Lake Wenatchee Camping

This week I took a three day camping trip to Lake Wenachee on the east side of the Cascades. As you can see the weather was great but the part you can't see is that the mosquitoes were vicious. On Wednesday afternoon I ended up moving to a different campground from where I was camped at the west end of the lake to the east end of the lake.

This was the view from my campsite...

...and here's my campsite.

On Tuesday I took a short hike to nearby Hidden Lake.

Send me an email

Solstice Parade

My friends Mancil and Jennifer were here over the weekend for the Fremont Solstice Festival streetfair and parade. Great weather, lots of fun, and parade pics below. Nothing in the parade can be motorized and no signs are allowed. As you can see below clothing is optional...

Send me an email

Vashon Island Bike Ride

Monday morning I left for a three day bicycle trip to Vashon Island which is in the middle of Puget Sound about four miles west of Seattle. I choose to take the water taxi across Elliot Bay making the bike ride to the Vashon Island ferry dock and on to the hostel on the island about twenty miles long from where I live in north Seattle.

The water taxi from downtown to West Seattle, about a fifteen minute ride, leaves downtown Seattle hourly on the half hour. It's kind of like riding the bus-- you just show up at the dock and pay your fare with correct change when you get on. They also take the new ORCA pass which is like a debit card that can be used on all of our regional mass transit carriers: bus, light-rail, water taxi, and state ferries. Unfortunately my pass had a glitch and didn't work right.

Upon arriving in West Seattle on the water taxi I rode along Alki Beach and on around Alki Point heading for the Vashon ferry dock at Fauntleroy. I lucked out and arrived just as they were boarding bikes and other walk-on passengers for the twenty minute trip to Vashon.

From the ferry dock on Vashon Island to the hostel is a six or seven mile mostly up-hill ride-- plus a bit of a detour to the town of Vashon for groceries. Then it was on to the hostel which is a mile and a half from town.

The hostel has a choice of accommodations: private rooms, dorms, tee-pees, camping, and covered wagons.

... I chose a covered wagon.

I always find one of the best parts of staying at a hostel to be the people I meet. Since every everyone is using the same kitchen, dining space, and living room/lounge there are lots of chances to get to know each other.

A young woman named Avril was staying in the other covered wagon at the hostel. She is most recently from Perth, Australia but was born in Ireland. She had been traveling for four months through New Zeland, South and Central America before arriving in the US. It sounded like she planned to travel for at least another six months through North America, Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia.

I also met a couple, Mike and Clair with their dogs Buddy and Tuesday, who are on a three month bicycle trip down the west coast while pulling their dogs behind them on trailers. You can read more about them at: http://www.buddymike.com/

On Tuesday I took a ride to Dockton Park which is on Maury Island which is actually now connected to Vashon Island thanks to the Army Corps of Engineers. On the way I passed the Tramp Harbor Athletic Club-- shown above.

Pictured above, and taken from the road on the man-made isthmus between the islands, is Quartemaster Harbor which lies between Vashon and Maury Islands.

On Wednesday morning I headed for the Vashon ferry and retraced my rout back to Seattle and arrived back home in the middle of the afternoon feeling like I'd accomplished something-- though not sure quite what.

Send me an email

Fremont Summer Solstice Street Fair and Parade

Every year in my neighborhood on the weekend closest to the summer solstice, Saturday June 20th this year, we have a street fair and a Solstice Parade. Here's a video of the parade from two years ago.

And you can learn more at: http://www.fremontfair.org/
Sent me an email