Our beautiful world..our green trees

Mukilteo Ferry in dock

Here is the ferry in daylight, well, our daylight, as over cast as it is. We have long days here, 4:30 to 10 or so..but again this year, we had summer in spring, and here in July, it's foggy and coolish.

Usually our summers are July and August, I wonder when we'll hit summer?

Not complaining understand, I love fog, and gray skies, long or short days..walking in drizzle, hiking in mud is one of my favorite things to do ( Shi Shi Beach).

I love what it does out there in the out of doors that makes the earth varied and beautiful.

I'm ready for someone to prepare this for me again....

Dungeness Crab, in lemon butter sauce, and prawns, w/ pilaf and veggies... yum, and not at all filling..

From Half Moon Bay in Westport WA.

Alaska Ferry, and Alaska 2 for 1 tours..

You can buy this Alaska Ferry print here

Map of the Inside Passage to Alaska

Alaska Specials..just a quick note here, the ferry to Alaska is a fun trip, inexpensive and here is a coupon book for 2 for 1 items for 99.00.

Alaska Ferry info

I'll try to get some pictures posted of on the ferry, where we lived in tentville...of course they have state rooms for weenies..and you can crash anywhere on the ferry. They have showers, and lockers, and you will see Gray whales, Orcas, and thousands of eagles through the Wrangell Narrows.

And.. a fine dining room, as well as snack bar. And you can take your car, but it is priced by size, so make that small. Rv's can also travel the ferry, see the site for info on prices, and size requirements/limits.

some more info

..and more..questions and answers.. etc. Sitka..and map of the inside passage..

Mukilteo Ferry from Whidbey Island

See that light out there, the one on top? That's my house ;)

This is a larger by far ferry than the Keystone, it has about 12 long lanes.

The run is relatively short compared to the Keystone though.

This ferry from PT will take you directly to Ebey's Landing on the.
Whidbey from Port Townsend (map)

Also Fort Casey on Whidbey Island which is the 2nd largest Island in the continental US,

next only to long Island.

More on Fort Casey

Info On Mukilteo
Map of Mukilteo

This is onboard The Mukilteo Ferry, Usually I go up top, but when I'm tied from adventuring,

well, then I don't. I just sit in my car, and enjoy the cruise.

Umm, nice tho to have the ferries to take short cuts, altho in very busy times,

I am not sure the wait is worth it.

I've waited hours in the holding lanes before.

Summers are bad this way, but this was a Monday, so it wasn't bad at all.

This ferry runs every 30 minutes until about 10 pm, then every hour.

The Marine Science Center is a nice vacation for family and kids on board a research boat.

Keystone Ferry

Inside the ferry. It was full of people, lots going on, one couple throwing dice,

kids running the adults to death being so active, and some of us just sipping a latte brought aboard and watching all the activity.

This is the small ferry that crosses from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island ( Keystone),

it's a longish ferry ride, which is enjoyable.

They recently added this smaller ferry,

smaller than the other small ferry that we used to have that I liked better.

Also, they try to make you get reservations to use it,

here the tides very much effect the ferry runs, too.

But... as any of you who know me know, I am not one to make reservations.

Choosing to take this ferry back last weekend allowed me to

drive along Hood Canal towards home, rather than take I 5.

There is actually another route, shorter, through Edmonds on that ferry,

but I opted for the two ferries, Keystone and the Mukilteo,

Clinton Ferry which dropped me at my front door.

I'll post a night time shot on the Mukilteo Ferry tomorrow.

This ferry only has 4 lanes, the Mukilteo Ferry has has I think, at least 12 lanes, and is much longer as well.

We have an extensive ferry system here, including the Ferry to Alaska,

which translates into 3 days up the Inside Passage to AK

Alaska and the Yukon

through such as the Wrangell Narrows.

I've been up to twice on that run.
This is Port Townsend from the ferry, I have actually spent loads of time here.

I've stayed at the hostel here, and gone to writers conferences, etc.

I have several friends here I haven't seen in awhile, and,

the Reiki master who trained me is here.

There is an Old Boat Club here at PT , too. And the Marine Sciences have a place here, too, where you can go for a scientific tour on their boat, counting seals, and etc. It's pretty cool.

The ferry from on deck

Cruiser on Long Beach the 4th of July

I wanna do this...

Cape Disappointment @ the Mouth of The Columbia River in WA. Washington

Cape Disappointment is a large headland forming the northern portion of the mouth of the Columbia River, as it opens to the Pacific Ocean. Most members of the Corps of Discovery arrived in this area where they were first able to glimpse the ocean on November 15, 1805, and set up a base camp near Chinook Point. However, Lewis and a small party of men had set out ahead of the rest of the group the day before and began scouting for a favorable site for a winter encampment.

Otter Tracks @ Willapa Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, Bay Side

Willapa Bay National wildlife Refuge

A shot of pink as peonies become dried petals.... and other pink flowers here from this spring, early summer

Shoto Clay, Lake River Ceramic Pieces

These photos are all copyrighted, so I can't post one, but you might like to take a look at these artifacts from The Portland Basin near Vancouver WA.
I find these extremely interesting, and mysterious.
THESE ARTIFACTS ARE SOME TIMES CALLED "SHOTO CLAY" OF THE PORTLAND BASIN, LAKE VANCOUVER, OR THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER.
ALL PART OF THE PRIVATE MUSEUM OF ANCIENT PEOPLES OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND GREAT BASIN.

A private collection I guess, but will open for public upon reasonable request.
I've written.. I have to see these, any body else want to go?

Longest Beach in US is in Washington State? News to me, but true

Long Beach is a peninsula, we have a few here, and this one is home to a 28 mile beach, longest in the US!

We hiked the refuge here last weekend, it was wonderful, (Take mosquito repellent).



A bay on one side, Pacific Ocean on other, This is THE Tsunami Zone.. of ALL Tsunami zones!

This is also home to an island ( little known) with old growth pockets of 1000 year old trees.
Access by boat only, and is completely primitive.. must filter your own water, and unless you can put your RV in a kayak, you won't be going here in an RV. lol

So I was scheduled to do this island this weekend, but guess what? No kayak rentals nearby, REI doesn't rent kayaks here in WA. so it's too late to order the kayak I would like to get, and my inflatable isn't good for this I think.
Anyway, there is a kayaking water trail 124 miles on the Columbia here too. Wow, what a place, next chapter of my life... begins here! Wanna tag along?