Vacation with the Thomases

Vancouver......here they come!  Jill and Ray joined us for 2 weeks!

Granville Island Public Market.....................fruits, veggies, meats, fish and .......................

DESSERTS!

We anchored in False Creek between Granville Island and Vancouver, specifically Yaletown - very yuppie!  It's all condo towers, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and organic markets.

BC was celebrating British Canada Day.  The place was packed but we did get to see fireworks. 

 And I love fireworks.

Oh yea, it was also Gay Pride Weekend.  

We arrived just in time for the parade which was a hoot as you can imagine.

Then off to Snug Cove on Bowen Island which is very popular for the Vancouvians (sp?) as it isn't far at all.  Here is a cute floating house with overflowing flower boxes.

Cocktails................oh yea.

One of our stops was Garden Bay in Pender Harbor.  

Jill and Ray are crossing the bridge to John Henry's for ice cream.

One mission for Le Chat Beaute' was to venture up Jervis Inlet to see Chatterbox Falls at the Princess Louisa Marine Park.  At the river opening is Malibu Rapids -  a narrow part of the river which requires synchronizing our arrival with the tide so we're not going against the current which can be as much as 11 knots.  At Malibu Rapids there is a camp - a Young Life Camp!  It was great to know they are still around since I belonged to Young Life while in high school.  It brought back many great memories for me.

Going up into Jervis Inlet. There were several waterfalls - I can't imagine how many there must be in the spring with the snow runoff.

Chatterbox Falls

Jill's dinner at the Frog Bistro in Powell River. A little piggery going on, but we're on vacation!

Ok Ray, what is it?  a Cabazon????  Whatever, it made a tasty dinner.

Last stop Nanaimo.  A charming town with lots of European flavor.  Here's the gang at the Dinghy Dock Pub.....where else?  Like the umbrella says, "it's good to be here".

View of the anchorage from Newcastle Island which is a stunningly beautiful park.

Paddy FINALLY found some licorice ice cream...........................boy, was he happy!

Jill and Ray took a float plane back to Vancouver airport.  It was only a 20 minute flight, but as I understand it, the flight was exciting.  They made it home safely,  We enjoyed their company and assisting them with the wine consumption!!!!!!  

Anacortes, Washington

Latitude 48 degrees 30'48"  Longitude 122 degrees 36'18" 

Our view of Mt. Baker, Washington from James Island.

Love, love, love this beach art! 

 Our friends Dennis and June, s/v Shamaness, are traveling on land this summer.  They stopped to visit in Anacortes on their way to the Queen Charlotte Island, BC.  Dennis and Paddy went to drop the crab trap.

 Shelly and Larry were up from Palm Springs so off we go for a few days on Le Chat Beaute'.  Visited Sucia Island and Rosario.  Unfortunately it rained one day and we were cabin bound!

 The Rosario Hotel is another resort with a lot of history.  Doesn't this pool look inviting?

Had a minor tear in the headsail.  Capt. Paddy on the deck to repair.  Good thing he is so handy.

Because of the location of Anacortes, it's history is about various Indian tribes, the Samish and Swinomish  Indians.  Coast Salish peoples thrived on the rich natural resources here on Fidalgo Island for 10,000 years before Spanish explorers started mapping the area in the 1790's.  For many years this city was a bustling fishing, canning, logging and mill town.  Since the natural resources have diminished, the area now has an oil refinery and busy shipyards, and tourism.  

The Cap Sante Marina is home to a few tall ships.  One is The Adventuress:  133 feet, launched in Booth Bay, Maine in 1913 and is a National historic landmark.

Below is the Lady Washington which was launched March 1989 and built in Aberdeen, WA.  She is a full scale reproduction of the original.  In 1787 she was prepared for a trading voyage around Cape Horn.  In 1899, she became the first American vessel to make landfall on the coast of North America.  A pioneer in Pan-Pacific trade,  she was the first American ship to visit Honolulu,  Hong Kong and Japan.

 Hawaiian Chieftain:  104 feet long, built in Lahaina, Maui in 1988 (a contemporary interpretation of a traditional design).  Both of these ships are now owned by the Gray Harbor Historical Seafarer's Society and are used for training for high school students, sea scouts, etc.

The terrain in this area requires creative placement of homes.  Now here are some stairs that can get your heart pumping!  

Gotta have champagne!

The cook preparing a spinach omelet - it was a wonderful breakfast.

See how the color of the water is changing?  The river meets the sea..............

On our way to Vancouver BC to pick up Jill and Ray!  (Aug. 1, 2014)

San Juan and Stuart Islands

After leaving Lopez, we sailed for about 1 hour to Friday Harbor on the island of San Juan.  San Juan is the largest island and the namesake.  The town of Friday Harbor is larger than the village of Lopez and less weird.  There is a busy ferry terminal dropping off and picking up visitors ALL summer.  You can drive or walk onto the ferry.  If on a motorcycle, you go to the front of the line!  

Pretty little harbor.

A quick shop for groceries, a trip to ACE hardware and to the local computer repair for my laptop - all is well now.  Next stop is Stuart island at the northern most part of the island archipelago.  This photo was taken at 5:40 a.m. in Prevost Harbor.

A scenic hike 

A rope swing out in the middle of nowhere.  But a place to sit and rest on the uphill trail.

Also on the trail is the Treasure Chest filled with souvenirs - t-shirts, hats, postcards, etc.  Take what you like, grab an envelope, put your cash in there and drop it in the lock box.  Nifty idea.

An old friend Mary and her friend Reyja have volunteered for the week to "wo-man" the visitors center at the Turn Point Light House.  Bring your own food and drink, the park provides housing and transportation to and fro.  It's like a free summer vacation!  The weather was terrific.

This charming house was used for the Lighthouse keeper and his family.  We heard a lot of fascinating stories about the people and families who lived there and 2 families who still have relatives on the island.  As you can tell by the color of the grass it was very dry there.  Big burn ban going on on all the islands.

Ah, then back to the west side of San Juan to the ritzy Roche Harbor where "all the big yachts stay"!

The Haro Hotel is the name of the resort.  Several weddings took place in the gardens while we were visiting.  It is the heart of what was originally a lime rock production company.  The laborers stayed in the hotel.  I'm sure it didn't look like this back in the mid-1800's.

The resort was formerly a company town surrounding the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company, which was incorporated in 1886. Lime production was a major industry and revenue source for a corporation run by John S. McMillin, whose ashes are buried in a large mausoleum nearby. The focal point of the resort is the historic Hotel de Haro.  From: Wikipedia

Near the resort, in a large field, is a sculpture garden full of fascinating original pieces.  Some even revolve with the help of wind.

This mausoleum was built by the owners with a Masonic theme.  Set in the woods, we arrived there around 6 p.m. and the angle of the sun created an eerie setting. 

Just south of Roche Harbor is Garrison Bay where the English Camp is located.

From Wikipedia:
The Pig War was a confrontation in 1859 between the United States and the British Empire over the boundary between the US and the British Empire. The territory in dispute was the San Juan Islands, which lie between Vancouver Island and the North American mainland. The Pig War, so called because it was triggered by the shooting of a pig, is also called the Pig Episode, the Pig and Potato War, the San Juan Boundary Dispute or the Northwestern Boundary Dispute. With no shots exchanged and no human casualties, this dispute was a bloodless conflict.

Because the British and Americans were called in to settle the dispute, 2 military camps were built: The English Camp and the American Camp.  The camps remained maintained for 12 years.  Check out Pig War on wikipedia for more info.

The Park Ranger and Paddy take down the British flag from the English Camp.

The wind was perfect to fly the spinnaker on our way to Anacortes, Washington.

LOPEZ ISLAND IN THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS

We arrived at Lopez Island just in time to celebrate July 4th.  It is a popular place to go for the 4th as it is well known for having the best fireworks around and so they did!  The only thing I was worried about was the fact that they are set off at dark - which was 10:30 pm!  Is this old lady going to be able to stay up that late?  Yes sir-ree!  The fireworks display was everything they said and more.

Le Chat Beaute' decorated in all her glory!

 Lopez is also known for their organic gardens and foods, along with the hippies that grow them!

Here we are after the July 4th 5k Walk and 10k Run which we both participated in.

 Paddy "the Stud" is showing off his certificate for coming in 2nd in his age group.  (yes, there were more than 2 running!)

The parade theme was "Keep Lopez Weird" - I don't think there is any way they will lose that reputation.

Whidbey Island where the air force launches it's fighter jets is close by and the residents "are up in arms" about the noise level.  And yes, it's very loud.

Most of the islands are quite close to the U.S. and Canadian mainland.  The only way you can get here is by ferry, boat, and float planes!  They land and take off about every 30 minutes.  Could this guy be any closer?

The first thing you will notice about the beaches in the northwest is that they are covered in wood - not the shells you see in Florida.  So here is some beach art.

And my contribution!

There are over 700 islands in the San Juans of which 172 are named.  Some you only see at low tide!  

Island hopping here we come.  More islands to visit...................

Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest

We returned to Portland on May 17th, just in time for the annual Rose Festival that takes place in Portland, The City of Roses. This city was stunning - there were colorful blooming flowers and roses all over town - even along the on ramps to the freeways!  The Maxeys came to visit and we toured the Rose Gardens in Washington Park.

 I took a zillion pictures of the roses, but so not to bore anyone, here a two photos!

 This one was an award winner ............................. no questions!

 Then off to the Japanese Tea Garden with Suzie and Aimee.  A most serene and calming place to be.  Charming quaint water features - everything from ponds to small and large waterfalls.

A view into the Zen Garden

We were docked in the Tomahawk Marina on Hayden Island in Portland along the Columbia River.  The adjacent neighborhood had lovely sidewalks under fragrant trees - perfect for our walks and runs.  Paddy's friend John loaned us a vehicle which was great because we had a lot of errands to run to get the boat ready to leave after being at the dock for 8 months.  Item number 1 - give the boat a bath!

On June 24th we said our goodbyes to Suzie, Aimee, John, Julie and Foos, other family and friends and set sails for Astoria to cross the "bar" (no, not the kind of bar you're thinking) and head north to the San Juan Islands.