The Sea and So Much More

Since we were in the mountains yesterday, we went to the beach today.  Only there is no such thing as a sandy beach on the Washington coast near Burlington.  Our day started by driving the Chuckanut Drive which is an eleven mile road that hugs the mountain to our right while gawking at the water on our left.  At a turn out area we were able to view an oyster farm, actually set up in the water, with an interpretive sign telling us what we were looking at.  Beautiful.

Peace Arch, Birch Bay - two of our stops today

Looking out to the Strait of Georgia

Ocean going vessels at anchor

Tenders checking their traps

The rows extending out in water are rows of oyster beds

Lovely

Saw 2 small boats out checking on the traps.  Some large ocean going vessels at anchor, empty, probably waiting it's turn to come into Bellingham harbor to load up.  Could see for miles and miles.  Awesome.

Lots of languages to say do not gather seaweed

Know your limits on what you are harvesting

Tide coming in, people digging for mussels

One hour of digging got a woman this bucket of mussels, pretty good!

Poor fishy, saw better days (and alive days!)

Had to move up to shore, tide really coming in

A deceased crab

From there we drove to Birch Bay State Park, a park where overnight camping is allowed as well as having a 'beach' where people could swim, boat, dig for clams or mussels, or crab when in season.  Lots of people visiting.  Many families with small children just having a nice day outside at the ocean front.  Had an opportunity to speak with a family who were busy digging/scouring for mussels.  Their pail that they showed was full to the rim with mussels which they were going to shuck the shells, clean, then sauté them in garlic and butter that evening.

Walked along boardwalk of the Spit

Looked like an abandoned pier until we looked closer

Lounging harbor seals

More of them with their babies on the dock keeping warm

Old cannery at end of Spit

Looking across to Vancouver, BC

Using the binoculars, saw the Peace Arch across the bay in Blaine, Washington

The only sand we saw today!

After walking along enjoying the views we decided to go to Semiahmoo Spit which was located in the town of Blaine, the most northern town before the Canadian border.  Was a tidge disappointed that there wasn't more to see at the beginning.  But, we started on the waterfront walk and came upon a group of harbor seals just lounging on some wood.  And looking closer, there were baby seals on the dock sunning themselves, probably staying warm since the water was very chilly.

Totem Pole by Cannery museum on Spit

A sailing vessel used in 1890s to catch salmon - 2 man boat

I recognized some of these salmon can labels

Picture from 1905 in the old cannery

The old cannery back in 1940,  a resort and golf club now

While at Semiahmoo Spit, we could see across the bay to the border and see the Peace Arch.  We were that close so we jumped back in the car and drove around the bay and with a little difficulty, found the state park that the Peace Arch is and took some pretty cool photos of standing in Canada as well as the United States.

Found the Peace Arch

Donna, under Arch, one leg in Canada, one in the US

Pretty landscaped gardens at the state park

Wonderful day outside by the water.  Fulfilled Dave's desire to see that part of Washington, was standing on the 49th parallel between the two countries.

Visit to Mt. Baker

Donna arrived yesterday, flew in from Cleveland, and we decided to jump right in and go to the Mt. Baker and the Wilderness area surrounding it.  This is located north of Seattle and hugs the Canadian border.  Our first stop was to a trail called Horseshoe Bend Trail which runs along the Nooksack River.  The water is a milky color, called flour, which is the left over substance from all the rocks grinding away and then being in the water.  Pretty cool.

Our travel route today

At the top of the trail by the road

Nice path along the river (yes, that blue is the river)

Walked along the trail for about a mile, Donna walked a bit more, then we continued the drive up the Mt. Baker Highway and stopped at Nooksack Falls.  This is where an old hydroelectric power station existed, using the power of the water to generate electricity.

Nooksack Falls

Got our fix of the waterfall, got back in the car and continued on up to the top.  We came to the entrance to Heather Meadows area, lots and lots of people, and then went all the way to the end called Artist Point.  Could not find parking so Dave parked along the roadway back down, right beside a huge snow bank.  Started up the Table Mountain Trail and I stopped after a short distance, hard to walk through the snow and the climb had gotten quite steep.  Dave and Donna continued on, I stopped on a rock outcropping and watched the world go by.  Dave eventually stopped and returned to where I was, Donna hiked up to the top of Table Mountain and walked a bit up there.  When she came down she said she was very tired.  I can imagine!

Snow bank by car

Crazy kids

And lots of people - lots

Mt. Baker has it's own personal weather

Only flowers we saw in bloom

Mt. Shuksan, part of the North Cascades National Park

Lots of people, like little ants

And the obvious - man and dog in a photo shoot

The glaciers on Mt. Shuksan, very blue

Look at the zig-zag trail - the person with the yellow shirt - Donna

Nice day on the mountain.  Dave and I had a chance to talk with a ranger while waiting for Donna to come back and he said this was the first weekend that the weather was nice.  It was a terribly wet, rainy June and the 3 weeks of July.  We were lucky with the weather!!