On to the Cascades

Our time was up on San Juan Island and we reluctantly said good-bye yesterday morning. It had taken us a couple of days to get into the swing of things there. At first, all the information we didn’t know about tides and currents seemed overwhelming, and, between that and the rain, we were reluctant to venture out with the kayaks. But after we watched group after group of obvious neophytes leave from our beach and return, damp but safe and happy, we got braver. We found the currents and tides not a problem, and paddling in the rain no big deal. In fact, it was nice. Our last morning, we woke up to a light fog and misty rain, and went for one last paddle. It was magical. The sea and the sky were the same color, and with the fog, the sensation was almost one of being suspended in space. Big ships, their foghorns sounding low and shrouded in mist, were barely visible farther out in the strait

Things we loved about San Juan Island: sunsets, kayaking in all kinds of weather, and the wildlife. There were orcas in the bay, baby seals on the beach, and a mama black-tail deer and her twin fawns, still dappled with spots, wandering around the campground. We will go back.

We left our campsite and drove back to Friday Harbor, where we got in line for the ferry and had about an hour to kill. We found The Blue Dolphin, which boasted having the best breakfast in town. Since it was the only breaskfast we ate in town, we don’t know if that was true, but it was fabulous! We didn’t order anything fancy—just bacon and eggs—but everything was cooked perfectly and served piping hot. A bonus was that they served two types of hashbrowns—shredded (Steve’s preference) and homestyle chopped (mine!). Both were obviously home-made, not frozen. Yum!

After grabbing a couple of lattes (did I mention that there is an espresso stand on every corner in Washington), we got back in the RV and waited to board the ferry. The ferry was delayed some, and after a bit we found out why. Last to get off was a semi pulled half a house—one of those manufactured jobs. It was long and wide and tall, even with the roof off. I can’t imagine what it must have cost to ferry it over! Once we were loaded on, the rest of the trip was smooth sailing. We de-boarded in Anacortes and drove to Deception Pass State Park, where we stayed last night. Today it’s on to the northern Cascades. Steve says he’s tired of mountains, trees, rain, and windy roads, but it’s either that or down through Seattle and Tacoma, which means traffic and congestion, which he hates, so the Cascades win. Before we get too far away from civilization, we’ll fuel up, hit a supermarket, and find a laundromat. We don’t have that much to wash, but everything is kind of damp from rain, and with the high humidity here, nothing gets dried out. While one load is in the washer, I’ll throw another—towels and quilts mostly—in the dryer to dry out.