard (Quartzsite last winter) in the Ft. Casey campground as we caught the ferry over to see Gisela, Bill (our neighbors at the Elks Lodge in Napa early this summer), and Chris (last seen in Yuma?).

The day we visited La Conner, we stumbled not only upon the arrival of the Indian canoes, but also friends Dan and Jenny (Yuma in January) – as we walked along the sidewalk, they turned in front of us in their big Alfa motorhome.  We walked a couple blocks to surprise them and chat awhile as they backed in to their site for the next couple of weeks.

Our local friend, Joe (last seen in Loma Linda a couple years ago), met us for lunch in Coupeville one afternoon…  was that the afternoon we came home to find Ann and Mick (AZ this past winter, I think) parked in the site next to ours?  It was just a day after that when I responded to a knock on the door to find Donna and Bob (saw them near Yellowstone last fall, and again near Quartzsite last winter) wondering if the Boomer sticker on our rig meant they’d found someone they knew.

With Ann and Mick, we ferried over to the Mukliteo to meet Vicky and Terry (we’ve seen them since, but they also hosted us in their street for a short stay a couple years ago) for lunch one day, then had lunch the next day with Mary and Elaine (I know we saw them recently – must have been AZ last winter) back at Kim’s Café in Coupeville.  

Yesterday, Linda, Steven, Zoe (their oldest daughter) and Anita (Linda’s mother) came to visit – meeting in person after a long acquaintance on Facebook.  In their company, we made our last visit to Kim’s Cafe, getting to know each other over bowls of mussels and Thai curry.

Ann joked on FB today that the economy of Coupeville will plummet when we leave the island, all thanks to Kim’s Café at the end of the wharf.  The food there is outstanding; you have your choice of indoor seating when the weather is gloomy, drippy or windy with outdoor seating when sunshine permits.  Highly recommend by us and the many friends who joined us there!

Just about a year ago, I looked back on our years of traveling and the friendships we have made (click here to read that post).  I can still clearly recall setting out on our travels in 2003, wondering how (or if!) we would form new friendships.  Believe it or not, that was before blogs!  Before Facebook!  Before air cards and easy internet access!  Though the ease of electronic communication has made maintaining friendships easier, it is the human connection that we all seek – and we found it in abundance here in on Whidbey Island.

A FANTASTIC DAY ON SAN JUAN ISLAND – FRIDAY HARBOR, WA

We’ve heard it again and again: “You HAVE to visit the San Juans!”, a group of islands between the Olympic peninsula, the northwest Washington mainland, and Canada.  Why? “They are SO BEAUTIFUL!”  Access is by boat, either private or on the Washington State ferry system and, given the great beauty of the Olympic peninsula, we’ve never made the effort to visit the islands.

This time, though, a comment from our friend Joe, a local, piqued my interest further: he suggested taking the ferry to Friday Harbor (on San Juan Island), then renting a “scoot coupe” from Susie’s Mopeds to explore the island.  We decided to take his advice – if the weather would cooperate with sunshine.  After cancelling due to heavy overcast on Monday, Thursday was the day.

Cars boarding the ferry in Anacortes; we walked on.	We had lots of sunshine for our visit to the San Juans.

We were at the ferry dock in Anacortes at 8:30 and aboard the ferry by 9.  Without taking a car, the ride is quite inexpensive, and riders 65+ pay half price.  During the hour long ride to Friday Harbor, the fog lifted, setting the stage for a beautiful, warm, sunny day on the island (I had to apply sunscreen – it’s been a long time since I needed that).   The ride was smooth, the thickly forested islands we passed were mysterious and lovely, and boats of all sizes plied the sparkling water.  We relaxed into the warmth of the sunshine and the views.

Pulling into Friday Harbor, we joined the mass of “walk-ons” leaving the ferry before the motorcycles, cars and trucks.  We headed up the hill, looking for Susie’s.

Though we’d never ridden them before, we decided we’d be happiest with mopeds, instead of the darling - but cramped looking – tiny Scoot Coupe.  Within 30 minutes, we were trained in starting, stopping, and maneuvering, suited up in our helmets, equipped with a map and suggested stops, and ready to tear off at a maximum of 25 miles per hour.  :)

Our planned first stop was the grocery store, for picnic supplies.  Still new to our transportation, we FOUND the grocery stop, but didn’t manage to navigate into nearby parking – it was a little too much to 1) locate a parking spot; 2) avoid oncoming traffic; and 3) remember how to stop without going over the handlebars or falling over.  A little flustered, we found the Market Café around the corner – with parking right in front.  :)

Equipped with our picnic supplies, we ran through the start-up procedures together and successfully left town, heading to American Camp, the site of the American encampment at the time that the Americans and the English were contesting ownership of the San Juans (the English camp was on the north end of the island).  The views were spectacular when we arrived and we enjoyed a short walk through the historic area.

Setting off again, we were happy with our choice of transportation, put-putting along at 20-25 mph.  Cars passed us infrequently, and the road often had a wide shoulder.  Although you couldn’t see it with our full-face helmets, I had a grin on my face as we rolled along, checking out the cottages, gardens, and views.

We found a big rock in the sun for our picnic table.	Took another break at the county park.

By mid-afternoon, we arrived at Roche Harbor (my favorite stop of the day).  Once a company town (Roche Harbor Lime & Cement Works), Roche Harbor has an interesting history; now the old hotel, store, and other community buildings comprise a graceful, old-fashioned resort, bustling with activity, boats and people coming and going.  We visited the sculpture garden, an interesting family mausoleum nearby, and relaxed on a bench watching the action and soaking up the sunshine.

Now pros at handling our mopeds, we were about three quarters of the way around the island.  We zipped back to Susie’s (managed to navigate our way into the Shell station to add about half a gallon to each tank – we were required to return them full) in time for a quick dinner before we boarded the 6:30 ferry back to Anacortes. 

The sky was still cloudless as we pulled away from the terminal at Friday Harbor, and I agreed with those who told we we HAD to visit the San Juan Islands.   It was a long day, filled with fun, beauty and history. Highly recommended – including the mopeds!

PRECIOUS SUNSHINE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

What northwest residents say is true: I feel much more appreciation and gratitude for a sunny day when sunshine is as rare as it has been in the coastal regions of Oregon and Washington this year.  Sunday, the third (and last) day of our string of summer weather, was glorious – sunny, warm, clear, calm.  Our horizons were filled with snowcapped mountains while the water sparkled.

Beginning July 1, 2011, all the state-owned recreation areas in Washington require a Discover Pass for parking.  A one day pass is $10; an annual pass is $30.  There are 4 state parks on Whidbey Island, and at least one of the federal recreation areas has a parking lot owned by Washington state – which requires the Discover Pass.  You can buy a day pass at the parking lot, or buy an annual pass “wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold”.  Say what?

Last Friday, we learned that some state parks sell the annual pass, so finally procured one.  Yesterday, with the freshly purchased pass in our Jeep and the sunshine calling our names, we headed to Ft. Ebey State Park for a hike along the bluff trail.

Looking towards the Olympic Peninsula from our trail.	Doesn’t this look like the perfect picnic spot?

After a good workout of 3+ miles (and even a bit of sunburn for me), we were off to Toby’s Tavern in Coupeville to meet our friend Joe and sample Toby’s mussels.  The verdict?  Toby’s are a better deal, less money for more grub.  The all-important broth at Kim’s was much better, though, and Odel liked Kim’s bread better, too (I liked Toby’s grilled garlic toast as well as Kim’s chewy sourdough.)  We’ll have to go back to Kim’s to make a final decision.  :) 

In the spirit of full disclosure, here is a photo of Toby’s mussels:

Mussels and garlic bread at Toby’s on Sunday.	Pastry case at Calico Cupboard in La Conner on Monday.

With visions of blue skies and sunshine dancing in our heads, we fell asleep last night planning to get up early to catch the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island for a day of sightseeing.  One of the most frequently recommended “must does” in this area, it would be a first for us.

We were up at 6:30 and out the door at 8 am, rolling our eyes at the mostly cloudy skies.  At 8:45, sitting in the parking lot of the ferry terminal under a heavy bank of fog in 58 degrees, we decided to wait until Thursday, the next day with a forecast of nothing but sunshine.  So, what now?

We turned east, heading back to Edison, a tiny, charming town we had passed through on our way home from Bellingham on Saturday afternoon.  The village that was bright, vibrant, and lively on Saturday afternoon was cold, wet, and extremely quiet on Monday morning – not one shop or restaurant was open!  By now it was close to 9:30, and our stomachs were rumbling… so off we went to La Conner, another of the interesting small towns that dot the area.

We struck gold.  See that photo of the pastry case at Calico Cupboard?  It hints at the delicious breakfast we had in their dining room.  The entire meal as great, but the toast was the best I have ever had in a restaurant.  Calico Cupboard, La Conner - highly recommended by us!

Then we remembered: today is the opening of the Paddle to Swinomish 2011, the week-long cultural gathering of native tribes described in this story in the New York Times.  This year, the annual event is hosted by the Swinomish Tribe, at their La Conner reservation.  Tribes have been paddling to La Conner from Canada, Oregon and Washington for several weeks (or months); the big, decorated family canoes were anticipated to arrive beginning at 2 pm (with the cooperation of the tides).  We decided to walk off our breakfast by exploring La Conner while we waited.

Light sprinkles turned to rain as the canoes began to arrive, but it was a great sight nevertheless.  Wish I had a camera with a big zoom, but this is the best I could do with my little Canon.  What no photo could capture was the sense of excitement.  As the canoes approached the landing spot, the paddlers sang/chanted in booming voices, punctuated with whoops, cheers and laughter.   The group of canoes in the photo above came swooping into view from behind a point, paddling hard and chanting loudly – then turned around and headed back behind the point.  Other canoes came from behind the point singly, singing and laughing, heading up past us to the gathering point. 

We eventually decided to get out of the rain and head home, feeling we’d made the right decision at the ferry landing.  Back here at home, Odel got a pot of his great spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove, and we have a bottle of Joe’s “cranberry juice” (homemade wine) to wash it down at dinner time (thanks, Joe!).  A good end to an interesting day.