August 22nd Mom and KJ arrived in Bellingham for their annual summer visit. It was a bit later this year so they could attend the Boeing Family Day event. On the way home from the airport we took them the scenic route down Chuckanut Drive where we stopped along the way and talked to people, took pictures, etc. Once arriving at home we got a bbq underway and James, our neighbor, kindly brought over some crab he caught just hours ago. A few neighbors stopped by to join us and after the sun went down we did a backyard screening of the movie 'I Love You, Man'.
Sunday we got up bright and early to tour the Boeing plant in Everett, the largest building in the world by volume. From Boeing we went to downtown Seattle and feasted on our favorite chowder and mexican food before heading over to Pioneer Square for the Underground Tour.
Monday it was a boat day! We braved some pretty thick fog but arrived safely in Port Townsend. We stopped at a great restaurant with an outside deck overlooking the bay, took the self guided walking tour of all the old Victorian homes, through the park overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and back to the marina. From there we anchored in Mutiny Bay to soak up some rays and watch the salmon jumping on their way to the spawning grounds. Oh, and I pulled the boat up to the dock for the first time! Daryl has always done this, we figured it made sense for one person to learn all the boat handling techniques and then teach the other. Since Daryl has mastered docking, it's my turn to learn.
Tuesday we visited Whatcom Falls Park in Bellingham - it was incredible! This 240+ acre heavily wooded park with creeks and waterfalls, beautiful bridges and diving ponds is right in the middle of the city! I've driven past the area a number of times and had no idea what was waiting inside...
Wednesday, sadly, it was time to say goodbye. Another great summer visit; next year is the 'duck tour' and aquarium KJ! :-)
Most of Labor Day weekend we didn't have such great weather so we took some down time to enjoy being at home, reading books and watching movies. September 7th was a nice day so we went down to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard (aka Ballard Locks). This is essentially a 'boat elevator'. It allows boats to go from the Puget Sound into Lake Union and from there boats can continue to Lake Washington. The Puget Sound is lower than the lakes, the locks raise (or lower) them by about 25 feet. It was our first time here and I really enjoyed it! It was fun to watch all the boats come through... Once we left the locks we headed to Fisherman's Terminal on Lake Union. This is where the big fishing boats dock when not out working.
This past weekend we had WONDERFUL weather - mid 80's and sunny - Friday we took the boat out, Daryl and I tried out a new spot for anchoring. We went up Saratoga Passage into Holmes Harbor and stopped at Honeymoon Bay. It was such a beautiful place and so quiet. Saturday Joan and Kevin joined us for boating, we went down to Seattle, skirted the waterfront and Alki Beach then found anchorage at Blake Island. Blake Island is a marine park only accessible by tour boat or private boat. We put out the dinghy and went to shore checking out the island. There are 15 miles of hiking trails on the island, next time we plan to spend the day and do a hike. On our way back in we caught up with departing cruise ships and waved to all the passengers on deck. Sunday we went for a hike on the Iron Goat Trail. This place has so much history, click the link to read about it.
In the words of Elmer Fudd: That's all Folks! Click photos to view them larger, enjoy!
Posts
