Summer Diaries | Monday, August 28
The original plan had been to spend the day winding through the steep peaks of North Cascades National Park. But active fires had shut down all of the viewpoint, trails, and exhibits within the park, and the highway was blocked in places by firefighting crews, so we decided to go with a Plan B.
Which, as it often does for us, meant hopping a ferry for Whidbey Island.
The crossing was a foggy one but we welcomed the vibes. Anything short of a raging forest fire felt like a win.
We wandered the streets of Coupeville, a small town halfway up the island, known for its Penn Cove mussels and quirky shopping district, which is a rare activity for us. Gracie waited patiently with my husband on the street as my second born and I drifted in and out of a few antique stores, and then, by golly, we all got down to business.
Our main event for the day: the beautiful cliffs of Fort Ebey State Park.
^ The bunker allows for a sheltered passage between the two gun mounts (one is just out of frame at the bottom right of this shot) and even though the dark underground passage is completely harmless, trust me. It's kinda spooky in there.
One interesting tidbit about life up here on the Pacific coast is that after Pearl Harbor was attacked, our corner of the USA was considered the front lines of possible further attack by Japanese forces. Tucked here and there along cliffs about our beautiful beaches are armored bunkers and the gun batteries that formed a system of coastal defenses. The weapons themselves have long since been dismantled and destroyed, but the large concrete foundations that housed two six-inch guns still remain. I'm quite thankful that war never came to these peaceful shores.
^ This is Gracie's idea of heaven. If only I would snap off that leash.
With the history portion of our visit complete, we were off to the open fields above the cliff to fill our lungs with fresh air, romp in the tall grass, and bask in the sunshine.
Well, check and check to the first two. The cool air of Puget Sound was indeed bracing and the golden grasses of late summer are just exactly the kind of hunting environment Gracie was born for. I followed her lead down the path along the edge of the cliff, pulling her little daredevil self back from the edge when she got too close, both of us enjoying a fine stretching of our legs.
^ My daughter looking down the hill at Gracie and me.
^ Me looking up the hill at Grace. "What's taking so long, Mom?"
But bask in the sunshine we did not.
In fact, as we wandered along in our happy reverie, I barely noticed the build-up of dark clouds over the water to the north. I wasn't alarmed to see the rain pouring from the clouds. But when the lightning began to flash, and the thunder to rumble, my attention was rapt.
"Sorry, Gracie. We gotta go."
Across the fields, I noticed my husband and daughter moving quickly toward the car; Gracie and I agreed that it was time to high tail it in the same direction.
We arrived at the car none too soon. As we clambered in, lightning flashed directly overhead and thunder almost instantly followed. In a matter of very few minutes, that far off storm had materialized right on top of us, and I'm quite thankful that we were paying close attention.
^ Another happy ending to a day spent on Whidbey.
Back down the soggy island we drove, and splish-splashed onto the ferry for the last leg of the trip. Mother Nature seemed bound and determined to throw some danger into our path for the day, and I'm quite thankful to say we arrived home safe and sound, and none the worse for wear
. * * * * *
My 2023 Summer Diaries:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please comment...I'd love to hear from you!