Sixteenth Stop - Whidbey Island - Deception Pass State Park campground - July 15-19, 2018
Our next destination was an island in Puget Sound. Whidbey Island is something like the 4th largest island in the U.S. At the northern end is Deception Pass State Park, and a large campground. Another beautiful site with lots of tall trees, but I will warn anyone coming here that it is noisy. Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is nearby and boy do they fly a lot of jets all day! We actually stayed overnight one night near Sequim, Washington, to be near the ferry to take us to the island the next day. Had a delicious seafood dinner at the harbor. It was pretty cool driving the motor home onto a ferry! There are views of mountains - Olympic Mountains in one direction, Cascade Mountains in another direction, and I think mountains in Vancouver Island, Canada in another direction.
Had a one-of-a-kind day on our kayaks one day! First, we paddled on Cranberry Lake, a fresh-water lake in the state park. We saw an eagle and other birds. The cool part about the eagle was that later, in talking to the campground hosts, I saw the eagle nest with two baby eagles. They were born early May, and were now "helicoptering", where they spread their wings and flap them and lift up a bit. They are not flying yet or left the nest. The mama eagle was on the branch above. Probably what we saw was the daddy eagle fishing that morning, to bring breakfast back to the nest. The pair has been at this location for several years.
Back to paddling, the lake was pretty small, so we decided to go look at the bay. yes - the salt water bay. We did it! First time our kayaks have been in salt water. It looked pretty smooth. We went from the West End beach to the North End Beach, and Karl went all the way to the big bridge that connects Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island. He really felt the current there. I stayed back a bit and took the pictures . . .
Another day, we took the ferry to San Juan Island. Great day! i think it was an hour and a half ferry ride. On the island, we checked out a lavender farm. beautiful! (And found mathematician Karl's favorite sculpture). We looked for whales . . . the official watchers said one had been sighted recently . . . we were at a lighthouse. We checked out the site of an old English military camp, from the "Pig War", when England and the U.S. were both claiming San Juan Island as their own. stopped at a sculpture garden. Great late lunch at the "upscale" end of the island at Roche Harbor, and then back to the "touristy" end where we did some shopping before getting back on the ferry. On the drive home to the campground, had a birds-eye view of where we had kayaked the day before, and a great sunset!
Had a one-of-a-kind day on our kayaks one day! First, we paddled on Cranberry Lake, a fresh-water lake in the state park. We saw an eagle and other birds. The cool part about the eagle was that later, in talking to the campground hosts, I saw the eagle nest with two baby eagles. They were born early May, and were now "helicoptering", where they spread their wings and flap them and lift up a bit. They are not flying yet or left the nest. The mama eagle was on the branch above. Probably what we saw was the daddy eagle fishing that morning, to bring breakfast back to the nest. The pair has been at this location for several years.
Back to paddling, the lake was pretty small, so we decided to go look at the bay. yes - the salt water bay. We did it! First time our kayaks have been in salt water. It looked pretty smooth. We went from the West End beach to the North End Beach, and Karl went all the way to the big bridge that connects Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island. He really felt the current there. I stayed back a bit and took the pictures . . .
Another day, we took the ferry to San Juan Island. Great day! i think it was an hour and a half ferry ride. On the island, we checked out a lavender farm. beautiful! (And found mathematician Karl's favorite sculpture). We looked for whales . . . the official watchers said one had been sighted recently . . . we were at a lighthouse. We checked out the site of an old English military camp, from the "Pig War", when England and the U.S. were both claiming San Juan Island as their own. stopped at a sculpture garden. Great late lunch at the "upscale" end of the island at Roche Harbor, and then back to the "touristy" end where we did some shopping before getting back on the ferry. On the drive home to the campground, had a birds-eye view of where we had kayaked the day before, and a great sunset!
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