La Conner, Oak Harbor, Coupeville, and Anacortes, Washington

We left the Elks lodge in Port Townsend and dumped our tanks at Fort Townsend State Park before hitting the road.  We drove south and then east around the tip and then headed north towards Seattle.  We stopped off at Wiley's Water Sports store to look around.  

There are not many water-ski shops left and we’ve ordered gear from this place before so it is fun to stop by and see if they have anything new we just have to have. 

It is fun to see the old wooden skis.  The shop is part museum.

 

 

Continuing north we stopped off in Arlington, Washington to fill up with diesel for $5.79/gallon.  What a bargain!  Cheapest diesel we’ve seen in a long time!

Then we continued north to La Conner, WA.  It was a long day of driving and Al did it all.  We were tired when we arrived at the Thousand Trails park and then we had to try and find a campsite we liked when the park was mostly full.  We found a site finally and Al was able to back the trailer in a somewhat tight spot.  At least we were parked but we had no internet or cell at our site.  

Entry to La Conner Thousand Trails RV Park

We stayed at this campground twice.  Here is our first site for four nights.

  

This park had a nice property right along the water.

 

After a long driving day yesterday, we had a down day.  Since we did not have internet or cell service at our site, we went to the clubhouse to watch the January 6th hearing and use their WIFI for a while then went for a walk.  We walked around the park and along the rocky beach and out on the spit. 

Looks like fun

 

Driftwood

 

Our neighbor’s catch for the day.  Looks like a yummy dinner to me!

 

 

As we continued our walk we came across an Atlantic Salmon Fish Pen

What is a Fish Pen?

Fish pens are open cages or nets that enclose fish, making them easily accessible to raise and harvest.  The Environmental Defense Fund health advisory and the Alternatives Seafood Watch recommend avoiding all farmed salmon.

Who Owns it?

Icicle Seafood Inc has been using Puget Sound for more than 30 years to farm Atlantic salmon and now grows 21 acres of fish pens in the area.  They are a seafood company "committed to quality and sustainability."

Are Fish Pens Harmful?  You Decide.

- Waste from fish pens is released directly into the ocean.
- Dead zones (no life and low oxygen) often occur beneath the pen
- Parasites and disease from farmed salmon can spread to wild salmon and other fish
- It takes three pounds of food to produce one pound of farmed salmon.
 

 

We next walked over to Lone Tree

You are standing on the traditional lands of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.  Here Lone Tree Point anchors the land and guides those at sea.  This ancient Douglas fir tree has stood watch over Swinomish beaches and clam beds for many generations. 

Weather the Storm

During the winter of 2014-2015, a storm caused the top of Lone Tree to break off and collapse.  Following the incident, an arborist’s assessment of Lone Tree's health and stability determined that the exposure of the site, vulnerable soils, and the tree's significant age show Lone Tree is experiencing a moderate to slow decline.  The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is working to improve Lone Tree's condition and habitat

Looking from the shore towards the clubhouse

We got out our inflatable paddleboards to play in the water once the tide came back in.  We mostly sat on them for fear of falling in the cold water so we used them like kayaks.  

We had thoughts of paddling around that island on the right but the closer we got; we changed our mind.  Plus, it meant that we would be crossing through a main boating area.

So we headed back towards the campground and then cruised up the shoreline looking at the houses and scenery.

 

Al spotted some Bald Eagles so we were chasing them around on our paddleboards to get better views when they flew from tree to tree.  

As we got closer, one of the eagles would fly from tree to tree and we paddled trying to keep up with him loving the chance to view him.

One day we drove over to the town of La Conner to walk around.

We walked up and over Rainbow Bridge to get this view.

 

Rainbow Bridge connects Fidalgo Island and La Conner, crossing Swinomish Channel

 

Looking the other direction from the bridge.

Then we drove over the bridge.

Since I could only get four nights at La Conner, we left and drove about 30 minutes to the Elks Lodge in Oak Harbor.  

  

 

It was nice to have cell and internet again. 

The next day we took the free bus to downtown Oak Harbor.  Then we took another bus to Coupeville and walked around the cute historic street and went out on to the pier.  

 

 

From the wharf we could look back towards town and get these views.

We took the bus back and walked around Historic Downtown Oak Harbor but there wasn't too much to see but a couple of murals.

 

Another day we drove to Deception Bridge.   Parking was very limited and Al was able to get our truck parked along the side of the road.  

Deception Pass Bridge is the common name for two two-lane bridges on Washington State Route 20 connecting Whidbey Island in Island County, to Fidalgo Island in Skagit County. It was a Washington State Highways project, and included project elements built by young workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps. Completion of the bridge was a factor in the decision to build Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and helped Oak Harbor flourish. The bridge is a commonly photographed landmark of the Puget Sound region. 

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

 

Of course we had to walk across the bridge.  These are views from the bridge.

 

We arrived on the other side and were able to walk down below the bridge to get a different view.

We walked on this beach all the way to the point.

Deception Pass

 

Dire Straits
Deception Pass has captivated and challenged humans for thousands of years.  From Coast Salish Native Americans traveling in dugout canoes to European explorers to ferry operators and kayakers, many vessels have braved these treacherous waters.  The narrowness of Deception Pass and Canoe Pass creates extremely fast currents that can reach speeds up to 9.2 mph.  

Imagine sticking your thumb over a garden hose.  As the distance between your thumb and the edge of the hose narrows, the water shoots out farther, faster, and with greater force.  Deception Pass and Canoe Pass work in the same way.  As water is pulled in and out of these two straits by ocean tides, it accelerates at the constricted points and creates powerful eddies and whirlpools.

Canoe Pass

 

As we walked back across the bridge, we spotted another Bald Eagle.

 

After crossing back over the bridge we followed a trail down to the beach and walked to the point.

 

After all the walking around we were hungry and went to Seabolts for dinner.  One thing I wanted to do while in the Pacific Northwest was to eat a whole Dungeness Crab.  Al had mussels and I ate a whole Dungeness crab with butter and added Old Bay.  Yum!

 

We asked around for a recommendation and several people recommended Seabolts Smokehouse.

After four nights at the Oak Harbor Elks Lodge we drove back to La Conner Thousand Trails RV Park for another four nights.  I wasn't able to get contiguous nights so that was the reason for the nights in Oak Harbor but it all worked out.  This time we got a site where we got cell and internet. 

Our second site at La Conner

Ice Cream Social at the RV Park

 

The next day we drove over to Anacortes and went to SeaBear smokehouse and bought some smoked salmon.  Then we drove over to downtown and walked around Commercial Street.  Not much was open on a Monday but we did see some more murals.  Apparently there are 171 murals around town all painted by one guy, Bill Mitchell.

This clock looks like it is wearing pearl earrings!

After downtown, we walked over to the marina.

Then we walked up a trail in Cap Sante Rotery Park 

   

We had a great vantage point and just sat on a rock and watched the boating activity for a while.

Then we walked back to the marina where we found more murals. 

Divine Divas of the Deep, 4th of July parade 2002

As we walked around the marina again we came upon the boat launch.  This is a lot different than the way we launch our boat so we had to stop and watch guys retrieving boats with a hoist and putting them on boat trailers. 

 

 

After watching a couple of boat launches and retrieves we continued walking to view more boats.

Lady of the Sea

 

We were able to check out some tide pools.

 

 

We left downtown Anacortes and drove over to the west side of Anacortes to Washington Park.

 

 

We were greeted by dear.

Flounder Bay

 

 

We spotted another Bald Eagle.  They are so majestic it's hard not to just stop and observe their beauty.  

Not all who enter Washington Park realize that a 15-ton granite monument honoring Tonjes Havekost also marks the city pioneer’s burial place.  A major clue can be found in a quote that historians say immortalized Havekost’s final wish: “Make my tomb a park.”

Tonjes Havekost was a German immigrant who settled on Fidalgo Island in 1871.

Havekost donated eight acres of his land to the city of Anacortes upon his death in 1911. The land would eventually become Washington Park.

Havekost’s decision to bequeath land to the city defined the personalities of many early settlers in Anacortes.

That was our experience in La Conner and Oak Harbor.  Next we're headed further north to the border with Canada and we take a day trip to Stanley Park in Vancouver.  Thanks for following along. 

BTW, if you leave a comment, please include your name or initials so I know who wrote it.  Most comments are from Anonymous and I would love to know who wrote them.