I've been lamenting the fact that I haven't kept a journal for years. Frankly, I have no desire to do so; it's just that this guilt thing has kicked in to high gear as I've come to realize that my memory isn't so good and isn't likely to improve as I get older.So I figured a blog would be an adequate replacement for a journal, and much more interesting way to keep a record of my life on this fair rock we call Earth. If you see highlighted text, it's a link to more info, so feel free to check it out.
11/17/07 is my first entry, and I'll start it off with a few pictures from a fantastic trip my wife Shauna and I took to the San Juan Islands this summer. If you ever get a chance to travel in this area, I highly recommend Orcas island.
We stayed at one of the most amazing B&B's on earth called the Inn at Orcas Island. The two gentelmen that operate it are world travelers and art collectors. The Inn, which sits on a private inlet that comes in and out with the tide, is literally an art gallery. I'm an artist, so maybe I'm a bit biased - but Shauna loved it too. While we were being served breakfast at the rear bay window (One of the owners is a chef) there was an Osprey or Sea Hawk hovering in the morning sea breeze over the inslet and he would suddenly dive down into the water and come up with a fish.
While visiting the island we drove over to the airport and hitched a ride on a TravelAir biplane at MagicAir Tours. The pilot has a private hangar and gives two-person tours (if you're thin enough to both crunch into the front seat) around the San Juan islands. Gorgeous plane, great pilot who gives you a running (comical) narration of the islands as you fly, and a very memorable experience.
We went sea kayaking out off Dear Harbor on Orcas Island with a couple of ladies that we kept bumping into all over the island. Our guide (yes, you must have a guide to go out into the Sound if you want to live) kept pulling up various kinds of seaweed and telling us how different they all tasted and making us eat it. Now we love Sushi, mind you, but eating cold slimy seaweed right out of the ocean just isn't natural! A harbor seal followed us around for a while; it was a scout who was making sure we weren't trouble for his family back on the rocks.
Later we took the ferry over to San Juan Island where we got dry-suit certified for cold water diving. We did a couple of dives in the Puget Sound which is a fantastic dive spot, if you don't mind dressing for cold water.
On the way back to Seattle for our flight home, we drove down Whidbey island, stayed overnight at historic Captain Widbey's Hotel, and spent an afternoon blowing tons of money (like the tourists that we are) in a beautiful little town called Coupeville where we found the BEST little seafood joint in Washington (yes, even better than those Seattle shops). It's called The Mad Crab, and it's worth the drive.Great Trip. Great Wife. Great Life.
-Todd
