Washington State Parks: Joeph Whidbey State Park

In an age of exploration, a young man served with Captain Vancouver on his journey aboard the Discovery during the years of 1791-95. His adventurous spirit led him to explore the waters of Puget Sound with Peter Puget and later to circumnavigate the largest island in the Sound. Vancouver promptly honored him by naming the island after him: Whidbey Island. Joseph Whidbey returned to England and later became well-known as a Naval Engineer. The island still bears his name as well as a small state park near Port Orchard.

Although Joseph Whidbey is a relatively small state park, it's big on adventure. The park's 112 acres include forests, fields, marsh and saltwater shoreline. Your photographic opportunities abound.

Walk the forested trail to the wide open meadows. In the fall you'll have pastel fall colors in the trees and understory and don't forget to look at your feet for mushrooms. The spring brings woodland flowers and the fresh face of green.

The trail continues through a large meadow where birds flit from shrub to bordering tree. You'll come across some marshy areas where frogs perch at the side of the trail watching hikers pass by. Come in the fall and bring a bucket to pick blackberries while you wait for sunset on the beach.

You will not want to miss sunset from the beach. The shoreline overlooks waters from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and sunsets here are a grand finale for beautiful days. The beach is considered one of the best on the island. No matter if you agree with this statement or not, this little park is worth lingering and photographing.

Remember to bring your tripod and polarizing filter. The tripod will help you in the darker areas of the forest and as twilight approaches. The polarizing filter will cut the glare off leaves and water.

To get there from Highway 20 - driving North turn left on Swantown Rd, if driving South turn right. Follow Swantown Rd for 1/2 mile then turn right on Heller St. Continue on Heller St for 1 1/4 miles and turn left on NW Crosby Ave. The park will be on your right in approx 1 1/2 miles.

Read more about Joseph Whidbey and his explorations in the Northwest on the HistoryLink website.

Picnic on the Sound

My boss invited Michael & I to go sailing with him this past weekend. Michael being a bit of a sailing aficionado, will never turn down a sailing invitation. So Sunday afternoon found us driving around to Bainbridge Island to meet up with my boss and his girlfriend. However, the air was still around us as we made our way across the Tacoma Narrows bridge. We turned on the weather band radio where we heard the barometer was dropping, so had hopes that we had a fun day under the sail before us.

Alas, we made it to the marina in Winslow Harbor with no signs of wind picking up. The water below us was glassy and still. Not wanting to let a beautiful day pass us by or the opportunity to be out on the water, we fired up the outboard motor and made our way out to the Sound.

Here we saw ripples across the surface of the water, but every time we head in the direction of possible wind, we found none. At some point, we turned off the outboard motor and decided to drift while we had a bite to eat. Away from water traffic, we could sit and relax as we watched the tugs chug past and ferries glide to their destinations.

A bad day on the water is still better than not being on the water at all.

Discovery Park

Discovery Park 1/20/07 3 miles

What better way to experience a sunny January afternoon in Seattle than to walk through one of the many parks? On this day I decided that a jaunt through Discovery Park would not only be refreshing but add a little mileage to my legs – plainly, I needed to stretch my legs a bit during the short winter days and Discovery Park is a great place to do just that.

After a quick discussion with the park volunteers in the visitor center and armed with my new park map, I started out on the 2 ½ mile loop trail circumnavigating the park. A gentle stroll through the woods led me to the big north meadow where couples, families and dogs enjoyed the superlative views of the islands and Olympics beyond. And the snow-covered Olympic mountains held their own against the afternoon haze settling in around them. Overlooking the north meadow are a few of the old buildings from when Discovery Park was within the perimeter of Fort Lawton. I had to squint against their shine in the afternoon sun, they were so bright.

I wandered along the cliff edge over-looking the sound and the beach below to where the trail split between continuing through the woods or down the hill to the beach. I can never pass up an opportunity to walk along a beach so made my way downhill to the beckoning waves. I’ve always felt a connection between myself and the rhythmic sounds of water and as I walked along the beach my breath slowed as did my pace. I absorbed the smells, sounds, and sensations of this beautiful day. A quick stop to admire our little lighthouse on the point and I rounded the point to watch a pair of kayakers paddle their way through quiet ripples.

A small pond lies on the north side of the point – a perfect spot for bird watching. I spotted a variety of water-birds, but sadly wasn’t able to get a clear photograph. Then came the climb back up to the original trail which not only exercised my leg muscles but my heart and lungs. Up there, in the trees, a sense of solitude accompanied me back to my starting point. Soon I was back in my car heading to Chinooks for a fish taco and lemonade. Looking forward to a spring filled with hiking and spectacular views.