Sunday, June 28, 2009

Orcas!!!













We took a ferry ride over to San Juan Island for the day to find us some orcas! After a few hours at Lime Kiln Point State Park, our favorite viewing spot, we finally got a peek! It was the best sighting yet! We got to see the largest pod, including quite a few young. The best part was they put on quite a show with 6-7 different breaches and jumps! There were two different kayaks withing feet of the whole procession and what a show they had! Once in a lifetime I'd bet! The kids couldn't have been more thrilled and I didn't want to leave! They are so incredible......

Cascade Falls





Moran State Park has so many different hiking trails and after our long day at Obstruction Pass we needed an easy one. The falls trail has two gorgeous falls within a quarter mile so we were sold. It was so beautiful there we wanted to spend the day....

Obstruction Pass














We stumbled upon the trail head for Obstruction Pass and had no idea what was in store. A challenging moss covered and windy hike for us, it was a mile in and a mile out. I adored it! Essentially a camp ground for kayakers, it is also and incredible pebble beach with dozens of different sea creatures and mini tide pools. Jack called it crab city because of the hundreds, literally, of tiny crabs that were hiding under every rock. It was a glorious day!

Camping on Orcas Island!






We arrived from the ferry to the sun popping out from the overcast sky and a lush and gorgeous Island. As we made our way through farm lands and funky artistic properties we caught early glimpses of the herds of deer that live there and the Guinea hens that require their own crossing!
After settling in we made our way up to the highest view point, Mount Constitution, to get an even better perspective. There we were treated to panoramic views and a breathtaking show of a pair of bald eagles courting one another!

Ferry time!










Our San Juan Island trip this year was really special. It was Jack's first time going since he was a baby and his first real time on a big boat. He really enjoyed the ferry ride over which was full of the sights of the islands including some porpoise and cool terns. The kids were champs as we got up at 5:30 am to drive up and catch it! On the way we found this incredible old red cedar stump that used to be a tunnel for a road and no has found its home at a rest stop!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Mount St Helens











We had a fun visit last Sunday to Mount St Helens. This was our first official visit to the area and there was so much to see. We stopped off at a few of the odd little museums on the side of the road, like the bigfoot one.. It also had an A frame that was covered in the initial mud flow that was cool. Our favorite place was the forest museum! Cool playground with cement volcano for the kids and amazing views of the remaining mud flats. The museum itself was quite immpressive as it had larger then life exhibits with reinacted rubble and tree planters. There was a cool discovery room that had every kind of fur, fungus, petrified, fossilized, you name its. Jack kept remarking that he actually petted a black bear! Yup a whole bear pelt was there. I was secretely in heavan as I rummaged through the forestry books and botany samples.
As we made our way to the view point we realized the Helens was shrouded in a thick cloud cover so we decided to stop off for a short hike at the newly made, from the last eruption, Coldwater lake. It was a beautiful habitat of wildflowers, lupine, and lake front. Our first impression was getting to watch a beaver ten feet away from us swim in the bright blue water and climb on logs. It was incredible! There were swallows, owls, and plenty of other critters. It was so pleasently quiet, fragrent, and peaceful that I wanted to sit there all day. Its a place we want to come back to soon.

Zoo too!






We got to spend a whole day running around the zoo with our best buddies!
The kids had a blast... and the mamas too! We love those guys!