Celtic Safari: Summer in the Islands

After a late spring and early summer spent getting the house ready for new exterior paint, it was wonderful to start our six-week adventure at Fidalgo Bay RV Resort near Anacortes, WA after a short detour to attend our niece's wedding (my late sister's youngest daughter Amber). Our campsite in West Park #120 would serve as our home base for the weeks' coming adventures as Dale carried on with his day job and we explored the region when Dale was off of work.

Happy 30th Anniversary

Part of the motivation behind our six-week trip was to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Our honeymoon had involved a combination of camping and B&B stays on our way to and from the 1986 World's Fair in Vancouver, BC.

While the motorhome is quite a step up from the tent camping we had done out of the back of my S15 GMC pickup, it only served to remind us how far we have come in those thirty years.

After work on the 26th, we headed to the town of LaConnor for dinner at Nell Thorn. Wow! What a wonderful experience. We had a beautiful view out the windows overlooking Swinomish Channel and a delicious dinner. The staff was great and the setting just right for remembering all the wonderful milestones we've shared together.

This was our first visit to Nell Thorn, and we will definitely try them again in the future. Not cheap, but high quality and a good value.'

Free Concert and a Sailboat Race

Wednesday the 27th found us on the grass at Seafarer's Memorial Park taking in a free concert and watching the Wednesday Night races sponsored by the Anacortes Yacht Club.

The Port of Anacortes sponsors a concert series in the summer. The music was awesome and the crowds very polite. Like many others, we brought our lawn chairs, a picnic dinner, and our favorite beverage. Those in attendance we multi-generational.

On this night the music was provided by A'Town Big Band. Their sound was great, and as the evening wore on they attracted a small contingent who danced to the rhythms.

We could not have asked for better weather. There was enough wind to enable the sailboat racing while still leaving the evening very pleasant. The event had a wonderful small town feel. The smile on Laura's face tells the whole story.

Washington Park Sunset

Anacortes is noted for the number of its city parks. After the concert, we headed over to Sunset Beach, Washington Park since we hadn't visited it before.

Besides the launch ramp and shore side picnic facilities, the cove also looked like a nice place to bring the kayaks, since the smooth pebble beach would be gentle on the kayak's bottoms when pushing off and return to shore.

The best parking is near the ramp (about twelve spaces), but there are lots of other spaces, we'd just need to use the dollies if we were coming to kayak.

While passing ferries and boats in Guemes Channel can leave a wake, it's pretty diminished by the time it reaches the beach.

The launch ramp is very popular with the local fishermen. Lots of trailer parking is only a short distance from the ramp.

Farmers Market - Anacortes

On Saturday, July 30th, we headed over to the Farmers Market near Cap Sante Marina. While populated with a nice balance of artists, craft folks, and farmers, it was the farmers that were the draw for Laura and I this weekend.

One of the upsides of an extended stay in a community is that you get to experience some of the rhythms of the events, and see things you might have missed on a previous visit. The Farmers Market is like that. While many of the booths are the same week to week, there is always something new to see, a new band or musician to listen to or an item that leads you to strike up a conversation with the merchant. We left with a bag of fresh produce and meats that Laura turned into dinner that evening.