Tag: Whidbey Island

Some summits are shorter than others

Pre-walk walk

As is typical for us, Bill woke up first and after a short teardrop yoga scramble into his pants he started coffee while I dozed. The morning was soft and nice and our granola an coffee breakfast, just fine.

We walked back to the beach in the lovely morning light and met a four-year-old searching for gold. which he apparently does EVERYWHERE. He and his dad were waiting for their parent-kid hiking group to assemble.

Walking north on the beach we spotted a pair of oystercatchers (they rarely catch oysters) and more cormorants and grebes. We scrambled up the rock to round the point and met a couple making breakfast in the most beautiful breakfast spot. The smell of their bacon added to our morning.

The quartz lines running through the rocks that make up the shore are a bit surreal. It looks like wax has dripped down straightish seams. Maybe that little guy will find his gold.

We found more oystercatchers and a seal.

484 foot high summit

We decided to walk to the top of Goose Rock, the high point of Whidbey Island with 360 degree views. Back at camp, Bill made sandwiches while I washed up from last night and breakfast. We followed directions to the trail past the amphitheater.

The trail was easy to spot. Evergreen Trail Run folks were all set up to cheer on the Fidalgo Trail Run participants. They hollered and rang a cowbell for each passing trailrunner and, after I asked, they hollered and rang the bell for me too!

It was a nice walk and we enjoyed the many different ages, colors, body shapes and paces of the runners. They had several different lengths to choose from, 5k to marathon. Bunch of happy people sharing the trail. 

The path offers lots of meanders and we took most of them. We ate lunch on the beach watching people fish and a family enjoy the beach. Their toddler was so absorbed in filling and dumping their toy trucks. It was sweet.

We saw lots of really nice long casts but the only successful catch we saw was a seal’s. It was interesting to watch the seal keep his fish away from the two hopeful gulls that stuck close. They waited patiently when the seal was under but I don’t think they got even a bite.

The path went right under the bridge.  What a cool perspective.  Then up pretty steeply,  but not for long and we were out on top. The parent-kid hikers were there too. Playing tag, and talking, and having lunch on the top of this piece of  the world.

We headed back down a different route and were passed by more trail runners. I think some of the marathon length runners passed us three or four times.

It was a good walk and helped us enjoy our campfire roasted bratwurst, baked bean and potato chip supper.

The weren’t a many Screech owls last night (or immature owls, or whatever that whistley screetchy noice was).

Short trip after a long hiatus

Bill has been working long hours for months and finally managed to free up a couple days so we could have a long weekend camping trip. After not camping at all in 2024, it’s nice to realize that Brave Horatio is still super simple to prep.

We had the wheel bearings checked and repacked. Remade the bed. (Brave Hotatio provides an extra guest bedroom when he’s in our garage.) Swapped some clothes in and out. Refreshed the pantry and precooled the cooler. Ready!

Friday morning instead of heading upstairs to work in separate bedrooms, we’re headed north through an absolutely gorgeous morning toward breakfast.

Breakfast on the road

The Wren’s Nest in Tacoma is wonderful for people with Celiac. Their totally gluten free kitchen creates some pretty magnificent breads, cinnamon rolls, quiches, and hand pies. We don’t get to indulge like this very often.

Last Sunday we had a little adventure picking new native plants for our yarden at Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery in Gig Harbor. We planned to stop at Wren’s Nest for breakfast but the line was so long, maybe 50 people! We were happy that they had so much business but took our hungry selves to the Hob Nob.

We love the Hob Nob too. Their Bennie browns (eggs Benedict that swaps in hash browns for the English muffin) are so good we rarely order anything else.

But this morning, Wren’s Nest.

The line was short and the quiche and cinnamon focaccia delicious.

The Wren’s Nest Baking Company
Part of the pastry selection.
Cake we didn’t choose.
The Wren’s Nest bakery is small but you can sit anywhere in the beautiful facility.
Lovely tables
Tasty gluten free quiche
I don’t know anything about this, but isn’t it cool?

We made a short stop at Central Coop for the butter and lettuce we forgot. Bonus! They had some beautiful cards so now I do too.

It’s a lovely drive through Ruston and along the parkway back to I-5. Ruston is as quirky and charming as it was when we lived in Tacoma in the 1980s. (Minus the creepy dripping tunnel, acres of horsetail, and looming smokestack.)

The park along Schuster Parkway continues to impress me with the diversity of people using it. We need more spaces that people from different backgrounds routinely share.

Past the Tacoma Art Museum and the old Brown and Haley’s building,  through the kind of lovely swoop of interchange and onto I-5 North.

Seattle

The ball at the top of Smith Tower is particularly noticeable today. (Did you know there’s an apartment at the top?)

We’ll be doing this same trip, but farther north, in a couple weeks for another long weekend on Bowen Island with friends we met in college. We’re staying in a rental cottage. Brave Horatio has to stay at home.

…and farther north

Past the ponds near Everett with geese lined up neatly along the banks, but not many other birds. Across the Stillaguamish with people lined up along the banks fishing. Down through the Skagit Valley remembering the flooded fields on the way to Thanksgiving on Galliano Island in 19xx.

Traffic’s been pretty reasonable. There’s been only one squirrelly driver.  They were plenty squirrelly though. Zipping across lanes and jogging back in so close to other cars. Yikes! Don’t do that.

Finally off the freeway heading toward Whidbey Island. Usually when we’re out this way we’re headed to the San Juans. Today we’re headed to Deception Pass State Park.

I’ve driven down Whidbey Island once. Sarah and I spent a meandering day bringing her home from WWU. We drove the length of the island that day, had a nice picnic, a short walk, and nearly missed the last ferry off the south end. (I seem to remember some young men at a gas station inviting us to a party also. Can that be true?)

At the campground

We set up in campsite 103 with jets from the nearby air station roaring overhead. Quite a juxtaposition. Wood and water and quiet with frequent loud reminders of the outside world. We’re really close to town here.

My pick for the perfect site is 117. Nearer the water and nice set up for us. But 103 is really nice.

We walked to and along the beach. There’s an amazing old Doug Fir all contorted and dancing instead of tall and straight. Beautiful.

We chuckled at the sign explaining about human impact. It totally ignored the large house nicely framed by the sign. We try to be aware of fragile ecosystems and certainly didn’t stray off this path, but I’m pretty sure that house also had a large impact.

Got a nice close look at a pair of sandpipers. Such pretty little birds. Also lots of seagull, cormorant, and some grebes. No eagles.

My chocolate cheesecake from the Wren’s Nest was a more than ample lunch. It got me all nicely set up for a nap.

We had a taco dinner planned, but after our large lunch we scrapped those plans in favor of crackers and cheese.

Finished off the day with Balvenie Doublewood and a cribbage game by the campfire while listening to something screech-whistle all around the campground.

It’s good to finally be on another small adventure with Brave Horatio.