Tourists Again!

We left Ross Lake Recreation Area our home for the last month about 6 this morning.  Our time there gave us a great opportunity to explore the Pacific Northwest.  We had not been east out of the park so we have had such an adventure!

The sun lighting up the mountains of Washington Pass on the descent into the Methow Valley was fantastic!  Terry stopped for me to get this picture at just the right time.

We are on our way to Glacier NP and then on to Yellowstone.  It might be a few weeks before we add more notes and pictures.

Wonderful Whidbey Island, WA!

On Tuesday we returned to Fidalgo Island and crossed over to Whidbey Island on the amazing Deception Pass Bridge.  The morning fog was just beginning to lift off the bridge as we walked out across it.  The view to the Strait below was too scary for me to make the walk over the water.  Terry loved every step across!

Two tugs were pulling a float of timber under the bridge so I had lots to watch while he walked.

Next stop was lunch at the lovely little town of Coupeville (in the spring a headland area slipped into the Strait here).  The hanging Baskets of flowers all over town and the sea salt air filled the streets with fragrance and I wanted to stay for days!!  We visited the town Museum a part of the only National Historical Reserve in the US.  The community joined together to preserve the community and surrounding prairie farms and the Park Service created a local Trust Board to mange it.  We didn't find the local Reserve farmland coastal walk, so now we will have to return!  Whidbey Island is at the top of my Favorites List now.

The Coupeville wharf area and Mt. Baker and the North Cascades ( our Park) in the distance.

We ended our day at the Admirality Head Lighthouse (with a 4th order lens).  Another lovely spot!
It was fun to share stories with the volunteer hosts there.  I think we'll start a Lighthouse visit list too.

San Juan Island National Historical Park

Here comes the 9 am Friday Harbor Ferry!  We arrived at the Anacortes Terminal about an hour early to get the first ferry and spend the day on a visit to San Juan Island NHP.  The crossing weaves through   4 islands and takes about an hour.  We have applied for a Sept.-Oct. job there and wanted to check it out.

The view looking back east includes Mount Baker and just south our present home, the North Cascades NP range (still snow capped).  The Ferry Terminal is about 90 miles west of the NP.  On San Juan we were surprised how quickly we left the busy little harbor town and found rolling hills, lakes, farms and meadows.  Our first stop was English Camp where 400 British soldiers lived for 12 years as arbitration for ownership of the San Juan Islands was negotiated.

The English Camp included a school, library and formal garden fenced in beyond the flagpole.  We met a very helpful volunteer host who told us all about working there and directed us on a walk through the 2 campsites on the hill above the old Hospital Building.  No view there, but the grounds along the bay are beautiful as you see.  Lots of sky and grass which I love!

This is the American Camp on the South end of the island.  It also has 2 hosts and sits on a restored prairie on a sunny, dry hillside above the ocean and opposite the Olympic NP mountains.  We got a very distant sighting of Orca whales and a nice long chat with the volunteer here.  We could be very happy at either Camp.  The views, trails and beaches at this end of the island are most awesome!

As luck would have it the Ranger who might hire us is off for 2 days.  We left our card and will call on Thursday.  Terry has always loved islands and I think I could have a little fun here myself!  We'll see.

From the Land of Turquoise Waters

The waters of Lake Diablo at North Cascades National Park are filled with glacial water and the 'glacial flour' or tiny rock specks that reflect with more turquoise than this photo can show.  It is an unbelievable color!  Our campground, Colonial Creek, is located on both sides of the bridge below on the south end of the lake.

There's a great little trail, Thunder Knob, at the edge of the campground that climbs the knob and gave this view of the highway bridge.  About a half mile up is a view of the glaciers on Colonial Peak.  I was truly stunned!  It does seem like the 'American Alps' right out our backdoor.

The North side of our Campground (CG) has only 42 sites with Colonial Creek roaring through it.  The trail crosses the creek twice to reach this campsite.

  The South side across the highway has 96 sites with 21 hidden from view in the woods, 30 packed together on the side of the lake and the rest being dark little dens up in the giant trees on two loops that circle on the larger one.  It is a CG Host nightmare!   We host at the CG Kiosk entrance on the South side from 8am to 11:30 and do our 'count roves' on both sides. ( I am enjoying weeding the wildflower rock garden around the Kiosk that is covered by grass and tree starts.)  We have a break from 12 to 4pm and repeat the duties until 5:30 pm.

Most of all we are having a great time traveling in the area!  We love Anacortes, WA.

 Next Tues. we'll be ferrying over to San Juan Island to check out a possible Fall Host job there at the National Historic Park.  So many wonderful places to explore!!