Northern Washington
Anacortes is a beautiful little town in Northwest Washington. It sits on Fidalgo Island in the Rosario Strait. The Washington State Ferries have several ferries in operation in this area including, to the Islands of Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and San Juan, which make up, the San Juan Islands. I could write a whole bunch of words in regards to just these islands but you will need to go see for yourself! I will say this, though, the ferry ride is gorgeous going thru the other various islands as you head towards the San Juans. If you go to Friday Harbor, which is the dock for the ferry on San Juan Island, you can get allot for your buck. You can take a self-guided tour of the grounds, where British and American forces had encampments, and learn about the Pig War of 1859. If you go in June, and travel to the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, you could very well see a pod of Orca cruising by as they chase down a seal for lunch. Some folks even rent kayaks and will paddle among the Orca…I’m sure it is thrilling to do that and not get killed, but it would be my luck that they recognize me as a Cornish Pastie, crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and…well, you get the idea.
Anacortes is a delightful little town, in Washington, and is filled with little pockets of awesomeness. Little, and big, scenes of beautiful waterscapes, landscapes of farms, raptors, there is a Blue Heron nesting sight nearby, all sorts of things to see for a small town. Many folks retire to Anacortes and if you make a trip here, you’ll understand why.
In the background of this photo you will see 2/3 of an island. That is Guemes Island. This is a literal, 5 minute ferry ride from Anacortes. It’s a relatively small island with not many inhabitants. Some larger-sized farms, some lovely homes that skirt the waters edge on one side of the island. There are cabin rentals to take advantage of as well as doing a little shoreline exploring.
I went to Guemes Island late in the afternoon after doing a bit of free styling around town. I drove around the island for about an hour. Taking my time, getting out of the car and looking at different scenes to photograph, found a couple of old, abandoned places that were interesting. But as I was heading back towards the ferry, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this old, terrifically abandoned truck, sitting on the side of this arterial dirt road that led to some private residences. I parked my car on that dirt road, got out and started snapping. I was almost beside myself with glee. I took out my Nikon d850 with its Nikkor 10-24mm and I got some memorable shots. This one, I turned infrared in post production. I love the late afternoon sun reflecting off the slightly opened door. It’s gems like this one, not knowing they exist until you’re right on top of them, that keep me interested and engaged. I love it too much!
Go adventure and have fun, camera or not, and color outside the lines!
There is one other place in Northern, Washington that I’d like everyone to know about. The place is Bellingham, Washington. You wouldn’t know to look at it, even as you’re driving North from Anacortes, but there is much to see and do in Whatcom County that one can’t begin to know what to do first. I should note, this photo and the photo below it were taken at places that are free to explore. No cost to you for a few hours of enjoyment. That’s fantastic! This first place, named Big Rock Garden, is located at the top of a hill, in a residential neighborhood no less, in a lovely, old growth forest with hiking trails throughout, and has sculptures throughout from local artists. Well, this is one example of the types of pieces you’re going to see. I also have a. “Flare,” for sunflares in some of my shots, as you will tell as we go. It was still early in the morning, the sun had not cleared the treeline, I closed my shutter down to anywhere between f13 and f20 using my trusty 10-24mm, and voila, sun flare. A crude, yet rather small, parking area awaits you at the top, or, take one of the trailheads that start in one of the neighborhoods and hike up. There is no admission to get into the park, they do have hours of operation, but it’s a lovely way to spend an hour, or two, in a place that is representative of nature and art together, but in the city.
Lastly, there is Hovander Homestead Park. Even though I have gone to Anacortes dozens of times over the years, I still can find things that amaze me. I’ve just recently started to discover Bellingham and I cannot wait to go back! This homestead is roughly 350 acres and in pristine shape. The out buildings are fantastic, the goat and waterfowl hutches are great. There is a garden that is maintained by master gardeners from Washington State University. Back in the early 70’s, the whole farm was purchased from the remaining Hovanger, Otis, for the purposes of becoming a park. There are tours of the residence, but only in the summer time. You can hike to Tennant Lake, taking in some surprises along the way that will occupy some of your time. If you have kids, this is the perfect place for learning about farm life, see old school tools and machines that aided in farming these lands in the early 20th century, there are lookout towers to climb to the top of, playground equipment to use, animals to see…it’s a great place to visit!
Now, if the smirk on the face of this female goat, at Hovander Homestead, is any indication of the fun filled adventure you can have, while visiting the Pacific Northwest, then I don’t know what is! There isn’t anything adventurous that you cannot find in this region. From the novice to extreme thrill seekers, all will find something that fits their needs. At my age, well, thrill seeking isn’t such a thing anymore, but I love an adventure and I love photographing those adventures. You have to visit and see for yourselves, get out here and experience the PNW in all its splendor. Heck, you can start in Northern Washington, hit the Pacific Crest Trail, hike down to San Diego, California, then come back again, if that’s the adventure for you! Or you can find a lovely lake, like Lost Lake on Mt. Hood in Oregon, hike around that gentle mile or so circle. It’s awesome here, come see!
