Anacortes Oyster Run

Forget the oysters - Said was disappointed - there weren't any. Just the biggest motorcycle gathering in the northwest!  I MEAN BIG!  More bikes than our Muskegon Bike Time. It was a serious bike thing. Not a party thing. One small beer tent with a band, the rest was acres of bikes and bikers. No party, just bikes. One day, Sunday, from 9 am to 3 pm.  Everything was gone by 5 pm. Amazing!

Bikes on Main Street. 

My dream bike. (Looks like KT's eyes when he's angry)

Our campsite at the marina. Clouds are awesome. 

Cute guy I picked up in Anacortes. Kind of a hippy kind of guy.  Love him a lot. 

Always time for flowers. Bought them at the Anecortes farmers market for $10. Pretty!

Leaving our favorite town and heading to Port Townsend by ferry, then onward to points south. Who knows where we'll end up!  Too many beautiful spots to look forward to. The San Juans just about beautifulled us out.  However, we will survive and push onward. 

Orcas Island

Campsite at Moran State Park.   Good life? Eh?  Having beef ribs over campfire tonight. 

Now that is a HUGE cedar tree. 

View from Mt Constitution/Moran State Park/Orcas Island. Mount Baker in the distance. Beautiful drive up to the top. Built by CCC guys in the old style. One lane bridges and a tall tower to climb at the top. 

Both of us weren't feeling good during the night after mixing our drinks and ice cream.  Beer, rum and coke, and tillimook mint chocolate chip ice cream just don't go together.  Ugh!

HEY! TUCK!

HUH?

Fun day - for a while

Spent the day exploring the island. Way too many huge, beautiful homes overlooking breathtaking island views. Drives along the shoreline were great. Stopped and observed orcas at several places. Great lunch at home with smoked salmon, crackers, cream cheese, and local wine. 

All went well til our dinner at a renowned Netherland chef's pizza joint. Two 12 inch pizzas and 4 beers came to $68!!!!  We need to be careful - we don't have that kind of money to waste on pizza and beer.  There went my great salmon meal at a great restaurant!  DANG!

Nirvana - perhaps my way of life

San Juan County Park is just a piece of heaven. We could only stay one night cuz the campground was full. Had the premo spot - site 15. Primitive camping, no phone/internet/etc, but who needed it. It was pooring rain - who cares - it was still breathtaking. Makes me cry it's so awesome. Vancouver island to the west and the Olympic mountains visible to the south. 

Vancouver island in the distance. Watched a variety of salty ships go by. Container ships to HUGE cruise boats. 

Raining outside. Time for smoked salmon, creamed cheese, crackers, and garlic stuffed olives and rum and coke.  Mmmmmmm!

Black fox, size of a large cat, followed kt and I on our walk. He's a pet to the campers - obviously, they feed him. I NEVER feed wild critters!  So dangerous for them. 

Tonight we're at the fairgrounds in Friday harbor. Close to all the tourist junk and trash stores. We have power, water, wifi, 35 channels on TV, plus Saids satalite stuff.  Lots of places to visit tomorrow. 

View from our campsite, facing southwest.  Pretty dang nice. 

Another - life is good kind of day. 

Making plans

Making plans over the campfire. We'll see just how close we end up following them. 

Sunday, ferry to Friday harbor and San Juan island county park - watching orcas swim past everyday and eating French pastries. Then orcas Island and Moran state park for two nights. Said wants to be back for the Oyster Run in anecortes on the 27th. Lots of oysters and motorcycles. Have no idea where we'll stay!  

We've just fallen back in love with antecortes. Beautiful place to live. Beautiful place to spend a week. Found a little out of the way bakery/restaurant/store that has the best bread I've ever eaten. Garlic herb monkey bread. You just grab a chunk and eat it. Was awesome dipped in my potato soup. 

Next we'll take a ferry to port Townsend and do the western part of the Olympic peninsula. Rain forests and slugs, here we come. After that, Oregon and on to the redwoods.   I am in heaven!  Please let it never end. 

King Tucker is being the best dog ever. Enjoying everything. However, the charcoal he ate out of the fire pit left him feeling poorly. Pooped black twice. Had a very dirty, charcoal smeared face - should have taken a picture of his clown face. Silly boy.  Feels better today. 

Anacortes - coolville

View from Washington park. 

View from one side of mt Erie. 

Enjoyed our drive on 90 through the mountains and enjoyed spectacular views of the Columbia River. It is imposing. 

We arrived at our semi destination, Anacortes, WA. Its changed so much in the last 35 years. Very upscale - or, I'm really downscale. Lots of beautiful hillside homes, immaculately manicured lawns, still a lot of maritime activities like big ship repair and a zillion yachts. Missing is my favorite French restaurant and a French Bakery. However, they have some small businesses that try to fill their niche. Of course, the Safeway is quite upscale and interesting. They don't have a walmart, but the do have chain gas stations and Ace hardware. Wonder how the kept walmart 21 miles away and Whitehall can't. Bigger money? 

Spent today exploring the area, Mt Erie and another high place and the waterfront. 

Staying in Washington Park to regroup. Tall trees and very little sun getting through, rainforest.  I love it. Smells so good and the salt water is just a stones throw away.  We three are happy.  Well, Said would like to chop a few trees down to get his satalite TV, but he's making the best of it. 

KT our mountain dog. 

Oops! Lost a day!

Said catching our dinner!

Janey eating the trout Said caught. 

Somehow I lost a day - can't remember where we spent a night. It's Saturday and I thought it was Friday. The joys of relaxed traveling.  Does it really matter what day it is - or what time it is?

38 degrees this am!  Brrrrrr!  However, were toasty in our little Coco Moho. We're staying inside - we're not in a hurry. 

FOUND MY LOST DAY!  Forgot we spent a day and night in Amana. Visited old memories. It was fun. Bought some stuff at the meat market.  Mmmmmm!

Fall of 2015 update

View from our campsite for tonight. 

Left on sunday, 9/6, about noon. Stayed at a nondescript campground in a forgettable place.  Monday was at a Cracker Barrel in Sioux Falls. Tuesday and Wednesday we stayed in Wall, South Dakota, a block from Wall Drugs - a thoroughly disgusting place.  

We explored the Badlands np - so inspiring. 

There's Said in a breathtaking, memorable spot. 

Tonight we're at fish and fry campground in the Black Hills. Love this area.