Ala Spit
Cissy August 2017
What I enjoy most about this trail is that it only takes 20-30 minutes to hike around the entire spit. It's sandy beach gives you an extra workout---we usually go twice around and let Mike (the dog) burn up his energy with a good swim. On a clear day the views of Mount Baker, Mount Erie, Fidalgo Island, Hope Island, and the inner part of Puget Sound are spectacular.
Launch your kayak or paddle board from here, enjoy and explore the area from the water. Clamming and salmon fishing are popular off the spit. Make sure to have your license! Ala Spit is also a favorite birding spot, so bring your binoculars and guidebooks.
Launch your kayak or paddle board from here, enjoy and explore the area from the water. Clamming and salmon fishing are popular off the spit. Make sure to have your license! Ala Spit is also a favorite birding spot, so bring your binoculars and guidebooks.
From the Farm
Mike July 2017
Normally I would say my favorite spot would be the Community Forest Lands on Fidalgo Island or the Dog Beach on Whidbey, but as a timely seasonal favorite I like to take my humans to "From the Farm" out on Josh Wilson Road. They bake their own shortcake and trust me, when I've cleaned up the crumbs my humans dropped---there is not another shortcake west of the Mississippi that can compare. So delicate on the inside with just the right amount of crunch on the out, fresh strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream---"oh heaven" (that's the term I hear the humans use.) Best part you can buy berries and shortcake and do it yourself at home.
Click on their name for directions and more information about From the Farm
Click on their name for directions and more information about From the Farm
Deception Pass Don June 2017
Deception Pass, I know, is no secret. The views of the Olympics on a clear day can't be beat. I used to hike all over the park but now as age sneaks up behind me---I just passed my 85th birthday--- I keep to the maintained trails in the park, which allow me to enjoy the beach, woods, lake and mountain views.
One of great treasures and attractions of the park that endures is the sea-side gnarled 850-year-old ancient Douglass-Fir. Maybe I like the name and the fact its as old and gnarled as me. I like to imagine what that old tree has seen and lived through...early native children through modern children from all across the globe climbing and playing on its limbs. I love taking my grandchildren to marvel at it---hell, I marvel at it every visit.
My favorite time of year to go with my walking partner is mid-winter. I feel as if the park is all mine. There are usually one or two cars in the parking lot and by the time we leave there are none. Of course the jet pilots will zoom by low, running training courses from the very nearby base but the times and days are fairly regular and we nearly have the schedule figured out to avoid them. I do have to admit the "Sound of Freedom" will deliver a pure jolt of exhilaration and adrenaline as they nearly break the sound barrier overhead but plug your ears when they do.
There are 1.2 miles of ADA hiking, roughly thirty-eight miles of hiking trails, and three miles of bike trails.
http://parks.state.wa.us/497/Deception-Pass
One of great treasures and attractions of the park that endures is the sea-side gnarled 850-year-old ancient Douglass-Fir. Maybe I like the name and the fact its as old and gnarled as me. I like to imagine what that old tree has seen and lived through...early native children through modern children from all across the globe climbing and playing on its limbs. I love taking my grandchildren to marvel at it---hell, I marvel at it every visit.
My favorite time of year to go with my walking partner is mid-winter. I feel as if the park is all mine. There are usually one or two cars in the parking lot and by the time we leave there are none. Of course the jet pilots will zoom by low, running training courses from the very nearby base but the times and days are fairly regular and we nearly have the schedule figured out to avoid them. I do have to admit the "Sound of Freedom" will deliver a pure jolt of exhilaration and adrenaline as they nearly break the sound barrier overhead but plug your ears when they do.
There are 1.2 miles of ADA hiking, roughly thirty-eight miles of hiking trails, and three miles of bike trails.
http://parks.state.wa.us/497/Deception-Pass
Meerkerk Gardens
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April 2017 Kathleen |
If you watch birds enough you’ll realized that they are creatures of habit. Every spring I look for a certain junco to visit my feeder. The bird is easy to spot because it has an unusual white smudge on the left side of its tail feathers. It first appeared four years ago and since then has become a regular.
At Seafarer’s Memorial Park, I always look for black oystercatchers along the shore. They arrive in mid-winter and seem to like that small stretch of beach. I usually see two, sometimes three, but this year their little flock has grown to five. Black oystercatchers are easy to recognize. They have plump, black-brown bodies, pink legs, and a long, orange beak. But it’s the harlequin duck that’s on my must-see list. It also appears near a certain shoreline of Fidalgo Island in the winter. Comment if you know where this brilliantly-painted bird is found? |
March 2017
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