Laura and I were married in 1986, and for our honeymoon, we did a combination of tent camping out of my GMC S-15 pickup truck and staying at B&Bs as we traveled to attend the World's Fair in Vancouver, BC. For our first "big" RV trip, we decided to spend two weeks retracing some of those steps from twenty-eight years ago.
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| This is our "Grapes of Wrath" photo. Somewhere under all of that is our 2012 Honda Fit. |
In keeping with the theme "Life is a Journey" and "Every New Adventure Teaches A Lesson", I managed to tow the Honda for five miles with the parking brake ON, before a considerate motorist pointed out at a stoplight that smoke was coming from the Honda's rear wheels. We've since had the Honda checked out, and fortunately no damage, but not the way I wanted to start out our trip.
The remaining 240-mile drive to Fidalgo Bay Resort in Anacortes, WA was uneventful. The Safari motorhome is comfortable to drive, has good blind spot visibility with the mirrors and the rear camera, and the 300 hp Caterpillar engine made towing a breeze with lots of power to spare (we were accelerating up hills).
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| The Historic Downtown part of Anacortes (founded in 1891) has some of the best food in the region. |
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| Some of the architecture flavor of Historic Downtown. |
Anacortes has an amazing collection of really good restaurants with a diversity to tempt any palette. Besides dining, we enjoy strolling about window shopping. The paved bike trail from Fidalgo Bay Resort to Cap Sante Marina and the start of Historic Downtown is only 2.5 miles and nearly flat. As a result, bicycle rides to town and back were frequent.
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| Roche Harbor, San Juan Island |
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| In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt stayed at the Hotel De Haro. |
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| Roche Harbor guest docks we've stayed many times. |
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| A classic woody. Love those old Chris Crafts |
Nothing says small world than to be strolling down the docks and spotted two PYC members pulling in. You've got to love the Roche Harbor marina crew waiting to help tie up your boat.
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| Fellow Portland Yacht Club members Kelly and Jim Johnson. |
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| Fellow Portland Yacht Club members Tammy and Michael House. |
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| Lunch at Roche Harbor |
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| Famous for the donuts they cook fresh every morning, we visited the Lime Kiln Cafe for lunch. |
The car worked out great as it allowed us to see the varied shoreline of San Juan Island. We also encountered lots of people kayaking. Taking advantage of the gorgeous weather, we took lots of walks every time we saw another point of interest that captured our fancy.
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| Lime Kiln Point State Park, San Juan Island. |
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| Cattle Point Lighthouse, San Juan Island. |
We transited Cattle Pass in total fog from Deer Harbor, Orcas Island to Port Townsend on July 2, 2008. We were aboard our Bayliner 38, and there was no shore to be seen. Visibility was about 200 feet at best. We didn't emerge from the fog until we passed by the Point Wilson Lighthouse, Port Townsend.
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| Cattle Pass. |
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| Preparing to board the ferry at Friday Harbor for the return trip to Anacortes. |
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| Friday Harbor |
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| Friday Harbor, San Juan Island |
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| We had a wonderful day on San Juan Island |
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| A parting view of Friday Harbor |
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| The beauty of the San Juan Islands. Well worth the trip even if you have to visit by ferry. |
Anacortes Street Fair
We enjoy street fairs and Farmer's Markets because it is an opportunity to see locally produced arts, crafts, merchandise, and farm products. Historic Downtown was blocked off for the event, which stretched for over half a mile.
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| Laura finds the anchor for her next boat. |
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| Street fair in Anacortes Historic Downtown. |
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| It was a warm day and they were doing a brisk business. |
Kayaking
Launching from the gravel beach at Fidalgo Bay Resort, we discovered that the barnacles are razor sharp when it comes to the plastic bottoms of our kayaks. This was the first time we'd had the kayaks in saltwater. We paddled 2.5 miles to Cap Sante Marina, explored the marina a bit, and then headed back. For nearly three-quarters of a mile, Laura was followed by a sea lion that at times would get within eight feet of the stern of her kayak. Craziest thing I ever saw.
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| Both boats launched and boarded without getting our feet wet. |
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| We started out for a leisurely paddle, but the further we went the closer Cap Sante seemed to be. |
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| Laura wears Dale out. |
At Lands End
Washington Park near the Anacortes ferry terminal provides great sunsets. The densely forested city park features swimming, boating, camping, trails, and an excellent perimeter road that provides vehicle access to all.
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| Sunset at Washington Park, Anacortes |
With our time in Anacortes coming to a close, we looked forward to Vancouver, BC. The motorhome had operated flawlessly and we were already discussing future trips we'd like to take. The WiFi connection at Fidalgo Bay Resort had supported me working on the vacation in the mornings, which really helped extend our vacation and kept my team moving forward on projects where my input was required. All-in-all a good start to our northwest trip.
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| Washington Park, Anacortes |
Live
well, Laugh
often, Love
much
