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An Unexpected Destination
For the most part, The Lady and I are pretty predictable. We enjoy remote backcountry places and we don't want any neighbors. So it was not a surprise when we heard from a friend who receives our nightly InReach "camped here for the night" message we send to a group of people when out on a trip. The friend's response went something like this, "I would have never expected to see you two drive up and visit the San Juan Islands." I know several other message recipients were also surprised as the InReach message bread crumb trail led up the center of Oregon and Washington and then veered west with a night spent in Anacortes, the access point for the Washington State Ferries to the San Juan Islands.
What brought us to the San Juan Islands and how did we fare so far from home in a place with indoor plumbing? Hang onto your hats, buckle those seat belts, and let's see if we can get the story told.
We traveled with our friends, The Teds, on this adventure. It would take us 4 nights before we boarded the ferry at Anacortes. The Lady and I left home early on Saturday morning and enjoyed a quiet drive along the west shore of Lake Tahoe as we headed north to intersect with highway 395. We arrived in Alturas an hour or so before The Teds. This gave us an opportunity to walk past a home for sale we had seen on Zillow. It was a very attractive older home but completely updated and remodeled. It included a separate "mother in law" cottage and a detached 2 car garage with a shop. It also came with a fenced and well tended yard. To top off the home's features, it is only a few blocks from the famous Hotel Niles.
The Lady and I walked down the residential street with anticipation as we approached the pretty home on a corner lot. We barely made it past the house across the street. Two dogs barked violently at us and ran along the inside of the fence. Reaching the corner they lunged over the fence at us. I was ready to break necks and kill if one made it over. No one came out of the house to check on or quiet the dogs. The detached single stall garage was open, overfilled with sacks of garbage. A vehicle was just visible buried under all the trash. The remainder of the yard was torn up by the dogs. Both Julie and I suspected we now knew the reason the house for sale has been on the market for so long.
Back at the park families were enjoying the playground equipment. It was a nice spring Saturday in a small town. Parked nearby was a classic Toyota four wheel drive van. A young man was behind the steering wheel on the right hand side. We noticed each other and gave a wave. The Teds, in their Tiger Adventure Vehicle, pulled up a short time later.
After greeting our friends, we headed into the Warner Mountains to spend the night at the tiny Plum Valley Campground. The campground was empty and half snow covered. Sandhill Crane's calls were heard from the nearby meadows. It was a cold, but cozy night.
Ted called on the radio the next morning as we continued the drive north on 395.
"MarkBC says he will meet us in Riley!" Ted announced and continued. "He wants to put some miles on his new truck and get more familiar with it. He's driving out from Bend and wants to meet up and visit for an hour or so."
Our friend MarkBC was waiting in his shiny new Ford F150 pickup as we pulled into the crossroad outpost of Riley, Oregon. It was a wonderful break from driving as we chatted and had lunch.
Mr. BC sure looks like a proud new pickup truck owner, doesn't he? It was nice to see and chat with MarkBC again. Thanks Mark!
Clyde Holliday State Park along the John Day River made for a pleasant overnight in the peaceful campground. Although right along highway 395, the road noise subsided as night came.
The next morning, the stretch of 395 between Mt. Vernon and Pendleton was one of the nicest drives of the trip. Only one vehicle came up behind us as we drove these 118 miles. At one point on the drive, in a canyon along a creek, we came up on the Teds stopped in the middle of the road. Two Canada geese were trying to move their down covered little ones - probably just left the nest - down the road and to the water. Ted summed it up over the radio, "There is a serious lack of parenting skills on display up here."
From Pendleton to Ellensburg was on numbing interstate highway that was erased from our brains as soon as we turned north on two lane highway 97. We spent the night at the free BLM campground at Liberty.
Our final day of driving included major culture shock. We crossed the Cascades on highway 2. It was quiet and snowing at the summit. It was a very different story when we turned north on Interstate 5 in Everett. It was packed with traffic and vistas were gone, replaced by the usual urban sprawl. We stopped for lunch at a rest area and watched a drug deal go down.
In the early afternoon we were settled into our reserved campsites at Washington Park in Anacortes, our jumping off spot for our ferry ride to San Juan Island the next morning. The girls took our smaller truck back into town to do laundry and some last minute grocery shopping. Ted and I remained at the campground and dodged the occasional rain. The evening was calm and clear as we walked the shoreline and began our sampling of the San Juan Islands experience.
We were surprised to find Shooting Star wildflowers at sea level.
The Lady moved ahead and found a balance beam nature provided and walked out to its end over the water.
The evening provided a wonderful surprise, the call of loons.
The Lady's first knee replacement surgery was a year ago. A discussion with The Teds began on how to celebrate when the surgeries and rehab were over. Mrs. Ted gave the Lady a guidebook to the San Juan Islands in a "care package" prior to the first surgery. The girls went to work with plans. Ted and I stayed out of the way. Ted, as I've mentioned in previous posts is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. This trip was a break from the biweekly chemo routine and a chance for The Teds to take their longest, time wise, adventure since they've owned campers. Also, we took this amount of time driving up because, since Ted is on pain meds, Mrs. Ted was doing all the driving. Many breaks were appreciated. Although the seeds for this trip were planted a year ago, the go ahead came in mid March when the ferry system - continued response to the pandemic - decided to take reservations for the spring/summer season.
You do not get your vehicle to the San Juans without a boat ride.
The ferry was surprisingly empty and quiet, one reason we were avoiding the busy summer season. With Ted's compromised immune system we were all cautious about social distancing and wearing masks inside.
Outside on the bow of the big boat was just fine.
I believe they just put up with my near constant photography. What do you think?
We soaked in more of the San Juan experience on the ferry ride and enjoyed the dynamic clouds.
Mt. Baker and the Cascade Range were hidden from view.
We were like kids taking in this new experience as we approached Friday Harbor.
It was a few hours before check in at our reserved campsite for two nights on San Juan Island, giving us time for a bit of exploring. Our first stop was Lime Kiln Point State Park and its renown shore based whale watching. The Lady went right to work.
That is Canada's Vancouver Island across Haro Strait in the view above. Haro Strait is a route for international commerce.
We did not see any whales. We walked over to the lighthouse and other support buildings.
Camas Lilies were blooming, one of the Lady's favorite flowers, so she was feeling right at home.
We took our lunches back down to the whale watching area and relaxed at one of the picnic tables. A couple of seas lions leisurely cruised along the rocky shoreline.
We watched a pair of bald eagles play over the water and make several swoops down but missed taking fish. At the last minute we noticed one making a bee line toward us right above the water. I was surprised I succeeded with a quick grab shot.
Our next stop was the tiny San Juan County Park.
A grassy knoll overlooks a small cove and the Haro Strait. Bald eagles were about. The large Douglas fir on the point was an often used perch.
We watched a pair of balds eating fish on the small island just off shore. A larger golden eagle, bent on stealing a meal, dropped down from the sky. The balds scattered but managed to escape with their prey. Large raptors stealing fish from each other would be a recurring theme of our trip.
We were surprised to see empty campsites at the tiny campground - not reservable when the girls were planning the trip. Ted walked over and spoke with a groundskeeper and we made a change of plans. We abandoned our reservations at the fairgrounds in Friday Harbor and shared a grand campsite here with the Teds. Note: we learned these county campsites do not show up to reserve until they are dried out enough for use.
The lady and I wandered as night descended on this peaceful setting.
We heard from two of our InReach recipients after we sent out our nightly "camped here for the night" message. When they zoomed in on our location in the message, the map showed Smallpox Bay. "Were we okay?" they asked. "What in the world were we doing on our San Juan Island adventure?"
Smallpox Bay is another heartbreaking story of European diseases' tragic effect on Native Americans. Here's a link for more information - Smallpox Bay.These small bits of history should be remembered.
We woke refreshed the next morning and headed out on our exploration of San Juan Island.
The adventure continues, please click here for - Part Two
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