Friday, October 23, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Port Townsend to Keystone
We headed for home on Thursday, but found ourselves taking a couple of sidetrips first. We went to Mt. Vernon, but rather than going through Seattle and up I-5, we took advantage of the Washington Ferry system.
From Port Townsend, you can take a ferry to Keystone on the southwest side of Whidbey Island. The skies cleared about Sequim and so the cameras were back out on the ferry. The first picture was like a flash back in time.
There on the bay in Port Townsend was a catamaran exactly like our old one. Same color hull, same color tramp, and same color sails. It brought back some sweet memories.
You can see the Admiralty Head Lighthouse as you come into Keystone. They're still working on it, but it will be one of the largest and most striking in the state of Washington when it's done.
From Port Townsend, you can take a ferry to Keystone on the southwest side of Whidbey Island. The skies cleared about Sequim and so the cameras were back out on the ferry. The first picture was like a flash back in time.
There on the bay in Port Townsend was a catamaran exactly like our old one. Same color hull, same color tramp, and same color sails. It brought back some sweet memories.
You can see the Admiralty Head Lighthouse as you come into Keystone. They're still working on it, but it will be one of the largest and most striking in the state of Washington when it's done.
Salmon Fishing on the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Finally I can move on. On Monday we traveled further west on the peninsula. The whole objective of this trip each year is to go to Seiku to go salmon fishing. Seiku is about 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean on Clallam Bay.
We do our sightseeing first so that we don't have to babysit salmon on ice while vacationing. Our three days in Seiku can be described in one word--RAINY. Other than that it was great. The water was so flat that you could have water skiied on the strait. We went out fishing in the rain anyway, but only long enough to get a couple of pink salmon. We grilled one in August and it was one of the best salmon I've ever had. Unfortunately it was too wet and rainy to have cameras out for pictures.
We do our sightseeing first so that we don't have to babysit salmon on ice while vacationing. Our three days in Seiku can be described in one word--RAINY. Other than that it was great. The water was so flat that you could have water skiied on the strait. We went out fishing in the rain anyway, but only long enough to get a couple of pink salmon. We grilled one in August and it was one of the best salmon I've ever had. Unfortunately it was too wet and rainy to have cameras out for pictures.
O Canada
For some reason I’ve had “blogger’s block” and been completely unable to write anything about our trip to Victoria, so I’m turning this one over to Dave.
Our second morning in Port Angeles, we got up early and walked a couple of blocks to the ferry terminal, where we boarded the Coho Ferry to cross the Strait of Juan De Fuca to Victoria B.C.
After the 90 minute crossing we arrived in the Victoria inner harbor to the city’s signature Empress Hotel
and the Parliament Building.
We took a tour bus to the outskirts of the city and the Butchart Gardens. Millions of flowers and only two hours in the garden severely limited Linda’s attempt to get up close and personal with every flower.
While Linda took pictures of flowers, I took a walk to the famous sunken garden that was originally a lime quarry.
We returned to the city for lunch and toured the inner harbor in a water taxi.
While on the taxi, we shared the harbor with the numerous float planes that make use of the harbor airport.
As the day ended, we again boarded the Coho Ferry to return to Port Angeles. As we left the harbor, the sun came out and shone on the Empress Hotel as if to bid us farewell and invite us to return.
Our second morning in Port Angeles, we got up early and walked a couple of blocks to the ferry terminal, where we boarded the Coho Ferry to cross the Strait of Juan De Fuca to Victoria B.C.
After the 90 minute crossing we arrived in the Victoria inner harbor to the city’s signature Empress Hotel
and the Parliament Building.
We took a tour bus to the outskirts of the city and the Butchart Gardens. Millions of flowers and only two hours in the garden severely limited Linda’s attempt to get up close and personal with every flower.
While Linda took pictures of flowers, I took a walk to the famous sunken garden that was originally a lime quarry.
We returned to the city for lunch and toured the inner harbor in a water taxi.
While on the taxi, we shared the harbor with the numerous float planes that make use of the harbor airport.
As the day ended, we again boarded the Coho Ferry to return to Port Angeles. As we left the harbor, the sun came out and shone on the Empress Hotel as if to bid us farewell and invite us to return.
Friday, August 21, 2009
4th of July--Part 2
We took our lawn chairs to the park behind the hotel to watch fireworks. Sadly, it was the not the big fireworks display we’ve enjoyed in Vancouver in past years, but tough economic times brought that to a close this year. I think this was the peninsula version of it though. Live music and a beautiful sunset made for an enjoyable night.People were everywhere on this calm, cool evening.
On the pier,
on the bridge,
and sitting right down by the water.
It was the first year we’ve spent the 4th somewhere other than in the marina on our sailboat for several years. We kind of missed it, but it’s also nice to try something new.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Fourth of July Part 1-Hurricane Ridge
I slowly continue my attempt to catch up on summer blogging. We’re still on the run, but it’s about to start slowing down the end of next week. We always slow down with mixed emotions. Right now, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Astoria just off the East Mooring Basin and Dave is fishing somewhere out on the Columbia River. The limit right now is one silver and one Chinook salmon per person per day. The last report I had said he had one silver in the boat, but there was no report on how big it was. When there’s serious fishing to do, there’s not much time for texting. Now we’re hoping for a 30 pound Chinook. (That will feed the two of us all winter.) With that update over, allow me to flash all the way back to the fourth of July.
We spent the fourth in Port Angeles. Port Angeles is many things, and one of them is the gateway to the Olympics. We couldn’t check into our hotel for a while, so we took a drive up to Hurricane Ridge. For me it was somewhat of a throwback to vacationing in Colorado and driving in the Rocky Mountains when I was younger. The difference in this part of the Olympics is that you drive UP to Hurricane Ridge and then turn around and drive back DOWN. I had hoped for hundreds of different color wild flowers, but at the top, there were only two. . .
blue
and white. 
Combine with one meadow and snowcapped mountaintops and I think you get breathtaking.
There were little white tail deer wandering all around the meadows
and coming right up by the parking lots.
While we were up there, fog began to roll in over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but if you zoom in and look closely, you can see some outlines of the San Juan Islands from this view north from Hurricane Ridge.
I need to pack up and check out, but I’ll try to add the evening part of this post in the next 24 hours.
We spent the fourth in Port Angeles. Port Angeles is many things, and one of them is the gateway to the Olympics. We couldn’t check into our hotel for a while, so we took a drive up to Hurricane Ridge. For me it was somewhat of a throwback to vacationing in Colorado and driving in the Rocky Mountains when I was younger. The difference in this part of the Olympics is that you drive UP to Hurricane Ridge and then turn around and drive back DOWN. I had hoped for hundreds of different color wild flowers, but at the top, there were only two. . .
blue
and white. 
Combine with one meadow and snowcapped mountaintops and I think you get breathtaking.
There were little white tail deer wandering all around the meadows
and coming right up by the parking lots.
While we were up there, fog began to roll in over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but if you zoom in and look closely, you can see some outlines of the San Juan Islands from this view north from Hurricane Ridge.
I need to pack up and check out, but I’ll try to add the evening part of this post in the next 24 hours.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Victorian Port Townsend
Port Townsend was founded in 1851 and many of the original buildings are still standing. Not to worry, we didn't photograph them all, but there are a few that we found particularly interesting and worth sharing.
Of course we start with a lighthouse that isn't really a lighthouse. This is a private residence that overlooks the east side of the bay. Whenever I see one of these, I always think that someone else loves lighthouses as much we do, maybe even more.
I seem to also have a weakness for clock towers, especially against a clear blue sky.
But what is a Victorian building without a ghostly legend? This is Manresa Castle.
Today it's a hotel, but according to the History Channel feature called Haunted Northwest, the place is haunted. Believe what you will, but it probably makes for a good campfire story.
Of course we start with a lighthouse that isn't really a lighthouse. This is a private residence that overlooks the east side of the bay. Whenever I see one of these, I always think that someone else loves lighthouses as much we do, maybe even more.
I seem to also have a weakness for clock towers, especially against a clear blue sky.
But what is a Victorian building without a ghostly legend? This is Manresa Castle.
Today it's a hotel, but according to the History Channel feature called Haunted Northwest, the place is haunted. Believe what you will, but it probably makes for a good campfire story.
CATCHING UP AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!
These long road trips are so hard to post. It takes forever to sort through hundreds and sometimes thousands of pictures and then we come home, do laundry, repack, and go take more. I've about decided that instead of trying to post an entire day, I'm just going to post one location at a time. Sometimes that may be just one picture, just so you know we haven't fallen off the face of the earth (photographing lighthouses).We made our way to Port Townsend and that's why I'm so far behind. The sky was clear enough to see the North Cascades behind the Point Wilson Lighthouse when we got there in the afternoon.
After we checked into the hotel and had dinner we decided to go back out and try for some sunset, or golden hour, shots. There are hundreds to sort through, but this is a favorite.
For the sake of posting, we'll just have to go out of order for a bit. On the way to Port Angeles, we stopped in Sequim (pronounced Squim) and visited some of the lavendar fields.
It was a week before lavendar festival and so everything wasn't in full bloom yet, but our favorite was the Purple Haze Lavendar Farm on Bell Bottom Road. We were there early in the morning and they invited us to go ahead and walk through the fields.
I wish I could add a smell widget to the blog. The aroma was spa-like and relaxing.In the interest of letting you know what else will be coming soon, I hope, to this blog, we spent the fourth of July in Port Angeles and took a ferry to Victoria, B.C. the next morning for a day trip. After that, it was off to Seiku for a few days of fishing. We came home via the Port Townsend to Keystone Ferry and up Whidbey Island. The last day of our trip was another ferry ride to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Except for our days fishing, the weather was beautiful. A lot of July was spent on the river sailing, a random crabbing trip to Nehalem Bay, and a trip to Seattle for a Mariner's game on a hot Saturday afternoon.
The best part of the summer so far was a visit from Lindsay and Rylie last week. I know you'll be anxious to see those pictures, but I've got to get ready for a visit from Jan and Amanda coming up in less than 48 hours.
I'll do my best to try and post at least ONE picture a day in my attempt to catch up. Scott has gotten my wireless internet going on my laptop, so posting is no longer limited to sitting at this desk. Hope you enjoy the changes we've made in the layout of the blog. Personally, we love the bigger pictures--hope you do too.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Road to Port Townsend
Port Townsend isn't far from Port Orchard, but there are three lighthouses in between and we all know the motto--"let no lighthouse go unphotographed." We're seeing a pattern in Washington lighthouses. Outside of the two near the mouth of the Columbia River, they're all built on the beach. Tides have been low this week, so it's been easy to walk around on the beachside and take pictures from the back.The first one, Point No Point, is near the small village of Hansville. 
As soon as we had that thought, we ran into a problem. The next lighthouse was at Skunk Bay. Yes, you read that right. I don't know why they call it that. It smelled fine to us, but the Skunk Bay Lighthouse is privately owned and operated. It looked like we were going to get skunked in our search. We thought it would be one that you would just have to photograph from a distance, but just as we were giving up and heading to the next lighthouse, you could see it sitting at the end of a path through the trees. Shadows and my aversion to trespassing compromise the quality of this shot, but here it is.
The third lighthouse was potentially even more disappointing. Marrowstone Lighthouse is located at the northern tip of Marrowstone Island. It is government owned and closed to public. The beach around it is open to the public, bit when you walk to the back you find what we refer to as just a block of cement. If it weren't for the grouping of buildings behind it, it would been VERY disappointing,but I think the red rooftops constitute a near save.
Maybe not--maybe you just remove the block of cement and take a picture of vintage victorian home on the beach.
As soon as we had that thought, we ran into a problem. The next lighthouse was at Skunk Bay. Yes, you read that right. I don't know why they call it that. It smelled fine to us, but the Skunk Bay Lighthouse is privately owned and operated. It looked like we were going to get skunked in our search. We thought it would be one that you would just have to photograph from a distance, but just as we were giving up and heading to the next lighthouse, you could see it sitting at the end of a path through the trees. Shadows and my aversion to trespassing compromise the quality of this shot, but here it is.
The third lighthouse was potentially even more disappointing. Marrowstone Lighthouse is located at the northern tip of Marrowstone Island. It is government owned and closed to public. The beach around it is open to the public, bit when you walk to the back you find what we refer to as just a block of cement. If it weren't for the grouping of buildings behind it, it would been VERY disappointing,but I think the red rooftops constitute a near save.
Maybe not--maybe you just remove the block of cement and take a picture of vintage victorian home on the beach.
On the Road to the Olympic Peninsula
We're out on our second annual trip to the Olympic Peninsula. We're planning a slow trip this year with lots of little sidetrips along the way. So far, WiFi connections have been non-existent and this one is very slow. I'll try to post daily if I can. Sometimes it may be just something on the sidebar or one picture "in the middle." I thought technology might decrease as we traveled west, but it's actually getting better. We left Thursday after Dave got off work and drove to Port Orchard for the night. We got into Port Orchard about sundown and the sunset over the bay and the Olympics was quite nice. This shot was from the parking lot of our hotel.
