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July 18 Today we head into Anacortes to meet up with our friends Bob and Nancy and sharing an AirBnB for the next 4 days. The timing could not be more perfect since our water pump on the van crapped out earlier today. But first we need to do laundry, take Bella to a do it yourself dog wash, and of course grab some lunch.
By the time we're done with our errands it's time to head to the BnB. We are excited to see our long time friends who have done a deep dive into Washington state for many years and know all the best places! We get settled in and head out to dinner to Nonna Luisa Ristorante. The owner/host is wonderfully Italian, loud, macho, and a real butt buster. Italian chaos at its finest and the food is the real deal!
Anacortes is waterfront town on Fidalgo Island in proximity to the San Juan Islands.
Neither of them is thrilled with the current situation. I am delighted!
Our server and the extensive menu additions for the evening.
Spaghetti Di Mare
Let the adventures begin!
July 19 Today we start the day with a hike at Sares Head Trail. This hike traverses through some woodlands that lead to expansive views of the ocean and islands from high vantage points. The temperatures are cool and the scenery is beautiful. I can't think of a better way to start the day.
Jonathan, Bob, Nancy, and me.
Nancy getting the shot. Bob thinks she's way too close to the drop off.
Grazing on berries along the trail.
Shipwreck Fest in downtown Anacortes is annual event started 40 years ago when local fisherman sold their used gear as yard art. It has evolved a giant yard sale with hundreds of vendors, music, and food trucks. We found a few trinkets, had some Italian subs from a vendor and headed home. I would have come away with some extra items but nowhere to store them on Bella Vato.
The Shipwreck Fest in full swing.
The English gardens at our BnB.
July 20 Today starts off with tide pooling at Larrabee State Park. The thing with tide pooling is it's best to go at low tide. The lower the better to see the critters. Also it's best to be still and watch. It is then that you can see so much happening in the small pools as shown in the video below. The tides here are 9+ feet so when it starts coming back in it makes it hard to see the critters and worse yet the path back to shore could be cut off.
Larrabee State Park is the oldest state park in the state.
There are folks tide pooling across the water from us. Within a few hours the water covered the rocks to the base of the large rock formation. Serious tides.
Some of the exposed rock at low tide
These beauties clinging to the underside of the rocks are Ochre or Purple Sea Stars.
Time for lunch at The Oyster Bar where we meet up with Sara and her friend Katie who are spending the weekend nearby.
Fresh oysters from local waters. Briny, plump, chilled, and absolutely divine.
Fresh local Ling Cod. Out of this world.
Sara is my friend Sandy's daughter who I have known since she was a young girl. I'm over the moon that this rendezvous worked out!
July 21 Today is a boating day and the forecast is favorable. We head down to the docks by 9. Our first stop is LaConner, a quaint seaside town, for a walkabout and a quick bite. We head out of the harbor to Deception Pass to transit Puget sound between Whidbey and Fidalgo islands. The pass is flanked by high rock cliffs and just as we approach the iconic bridge that connects the two islands fog rolls in. The current is swift and against us and there are eddies and whirlpools swirling about. It's exhilarating! Jonathan navigates us masterfully through the pass and once we're past it the fog lifts revealing a bluebird sky and we are in the calm waters of the Salish Sea, the gateway to the San Juan Islands. But it's time to head back to the dock so we turn the boat toward Anacortes.
Bella is a tried and true sea dog.
The temps are cool this morning but we're ready with plenty of layers.
Hardly even out of the harbor and are greeted by this bunch of seals.
Eagles enjoying a freshly caught breakfast.
Right now the tide is about low and the barnacles and mussels on this piling show the tide variance.
Sure do!
LaConner is a fishing village and Dungeness crab is a primary fishery.
This is our first look at Deception Pass. The bridge is not visible through the fog but it spans over the cut in the trees.
Approaching Deception Pass.
As we get closer to the bridge we can start to see it which is reassuring.
Here we go!
As we exit the pass the fog has lifted and conditions are clear.
San Juan Islands in the distance.
Back at the Marina in Anacortes.
This map depicts the route. The red dot at the top is the marina and the route takes us to the right and down then to the left, through the pass. then up and back around to the marina.
July 22
Today we head out at 6:45 am to get to the 9:00 ferry that will take us from Coupeville across the strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. Tickets, van and all, are only $18.00. We drive the van onto the ferry and are squeezed in between a semi tractor trailer on the left and the overhang on the right that is lower than our 9 foot air draft. It's a squeaker! We disembark around noon and from here we drive two hours to get to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, hang out for a few hours and then two more hours to Forks, on the western/Pacific side of the peninsula, which makes for a long day. We're up for it.
On the drive to the ferry.
Lined up and ready to board.
Here we go!
The top of the van is just on the edge of the overhang. Any closer and we'll scrape.
Out the cut into the strait of Juan De Fuca.
The ferry crossing is coming to an end with our destination in sight.
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Our first stop after disembarking the ferry is Olympic National Park. We make a quick stop at the Port Angeles visitor center and then take the road up to Hurricane Ridge. The snow covered peaks are visible long before arrival.
The Olympic mountain range.
Plenty of wild flowers blooming in late July.
Mountain tops as far as the eye can see.
The wildflowers in the meadow areas were popping with color.
From a previous trip, Nancy knew of a picnic area that was past the official park viewpoint area. No crowds here. In fact no one here. Perfect! Photo credit: Bob.
Friends since 1994, we've had the good fortune of adventuring together in many exotic places.
A beautiful mountain lake on the drive between Port Angeles and Forks.
We finally sit down to dinner around 8 pm at Blakelees Bar and Grill a perfect ending to our long day. Bob approved!
We don't have long in Forks and there is much to do. Our primary adventures are the Hoh (Hoe) Rain Forest today and tide pooling tomorrow. Somewhere in there Jonathan will replace the water pump and as luck would have it there is an Ace hardware right across the street for the inevitable parts needed in a supposed exact replacement repair. Possibly band-aids too. Vanning is similar to boating in that active traveling amounts to fixing your vehicle/vessel in exotic places.
July 23 The Hoh Rain Forest is about an hour drive and with intel from locals we learn an early arrival is the best way to get in without waiting. The park meters the amount of cars that can enter and once the parking lot hits capacity then it's one in, one out. We arrive even before a gate attendant and sail right through. The rain forest is other worldly and peaceful. It's one of the largest temperate rain forests in North America with approximately twelve feet of rainfall annually. The main trails are the Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Nature Trail for a total distance of about 2 miles. We walk both at a leisurely pace to drink in all the beauty. We finish up our time at with a picnic lunch and then it's back to Forks to replace the water pump, grocery shop, do laundry, and relax. Tomorrow is another early day.
Off we go into this wild landscape where we are immediately in awe. The Spruce Trail meanders through old and new growth forest of Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Red Cedar, and Big Leaf Maple.
Nancy leading the way.
This mama mule deer was grazing heartily with two spotted fawns.
The Hoh River is vital to the rain forest transporting water from the glaciers and snow melt from Mount Olympus.
A contemplative moment.
Nancy is dwarfed by the ferns that are almost towering over her head.
Moss "dripping" from Sitka spruce trees is much more than just moss but rather a collection of epiphytes that grow on the surface of the branches and provide moisture and nutrients to the tree. It's also a rich environment for insects and fungi.
Bob and me discussing picture composition.
In the Hall of Mosses
If you look closely at this picture you can see Bob in a purple shirt (lower third a bit left of center) dwarfed by the landscape.
This is and example of a Hemlock nurse log. When a Hemlock falls and begins to decay it provides a nutrient rich site for other trees and plants to take root and flourish.
In some places the ferns are as tall as us.
This early morning light on this decaying tree takes on the appearance of an art installation.
The enormity of these giants, even the fallen ones, is astounding.
We are back in business with a new water pump and not a single trip to the hardware store or ER!
July 24 There is no shortage of excellent tide pooling beaches near Forks and we were planning to go to either Ruby Beach or Fourth Beach until yesterday. A NP ranger at Hoh shared his favorite spot, Second Beach. After seeing his videos and pictures we were convinced and so we are up and out to catch the 7 am low tide at Second Beach. With the recent full moon the low is actually 2 feet lower than a regular low. We snag the last parking space. The hike to the beach is just under a mile and traverses through a rain forest. The beauty around here is literally jaw dropping. We round a bend and get a first glimpse of the beach. It's quite foggy adding a bit more mystery to the dramatic scenery. It may seem like a lot of pictures. You should know it's only a small fraction of what I take. You're welcome :)
Today's destination is a short drive from Forks.
The trail through new growth rain forest terrain to the beach.
An organic art installation on the trail to the beach
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Jonathan is in his natural habitat in a marine environment and wastes no time getting to the tide pool action.
Each day there are two low and two high tides that cover and expose the rocks. Low tides leave these animals high and dry. The green animals both in the water and on the rock are Green Sea Anemones. When the water recedes they shrink down to conserve moisture like the ones on the exposed rock. When the water rises a crown of stinging tentacles emerge to help them catch their prey as the current washes over.
Green Sea Anemones in the crevice are all shrunken down.
So many Green Sea Anemones.
The tide is rising. Everyone back in the pool!
Feather Boa Kelp.
A Galaxy of Ochre Stars.
The amount of animals on any given rock is astounding.
What an awesome learning environment for this intertidal ecology class.
Rockweed macro algae are branching seaweeds that provide shelter for many intertidal animals.
This rock is carpeted with Aggregating Anemonies, much smaller than the Green Sea ones.
Bob and Nancy taking it all in.
Second Beach is vertical tide pooling and we're getting our own intertidal ecology lesson from Jonathan.
The mussels are big and beautiful and OK to harvest with a fishing license. Large Gooseneck Barnacles, smaller regular Barnacles, Limpets, Black Tulip Snails and Periwinkles (to name a few) also cover these exposed rocks.
For scale, Nancy is a tiny dot to the lower left of the outcropping and Jonathan is in front of it right of center.
When the tide comes in this rock will be completely submerged.
Happy tide poolers.
Pretty good achievement by 10 am.
We say our good byes to Bob and Nancy who showed us the best time ever. The next blog will follow us through Pacific Coast Oregon and California.
Greetings and thank you for reading our blog. We embarked upon our Van life adventure to the Pacific NorthWest (PNW) on Tuesday June 17. Working steady in the weeks leading up to our departure was a lot so pulling out of the driveway was celebratory and a big relief. Unlike boat life, we'll be able to literally stop anywhere we want for anything we need so whatever we may have forgotten will not be a problem. 8 am and its off we go on our Van life adventure to the PNW. Bella has found her preferred spot between the two front seats on the floor while we're underway. It's an odd space to us because she can't see out the windows but she insists on it so we try to make it as comfy with her bed and a fan. June 17 & 18 - Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky a Unesco World Heritage sight with over 400 miles of mapped continuous passages making it the longest cave in the world is our first stop. We have reservations for 2 nights in the campground because there is muc...
July 1 - Wind Cave National Park This is our last stop in South Dakota and home to the 6th longest cave in the world. This site has great significance for the Lakota People who believe that it's where their emergence from the spirit world began. The National Park Service honors their heritage. When we arrive at the visitor center it's mid-day, crowded, and hot. We talk to the ranger who gives us some tips for some good hikes nearby. We drive to the campground a mile up the road within the park boundary. There is no electric so we situate Bella Vato in the only small patch of shade, put out the awning to create our own and relax in the breeze. Not bad. Later in the evening we attend a talk by the ranger about prairie lands. In the morning we leave the site by 6:30 to a hike that takes us by the Lakota sacred cave site then out to the prairie. As we drive out of the park to head to Wyoming we see one last lone bison. State Park camp grounds frown upon unleashed dogs and ...
North Cascades National Park to Whidbey Island Washington on the Olympic Peninsula This week our stops include Colonial Creek Campground (2 nights), Bay View State Park Campground (2 nights), and Deception Pass State Park Campground (1 night). July 13 & 14 Colonial Creek South Campground, North Cascades National Park, Washington We get on the road and stop in the town of Winthrop to grab a few last minute items at the ACE hardware before going into the wilderness for a few days. The closer we get to the NP the bigger the mountains get with rugged peaks, glaciers, and thickly wooded with pines. The wow factor here is big. And the feel is very different from the more touristy NPs. It's wilder and less structured with an abundance of hiking, biking, mountain climbing, and kayaking opportunities. And many trails allow dogs! Click any picture to enlarge and X out to return) A quick breakfast for a speedy departure. The town of Winthrop is the last bit of civilization before ...
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