Traveling the Pacific Coast: An Embarrassment of Riches

We have all encountered an embarrassment of riches at some point in our lives. Perhaps it was when we were at a party with a buffet table crowded with too many tasty dishes or when we were visiting a city in which too many historic churches had to be seen. My most recent embarrassment of riches came in late August during a car trip from Birch Bay, WA to Mendocino, CA.  Traveling down the coast, I encountered so much natural scenic beauty, so many memorable vistas, that I was unable to do more than sample a few of them.

The Trip Route from (1) Birch Bay, WA to (2) Mendoino, CA

The idea of the trip was to see as much of the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California as possible. After getting to the Olympic Peninsula, much of the drive was on Hwy 101.  In Washington, it sometimes veered inland, and we had to take some smaller highways to get closer to the water. In contrast, much of Oregon’s Coastal Highway (also Hwy 101) lies within view the Pacific, so side trips were not necessary. In California, after enjoying stops in the Redwood National Forest, accessing the coast required leaving Hwy 101 and driving a perilous mountain route on Hwy 1 to reach the coast. From there, Hwy 1 was often near the edge of the buffs overlooking the ocean.

Washington: The Olympic Peninsula

The trip was made with my young friend Denis Gajdamaschko. We have traveled together to many places since he turned twelve, including Austria, Poland, Ukraine, and China, plus we have shared a car on long drives from Athens (GA) to Fayetteville (AR) and Athens to Birch Bay (WA). He was as eager as I to see the Pacific Northwest coastline.

We departed from Birch Bay, WA (about 9 miles from the Canadian border) to drive to one of my favorite little towns, Coupeville, on Whidbey Island. There, we caught a ferry to Port Townsend which is located on the north shore of the Olympic Peninsula. The ferry ride is a short one, covering the 17 or so miles in less than 30 minutes.

The city of Port Townsend has an historic waterfront built on a bluff overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and is worth an extended visit, but we stopped only to look at the housing models set up by Greenpods ( http://www.greenpoddevelopment.com/ ). This firm designs and builds efficient and modernistic modular housing, a candidate to occupy a lot I co-own in Birch Bay. We were impressed with both the design and quality of the model units we saw.

View of Port Townsend as the ferry approaches the dock

After that brief stop, we headed west to Port Angeles, another old seaport, to spend the night (http://www.portangeles.org/pages/ActivitiesAttractions/link ). This coastal city with nearly 20,000 residents lies on the north end of the Olympic Peninsula in the shadows of the Olympic Mountains. From Port Angeles’ ferry landing, the city of Victoria (Canada) is only about 25 miles across the Strait (https://www.cohoferry.com/ ) The city has mellow, artistic undertones amid the bulk and debris of an aging seaport.

Outdoor mural showing the futurist ferry, the Kalakala, that linked
Port Angeles with Vancouver CA for many years

The next day, we took off on Hwy 101 for the real adventure. The road plunged quickly into the Olympic National Park; although the highway generally follows the coastline, it often lies several miles away from the ocean. To get to the ocean beaches, we exited it at a couple of points to go farther west.  

Not far from Port Angeles, we turned west onto Highway 112 near Sappho, WA. After a short ride, we checked out Clallam Bay, a small but robust town with an expansive and empty sandy beach. After enjoying the beach views and reading about the town’s naval history on historical monuments in the city park, we headed back to Hwy 101, ready to exchange bay views for some raw ocean.

Just before we reached Forks, WA, we again left Hwy 101 to take Hwy 110 to La Push. Then, the real fun began. At the end of the highway was a noisy ocean plus the community of La Push sitting on reservation land owned by the Quileate Indians.  At La Push, the gentle ripples of bay beaches were only a memory; instead we saw beaches pounded by the powerful waves of the unfettered Pacific. It was a pleasure to finally see the high white-capped waves and hear the sound of an ocean in turmoil. You can sample the views here: http://forkswa.com/first-beach-webcam/

Sign at La Push WA

In and near La Push, we made our way to three sandy beaches (cleverly named First Beach, Second Beach, and Third Beach) separated by bluffs and rock formations. All three were under attack by enormous Pacific waves. To get to two of the beaches, we had to walk steep narrow trails, but the efforts were rewarded with the feel of white sand under our feet, the sound of the raucous ocean, and the sight of the sun turning the water a deep blue with white fringes.

First Beach at La Push (Note the surfer in the foregound)

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the La Push community has a resort operated by the Quileate Indians with cabins a few steps from the roaring water. After seeing them, I updated my to-do list to include a stay in one the cabins with my Godson Danielka the next time he comes to visit. Maybe we can ride out a fearsome storm there, just to say we survived. http://www.quileuteoceanside.com/

Resort cabins at La Push between First Beach and Second Beach

La Push is surrounded by the Olympic National Park, which includes coastal long the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula.  As with all Indian Reservations on the Peninsula, the Quileate reservation is not part of the park.

Ocean Waves at La Push's Third Beach

After returning to Hwy 101, we veered close to the Ocean for several pleasant miles, then abruptly turned to the East to go around the huge Quinault Reservation. When we were almost around it, we pulled off Hwy 101 to take the Moclips Highway to get us back to the Ocean. This highway ran through heavily forested land to the small ocean-front community of Moclips. There we met up with Hwy 109 and headed south.  Moclips and most coastal land south of it are not in the Olympic National Park, and the difference is immediately visible: without the park’s building restrictions, numerous houses and other structures have been built on the bluffs along the Ocean. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moclips,_Washington.)

The drive down Highway 109 mostly followed the shoreline, taking us past several small, aging cities with coastal resorts and RV parks. However, just a few miles south of Moclips, which is populated by modest houses offering million dollar views, we passed through Seabrook, a new development with expensive modern houses overlooking the ocean (http://www.seabrookwa.com/ ).

We puttered down Hwy 109 until we got to Hwy 115, which goes down a peninsula that ends at Ocean Shores, a small rectangular town, six miles long and two miles wide. Surrounded by water on three side, the ocean side of this resort town has huge sandy beaches onto which some people drive their cars. Although this was the first place where we saw cars on the beach, it turned out to be commonplace on Washington beaches further south.

Ocean Shores, with a population of about 5,600, is laid out on a precise grid. This precision likely came during its initial development as a resort in the 1960s. In its initial incarnation, the city, as developed by the Ocean Shores Development Association, was a glitzy place for the rich and famous. Why else would Pat Boone live there for a while?  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Shores,_WashingtonWikipedia .

The city’s low-lying, sandy soil, reminds me of similar cities along the coasts of the Carolinas and Georgia. It has several hotels/motels for tourists attracted by its moderate climate and superlative beaches. (For the city’s attractions, see: http://www.tourismoceanshores.com/ and http://oceanshores.com/ .) Also, most noticeable, it has an astonishing number of deer roaming along the roads, munching grass along the public land and in the yards of the city’s residents. Who needs a speed limit when the threat of hitting a deer is always looming?

After a night in Ocean Shores, we drove on Hwy 109 to Hoquiam and Aberdeen where many of the innumerable logging trucks on Hwy 101 dump their loads. Back on Hwy 101, we drove several miles away from the Ocean until we made it to Raymond, which looked like another logging town. After Raymond, Hwy 101 again ran along or near the Ocean for many miles, providing several different opportunities to stop and check out the seemingly unending sandy beaches.

We pulled off Hwy 101 to visit the Long Beach peninsula. Long Beach claims it has the “World’s Longest Beach,” and its white sand does stretch about eleven miles from the top to the bottom of the peninsula. This narrow peninsula reminded me of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where often when driving you can look one way to see the ocean and the other way to see the bay. Of course, Long Beach is not an island, so we did not have to worry about ferries.

The beach at the southern end of Long Beach

We spent too little time on this peninsula and I have added another visit there to my list of things to do. See https://funbeach.com/ for news of the attractions of the Long Beach peninsula.

After eating lunch in the small city of Long Beach (at the southern end of the peninsula) and walking some of its nicely developed beach-front trails, we continued on Hwy 101 across the soaring bridge that links Washington State with Oregon. Here is where the mighty Columbia River meets up with the Pacific. The bridge took us into Astoria, and after a quick look around the city we continued south on the Oregon Coastal Highway (the state’s name for Hwy 101). In the northern part of the state, Hwy 101 was often within sight of the Ocean.

After some time peeking through the trees for a glimpse of the water, we were ready for an encounter with an Oregon beach.  On a whim, we turned into a parking area with the sign “Hug Point State Park.” I am glad we did. The Hug Point beach is broad and sandy, surrounded by bluffs into which ocean waves have dug caves. Also, not far from the ocean’s edge, huge rock formations rise out of the water.

Energetic Denis jogs to see more of the beach to the south

Hug Point State Park is just one of many small beach parks off Hwy 101 in northern Oregon. If the others are like it, this part of the state is particularly blessed with beauty. 

Hug Point Beach cave

Continuing south, we had a steady diet of enticing ocean views until we reached the small city of Garibaldi; then the highway went inland a few miles, passing through Tillamook (famous for its cheese). We traveled for quite a while with only periodic glimpses of the Ocean until we reached Lincoln City. There, we got a room across the street from – you guessed it -- a sandy beach.

The next day we continued south on the Oregon Coastal Highway and had a long stretch of road with the ocean in view.  One of the two highlights of the long day of driving occurred after we passed the city of Depoe Bay, whose front street has businesses facing the Ocean. We noticed a crowd congregated on the sidewalk across from the downtown stores.  They were intensely staring out at the ocean. We wondered why they were there (bird watchers?), but traveled on. Then, climbing a steep hill south of the city, we saw a bevy of cars parked on a high bluff overlooking the ocean.  Many people were standing at the bluff’s edge. Were they going to jump?

Whale surfacing (left side of the picture) with whalers in pursuit

We stopped to investigate. We quickly learned that the attraction was whales. From that vantage point, we could see a couple of whales periodically coming to the surface. Not far from them, two whale watching boats were filled with observers. We enjoyed the spectacle; that was the first time I had seen whales in the Pacific.

The second highlight came a little later in the day, when, after a steady bombardment of jaw-dropping ocean views, we traveled down a hill in the Cape Perpetua area and stopped at Devil’s Churn State Park. As suggested by the name, at Devil’s Churn the Pacific is sending a steady flow of giant waves smashing into an unyielding igneous beach, creating huge sprays of water. We walked down to this beach, formed by lava flow, for a closer look, carefully avoiding the water crashing over the rocks.  (See http://www.beachconnection.net/news/dchurn021011_344.php )

Devil's Churn from a bluff overlooking it

We greatly enjoyed the spectacle provided us by Devil's Churn and noted that the entire Cape Perpetua area has several beaches and trails for ocean-loving visitors who also love to hike. I made a note to myself: “You have to return for a longer visit to explore this area.” To get a taste of the area, watch the video at this website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/siuslaw/recarea/?recid=42265   

Ocean meets beach at Devil's Churn

After Devils Churn we made the long drive to California, stopping intermittently when a view absolutely demanded attention. During the drive, as the road veered inland a bit, we traveled through land famous for its enormous sand dunes. (See information on the Sand Dunes National Park here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/siuslaw/recreation/recarea/?recid=42465) .  Sadly, we had no time to explore the dunes, but noted their existence as candidates for future travel adventures.  

At the end of a long day of travel, exhausted by viewing a surplus of majestic sights, we crossed the Oregon and California border, then stopped in Crescent City, CA for the night.

Northern California

Crescent City is not a particularly attractive city, so we departed quickly the next morning. We had two key items on our agenda: to explore the Redwood forests and to go down Highway 1 to Mendocino. 

Not long after we took off, fog rolled in and stayed around – in and near the water -- most of the day. The play of light and shadow on and over the water enhanced the beauty of the setting.

Foggy day on the north coast of California

We spent the morning appreciating redwood trees whose height and age and beauty are worthy of a long string of admiring adjectives. We left Hwy 101 to drive on the Newton Drury Scenic Parkway through the Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. Midway through the Parkway, we stopped to walk a trail among the giant trees.

Northern California's Pacific Coast on a foggy day

After getting back on Hwy 101, we exited it again a few miles to the south to get to the Lady Bird Johnson Redwood Grove near Orick. This grove of ancient redwoods is protected from development, and an interpretative trail has been developed among them. As we walked the trail, we were in constant awe of our surroundings

Denis on the Redwood Trail

As we sated our interest in redwoods, we worked up a big appetite and stopped in Trinidad, a nifty ocean-front city whose name I had never heard before. With the lingering fog, we had some fetching views of the ocean from the top of the bluff on which the city sits.  After a few minutes in the city, I had the thought: “Wow, I would like to live here.” Then I saw a modest house for a sale a few steps from where we parked. The half-million dollar price tag reminded me of why I don’t live in such a place.

View from Trinidad, CA

Continuing down Hwy 101, we saw enough of Humboldt County to regret that we did not have enough time to check out its many attractions. When we entered Mendocino County, Hwy 101 had gone several miles inland and we were ready to get back to the Ocean. To do so, we left Hwy 101 to travel on California’s famous Hwy 1 at its northern entrance. The first segment of his highway, we quickly found out, is a scary, twisting-turning two-lane road through the foothills of the Pacific Coast Mountain Range. The road has innumerable hair pin turns near jutting bluffs and very few straight stretches. It was an exhausting drive that, fortunately, paid off by taking us to the most memorable views of the Pacific to be found anywhere.

Along the ocean, Hwy 1 is still a dangerous road. Built in the 1930s, it is narrow by modern standards with almost continuous zigs and zags as it follows the coastline. What makes it especially dangerous are the ocean vistas that distract drivers as they try to negotiate the meandering road.

Driving along the Northern California coast, I was getting excited about the prospect of visiting Mendocino. For some reason, I have long wished to see this small coastal town. I am not sure why – maybe because of something I read or saw three decades ago when living a couple of hours away in the San Francisco Bay area. Whatever the source, I have pictured this town as an ideal ocean-front community.

State Park by Mendocino, view to the north

Mendocino did not disappoint. This unincorporated village of about 900 people sits on a bluff with the Pacific clawing at it on three sides. A haven for artists, it is quiet, tidy and unpretentiously upscale. It has an active art center with a gallery and small theater. At the village’s western edge is an ocean-side state park overlooking the ocean with trails for hiking and enticing views to the north, south, and west. In the evening, a lighthouse on a large rock to the north whirls its illumination across the water toward Mendocino every three or four seconds.

Birds on a Pacific Coast outcropping by Mendocino

The Coastal Trip Ends

The night in Mendocino, in a pleasant inn, was the last on the coast. We departed the next morning for a 150-mile trip to Berkeley, but just a few minutes after leaving the village and before we turned inland to drive through Mendocino County’s wine country, we noticed a huge modern mansion sitting by itself on the edge of a high bluff above the Pacific. On this perfectly beautiful sun-filled day, the house struck me as the perfect house in a perfect location, and my envy rose to new heights.

Perfect house in a perfect location on a perfect day, near Mendocino

After a few minutes of stewing in my envy, I calmed down, reminding myself that I had just spent four days enjoying some of the most spectacular ocean views in the world. I decided to be thankful for what I have instead of envying the rich SOBs with their billion dollar mansions and their perfect lives.

Well, maybe I didn’t get rid of all traces of envy, but as we left the coast, I was happy that I had been able to make this trip and was looking forward to returning. A good thing about this embarrassment of riches is that I can easily go back for more.

The North Cascades Beckon!

One of the features of a drive along Interstate 5 between Birch Bay and Seattle is a view of the Cascade Mountains lying to the east. During the first part of the drive, weather permitting, Mt. Baker (a dormant volcano and third largest peak in Washington state) provides irresistible scenery.

Mt. Baker with Bellingham in the Foreground

Though the mountains have been frequently in view, I have sampled the Cascades mainly through visits to Mt. Baker, driving on a few occasions to Artist Point in the latter part of summer when the snow is finally cleared and the road to it is open. Also, I have sped several times across the Cascades driving on Interstate 90 to get from Seattle to points east. Driving this four-lane highway, I have enjoyed quick glances around, especially when crossing Snoqualmie Pass. However, I have yet to take the time to get out of the car to look around.

My resolve to devote more time to exploring and enjoying the Cascades was fortified when I recently read The North Cascades Highway: A Roadside Guide by Jack McLeod. This book has convinced me that it is time to explore the mountains. They are simply too close to ignore. My Birch Bay condo, according to Google maps, is a mere 90-minute drive from the start of a spectacular 83-mile drive across the mountains on Washington State Highway 20. The drive starts at mile 97.6 of the highway (in Rockport) and ends at mile 180 (in Mazama).

This highway, whose construction took decades, was completed only in 1972. Even now, parts of it close in the winter when deep snow and avalanches from the Washington Pass area cover it. Typically the closures occur from late November to late 
April.

When driving the highway during its open months, first-time visitors will find likely McLeod’s book of great value. It advises visitors of the best places (identified by milepost number) to stop for superior views, and it suggests trails to take to see vistas not visible from the highway. In fact, one of the main messages of the book is to get out of the car and look around.  

From the highway, visitors can see numerous high peaks (with such colorful names as Bonanza [9,511 ft.], Stiletto [7,660 ft.], Switchblade [7,805 ft], and Cutthroat [8,050 ft.]) and mountains (such as Hozomeen Mountain [8,071 ft.], Jack Mountain [9,066 ft.], Sourdough Mountain (6,120 ft.], and Crater Mountain [8,128 ft]). Also, the drive follows the Skagit River for many miles, and it goes near three large lakes (Gorge, Diablo, and Ross Lakes), all man-made to provide power to Seattle.  

A couple of the Passes (both not far from Mazama) have especially interesting features. Rainy Pass (mile 157) is, according to McLeod, “the final barrier to moisture-filled clouds from the Pacific, which drop a yearly average of fifty-six inches of rain. The pass separates the wet west from the dry east.”  This pass is also “a trail hub for hikers of all levels” writes McLeod, who suggests some alternative walks. Of course, the truly brave could get on the Pacific Crest Trail near this pass and walk a couple thousand miles to Mexico.  

Five miles from Rainy Pass lies Washington Pass (mile 162.2), which according to McLeod is “the most spectacular and most photographed slice of the North Cascades” with views of the Liberty Bell and Early Winters Spires. Because of the type of rock in this area, it is a favorite place for rock climbers.

Next year when I travel this stretch of Highway 20 for the first time, I intend to have The North Cascades Highway at my side to help determine where to stop and to assist identifying what I am seeing. The book is stuffed with pictures of views from the highway with labels identifying the prominent features. In addition to the travel advice, the book is heavy on geology (answering the question: What kind of rocks are those?), with a smattering of poetry and exhortation (“Get out of the car and look around”).  

When making this trip, I certainly plan to get out of the car and walk some (short) trails. To help with that, I am going to consult another recently published book such as Hiking the North Cascades: A Guide to More Than 100 Great Hiking Adventures by Eric Molvar or one the other books that have been written on this topic.

Birch Bay Update: New Pub Opening Soon

The quality of life in Birch Bay was diminished a couple of years ago when a bankruptcy caused the closure of two Birch Bay Drive year-round eating establishments: C.J.'s Beach House and CJ Wijns. The Beach House served, in my experience, the best food in Birch Bay. It was a great place to take visitors. Wijns (however you pronounced it) was a good place to get some coffee, lunch, and/or wine in a comfortable atmosphere and at a reasonable cost.

Fortunately, eating options have improved greatly in Birch Bay during the past few months with the re-opening of the Beach House, now owned by Jack Niemann, a successful local restaurateur, and the opening of two other restaurants to replace ones that closed: the Via Birch Bay Cafe and Bistro (the only eating place on the Ocean side of Birch Bay Drive) and Vonna's Purple Fin Restaurant. The Via filled a building that had been empty for quite a while after the Blue Fish Restaurant closed down, and it seemed to do a healthy business this summer. It had a major setback last Winter when a blustery storm brought waves that crashed through windows and flooded the place, but it has bounced back well. The Purple Fin, located near the C Shop on Anderson Road, filled a space that had been occupied for a couple of years by Dee's Country Diner. I ate at the Purple Fin in June with six other people who ordered a variety of fish and meat dishes, and we are all pleased with our meals.

A sign in the window of the space that housed Wijns announces the pending arrival of The Will O Pub and Cafe. The new establishment has a Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/Thewillopub ) charting the progress of opening the new business. It appears that it should occur any day now, pending final inspections and permits.

I wish these new places, as well as those Birch Bay restaurants and cafes that survived the Great Recession, well.  Birch Bay offers significant challenges to such businesses, mainly because the busy days of summer are followed by many days when Birch Bay attracts few visitors (there is a reason the C Shop stops daily operations after Labor Day). Nevertheless, with a growing number of full-time residents in the area, a revival of the housing market, and rising prosperity, the local economy is likely going to be much better in the coming months than it has been during the last few off-seasons. If so, we can expect all of these newly opened establishments to be ready to welcome the flood of visitors starting in Spring 2014.

Birch Bay Summer, 2013: A Photojournalist Report from the Front

Most of June, all of July, and the first few days of August have been spectacular in Birch Bay. During this time, I have awakened thinking, “What did I do to deserve such great weather?”  The days have been in the 70’s to low 80’s; the nights are cooled to the 50's. I can’t image a better combination, especially with the daily sun sparkling off the blue Bay. 

The fabulous weather has been enhanced by the visit of Godson Danielka, who gives me new insights into the lives of 11-year-old boys. Of course, I don’t always appreciate when he points out -- after I suggest that something he did wasn't too smart -- that I was born in the last century while he is a New Century kind of guy.  How can guy born in the 20th Century understand the perspective of a 21st Century kid?

As the great weather rolled on, some interesting things have been happening in the neighborhood. The following is a report on some of them:

New Book by Al Krause and Ruth Higgins

Al Krause and Ruth Higgins, our Birch Bay neighbors located a few houses to the south of my Morrison Avenue abode, have written a book entitled, Lessons from the Obama 2012 Grassroots Campaign. It was published at the end of 2012, and I finally got around to reading it in July. The book discusses their experience as volunteers for the Obama campaign in Northwest Washington State. While doing some valuable and important work organizing calls and other volunteer activities, they ran into some paid staffers who, at best, did not much help them do their work.  At worse, the staffers frustrated their efforts to the point that Al and Ruth resigned their volunteer positions and worked on other campaigns.

The book reminds me a bit of parts of another book that I recently read, Political Magic by Brenda Blagg, about Clinton’s “Arkansas Travelers.” This group of volunteers from Arkansas paid their own way to campaign in key states for Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. There they were often dismissed and/or distrusted by Clinton’s paid staff. I would venture to say that paid political staff members are often wary of capable volunteers because they view them as threats to their own little pockets of power. 

I enjoyed Al and Ruth’s nicely written book, which is a quick read, and am glad that their volunteer work gave them the opportunity to meet, and have a picture made with, Obama, even though it was frustrating in other ways. I have to say that I admire folks like Al and Ruth who volunteer their time to promote their political beliefs. Most other people are like me, viewing politics as a somewhat unsavory spectator event. We may care who wins, but not enough to make an effort to take part in the process. 

Below is a picture of Ruth and Al in the Blaine July 4th parade. Ruth is in the blue shirt holding the large banner. Al is walking behind the sign with a dark blue hat and a light blue sweater.

You can find Al and Ruth’s book (in both hard copy and e-book) at these links:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-author=Al%20Krause%20%2F%20Ruth%20Higgins&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AAl%20Krause%20%2F%20Ruth%20Higgins

http://books.google.com/books?id=l7YaIEYF7U4C&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=al+krause+ruth+higgins&source=bl&ots=FI74FDxj4g&sig=ZppWovOZnTcSuSsjnr90YmQ3AyY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k4oFUqjOMe_wyAHB2oDgDw&ved=0CHwQ6AEwDA#v=onepage&q=al%20krause%20ruth%20higgins&f=false

Pat and Pat’s 50^th Wedding Anniversary

In late July, my neighbors across the street, Patrick and Patricia Alesse celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary with a gathering on land they own across the street (toward Terrell Creek) from the main C Shop building. This land is where a public market is held on weekends during the Summer. This lot is about 50 feet from my front door.

   

The Allesses are the long-time owners of the C Shop  http://www.thecshop.com/  
and valued members of the Birch Bay (and surrounding area) community. They raised two boys in Birch Bay after moving here from Syracuse, New York. The C shop is probably the most recognizable landmark in Birch Bay and is famous for its tasty home-made candy and other goodies.

The celebration was festive, but informal, with guests coming from as far as New York. It featured Patricia’s original wedding dress, a ride in the type of car they owned when they married, and a huge wedding cake like the one they had at their wedding. It also featured a fascinating display of pictures from the lives of the Pats and their family. 

I appreciated the invitation to join the celebration and am glad to be their neighbors. 

Pat and Pat with one of their sons. Her wedding dress is on her right

Pat and Pat in the car model they drove on their wedding day

Pat and Pat, with their two sons, drink a toast to their continued happiness.
The wedding cake is a replica of the one they had at their wedding 50 years ago

A.J. and Danielka Caught a Salmon in Terrell Creek

We had some excitement around here two weekends ago when Danielka and his friend A.J. (age 10) caught a large salmon in Terrell Creek. A.J. and his family live in the Birch Bay Drive condo next to where Danielka is staying this summer. The two caught a 15-18 inch salmon in Terrell Creek just down the bank from where the Pat and Pat wedding anniversary celebration took place. 

Danielka (dark shirt) and A.J. (red shirt) fish from Birch Bay Dr. bridge over
Terrell Creek

Catching the fish took them quite a while. They spotted it under the Terrell Creek Bridge (where Alderson St. meets Birch Bay Ave.) and tried unsuccessfully to get it with their fishing poles, then went in the shallow creek with a net. After a couple hours of a concentrated chase, A.J. netted the fish with Danielka’s help. 

Here is Danielka with the netted Salmon

The catch stirred quite a bit of excitement. Many people were surprised to find such a large salmon in Terrell Creek, though I have seen some leaping further up the river. The catch is a good sign that the efforts to restore the creek for Salmon migration is having some success.

A.J.and Danielka with their salmon

Decent Pulled-Pork Barbecue Comes to Whatcom County

I am happy to report that Birch Bayers finally has a decent place to get BBQ. It is found in a restaurant, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, in nearby Lynden, a Birch Bay suburb. The restaurant is located just south of the intersection of Meridian and Lynden-Birch Bay Roads, across the street from Safeway. It is decorated as a lower-middle-class eating place, and people from Georgia or Texas or Arkansas feel at home when visiting it.

Danielka and Oxana eat BBQ at Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Lynden

The restaurant is a chain; nevertheless, its pulled pork sandwich is the best I have had on this side of the Continental Divide. I can recommend its pulled pork sandwich (I haven’t tried other BBQ meats yet). I like the hot-ish barbecue sauce that is available to top the sandwich. Also, the “barbecue beans” dish is very tasty. As a bonus, Dickeys provides free self-service ice cream cones to conclude the meal.  

Godson Danielka and his mother Oxana are fans of Dickey's. Include me on the list.

The Big Three Events: July 4th Fireworks, the Blaine July 4th Parade and the Birch Bay Music Festival

A big part of the summer fun in Birch Bay are three events that happen each year. The first two take place on July 4th and bring the biggest crowds to the BB.  As usual, Birch Bay had a explosively spectacular July 4th with the beaches lined with folks shooting fireworks over the Bay. I like to describe this event as an anarchic ballet. I have written a couple of blogs about it. You should come to see it for yourself sometime. The blogs are at this links:
http://www.eclecticatbest.com/2012/07/july-4-2012-birch-bay-celebrates-with.html

http://www.eclecticatbest.com/2011/07/how-birch-bay-celebrates-july-4th.html

I will not write more about the 2013 July 4th, but post below a few pictures of the event:

Before dark comes, some folks shoot roman candles over the Bay

A boy enjoys a sparkler on the beach

The crowd has assembled and is waiting for dark

Preparing a hot air balloon

When dark finally comes, Birch Bay's sky lights up

With the July 4th fireworks lighting up the Birch Bay night sky, it is a pleasure to prepare for the spectacle by attending the Blaine July 4th parade. The Birch Bay suburb of Blaine offers a state-of-art small city parade filled with local folks and their cars, tractors, politicians, businesses, and organizations. The day includes a pancake breakfast at the senior center, an exhibition of antique cars, and plenty of booths selling food and trinkets. Put it on your calendar for next July 4th if you are going to be in the area. It is the essence of Americana.  Here are a couple of pictures from the parade:

Boy Scouts march in the Blaine July 4th Parade

Honoring Veterans

Icelandic Heritage Society had many folks in the parade

Tractors were a big part of the parade

One young parade watcher gathered lots of candy tossed by passing floats

As I write this, the third event, the Birch Bay Music Festival, is booming in my ears. The Festival is held next to the C Shop, a few feet from my Morrison place. I get to hear all 18 bands from my living room.

This year is the third Birch Bay Music Festival. It gets bigger every year. In 2013, the Festival has 18 bands playing from 3:00 p.m. Friday to Sunday at 5:00 p.m. For the third year, I just heard Rebekah Ann Curtis sign and play her guitar. I always enjoy her music.

The place is crowded with booths, a small train ride for kids, and a music stage. Food is plentiful at the C Shop and the Bay Cafe across the street from the venue. The crowds seem more than ample for such a small space. 

You can read about the 2013 Birch Bay Music Festival at this website:  http://birchbaymusicfestival.com/

Danielka’s Visit

I will conclude the report on Summer 2013 in Birch Bay with news about the visit of Godson Daniekla, whose two-month visit will soon conclude, and he and his mother, Oxana, will return to their home in Podolsk, Russia. Danielka was recently bummed out to learn that, thanks to an order by Russian President V. Putin, he and all other Russian school kids will have to attend classes on Saturday during the coming year.

Thanks to Danielka’s visit, I now know more about the booming on-line game business. Danielka started the visit playing Wizards 101, which he greatly enjoyed. Now, however, he is enthralled with Mindcraft, especially Hunger Games. He especially enjoys playing on-line with multiple players using Skype to talk to friends who are in the game with him. The games have some downsides, like too much time with his butt in a seat, but they provide an incentive for him to improve his written English and spelling. His spoken English is now almost native.

One thing that Danielka wants very much is to have his own You Tube channel showing his computer gaming videos. He made some progress toward this goal: he now has the software needed to record, with commentary, games as they happen on a computer. He has made a couple of demos, and I expect that he will soon have his first You Tube video posted to his “Golden Redstone” channel.

Among the highlights of Danielka’s visit was a trip to San Diego, which I did not make. With his Aunt/Godmother Natalia leading the way, he and Oxana had a chance to visit Lego World, the San Diego Zoo, and the city’s great beaches. They had a great time.

Back in Birch Bay, Danielka and I went out most mornings to hit some tennis balls. Danielka is a good little athlete, so he has been learning steadily and now has developed some good basic shots that he is slowly coming to hit consistently. When he comes back next year, we will make some more progress.

Danielka playing tennis

As I show in the picture, I made Danielka wear a mask while playing tennis. It was his handicap to even out my age-related handicaps.  (Actually, the mask is a key part of the plot of the science fiction novel we are writing together. I describe this project a little latter in the blog.)

The first Saturday in August, Danielka attended the Pirate Days Camp as part of the Drayton Harbor Celebration in Blaine, a suburb of Birch Bay. He attended this event last year and greatly enjoyed it. This year was also fun. With his mother’s help, he put together a good pirate outfit, and he practiced his “Aargs” and other pirate talk. 

Pirate Danielka with his Aunt Natalia

The group of kids attending the Pirate Days event were a good looking group. It is hard not to smile when you see kids dressed up as pirates. Here are a few of the young pirates we saw at Drayton Harbor. 

One of the youngest pirates

Winner of one of the best pirate costume award

AJ. and Danielka

In the crowded summer, another event we enjoyed was a visit to the Whatcom Art Museum in Bellingham, a southern suburb of Birch Bay. In truth, we were not too thrilled by the apocalyptic art in the exhibition entitled "Nature in the Balance: Artists Interpreting Climate Change." A room stuffed with amateur "message" art (aka agitprop), even if you agree with the message, can be too much. After a while, we had to start laughing at the unending flow of grim messages in the exhibition. My advice: get rid of 90 percent of the paintings and exhibit only the best. The message will be conveyed with much more power and clarity than the hodge-podge of art now on the walls. 

Danieka and the bottom third of one of the
paintings at the Whatcom Art Museum

One of the few paintings I liked in the exhibition entitled
"Nature in the Balance: Artists Interpreting Climate Change"
at the Whatcom Art Museum

Although we were not too thrilled by the museum's main art exhibition, we did enjoy a new historical exhibit the museum is offering at its galleries in the Old City Hall. This one is titled "Treasure from the Trunk: The Story of J.J. Donovan." It documents the story of one of Bellingham's most important citizens in the first part of the 20th century. 

We also appreciate the Art Museum's offering of a history cruise around Bellingham Bay, which we greatly enjoyed. The tour lasts for 2 1/2 hours and is narrated by a historian who tells interest elements of the history of the city and county as the boat glides about the Bay. The night of our cruise has perfect weather, so we had some spectacular views of the Bellingham, Fairhaven, and Mt. Baker. We were wowed by what we saw.

Here are a few shots from the boat:

Bellingham Old City Hall (Red Building) and Mt. Baker

Fairhaven area of Bellingham (The grey building in the front on the water is one of the few remaining buildings of the American-Pacific Fisheries Cannery, which a century ago was the largest Pacific salmon processing cannery in the world

Danielka, Natalia, and Oxana enjoy the cruise

A Bellingham seal watches us watch him

One other thing that Danielka and I have been working on this summer: a book titled “Kaboy the Magician and the Intergalactic Locusts.” We have the plot worked out and three chapters drafted. The book is about a young boy, a visitor from Russia, in Birch Bay who discovers that he is destined to lead the fight against an invasion by the seemingly invincible Intergalactic Locusts, marauders from a planet in another galaxy who periodically invade planets like earth to gather valuable resources for their own use. To be successful, Kaboy must use secrets passed on to him by The Magicians, highly intelligent beings who nearly 14,000 years ago discovered too late how the Locusts could be defeated and, as their people perished, found a way to transmit those secrets for use on earth when the Locusts returned. 

Look for it soon at your local Amazon store.

It has been a great summer in Birch Bay. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to return to the Birch Bay Music Festival to listen to more music.