Part 5, Leaving Puget Sound



May 25-June 1, 2005



It’s good to be back on Safari after nine days at home. The perfect weather that we enjoyed while at home continued here for another week. During the return flight all of the snow capped volcanic peaks (Lassen, Batchelor, the Three Sisters, Hood, St. Helens, Rainier and Baker) stood out like ice cream sundaes against the green forest and brilliant blue sky. All are perfect cones except Mt. St. Helens where the vast devastation that resulted when it exploded is still very evident.



We went back to our favorite spot at Blake Island for another night before going to Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island for a few days. We made new friends including a charming tug boat captain who couldn’t believe that old folks like us are out there doing what we are doing. (We couldn’t believe he was mature enough to be doing what he is doing.) Melanie and Lloyd Benson visited for a couple of hours before going back to the process of moving into their new home on Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island is a bedroom community for about 20,000 residents—many of whom commute from Eagle Harbor to Seattle some six miles away by ferry. Washington State Ferries operates the largest ferry fleet in the United States. Twenty-eight ferries cross Puget Sound and its inland waterways, carrying over 26 million passengers to 20 different ports of call. The largest of these ferries is the Jumbo Mark II Class which is 460’ long, has a beam of 90’, a 17’ draft, and carries 2500 passengers and 20 vehicles at 18 knots. The small passenger-only ferries are 143’ long, carry 350 passengers and travel at 38 knots. With all of these ferries plus cruise ships, freighters, excursion boats, tugs, barges, crabbers, sail boats, motor yachts, speed boats, kayaks and logs it’s a good idea to keep a constant watch while navigating Puget Sound—but what a great place.



We went back to Bell Harbor for another night to get a taste from the world’s largest bowl of clam chowder planned for Memorial Day at Pike’s Market. But the health permit didn’t come through so we settled for oysters at Elliot’s Oyster House. We will have to go back again in order to try all 30 different kinds of oysters on the menu.



After more than a month in Puget Sound it’s time to move on to the San Juan Islands and points north. There are three ways to get there: on the outside of Whidbey Island (considered to be the longest island in the nation) through Admiralty Inlet (the way we came in) or inside of Whidbey Island either through Deception Pass or via the Swinomish Channel by way of La Conner. We chose the latter. It is a 15 mile cut through mud flats separating Fidalgo Island from the mainland that reminded us of the Petaluma River. The main attraction is La Conner, a tourist destination, with colorful false-front shops, inns, and restaurants, original wood-framed historic homes, and several museums. It’s well worth a visit as it took us two days to see all of the shops and to try four of the best places to eat. We especially enjoyed the quilt museum and, thinking ahead, bought a Canadian courtesy flag.