Sunday, September 4, 2016

Part 3

I am a bit stunned myself that there is more to share. I really did take a LOT of photos. But I am having trouble not including them, as it really is a stunning environment. I think Damian and I have decided that we loved it so much because the natural landscape is really visible even when you're in a city. That's how it is on the IOM,  deep down you feel pleased to see the literal shape of the land and wow who knew that Seattle was so hilly! It was like San Francisco and that was a complete surprise and now I live for the most part somewhere flat...nice to have a steep hill to walk to and fro in the city for a change

So the day before the day before we left we decided that we should have a look further afield and headed off...south (bit of a mistake...) and so we started to drive to the Pacific....As we are going along the road what should we have looming in front....it looks like cloud but it's Mt Rainier....literally smack bang in the line of sight! Pretty spectacular

Along this drive we came across many bridges. I rather liked them

This was very bolty! But at least we knew it would stay together

We went through a town called Aberdeen and this was the Taco Bell (fast food outlet) sculpture there. This is a very hard working place and people I think are very involved in logging here and heavy industry. Although I think it has hit hard times.

But further from Aberdeen you come to the sea. The area is completely flat and I mean pancake. It wasn't what I had hoped for...I was thinking dramatic coastline..........But there are dunes and lots of drift wood on the gargantuan size.

People drive onto the beach and they all looked like they were having fun and yes that's the Pacific! Er Wow

They had some seasidy vibe going on....not sure I would go int there but again people were having fun

Here is a list of some rules for the beaches there



But although this isn't what I was hoping for, the up side was sea and the breeze off it was amazingly strong and the waves were quite big! Having stood in the sea in Australia, I can say that the Pacific does have really strong surf

The beach view was as far as the eye could see.

And there were lots of tiny birds flying about.....I don't know if you can see them in this one. Just in front of the waves onto the beach

Quite a few sand dollar shells about. I've never seen them on a beach and look at the sand. It was quite dark and varied in colour.

This looked like sea weed from the Isle of Man

They do do some boat things here. But I was happy to get back on the road and get back to Seattle...I'm told that North was a better drive...so feeling at this point I'm sorry that we only have one day left!

Early the next morning I'm watching the boats in the Sound from the Apartment and I see this huge cargo ship and then the Bainbridge Ferry and of course tugs all milling about 

So the Ferry has scooted off and the Cargo ship needs to berth. The tugs are lining up!

OMG I didn't know they actually touched the boat and guided it quite like this!!!!

So little fella at the front

Bigger guy at the back and OMG he is touching the back of the boat. If I didn't think they were good before (and we know I have already said I think they're heroes previously) they are super stars these tug peeps!!!. That is some serious precision. I mean, how do they get their speeds lined up, different sized vessels and all that and resistant to water and yup mind blown. That is amazing!

Alright this is inside another Ferry. I had persuaded Damian that on his last day he would love to visit another Island. You know just to compare to the other...So off to Whidbey Island we go. Similar length as the IOM and width but thinner like a banana. Less population as well. We have to drive north for about 40 minutes and then hop on a ferry for 15 minutes!!!!! how cool is that! for short ferry ride

But on leaving the main land...which is mist laidened

In fact where we were leaving from was starting to disappear too


The view to, what must be an Island on a clear day you would feel you could touch, is shrouded in mist. Wonder if this is Manannan's cloak? (Isle of Man folk law) To say it was eerie is an understatement and I had by this point in the holiday been reading up about the Islands....and someone had said that this Island would be a good setting for a Stephen King book....no kidding






But once on the Island, the mist started to clear and it was just breathtakingly beautiful. The waters a crystal blue. The island looks onto many wooded landscapes across these lovely waters. It was truly a visual paradise.

The first town we came to was Langley and this faces back towards the mainland but looks over the small Cameo Island. So you get that lovely low level tree themed vista. It was a lovely small town. Very different atmosphere to Bainbridges Winslow. Bearing in mind this is peak season there and they do get lots of people visiting for vacations seemed quite but then again that's why people like to live there and visit. 

I spied this fab studio apartment...well of course I could live there

Next along the coast we came to Coupeville. This actually has a larger population that Langley. But was even sleeper. You really got the feeling people lived a quiet life here and just got on with what they were doing. It is a working place...but quietly so. The views were again stunning and yes that is Mt Rainier again! I tell you that is one huge mountain

At Coupeville they had this pier and so of course trudged out along it and 

more amazing views

The Sound was literally like a mill pond

I wonder if they have basements and if they flood?

Bit of interesting rock face

Minnows

Jelly fish....lots of them

Yes that's an action shot of a jelly fish in action.

We carried on up the Island and the way the geography is and the main road that follows it, you go up the spine of the Island. The South of the Island is very quiet and people are growing their own and there was eco housing and stuff like that. Further north were the populations of Langley and Coupeville are doubled by Oak Harbor, which is the North tip of the Island. There is a naval base and we saw lots of evidence of fighter jets...But there is something there that we had to see....

Now the boys didn't know what they were in for. But I did. It was Deception Pass and there is a bridge that spans it. It is truly a site to behold and is the bridge that joins Whidbey with the main land. It is part of the National Parks and with good reason...the woods around it are beautiful...

The view walking down to get to the beach.
Really quite a choppy waterway

and there it is. This shot looks like it could be from the 70's and is a bit blurred. But the scale of this thing is impressive...hence strangers to give scale

There was lots of washed up trunks and Louie made this picture for me


Without people



The water behind Louie is definitely not for swimming.....can you see the rips

But for the boys the beach presented the perfect opportunity for that well known English sea side sport of skimming

Great variety of pebbles

This is definitely a veritable goldmine for pebbles in fact

Yeah! 

But we can always look moody and silent

This is a huge stump and with the sun behind him it rather like his halo!

But the action continues water side

Takes patience and care of searching for that right stone


Damian is in the thick of it

Louie's wonderful stance

This is on the way back up....happy to say all the other visitors to the beach by the time we left were skimming away...yes we had started a thing alright

Truly worth the drive to and over. The bridge had a smaller one after it and then we saw a lake and it looked like it was on eye level with the car. As Damian pointed out that second body of water must have been quite high from sea level. What an amazing island

We drove back down to Seattle and managed to catch this shot for Louie. Double engine!

Barns dotted the way

Lots of farming here

Hills, sorry Mountains, rising in the back ground

Loved this old barn that I managed to get as we whizzed by

At last back to Seattle...it took about an hour and a half all told. Not bad.

Till the next morning and leaving the West Coast. I'm going to take a stab and say this is Mt Rainier...

The clouds are always so amazing from a plane

Like a landscape

Past the Cascades Mountains to the farming country behind...and to West Chester..

I hoped you have enjoyed this huge set of blogs. I was told that I should go to the edges of America to feel at home. I'm glad I saw this edge of it.