Day 4: Lopez Island
When we decided to visit multiple islands, we knew we could count on the Washington State Ferry System, but we soon learned that the process itself, of reporting to a parking lot within a certain time frame, parking, waiting, and driving on, then waiting again, could take up a good part of the day.
We started at Lopez Island by visiting a natural gravel spit. It had a critter-filled marsh on one side, so Oliver was thrilled. We walked to the end and back, getting sandy and touching slimy things. Later we explored the rest of the island and settled in for a nice meal at a local restaurant before heading back to Friday Harbor and our camping spot.
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| Look, a shell! |
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| Zaeda loves to sprint. She bolts with such wild abandon that we still tense up a bit at the possibility of her tripping and doing a face plant (which sometimes happens). Still, watching your kids run is a real joy. |
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| Look, a dead crab! |
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| Our 14th Anniversary! |
Day 5: Orcas Island
There are few people who enjoy waking up in a tent and hearing the rain beating down on their campsite. That was our morning. Part of the tent's rain fly had come undone, allowing water to come in through a window, so we had puddles and some wet gear inside as well. Such is the camping experience...
We started off early, not caring to make breakfast at our damp camping table and instead grabbing breakfast in Friday Harbor before driving on to the ferry for our next jaunt to nearby Orcas island.
Our main destination was Moran State Park, where we took trails to see some small waterfalls. Then we drove to the top of Mt. Constitution for the famous view from the observation tower. Alas, the tower was shrouded in mist, the rain kept falling, and we didn't see far. However, they did have a great kids activity area that kept Oliver and Zaeda busy for a while. Again, we finished our stay on the island with a great restaurant meal!
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| Look, a newt! |
Back at Lakedale campground, the kids played for a bit in the bocce ball court.
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| A nice fire to dry things out! |
Day 6: Last full day on San Juan Island
This was our day to see the other half of the island we'd first explored earlier in the week. We started with American Camp at the southern end of the island. The first task was for Oliver to turn in the Junior Ranger program homework he'd picked up at the other park a few days earlier and be sworn in. He accepted the plastic badge with great pride and reminded us throughout the day of how he was fulfilling different parts of the Junior Ranger oath.
We walked around the camp trail, then followed a path down to Grandma's cove, a tiny beach with some terrific tide pools that fascinated the kids. After a picnic lunch, we left the park for the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.
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| Look, a jellyfish! |
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| Writing her name in the sand. |
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| At the Whale Museum. |
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| After a week of travel and camping, the kids were getting antsy and bugging each other. We bribed them with a promise of stuffed animals from the museum gift shop if they behaved. Oliver got "Otto" a sea otter. Zaeda selected a frilly pink jellyfish that she named "Jelly Kelly" |
Our last night at the campground, we rented a rowboat and explored the lake. Both kids took a turn at the oars.
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| Oliver reading by flashlight at the end of a long day. |
