Wednesday, September 28, 2016

August 30, 2016 - Anacortes, WA

After breakfast we went to Mount Vernon to pick up Erwin's niece, Sheila to spend the day with us.  
First stop was to visit Salish Sea Deaf School where Erwin's niece and Sheila's sister, Cathy, works there.  Cathy gave us a tour. 
Cathy and Erwin reading books with thinking hats on
Rosie, Cathy's Chihuahua dog
Cathy, one of the three founders of Salish Sea Deaf School 
We took Sheila to Cap Sante Park to get a good view of the marina and Anacortes.
Sheila gazing into the ocean
Erwin picking blackberries from the bushes
Caught red-handed
"Hey, I am right here" 
We went back to the town of Anacortes, cruised around and made several stops along the route.  Sheila mentioned that there is a large anchor at Port of Anacortes terminal.  There were several murals on the buildings.  It even had a large waterspout.
Waterspout
We cruised along the coastline of Anacortes, made some stops.  One place was to check out bronze sculptures in the garden at How It Works and Northwest Image.  In front of the building is a "How Much Longer" sculpture of a woman leaning backward while holding a ball.  The asking price is $35,000.
"How Much Longer" Bronze Sculpture
Hey, I am still waiting for the lady to drop the ball!
We went to Washington State Park/Campground where there is a scenic loop route. The park has a campground, boat ramp and docks.  We took the 2 3/8 mile scenic route to get good views of the bay and islands.  A great nice for picnicking and strolling on the beach.
A monument marking the grave of
Tonjes H. Havekost, founder of the park
Sheila recommended us to try Shrimp Shack on State Route 20.  It was ranked #24 out of 57 restaurants in Anacortes, WA.  The Shack has two lines: one for ordering meals and the other for ordering fresh seafood. They have an outdoor and indoor dining areas. We chose to eat outside since the weather was pleasant. It was a busy place and we waited for about 20 minutes before our meals were brought to the picnic table.  However, we three were very satisfied with what we had.

While we were waiting for our foods the jets buzzed by
Sheila and Edith had hamburgers
Erwin's Cod Sandwich
After satisfying our tummies we went off to Mt. Erie Viewpoint to get an awesome view of the Cascades and other islands. The 1 1/2 mile road to the top of Mt. Erie is long and winding, goes through a thick forest, but the view was worth it. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Anacortes, WA. The elevation is at 1,273 feet.
The Memorial Stone of a 13 year old boy who fell to his death at the park
Lake Campbell with an island on it
 (It is one of few places in the world where there is an island on an island)
It looked like Golden Eagle, but we were not too sure
An island on an island!
Cathy wanted us over to her place for supper. When we got to her place Bob, Cathy's husband, was outside getting the boat readied for crabbing Thursday.  
Sheila, Erwin and Bob
Crab Pots
The jets were buzzing almost all evening long
This one went by while we were outside with Bob
Bob, the chef, grilling steaks