Friday - Orcas Island Adventure begins

Before I write this entry, I have to apologize for taking so long in updating my blog.  I have been completely bogged down with the Steel Days Art Show and have been unable to keep up with everything else.  I will be posting these as if they were posted on their actual date of occurrence to help with blog organization, and so that when I print this blog, it will reflect accurate dates in the book.  Again, sorry for the delay and we will return you now to your regularly schedule blog posts!  Enjoy!

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Very early on Friday morning, we left Mom and Dad's "Cave on Oyster Bay" and headed to the Bremerton/Seattle ferry.  We were going to go North to the Kingston/Edmonds ferry, but we decided that it would be faster to take the Seattle freeways North rather than the slower peninsula highway.  It turned out we were right.  We made good time to the Anacortes/San Juan Islands ferry and got in line about 1 1/2 hours before the scheduled ferry arrived.  Mom and Dad said that this is necessary, since there are a limited number of sailings, and lots of people wanting space on the boat.  We killed time by going into the little cafe/gift shop and buying a couple of lightweight parkas for Bill and me.  We thought they'd be good for cool weather in the islands, but they turned out to be unnecessary as the weather was beautiful for the whole week-end.  I am still glad we got them, though.  We can certainly use them at home in the fall!

It goes without saying that the scenery was stunning for the entire ride to Orcas Island.  There are tons of less populated islands that we passed.  Only the three largest islands have the state run ferries giving people access to them.  If you live on one of the smaller islands, you need to have your own mode of transportation to get off island.  For most people, that is a boat.  For some that is a private plane (several of them have an air strip on them).  There is also a private-for-hire boat that will drive right up to your private beach and/or boat launch, drop their front hull (that transforms into a ramp), and let you drive your car right on board to be transported to the location of your choice.  A water taxi for you and your car!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of one of the many private home-on-an-isolated- beach scenarios that I saw.  Such a different way of life!

Will said he wanted to own this little island.

Will and I on the Ferry

The ferry makes stops at other islands as well.  We pulled into Lopez Island first.  The dock workers have set up a target on the right side docking pier.  It is jokingly referred to as the WSF retirement fund.  Passengers toss coins to pass the time while waiting for the loading and unloading to complete and for the ferry to make sail once again.

Once we finally arrived on Orcas Island, we followed Mom and Dad's car as they lead us across the island to the West Beach Resort.  The island's inland was as stunningly beautiful as the coast.  Everything about the island felt like stepping back in time.  Actually, I felt like I had wandered into an Anne of Green Gables movie set, since the buildings and scenery seemed correct, but the people were all dressed in modern clothes.

Once at the resort, we settled in and it wasn't long before Will had us convinced to rent a canoe.  He and Bill were first out on the water in it.

At first, Bill was in the bow and Will at the stern, but they quickly realized it would work best with the heavier person in the stern.  Once they had that sorted out, they were off to explore.

While the boys were paddling around the bay, I walked down the dock for a photo op.  The photo below is of the cabins lining the beach.  On the left you can see the boat launch.  Our cabin is the first cabin you can see on the beach to the right of the boat launch.  Between us and the launch is a large fire pit.  Every night the owners of the resort built a fire at sunset in the community fire pit.  You can't see it, but behind our cabin there was a hot tub.  Also a fun place to be at sunset!

At some point, the boys brought back the canoe and Helena and I took it out for half an hour.  It was fun to watch Helena trying to pick up a jelly fish with her paddle.  She was unsuccessful, of course.  There was no swimming on this trip.  Will probably would have, but Helena had no desire.  The water was very cold!

There were several families of geese that came begging along the shore every evening.  They were quite bold and I had to wonder how many generations had been taught that this beach was a good spot for dinner?

In the quiet of the late afternoon the kids and I just played with rocks on the beach...

We collected pebbles on the beach and I had some fun stacking them.  They are actually quite small, but the photo perspective is what made this shot so fun.  You can tell from the lighting that the sun is preparing to set.

Unplugged time....

 

As the sun was setting, Helena did a yoga pose to create a cool silhouette.  Will thought he'd try it, too, with less aesthetic results.

Sunset lasts a LONG TIME this far north!

Such a beautiful, peaceful place!

As the sun finally sets completely, the evening star (Venus, actually) glowed above a tranquil and shimmering sea.

Thursday - Return to Seattle

Will watching the water, me watching Will...

Bill couldn't come with us for the entire adventure.  I am functionally unemployed for the summer months, but he is not.  I think summer must be the hardest time for Bill at work.  Long summer hours mean much more work for him to do, right at a time when he probably wishes he could be at home with the kids and me.  Oh, who am I kidding?  He probably wishes he could be up in the mountains on his bike.

Anyways, Bill planned to join us for the second half of the vacation.  So, we arranged a one-way airline ticket for Bill before the kids and I drove up to Washington.  His flight was scheduled to arrive in the early evening of Thursday, the 10th.  The kids and I parked the car in a garage in Bremerton and walked onto the ferry to spend the day in Seattle while waiting for Bill to arrive.  You might wonder, "Are you seriously going to try to get to SeaTac Airport to pick him up without your car?!"  Of course not!  Bill planned to catch the light rail from the airport to downtown, then walk down to the ferry terminal and meet us there.  Oh yeah!  Gotta love urban transportation systems!

The reason it is called 'Pike Place Market'

So, Helena, Will, and I arrived in Seattle at noon-ish, and had about 5-6 hours to kill while waiting for Bill to appear.  We headed straight back to the Market.  I got more cheese curds from Beechers, and several yummy gluten-free treats for Bill from a bakery across the street from the main fish-monger stall.

The kids had fun trying on crazy hats and glasses in the hat shop on the lower level, and Will got some super sour candy in a little candy shop down there, too.

Why buy someone else's photo when I can take my own?

Will and I were hungry for lunch before Helena was, so we stopped at a 'snack shack' behind the Mexican market and ate some really tasty quesadillas.  I don't even want to guess at the caloric intake in that thing!

After finishing our food, We decided we had had enough of the Market and were ready to wander the waterfront for a while.  Will said he wanted to try a different route down than we had used in the past.  In trying a new route, we stumbled on lower Post Alley and the 'Gum Wall'.

The 'Gum Wall' is actually pretty disgusting!  My first thought was, "What the.....?!"  But Helena got really excited and told us that she had seen a TV show that highlighted this particular corner of the Market.  I don't know how it started, but at some point it 'turned the corner' from graffiti to iconic art and is now left alone by officials.  While we stood there taking our pictures, a young man climbed a drain pipe and added his piece to the collection.

Before I knew it, Will found the gumball machine (that probably makes more money than any other such machine in a 5 state radius!) and quickly bought a piece so he could participate in this rather gross art form.  He quickly chewed and deposited his piece into the collection, then we went on our way.

Once on the waterfront, we walked, and walked, and walked North before we finally stopped at Pier 61.  We ended up in a little convenience store there called Bell Street Deli and ordered a veggie sandwich for Helena (have I mentioned that she has decided to go vegetarian this summer?).  The shop had a deli bench along the window wall, allowing us to sit at our leisure and people watch while Helena ate her lunch.

I took a picture of it for her, because she was so very happy with how yummy it was.  She really loves sprouts.  What a goof!  How many kids to you know who would turn down a cheesy-yummy-quesadilla for a sprout-on-wheatgerm sandwich?  I am quite proud of her!  BTW, Will is not sleeping in the background.  He is reading up on all the different permutations of the Washington State Lottery System.  Apparently, the shop we were in was an official lottery ticket seller. 

Once Helena was done eating, we decided it was time to return to Pier 52.  Unfortunately, we all had sore feet and just didn't feel like all that walking!  Fortunately, the old Bell Street bus route had turned into bus route 99.  It is a FREE bus route along Seattle's waterfront.

So, we waited with a bunch of other people for the next bus to arrive, then packed into an already full carriage.  Helena and I managed to find two seats next to one another, but Will was obliged to stand next to us.  That's okay.  I think he enjoyed it just the same.  Standing sort of added to the experience, if you know what I mean.

Upon stepping off the bus, we wandered over to the T-Shirt Company so we could pick up a couple of shirts for Bill.  We also found a ring for each of the kids  that says 'Love Waits', and some cheap trinkets. 

We were back at the ferry terminal before we knew it.  In fact, we were in time to catch the 5:30 boat, but of course, we were still waiting for Bill.  So instead, we calmly sat down at a cafe table and watched as other people rushed by trying to catch the ferry we were choosing to ignore.  Throughout the course of the day, we had been receiving text messages from Bill letting us know his status.  We knew when he arrived at SLC airport, when his plane took off, when he landed in SeaTac, when he was on the light rail, and when he was walking towards the waterfront from the downtown train station.  And, finally, there he was!  He was dressed for Utah weather in summer shorts and a t-shirt.  The kids and I were all dressed in layers, because, even though it was a beautiful day, it was nowhere near as warm as home.

So, there you have it.  The first half of our vacation over, and the adventures only beginning!

Wednesday - A day off

Since it had been nearly a week of vacation, and since we were leaving early-early on Friday morning for Orcas Island, I decided Wednesday would be a great day to do my laundry.  Not a very exciting topic for vacation blogging, but one of those necessary parts of life that gets left out of all the novels.  You never hear about the hero or heroine pausing for a moment during the quest to wash out their knickers.

After getting the laundry done, Dad took us back down to the marina to go for a sail.

Foiled again!

When we arrived, right next to Dad's boat we found a cart that held a chugging air compressor, with a hose leading off into the murky marina waters.  It was the professional diver that Dad pays to scrub his boat clean of scum and critters every few months.  All the boats that are permanently slipped at a marina need this kind of attention now and then, or they'll end up dragging slower and slower in the water, carrying all those hitch-hikers.

It was actually very fascinating, even though it was disappointing to not go sailing.  It turned out to be our last opportunity, too.  Ah well. 

Anyways, as I was saying, it was fascinating to see this man (or rather, his life line, until he surfaced) working away in the rather disgusting and very cold water.  He swam along, scrubbing the bottoms of several boats in a row of slips.  When he surfaced, he was wearing a dry suit with just a small section of his face exposed.

Since there would be no sailing, we wandered around on the docks, looking at the variety of boats moored there.  Everything from modest fishing boats to enormous pleasure yachts were represented.  There was even a little half submerged dinghy that the kids nicknamed 'Jack's boat' in reference to Pirates of the Caribbean.

After we got back to "the Cave" (aka Mom and Dad's condo), we picked up Mom and headed for Central Market in Poulsbo.  Central Market is a gourmet lover's grocery store.  It is a good thing I don't live nearby or I would spend a fortune in there!  We picked up a few fun items and a few more necessary items, then ate THE BEST pizza I have ever had!  Like Costco, Central Market sells hot dog/soda or pizza/soda dinners super cheap.  But, unlike Costco, the variety is huge and the quality is amazing!

Here is a blurb about it from a local who wrote about it...

photo courtesy of http://www.kitsapfun.com/

OK, not everyone can have fun at the supermarket. But it’s hard not to at Central Market. I’m always amazed they don’t charge an entrance fee. But there’s definitely an additional fee charged (above and beyond what should be just the cost of your groceries) before you can leave.

Central Market in Poulsbo is a fun time, even if you have the willpower to walk out without purchasing anything. I have to admit, although that may be my intention sometimes, I’ve never made it through without the “exit fee shock” yet. There’s just too much fun stuff in there.

The fun starts before you even enter. Choose the smaller shopping carts unless you’re some hulking football player. They’re much easier to maneuver and they look so darn cute. No, they don’t hold enough for a family of 10, but they hold enough for me.

If you’re still on the outside, there is a nursery section where you can get bulbs and trees.

On the other side is a window where you can buy barbecued meats. At least it was there during summer. Haven’t checked recently.

There’s more fun to be had inside. For instance, you can have lunch there. Order a fresh made pizza. Go through their buffet line (Mexican food usually). Have a deli sandwich made to order. Order sushi. Or put together a salad. It’s almost like the food court at a mall.

Half their produce is organic. Vegetables I’ve never seen before are available. And everything is fresh… no flies buzzing around the berries.

There’s a whole seafood department that SOMETIMES has shark (wish they had it more often). And there’s a take-home dinner section where they’ve made the dinner, you just cook it.

Bulk products (candy, nuts, flour, coffee, etc.), where you can take as much or as little as you want. Great for single folks who don’t need a whole box of something.

Chinese herbs are available, and you can even get the capsule “thingies” that you can stuff with whatever combination you want then swallow.

There are more teas than I’ve seen in any store. Along with teapots, both utilitarian and elegant.

There’s an olive bar and a sushi bar. I’ve never found it (the place is sprawling), but there is a pharmacy. There are fresh flowers to be had, and a coffee shop.

My favorites are the ethnic aisles. So far I’ve found Japanese, Mexican, Kosher, Indian, Chinese and English (got to have my Bovril, Marmite and Heinz Baked Beans!).

It takes me hours to shop at Central Market, but I’m having fun the whole time.

http://www.kitsapfun.com/

Like I said, it is a good thing I don't live close enough to abuse the place!

Tuesday - Ferry ride home

I discovered that the 4:20 boat is the 'field trip boat'.  Ugh!  Every time we caught the 4:20, it was PACKED with elementary school kids headed home from a Seattle field trip.  In this instance, they were kids from the Science Center.  How do I know?  Because I recognized several of them as having been at the Center at the same time we were.

I really like the walk-on ferry system!  So many people do a walking or bicycling commute!  I really admire that and think the hour on the ferry would be a great way to spend commuting.  Sitting in comfort, eating, snoozing, chatting, working on your computer... I saw all of that going on with the 'regulars'.  It sure beats an hour stuck driving in rush hour traffic!  And with walk on, you don't have to arrive super early to get one of the limited spaces for cars on the boat.

Helena and I were sitting in the protected outdoor seating when I shot this picture of Will.  It occurs to me that Will feels more at home in the Northwest than he does in Utah.  There seems to be salt water running through his veins.  I wonder if there is a chance that it is his heritage showing up?  The Nordic viking in him, maybe?  Helena loves Seattle, but she would love ANY city she found herself in.  She enjoys poking at the sea creatures because they are so weird to her.  It is fun to see the ocean through her uninitiated eyes!  Her wonder at seeing starfish bigger than your two fists combined.  At anemones that close up the instant you touch them.  Jelly fish gracefully floating by.  Bitty crabs scurrying for cover.  She doesn't like barnacles, though!  Or seaweed.  Hee, hee!

After getting back to Bremerton, we drove with dad down to his boat to go sailing again, but when we got there, there was not a breath of wind.  We decided to cancel sailing and head back to the condo to meet up with mom and spend the evening in.  But not before Helena got to poke at a few more sea creatures!

Tuesday - Pacific Science Center

Just at the base of the Space Needle there you will find the Pacific Science Center.  For only $37.00 the kids and I spent several hours exploring the place.  A much better deal than the Space Needle!

The kids each tried out this contraption.  It is a bicycle on a high rail, attached to a 200 lb. counterweight.  Helena thought it was the freakiest thing she had ever done!

There was also one of those water spinning granite spheres, which is always fun to play with.

And a gerbil wheel to run on...

And some water cannons

And that was just out in the plaza.  Once inside, the displays ranged from boring to fascinating.  This post would be much too long if I put every Science Center photo in it, so I will just put in a couple of my favorite.

Tide pool exhibit

I don't know why this is my only photo of the tide pool exhibit.  I remember that Helena was more interested in it than Will was.  That may be because Will had already checked it out before we got there.  He has a tendency to quickly go through exhibits, just stopping at the ones that interest him.  I go much more slowly, giving even the more boring displays a little of my attention.  By the time I got to the tide pool exhibit, he had already seen everything there was to see in the room and was ready to move on.  Thankfully, Helena was more willing to go at my pace.  In this shot, she is experiencing a 'sea urchin hug'.  When you place your finger in between the spines, they 'hug' your finger.  Creepy, but fun!

I found it amusing that the display workers kept insisting on people washing their hands before touching the exhibit, as if anyone was that careful in the millions of tide pools that line the Puget Sound.  Still, they have a limited amount of water circulating.  That must explain it.

Butterfly house

The butterfly house was definitely our favorite part of the Science Center!  A humid, tropical greenhouse filled with exotic butterflies is always a winner!

Will found the feeding station and sat right next to it.  He was rewarded for his patience by having several butterflies land right on him.  I spent my time trying to capture a photo of the biggest blue butterfly in the greenhouse.  After several failed attempts, Helena pointed him out to me resting on a branch!

In the briefing before being let into the greenhouse, we were told not to pick up the butterflies, but it they land on you, just enjoy, then shake them off before leaving.  However, I noticed that several butterflies were getting stuck in the down draft that was meant to keep them away from the doors!  If they couldn't get away, they would be crushed by the opening of the door for the next group to enter.  So, I 'broke the rules' and picked them up to place them on a leaf out of harm's way.

After we were done looking around the Science Center, we were famished!  I thought about finding a place to eat on the walk back to the ferry terminal, but decided it would be easiest to find something for everyone at the Center.  There is a food court there, so everyone got something different to eat before heading back to the monorail.  It was 4:00 when we finished eating, and I wanted to catch the 4:20 boat.  With some luck on catching an immediate monorail, and some speed walking, we made it!