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Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie
Snoqualmie Falls, including views from The Attic Bistro, the informal dining room at Salish Lodge, perched atop the waterfall.
We had one of the best tables in the dining room, with an unobstructed view of the valley, the falls, and hikers who had made it down to the river floor.
La superbe vue depuis le restaurant du Salish Lodge, bâti sur les collines qui surplombent les chutes de Snoqualmie.
Orcas Island
Orcas Island is one of the largest of the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest. Although the four main islands – San Juan, Shaw, Lopez and Orcas – attract most of the visitors to the San Juans, I have read that there are more than 170 islands in the archipelago. Of course, I don’t know big a body of land has to be to be considered an island.
It’s amazing how rugged and inaccessible the west part of Orcas Island is. We climbed some 2,000 feet to the top of Mount Constitution to take in the views from Orcas’ highest point, and saw pine forests that looked impenetrable. The climb to the top is steep – our old Renault 21 would not have been able to make it – and the road is narrow, with lots of sharp turns. The higher we limbed, the more ethereal the distance below seemed to us. And at the top, the vies of the Sound and the different mountain ranges was breathtaking. The experience was sublime.
The ferry to Orcas Island leaves Anacotes, Washington. The timetable for departures may be just guidelines, though. We arrived at the terminal expecting to depart in 15 minutes – based on the schedule we printed – only to learn that the next ferry was in an hour and a half.
Weekend Excursion: Mount Baker, Washington
We chose a great time of year to return to the mountain: Labor Day weekend. The mountain was at its best, teeming with vibrant visitors from just about everywhere; snow on the peaks; and good weather. Around us, people were pointing out different bodies of water and mountain ranges. Everyone was excited to be there. This suited me just fine; who wants to be alone at the top? I looked around to make sure there was no concession stand or organ grinder to ruin the mood, but restrooms and a beverage dispenser were the only amenities. That and an orientation map. We could have spent hours soaking in the unobstructed view at the top. But mountains must be respected, which means not overstaying your welcome, and before it claims you.
The trip to the top of Mount Baker is a leisurely, two-hour eastbound drive from Bellingham on well-paved roads. But time flies by as the flat and vast bucolic towns that flank the road give way to the mountain, with its forest of fuzzy evergreens. We had plenty to keep us entertained along the way, including waterfalls, lookout points and glacier-fed lakes.
Annoying TV Commercial
One of the commercials for a mega retailer really bugs me. And I’ll explain why. In the spot, a woman cruises the aisles with her two kids: her baby is snuggled in an infant carrier, while her daughter runs around the store, sipping juice from one of those rectangular boxes with a poke hole to accommodate a tiny straw. The daughter spills juice on her little toddler t-shirt – and perhaps all over the aisle – prompting the mom to swiftly change trajectory to purchase another T-shirt. Then the baby loses a sock. Instead of retracing her steps to find the missing sick – likely kicked off in the toddler T-shirt aisle – she wheels her cart over to the sock aisle to buy more socks. See where I’m going with this?
V, A, A, T and D family blog 