Moved down from Bellingham to camp for 10 days at Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell. Tamara flies into SeaTac on Thursday night for eight days of fun in and around the Seattle area. Can’t wait!
North Cascades National Park
We head out early to drive and hike North Cascades. After a long drive up we find several good overlooks and a couple of nature hikes. We had a nice picnic lunch and stopped in the visitors center. Dinner on the way back was at Buffalo Run just outside the park.
Anacortes WA
Head out early again and make the drive up to Anacortes where we meet our guide for a 3 hour kayak trip around Burrows Island. We get our gear assigned and head out through the marina then across the channel to the island and begin circling around the north end of the island. We see plenty of sea life and I think I spot a seal, but can’t remember the guide’s name to call it to his attention.
We are nearly to the Coast Guard station on the NW most corner of the island when our guide spots some considerable commotion just off of our bow. As the activity moves out from behind the island we all realize almost simultaneously that we are within just a hundred yards of a pod of four Orca Whales. This is an amazing thing to see especially from our vantage point. We immediately stop paddling and hold our position as they move further into the channel and just a bit closer. No fear of them coming too close as we are holding our position in some very shallow and rocky waters, but man what a view. People pay big money and don’t get to see what we see. Ultimately our guide determines that it is one male and three others that are either females or immature males.
After all of that excitement we continue our paddle and when we circle to the south side of the island and we see a number of seals. This confirms for me that I had seen one earlier.
How great is that. Orca whales and seals in the wild on Tamara’s first kayak adventure.
On the way back we stop in the towns of Anacortes and La Connor for a little walking, some lunch and some shopping. In La Connor, we help roll up the sidewalks at 6p, then head back to camp. If you ever visit this area, and are looking for a quaint little downtown district to walk and shop, definitely make it a point to visit La Connor.
Seattle WA
Today is a lazy day as we head downtown to walk the riverfront of downtown Seattle. Much like San Francisco, the shore line is comprised of a number of piers, some still be used for shipping, ferries to Victoria, San Juan Islands and other ports along Puget Sound, and also some shopping and dining areas. We walk almost the entire length of the shoreline including a stop for lunch.
Victoria BC
Out the door WAY early today to catch the very from downtown Seattle to Victoria BC. Got an extended visit with the customs officials again today, but not nearly as bad as last week. The weather was a bit iffy, so we went straight to the British Columbia Royal Museum with a short photo op in front of Parliament. Spent the rest of the morning there, then walked about downtown. Had lunch at a Caribbean restaurant of all places. Counldn’t get much further from home and ate Caribbean. Did a little more shopping before catching the ferry home.
Woodinville WA
Spent our final full day together wine tasting and shopping. First we went to a couple of vineyards for some sampling and making a couple of purchases, then on to shop in Bothell and at a little shopping village just above the campground. Another very quiet and relaxing day.