Tag Archives: san juan islands

by moutonwalks | July 1, 2011 · 6:06 am

Whale of A Day!

It was a day meant for whale watching. I had booked a trip aboard the Odyssey and wouldn’t you know that just as I was leaving to catch the vessel, a few whales appeared in the waters below our hotel. Definitely a good sign.

The one drawback to whale watching excursions is that they happen on a boat and some stomachs can’t stomach the choppy seas. Without getting too descriptive, let me just say that one hour into our chase of the “J” pod (there are 3 out here – J,K,L) I had to reach for the Dramamine.

Even that didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for what I saw. The naturalist on board says the group of whales we saw were led by an Orca named J2 by researchers, She is also known as “Granny”. Granny is 100 years old and there is a celebration in her honor on July 2.

Orcas are extremely difficult to photograph because the law forbids boats and humans from coming within 100 yards. They only show themselves for seconds at a time but when they do it is a magnificent sight. The good folks at San Juan Excursions took pics from our trip and shared them with the passengers.

Enjoy!

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Filed under san juan islands, washington state, WorldsBestWalks

Tagged as orca whale, orcas, san juan excursions, san juan islands, whale watching

by moutonwalks | June 29, 2011 · 11:28 am

Planes, Rain and Automobile

Whew! Finally made it, safe and sound to San Juan Island. We caught the ferry at Anacortes, a couple hours drive from Seattle and boarded the ferry for a one hour trip across Rosario Strait to Friday Harbor. It’s $53 bucks to board your car onto the ferry but you don’t pay for the return. The forecast was for rain, and it did all day yesterday, but never anything harder than a light drizzle.Today’s weather beat the forecast and while it was overcast, it never rained.

I found out where Norman Rockwell has been hiding all these years.

In historic Roche Harbor, here on San Juan Island. It’s an old lime production company town and it is just as beautiful as it is patriotic, with less than a week before July 4th. With its American (and Canadian) flags draped all over white picket fences, you get a sense that they are polishing the barbeques and stocking up on fireworks as I write this. It is located on the Haro Strait and if Sarah Palin were here she would we able to see Canada from her hotel room. Amidst this Americana there is a beautiful sculpture garden overlooking the harbor and another one down the road from town. There were very nice, pricey pieces like the one below, dotted along a nice walkway. “Whale Tail” can be yours for $38,000.

There are several hikes around Roche Harbor. The longest is 1.75 miles.

Tomorrow – a real treat – my first whale watching trip! We went to Lime Kiln State Park for an hour today and stared at the sea. Saw a few porpoises but apparently missed the Orcas by two hours. They track them like we in New Orleans follow Mardi Gras parades. I’ll board the float, I mean the boat, at 1:30 p.m.

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Tagged as friday harbor, roche harbor, san juan islands, worlds best walks, WorldsBestWalks

by moutonwalks | June 27, 2011 · 11:38 am

Wouldn’t you in Woodinville?

It’s a long way from New Orleans to the San Juan Islands, by the time you change planes in Dallas and sit for another 3 1/2 hours in flight. So I decided to spend a couple of nights at the Willows Lodge in Woodinville, just 45 minutes from Seattle.

I knew nothing of Woodinville when planning my trip but liked what I saw on the internet . When I arrived, it was better than I imagined. I am told by the “wine educator” at Columbia Winery, one of several around here, that Woodinville is on the same latitude as the Rhone Valley which, for me, explains why this area, with its rich green rolling hills and vineyards, reminds me of France.

I have a great room at the Willows Lodge, which is home to two pigs named Borage and Basil, both in training for truffle hunting. They live in a little pig house adjacent to an herb farm which supplies a very fancy restaurant called The Herb Farm, just a hop, skip and a pig away from here. I am told that eating at the The Herb Farm is a foodie’s delight though my pocketbook sent me to The Barking Frog next door. So me and my chronically barking dogs took a stroll across the way and enjoyed a sublime meal which was gastronomically exquisite. I highly recommend the prawns. To Die For.

The Willow’s Lodge is one big exhale. With colorful gardens and green lawns with plush grass soft enough to sleep on, it is beautiful. When I arrived, there was a wedding just outside my room. Testimony enough to the memories that have been made here.

Oh, wait, this is supposed to be about good places to walk. There is a paved hiking trail right next door to Willows Lodge called Sammamish River Trail. If you are so inclined, this paved trail will take you all the way to Seattle. Truth be told, it is more suited for able-bodied cyclists in racing gear. On the beautiful Sunday afternoon I was there, I got many warnings to watch out on my “left.”

Not one to adapt well to major cultural changes, I am thankful Woodinville is not in Europe, where the rules of the road are very different.

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Filed under san juan islands, Uncategorized, washington state, woodiinville, WorldsBestWalks

Tagged as barking frog, herb farm, san juan islands, willows lodge, woodinville

by moutonwalks | June 19, 2011 · 10:42 pm