Friday, May 6, 2022 Auction Previews and a Museum

We hit the road Friday morning at 8:45 am - a light breakfast was served at the hotel - I had a taste of the scrambled eggs but then settled for a Chobani yogurt. We were heading to Market Street in Philadelphia to an auction preview and stopped at Dunkin Donuts for coffee. Unlike the beautiful day we had yesterday, today was cool, dark, damp, and dreary - but colorful pansies greeted us at DD to brighten up the day.

There was a light mist as we arrived at the auction preview site, but parking was going to be an issue - I don't think there is any parking in Philadelphia!! Johnny drove around several blocks until we weren't quite sure where we were - the GPS brought us back to Market Street - Johnny went to try a parking lot across the street, but it was a private lot. I spied what looked like a parking space across from the gallery - but we didn't hold our breaths - there were all kinds of signs above the space. Johnny checked it out, paid the meter, and we ran across the street to the gallery. 

Johnny had an appointment at 10, but the guy wasn't there yet. They let us check out the auction items. Johnny and Vickie are into modern and/or mid century antiques which are not really my style - but the more I travel with them, the more I can recognize some pieces but not always the creator. The art work is definitely not my style. Johnny always surprises me with how much he knows about woodwork, sculpture,  paintings, etc And how much he knows about the artists. There was one large room of items for the upcoming auctions. We made our way around the room - I did appreciate some of the furniture - tables, chairs, desks, bureaus - not your average colonial or mission style - but I do like the look and feel of some of the pieces - the hard, cold, smooth wood - the varying colors of chocolate/brown. I am beginning to recognize some of George Nakashima's works - butterfly joints and live edges. Johnny and Vickie love George Nakashima's works - Johnny said that they started buying pieces years ago, but now his pieces are worth thousands and thousands of dollars and out of their reach! Below is an example of his work - the butterflies are the light colored wood holding the 2 pieces together. The live edge is more visible on the top side - it is not straight - it is natural. My son Dan had a live edge table made for their kitchen.

https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/tables/tables/large-george-nakashima-free-edge-conoid-dining-table-american-black-walnut/id-f_26566122/?utm_content=condensed&allowUniversalLink=no&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1N2TBhCOARIsAGVHQc6uNmPjwtQfqqEo95zBuXZ7VGZmWDGFj80RSVLEyOBzBJ-QyUP5MBoaAs8JEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The rain had picked up by the time we left the gallery. Johnny and Vickie wanted to drive through Philadelphia's old city where there were art galleries and restaurants - on first Fridays they used to have open studios, music - I think they said the streets were closed so people could wonder through the galleries. J & V had been several times some years ago. But shocker! A lot of the area has been razed! Whole blocks have been torn down! And new cookie cutter boxy apartment or condo buildings are being built. The older buildings that had character are being destroyed, and these ugly new buildings that I have also seen on the west coast and along the east coast are springing up. Johnny said that he "didn't recognize anything because everything is gone." I don't know that area but surely some of those older buildings could have been rehabbed. Such a sin! It is like the suburban developments that are being built - huge houses that all look the same with large manicured lawns. A loss of character, a loss of history.

Philadelphia transportation building 

I did like all the street art - there were numerous murals painted on walls - all kinds of topics. Too bad it was raining - it would have been interesting to walk through some of the neighborhoods. There was a gorgeous mural that the city had paid for depicting the history of immigration. There were even murals under the underpasses.

The rain was heavier when we were leaving Philadelphia. We passed all kinds of bridges - there are the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers I think. 

We had an appointment at a museum at 1 pm - it was about 11 now - so we had plenty of time to grab a bite to eat. Johnny decided to head out to the museum which was a half hour drive and eat there. Wrong!! We hit the worst traffic I have seen in ages. Every highway coming and going was bumper to bumper - it was everywhere - we could see roads blocked when we came to cloverleafs. We did notice that with the rain everything was in full bloom - there were sporadic lilac bushes along the highway. The sign ahead of us said Pennsylvania Turnpike 6 miles will take 25 minutes. Johnny does not have much patience when he is driving so he pulled off at some exit after we had sat in traffic for 20 minutes or so.  We followed the back roads to the museum - it was dark, foggy and very wet.

Taking the back roads was a good decision - it was amazing the transformation from horrendous traffic to rural landscapes! There were beautiful colorful flowers and trees. Pennsylvania has yellow covers on its recycling barrels. We passed through Valley Forge National Park - it was quiet, green and peaceful. Despite the traffic we had hit, we arrived at the museum early. The rain was still heavy - this wouldn't have been a problem except that I had left my rain jacket and new Manatee Park baseball cap at O'Dowd's Pub in Roundstone, Connemara.  And I hadn't brought my raincoat - when I checked the weather before we left, I thought it said it was going to be dry and warm - I had brought 2 short sleeve T shirts and one turtleneck. I was wearing the turtleneck and an old sweat shirt. We decided to drive to King of Prussia for breakfast. Then we headed back to the museum.

The bridge to the building where we were meeting for a tour.

We were at the Wharton Esherick Museum in Malvern, Pennsylvania. I guess J & V had been by here a few weeks ago and tried to get into a tour but they were booked up. So here we are today. I had no clue who this man was. The docent took us on a tour of the living quarters. Esherick was a bohemian - he had a distinct style - there is not a straight line - angles are askew - almost everything is made of wood - and everything is made by him. 

The curved staircase in the upper left leads up to the bedroom - I did not go up there - the steps looked very narrow. Vickie went up and said the steps weren't bad - she liked the bedroom best so now I wish I had seen it. There is a workshop downstairs - there is a railing around it - a couple of large wood sculptures are sticking up from it.

Esherick did not waste anything - in the kitchen there are 2 ceiling lights which aren't in the picture above - one lamp shade is an old piece of raw hide - the other is an old trash can lid - he recycled whatever he could. Even the kitchen sink and toilet were made from wood!

It's too bad that it was raining - we didn't tour the grounds. But the whole tour was very interesting.

Above is the living quarters where we visited. Below is where we met the docent.

I think we left the museum about 2:30. Johnny took back roads, and we meandered toward New Hope, Pennsylvania and Lambertville, New Jersey - they are connected by a bridge. They both have such cute shops and restaurants - but it was really raining now. We had passed some lovely rural areas along the way. It was about 4:30 when Vickie suggested that we eat in Lambertville since it was so crowded last night that we might have trouble getting into a restaurant closer to the hotel. They like Giuseppe's Ristorante in Lambertville so we went there. It sells pizza and Italian dishes. Johnny and I had chicken parm, and Vickie had chicken Alfredo. J & V picked up some desserts, but I still had Smartfood back at the hotel. Johnny was tired from driving in heavy rain and the traffic in Philadelphia so we called it an early night when we got back to the hotel. 

We are going to Rago's auction preview in the morning and then to George Nakashima's studio at noon. We are stopping at Johnny's neighbors for a short visit before heading back to the Cape. 

Thursday, May 5, 2022 Nice day for a drive to New Jersey!

My brother and sister-in-law are Johnny and Vickie Manning for those who don't know them. When I was traveling east to Ireland and Europe, they were traveling all over the United States.  I have been on a few trips with them since I retired - Johnny does the driving no matter how long the day is - he says he gets too  nervous when someone else is driving. I know that feeling when I am in the passenger seat in Ireland. I am perfectly happy to look at the sights and sites and leave the driving to him!

Johnny texted me the other day to say they were driving to Philadelphia - was I interested - it would probably be two overnights. I am still trying to pay off my last two trips to Ireland, but I immediately said yes!!

I was at their house in Bourne this morning at 9 am. It is a bit different this time - usually their son Jason would come to the house to mind their dog King.  But sadly King died a few weeks ago - he had been suffering from kidney cancer. So he is at peace now, but it is still sad when he is not there to greet me or not there expecting me to be scratching and rubbing his back. Johnny and Vickie are free to travel whenever they want now. So we jumped into the car and headed out.

One thing I enjoy about traveling with them is that Johnny likes to avoid the highways and take back roads when he can. Today we headed out I 195 toward Providence. I do like this highway - I love passing by New Bedford, Fall River, Providence, New Haven - first because we are driving along their harbors and there is so much to see. Secondly because I can't help but wondering what life was like when all the mills were up and running. I know in Lowell and Lawrence the mill girls at first were farmers' daughters - their lives were very regulated to preserve their morals. When they began to strike - like the Bread and Roses Strike about 1912 in Lawrence, the owners replaced them with immigrants who were glad for the jobs. I suppose New Bedford, Fall River and the others might have been the same. The noise from so many mills must have been deafening. I have heard a few mills clacking at the Boot Mills in Lowell, and that was pretty loud - I can't imagine what hundreds would sound like! I have also visiting the boarding house in Lowell where mill girls would have lived - they must have had boarding houses in these other mill towns. I took a tour of one of Lowell's canal - are there canals in these other towns? I need to take a trip to New Bedford or Fall River and see if there is a tour of the city.

It was a beautiful day for a drive - it was 61 degrees when I left my house - it got up to 70 when we were in New Jersey. The sun was shining for most of the day - I think it was late afternoon before it got cloudy. The trees were just starting to bud or were in early bloom as we drove along route 195. There was a little bit of color in some of the trees like Japanese maples.

The view was disturbed only in Providence when we passed a pick up truck with the picture of an assault rifle in the back window - with the words "Come and take it" printed across it. The truck also had a bumper sticker "Stop Elizabeth Warren" on the back. Politics are everywhere. We also slowed down for a while then passed a couple of police cruisers - the police were out on the shoulder of the road - one was searching with a police dog - we don't know for what but traffic picked up as soon as we passed them. 

We passed a few farms - crops were just starting to poke through the ground. There was more green than the winter browns that Beth and I saw on the way to Florida the end of January.  We also passed the food trucks on a road along side of 195. I have always wanted to stop and check them out  - I say that each time I pass them! There must have been 10 or 12 food trucks. And they are always busy!

There are all kinds of billboards along routes 195 and 95 - ads for cannabis, ambulance chasing lawyers, breast reductions, and worse - but it is interesting and sort of let's you know what kind of neighborhood you are driving through.

I don't mind some highway driving - especially when I can look down at or over at gardens, houses, even shopping malls. I noticed the foliage was getting greener around Bridgeport - trees were in full bloom. We got off the highway to drive some back ways through Connecticut. The daffodils were way past their prime but colorful tulips were standing tall. Forsythia was already turned green but lilacs were just blooming. There are some beautiful houses and grounds in Connecticut! The dogwoods were blooming; landscapers were starting spring clean ups. There are loads of stones along these back roads - so many stone walls - it reminds me of Revolutionary times when the Minutemen in Lexington, Concord, and Arlington were firing on the British behind walls like these. And parts of Connecticut paint their fire hydrants yellow!! The drive was a nice diversion. 

We stopped at Westport Auctions - Johnny was picking up some things he had bought online. I have been here several times before with Johnny and Vickie - I recognized the exit and the turns. We were taking some back roads - it was a nice day so why not? We drove through a part of Norwalk - lots of building going on there including Merritt Apartments or condos. We crossed the Merritt Parkway 3 times before we finally got on it. There were lots of dandelions along the side of the roads and the highway mediums. We drove through Bedford in Westchester County - there was some gorgeous architecture there!

We got to the Mount Cisco auction house about 1:45. Then we got back on the Merritt parkway over Mario's bridge/the old Tappan Zee bridge. I love to look up the Hudson River as we drive over this bridge - there were sail boats out today! There were also three long black objects in the river on the western side of the bridge- I wished I had binoculars - I wonder if they were fish farms? And there are so many houses built up on the cliffs over the river - I wonder if their view is obstructed by all the trees.

We continued south on 287 - parts of this are very boring - there are tall barriers along the highway so that you can't see anything - when there are no barriers, there are woods. I was happy when we finally pulled off onto 87 south - there was a horse farm as soon as we turned onto 87!

At some point we were on route 519 - the smell of freshly mown hay reminded me of the smell of hayfields in Sneem after they were cut - or when we would be in those fields turning over the hay to dry it. There were folks out mowing the grass - mostly on rider mowers - some pushing a gas lawn mower. We stopped at a no name gas station in Holland, New Jersey - gas was $4.19/gallon compared to brand name stations at $4.49.

We drove through Frenchtown, New Jersey - I was drooling over the architecture and all the cute gift shops. Route 29 South runs along a river - the Delaware River maybe? - there is a lovely river walk that follows a good distance along it. One newer house was built on stilts - because of flooding? We passed by Prallsville Historic Mill District - originally built in the 1700s! We reached Lamberville about 4:30. We passed Rago auction house - I think we are going there tomorrow afternoon to preview an auction. Lambertville has such great architecture! Cute row house with adjoining porches, gingerbread houses, Queen Ann style - so many different styles!! We passed Lambert Living History Farm - I just checked out their website - sheep shearing has been rescheduled to next weekend because of rain tomorrow and Saturday!! How disappointing!!

We passed another long river walk but I never saw any place to park. We arrived at Element Hotel in West Trenton about 5. I have a lovely room to myself including a walk in shower. We checked in and then headed out to eat - we had stopped at Dunkin Donuts in RI or Conn and hadn't eaten since. We drove to route 1 and found a plaza with several restaurants. They seemed busy especially anything Mexican  because of Cinco de Mayo. We ate at Seasons 22 or 52.  I had scallops with risotto and asparagus - delicious!!

Johnny decided to drive to downtown Princetom after we ate - the days are getting longer! When Beth and I were driving to Florida, it was dark by 4:30 - by 5 as we got further south. I had never been to Princeton - knew nothing about it - but found it very interesting. Parts of the college reminded me of Oxford in England. My sisters, Patty and Joanne, and I had driven there in our Inspector Morse quest. Princeton had the same stone archways leading into a large quadrangle. I took the pictures below through the car window - Princeton was packed with people so we just made a few passes through it.

Many of the houses in Princeton reminded me of Tory Row/Brattle Street outside of Harvard Square. This is a poor example - another attempt out of the window as we drove past.

There were so many large churches in Princeton!! I wonder how many people to these churches on a regular basis? And so much different architecture! And so many people!! There is also a canal that passes through some part of the city with a canal walk. We saw more golf courses - none of the courses we passed today had golf carts or caddies  - people were carrying their golf clubs! Is this something new?

We passed by Clarke's farm where the battle of Princeton was fought during the Revolutionary War. I guess part of the battle also took place where Princeton College now stands.

We headed to a market near the hotel for some snacks. We passed luxury apartments - they had the West Trenton airport on one side and New Jersey Correctional Facility across the street. Doesn't sound too luxurious to me!!

Tomorrow we need to be on the road by 8:45. There is a light breakfast in the lobby in the morning. We plan to grab something there and then head to an auction in Philadelphia - we have to be there by 10 am.

So goodnight!

Northwest Pacific Coast Road Trip - Monday, September 13

So today we headed for the Olympic peninsula. With all the cancellations of ferries, I thought we should get there early - the Washington State Department of Transportation recommended arriving 30-45 minutes prior to boarding - I thought we should get there an hour early at the least. Our reservation was at 11:45 so we should plan to get there at 10:45. We had talked about getting up early and maybe taking a last look around before hitting the road, But when the alarms went off, we kept snoozing them. We did manage to finally rouse ourselves and head out. We stopped at the Donut House for a final donut - we would save them for tomorrow's breakfast. 

The drive to the ferry was back over some roads we had traveled on Sunday including Deception Pass - today there was only one side with a view as the other side was covered up for repair. We passed through Oak Harbor - Mairead ran in to get bagels at a place she had found online. Oak Harbor was a cute little town.

Historic Oak Harbor above and book store that was closed below.

We arrived at the Coupeville Ferry Terminal just as the 10:30 ferry was loading - there were long lines of standby vehicles - only a few got on. We were first in line for our ferry. They took a certain amount of the remaining standby vehicles and put them in line behind us. We had a hour or so to kill so we walked over to the "beach"/boat ramp. The beach was stony - no sand - a couple was throwing sticks into the water for their dogs to retrieve. Not sure I would want my dog in that water where the ferries dock and other boats pull in and out. We sat at a picnic table for a while enjoying the sunshine and salt air - a little cool from the ocean breeze.

Picture gives you an idea of what the beach is like - little sand - mostly stones.

Below is a link for a video of Coupville.

https://youtu.be/qo9I_ardHS0

When we landed in Port Townsend, we headed into the historic town center - this had buildings from the gilded age - 1880+. It was a cute little place - we turned around at the marina and headed west to Port Angeles. We were checking in at 3 pm at the AirBnB - the owner was leaving the door unlocked with the keys inside the door - so this put a little pressure on us to move along. We passed through some lovely places - Squemish in particular.

Below is a link for Port Townsend.

https://youtu.be/YIGD9IYqyOs

Mairead had found a diner online where we could have lunch. I loved it as soon as I saw it!! It was retro 50s with the old fashioned booths, the stools at the counter, the checked curtains, pictures of Elvis and other legends - it was the real deal. I immediately thought of my brother Johnny and Vicky who would love this place too. They love diners and modern antiques - I know they would have picked this diner if they were here. The food was typical diner food - plain cooking and good quality. They have a deal where you have your card punched each time you come in, and after the 10th meal you get a free meal. The place was busy at 1:30 with a lot of regulars. A woman in a booth near us was having lunch and had a meal to go as well. I had a BLT with a cup of beef barley soup - Mairead went for a breakfast - corned beef hash and eggs. The soup was homemade and delicious. The corned beef was ground on site. It was a fun place and a great first stop on the Olympic peninsula.

Below is a link for a video of the inside of the diner.

https://youtu.be/-GPTi-KRIyk

We were in great spirits when we left the diner - looking forward to new adventures. We found our AirBnB - what did we ever do without WAZE or Google maps? It is up a hill - there is a beautiful view of the ocean between the trees. We were on the second floor with 2 bedrooms - I got the ensuite one. There was a wrap-around deck. I sat outside for a while until the homeowner started working below me with a drill. 

Mairead wanted to take a drive to Rialto Beach - I was a little hesitant because we would be backtracking the same route tomorrow - but we had a long day planned for tomorrow so we headed out. It was well worth it when we got there. We could hear the waves crashing and feel the ocean mist before we could see anything. There were huge old trees or logs all along the coast that had been tossed up by the sea - I don't know where they came from - people were sitting on them watching the sea. It was an almost overpowering experience. We could see and hear huge waves building up and then pounding down on top of themselves - the brown sand mixed up into each wave. We could smell the sea air as well as the rotting seaweed left on shore by the waves - the seaweed was huge - it looked like long tangled tentacles. We could feel the mist from the ocean along with the sea breeze - I could taste salt when I licked my lips. People were standing at water's edge when suddenly a huge wave crashed down and the tide covered their shoes and pants. One fellow was having a great time skipping stones. The stones were all sizes - mostly oblong and so smooth they glided along the surface of the water.  It was quite an experience just sitting and watching the power, the force and the energy of the ocean - never to be tamed. It was very humbling. I could have sat there for hours but we decided to head back at 7 pm - it was over an hour's drive and I didn't want to be driving narrow twisting roads for too long in the dark.

Mairead in front of logs thrown up on land by waves - this is before you see the beach.

Logs on the beach - this is where I was sitting.

Below is a link to a Rosario beach video.

https://youtu.be/pBhooi4JpR8

This was huge! and stunk!

Below is a link to a video of waves crashing on Rosario beach.

https://youtu.be/L4kO1oof-wQ

We made a quick stop at Walmart in Port Angeles - Mairead picked up some grapes, clementines, and water for the drive tomorrow - the area is pretty remote so we made sure we had the essentials.

We headed back to the AirBnB and threw in a wash - Mairead retired to her room while I had tea on the comfortable sofa - I started typing this. I went to bed about 11. A text from Mike woke me at 12:13 am - his flight home was just canceled - they had been sitting on the plane since 9:30 - something wrong in the cockpit. He was waiting to see what was up.

Northwest Pacific Coast Road Trip - Sunday, September 12

So Danno and Amanda had suggested going to Seattle to visit Mairead over Columbus Day weekend - we went last year 2020 at the same time - Covid was raging but no one was traveling so we felt pretty safe.  This year the Delta variant is devastating the country but especially states with low vaccination rates. Our vaccines are supposed to be effective for at least 6 months so we would be cutting it close. 

When I told Mairead that we would be visiting, she told me to hold on - that she was planning to move back east. She had moved to Seattle the end of August 2019 - then the pandemic hit in February. Because she was working and living in a group home with developmentally delayed adults, Covid restrictions were very tight. She could not use any type of public transportation including Lyft/Uber, she could not go into any shops, at one point she could not drive in a car unless the windows were open no mater what the weather and she had a mask on. Because she was living in the house, she was wearing a mask 24/7 and she had no time away from the job - she would be talking to me on her day off and a resident would come into the room looking for her. Restrictions were slow to lift and now with the Delta variant, some are resuming.

So I was not too surprised when Mairead told me that she needed a change. She finally decided to leave her position on Thursday, September 9 and wanted to do a little traveling before heading back east. Since she does not drive, I would be the driver. She charted out the route. She told me to be there Saturday, September 11 so we could leave on Sunday, September 12.  September 11 is my son John and his wife Tina's anniversary - it was also my father's birthday - and now it is a day for national remembrance.

Mike had not been to Seattle so he decided to come for the weekend. We flew out Thursday, September 9 and arrived at 9 pm. We picked up a car - I had booked a Toyota Camry but was told there was none available - so they gave us a white BMW at the same price. Sounds like a great deal? Well, the extra insurance is much higher than on a Camry. And unfortunately I hate BMWs - no offense to Danno who loves his. They are too low to the ground, and I have trouble getting in and out. Mike didn't like driving it either, but was the chauffeur. 

We did the touristy things on Saturday and Sunday morning - actually I took him to the places I have been to - Pike Place Market, the waterfront with the Ferris wheel, Discovery Park, the Museum of Pop Culture, Kerry Park. Mike couldn't get over all the homeless in downtown Seattle. We headed back to Springhill Suites in Downtown/Lake Union in the afternoon. We were both tired. Mike explored on his own - I didn't mind staying put. He brought supper home at some point.

On Saturday we were up early. We found a parking space on the street and walked to Pike Place Market. I sat outside overlooking the harbor while Mike looked around - this was my 3rd trip to the market. We got grilled cheese sandwiches at Beecher's Homemade Cheese where we saw them make cheese in two huge vats in the window - it is across the street from the market. We took them back to the outside deck at the market and ate there.  We walked back to the car and headed to Volunteer Park, we stopped by to say hello to Mairead then headed to the Fremont Troll. We went back to the hotel - Mike couldn't get over all the traffic - and patient Mike isn't. We could see route 5 from our hotel - there was traffic from morning till 8 at night. Mike headed out to a Marlins' game. I returned the BMW about 7. Sixt tried to tell me that they only had luxury cars and I'd have to take a BMW. I insisted that it was most uncomfortable to drive and that I didn't want one. When I said that I would try Enterprise or Hertz, a Toyota Camry suddenly appeared. Thank God - I was so happy to get into it - it was so familiar - I have a Corolla at home. I was back at the hotel in 20 minutes.

I decided to check our ferry reservations for Sunday morning - I had been unable to make a return reservation from San Juan Island - we could get over but not back. When I checked the schedule, about half the ferries were canceled due to lack of staff! No more reservations from Friday Harbor back to Anacortes were being accepted so that the cars that were there on the island could get back. Dear lord. I hated to tell Mairead, but she said that there had not been any trouble with staffing until California made Covid vaccines mandatory - there was threat of a walk out on Labor Day weekend but it never happened. So individuals are calling in sick which is disrupting the ferry schedules. Mairead wanted to keep the reservation over to San Juan Island and take our chances coming back, but I wasn't so keen. We finally decided to try to get walk on tickets to the 11ish ferry - there was a shuttle to take us around the island.  I would pick her up at 8:30 tomorrow morning.

Sunday morning was foggy and drizzly. Mairead piled the rest of her belongings into the car and we headed out for the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. It was about an hour and a half drive - the rain got stronger and the fog got heavier. We passed a lot of farming communities - I am always happy to see acres of planted fields, cattle, horses, farm stands. We decided to skip the ferry altogether - what could we see in the fog? We decided to have breakfast when we reached Anacortes. We stopped at Island Cafe on the main drag - it was a nice clean place - staff wearing masks. But there was so much food! I had a veggie omelet - I ate about half.  I had a couple of bites of the hash browns - and did eat the English muffin. I left a plateful of food behind me I'm sorry to say. 

Random woman outside the cafe.

The bookstore Mairead wanted to check out was closed so we consoled ourselves with donuts from the Donut House - it is famous for the size and variety of the donuts - they usually have to close early because they sell out. We each got one -  I got a Bavarian Cream - like a huge Boston Cream - and took them with us to eat later for lunch! 

We headed out to Washington Park where Mairead had been before - we were driving along the coast but the fog was hanging in there. The houses along the coast are spectacular - but they are not mansions like down the Cape - the architecture is mostly that modern boxy look so popular out here - I don't know the correct name for the style. They all have balconies with tables, chairs, grills, and most have shrubs and flowers - they reminded me of Europe - all the greenery. The railings around the porches are made from plexiglass! To keep out the wind? To let the sun in? I don't know.  Away from the coast there were some beautiful yards - not so much the manicured lawns of the Boston area - but more evergreens, shrubs and flowers that must have been gorgeous a few weeks ago. There were also areas that were not as nice - the architecture was older - more the type of house that has a triangular front if you get what I mean.

As we pulled into Washington Park, there were 2 baby deer at the entrance. A few cars were emptying  families who were dragging coolers and trays of food to 2 covered picnic areas - it must be lovely here on a sunny day as Mairead is telling me. There are several other picnic tables scattered around - none of them covered, a playground for the kids, a dock for boats to pull up to, and Fildago Bay right there. It was peaceful as we sat there - we could see the heads of several seals popping up and down in the water - several boats and ferries passed by. 

Mairead wanted to see Deception Pass - she and a coworker had driven down this way a few months ago but had to return before seeing the pass because of all the traffic. We were driving through wooded areas - up and down hills and curvy roads. We parked on the side of the road at the pass for a look - it was a deep gorge where the water was pretty rough. We saw a lot of small boats bobbing up and down, and people on the shore fishing - all beneath a trestle bridge. There were other cars parked on the side of the road but we didn't see any people - part of the parking area ahead of us was blocked off because of construction. We jumped back into the car and drove over the bridge - we saw where the people were - there is a walkway across the entire bridge with great views in either direction. Mairead's whale watching group had reported that there were orcas swimming under that bridge yesterday! We decided to pull over and walk onto the bridge but the parking area on that side of the bridge was closed so we continued on to Cornet Bay which is part of Deception Pass State Park.  

A link to a short video of Deception Pass is below - you can just see the trestle bridge at the end.

https://youtu.be/ahiYvZKa_dk

Here is a photo of the boats bobbing along.

Cornet Bay was lovely and peaceful - again picnic tables - restrooms with showers for the boaters I presume. Lots of flowers. I walked around a bit and then we sat just taking in the scenery.

Below is a link to a short video of Cornet Bay.

https://youtu.be/TOGxboiFfvs

Next we drove to Joseph Whidby State Park - Mairead thought it was a little shabby compared to the others but it also had great views. She walked down to the shoreline, but I decided the incline was too steep and the ground not so level. I walked above and just watched the people enjoying themselves, the ferries going by - just enjoyed being out in the fresh air. The fog was starting to lift - there was a cool breeze - I was feeling chilly despite a heavy sweatshirt.

We decided to head back to Anacortes and drove by the marina - it was a beautiful place - I thought we could eat supper there. We checked into our motel - The Sunrise Inn on 20th Street. Nice enough place - the room is bigger than we expected - 2 queen beds and a kitchenette. The room was on the 2nd floor - thank goodness I had packed my knapsack for the night - I didn't have to drag my suitcase up a flight of stairs.

Mairead wanted to go to the Fidalgo Drive-In Restaurant - she had been here once before. We pulled into a bay and pushed a button when we were ready to order. A guy came out and took our orders. A gal delivered them. Mairead ordered fish and chips that came with French fries and a cup of clam chowder - I had a halibut sandwich - we are in the Pacific Northwest - I have to eat halibut and salmon don't I? 

Mairead wanted to go back to Washington Park so we did. The fog had lifted - the sky was blue - there was still a cool breeze as we sat at a picnic table, ate, and looked for seals. 

Washington Park above and my halibut sandwich below - I couldn't open my mouth wide enough to take a bite so I took off the bottom of the bun.

There was one more stop Mairead wanted to make - Rosario Beach - it was back toward Deception Pass but not that far. After a couple of missteps, we found it. This was a lovely place - views on both sides - Mairead went down to the water while I was still walking over. We looked around and then just sat and relaxed. We finally decided to head back to Anacortes - I wanted to stop by that marina again before dark.

Below is a link to a short video of Rosario Beach.

https://youtu.be/FtOVUZjh778

We got back to the marina in Anacortes just before sunset. There is a lovely park at the marina - it is in memory of lost seamen and their families. The sculpture is of a wife holding a lantern aloft as she looks to the sea for her husband while a child clutches her leg. The park was beautiful but the light was fading and the pictures came out dark. 

Below is a link to a short video from Seafarers' Memorial Park.

https://youtu.be/Zbw1k66ROkE

We headed back to our motel - I think I was sound asleep in bed by 10 pm!! Must have been all that fresh air and walking!