On the road: Island life

The Island are calling.

Growing up near Portland, there is something so sacred and special about visiting the Oregon Coast -- the Tilt-a-Whirl in Seaside, the monoliths in Canon Beach, and Mo's Chowder in Lincoln City. I have such fond memories of all of those places (and more!) and I can't imagine a childhood without them.

The Washington coastline doesn't hold the same mystery for me, but never fear -- if Seattle is your home-base, than all it takes is a trip to "the Islands" to feel removed, cozy, and secure. This summer, Sergio and I have been lucky enough to make two trips out -- first to Whidbey Island, and then with my family to San Juan Island. As compared to our last island trip (March), the weather was beautiful and the settings were much livelier under the summer sun.

Whidbey Island
Nothing starts off an island vacation like waiting in line for the ferry (and snarking to one another about the cheaters). I didn't have any expectation of what Whidbey would be like simply because (and this is sad) I haven't made it out there in 12 years of living in the Seattle area -- shocking both because it's beautiful and so accessible.  So as we drove ashore on Saturday afternoon, we headed straight for the parks -- both for a glimpse at wildlife and, at history.

Blue heron, fishing

As we watched the Keystone ferry pull away from the dock -- with Port Townsend mirage-like on the far shore, Sergio tromped off down the beach, chasing a blue heron that kept moving out of reach, and the kingfishers nesting on the pier, as I stumbled behind him on the rocks -- let's just say I didn't make the best shoe choice for the moment, forgetting that in the NW, beach does not equal sand.

But standing there on the beach felt like a victory of sorts -- a victory over myself, knowing that I was healthy enough to start traveling again.

Afterwards, we headed up the hill to Fort Casey, built to defend the Puget Sound in the 1890s (though most of the current structures date from WWII) and, as all good former forts, now a center for recreation and summer camps and conferences. There is nothing like climbing on a gun battlement or crossing a rickety concrete bridge with barely enough railings to make something safe than to feel the familiar rush of vertigo!

Beautiful Fort Casey. 

We eased across the island to the B&B Sergio had booked for us in Coupeville, a pleasant, tiny dot of a town where most everything was shut tight by the time we were roaming around at 5pm. I was struck both by the nice relaxed pace (not to mention the work-life balance folks must have!) but also a deep frustration that by the time my sweets craving arose at 8pm that nary a bakery or sweet shop remained ready to take the large amount of money I was willing to surrender.

Reading in our B&B. 

We did have a wonderful pizza dinner on a balcony overlooking the bay, then walked down to the tiny waterfront. A nervous cat approached, then ran away, then approached again. We peered through shop windows, wandered out on the small pier and smiled at the harbor master, and walked back up the hill past closed shop doors. We did head towards the west for a chance at a sunset, but the wind was whipping, so I surrendered myself to some car reading while our photographer snapped away.

It was a relatively quiet night, though we were greeted by the sun streaming into our room at about six in the morning. The B&B was charming, especially if you enjoy history and old houses. I enjoy the former but not the latter -- to be honest, I'm generally creeped out by old houses, especially old bathrooms. The house was immaculate and the hosts were friendly, so I'd blame myself for any dissatisfaction.

Is this just a Sarah thing, or do you find breakfast time at B&Bs to be a little bit odd? Perhaps it's just because I'm a little introverted in the morning and prefer to get some energy before I interact with people -- or perhaps I've just spent most of my time making small-talk with odd table-mates. The food was spectacular (and they gave us amazing dairy-free food!) -- just odd company. To be fair, I'm the same way on planes. Maybe it's that I like private and personal space and prefer to choose times for interaction -- but yes, if you're wondering, I can be anti-social.

Sunday morning walk

After we checked out of our B&B, we went for a walk overlooking one of the farm valleys towards the water. There were hawks and songbirds flitting about and we managed to miss the raindrops. There was even an old blockhouse (closed, unfortunately) that we peered inside. As we headed north, we also stopped by a lavender farm -- always one of my favorites, I stocked up on all things lavender from soap to edible flowers and even bought a plant -- the variety was called Sarah, so clearly it belonged in my garden. We continued our drive north, passing quickly through Oak Harbor on our way to Deception Pass, another Northwest landmark I had never visited. I think the excitement of the day had tired me out by this point, so we parked the car in the shade and I took a blissful nap. Car naps are certainly less comfortable when you're an adult, but no less enjoyable!

All-in-all, it was an easy, relaxing weekend away from home -- and all within an hour's drive! What Whidbey lacked in big-ticket items or excitement, features that normally draw me to vacation destinations, it made up for in the humble beauty, the kindness of the people, and scores of homemade touches, from signs in the fields informing you of the crops to friendly service no matter the store.  It was certainly a great island warm-up for our next summer destination.. San Juan.

My handsome photographer

Sunny Saturday beach walk

Just starting to bloom -- about to burst forth! 

Deception Pass

San Juan Island
Probably more than our Whidbey trip, this trip could be told entirely through S's photos. God, I'm that annoying girlfriend who just goes on and on and on about him.  I think taking photos for him is such a natural process -- so irritatingly and annoyingly easy for him.

On the docks

For this trip, we holed up in a lovely house for a few days with my family. It was the first trip to this area for them, so I was thankful that we were blessed with lovely weather, good food, and laughs. Sergio and I had a lovely walk through the woods one afternoon (clearly a highlight) and he and my dad enjoyed our new favorite game, Hanabi! We were treated to a variety of wildlife, both right outside of our house and as we drove around the island -- birds, bugs (complete with bites), and Mona, the resident camel.  We prepared meals together in the house's kitchen, laughing at the world's worst induction stove. I had yet another opportunity to teach my dad how to use his Nexus 7 tablet -- but I think this time it stuck. I hope. We'll see.

We took time for a relatively tame zipline tour, more practice for me to overcome my fear of heights! I was very nervous this time before setting out -- I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest! Sergio just stood next to me, holding my hand, comforting me and reminding me to breathe. This man has an endless reserve of patience and kindness where I am concerned, something I thank God for every single day of my life. No matter what is going on, here's there to encourage rather than to judge -- to listen and understand rather than direct.

End of our zipline tour. I love those pants.

I know, I know. Too much.

What made this vacation most special for me was the news that preceded it. My parents have been considering moving to the Seattle area for a few years, and when my brother's real estate business became established, it became clear that both he and I were here to stay for the foreseeable future. They started looking more seriously this year. While they initially looked at houses, it seemed hard to find a nice piece of land with a nice house to match. The first day of our trip was the day that they closed on a piece of land in Snohomish! They'll be starting to build a house there in the winter or spring, which means they will be living here near us in a year!

When this process first got started, I wasn't sure Sergio understood how exciting this was for me. We didn't grow up very close (geographically) to our extended family -- while we were only 90 minutes away, that's not close enough to have regular, normal interactions. S grew up with all of his family in the same city, so they were able to get together for weekly carne asada gatherings on Sundays, for holidays and birthdays, etc. We are a much smaller family of course (just Barry and I), but it is something that is really exciting. God-willing, we'll start a family in a few years, and knowing that my kids will get to grow up with their uncle and grandparents nearby is incredibly exciting! This vacation, then, seemed to me like the first step in a new chapter for our family -- one where we'll all be taking off from Seattle for our yearly family trips.

"Downtown" Friday Harbor 

Barry the Baller, who chose to fly rather than suffer the ferry

Low tide at our rental house

Evening of fire and bubbles outside of our house. 

Buck that I spotted outside of our house.

Spinning and spinning on the zip tour.

He drew the heart <3 

Sergio on the beach during our forest walk.

At the British Camp:
L to R: Barry, Dad, Mom, me

Final night on our house dock.

What a nostalgic trip -- the first of many, I'd guess. If you want to spend a lovely NW weekend somewhere fun, grab a lunch for the ferry line and hotfoot it out to one of the Puget Sound islands! I promise that you won't be disappointed.

I guess a short work trip made me nostalgic for the travel days of the recent past --  perfect inspiration for this blog! I have a weekend surprise trip planned for S in a few weeks -- I'm packing his bag and we're taking off, destination unknown (to him) -- so I can't wait to share that experience too.

xo,
Sarah

P.S. For more photos, check out our G+ pages (Sarah, Sergio). We only share with circles or extended circles, so add us!