Bowman Bay is one of several great locations within Deception Pass State Park where a person, couple, family or group could easily spend an entire day. Others include Cornet Bay, West Beach, North Beach and Pass Lake. According to the Deception Pass Park Foundation site, “Before receiving its modern name, Bowman Bay was known as “Reservation …
Author Archives: ggsmith42
Lands End Lookout
Earlier this year, the Anacortes Cyborg Ferrets FTC Robotics Team #7198 competed at the Pasteur Interleague Championships where they earned a berth at the State by becoming the Winning Alliance Captain, then did same to advance to the FTC West Super Regional Competition in Oakland. Seventy-two teams from 13 western states competed in hopes of a chance go …
Beyond the Oyster Dome
Oyster Dome, a rock outcropping in Whatcom County, is an excellent place from which to view the San Juan Islands as well as an area of geological interest. Fortunately, for those like me who don’t like crowds, getting there and back requires a 6 mile hike, about 2,000 feet of climb and 2 hours 20 minutes to …
The Boys in the Boat Author Drops Anchor on Whidbey Island
Triskaidekaphobics might expect that this 13th year of the Sno-Isle Library-sponsored Whidbey Reads might bring bad luck for readers. They’d be wrong. Past titles have included historical fiction (West of Here, Little Century); science fiction (Bellewether); non-fiction (Crow Planet, Undaunted Courage, my favorite of the half dozen I’ve read) and fiction (most of the rest). Checking out …
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Tiptoe Through the Tulips
Every year, not far from here, farmers plant, tend and harvest hundreds of thousands of iris, daffodil and tulip bulbs. All the information a person needs can be found at the Tulip Festival site, including a map of the various fields indicating where the flowers can be found. Having read Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire (which …
Ruby Beach – A Hidden Gem
A few summers ago, my family visited Ruby Beach, in the Kalaloch area of the Olympic National Park, located about sixty miles north of our final destination, Pacific Beach. At the time, it felt like a concession; I’d hoped to continue south to my then favorite: Cannon Beach (shown here), which would have required an additional three hours …
Visiting Kukutali Preserve
I’ve studied the Deception Pass State Park map many times in order to prepare for trail runs and hikes, envying Kukutali Preserve (Kiket Island) visitors because indicated below the name is this disappointing phrase, “access by reservation only.” Fortunately, as of last spring, the note no longer applies. According to information available at the Kukutali Preserve link on …
Bye Bye Birdie: Departure of the Trumpeter Swans
Every winter I look forward to the arrival of Trumpeter swans in Island County, which, according to BirdWeb, “move south in late fall as water begins to freeze. Most migration takes place during the day, and flocks fly low overhead in a V-formation. Migration starts early in spring, and birds often return to the breeding grounds …
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A Tale of Two Colonoscopies
Imagine learning you’ll have to drink super salty water that tastes like it’s been used to boil carrot peelings in order to prepare for a necessary medical procedure. If you are an Island Hospital Anacortes patient, you will drink 16 ounces of the disgusting stuff, but if you are a Naval Hospital Oak Harbor patient, …
Little Cranberry Lake in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands
The Anacortes Community Forest Lands, which, according to their web site, include 2,800 acres of land and 50 miles of multiple use trails, are one of my favorite places to trail run and hike. Our trail running group typically alternates between Little Cranberry Lake and Heart Lake, which means I’ve had a number of opportunities …
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