Around Port Townsend, Whidbey Island, And Environs

After landing at Port Angeles we spent the next several days in the area and on approach to Seattle, resting, relaxing, re-fitting, and, not least, washing the camper of its accumulated dust and grime from the last 8,000 miles or so. We camped at a couple casinos in the area we have visited before but also spent a night with Lynn and Ken, high school friend and husband, on Whidbey Island. September 8-10.

Street scene, Port Townsend

Fritz Movie theater, Port Townsend

Ann Starrett House, Port Townsend; beautiful Victorian

Harbor scene

Another day, another ferry

Wilson Point lighthouse, near Port Townsend

En route to Whidbey Island

Nice historical pix aboard the present-day Kennewick

Vicki and Lyn at Tobey's in Coupeville

Continuing my week-long seafood orgy

En route to Seattle, Deception Pass

..., man...

Victoria

We'd never been to Victoria and had high hopes for an atmospheric Victorian provincial capital, loaded with charming Victorian houses and such. There's a smattering of such, as we found it, but the rest is pretty much just a big 21st century city, with government buildings and all the usual businesses and retails and restaurants one sees everywhere else, at least in northern America. We wandered the old town a bit but spent rather more of our time in the pretty Beacon Hill public park. The next day we returned downtown--we were in a motel overnight--in order to catch the ferry to Port Angeles and re-port ourselves to the USA.

Definitely not Victorian, but of interest nonetheless

Commonwealthish

Floral cafe

Totems outside some of the government buildings...which were
closed for a government employee strike

Deco Echo

Victorian

Ditto; the home of Emily Carr, noted BC artist and writer, now a museum
of her work

With some great interpretive signage outside

Another beautiful home, mostly for its landscaping and hydrangea

Now taking in the out-sized sculpture at Beacon Hill Park

And color

Feathered friend

Big beautiful city park

Huge turtles for this latitude; in a row

Lots of outdoor sculpture

Vicki's favorite...

Now near ground zero

Vicki enjoys a white sangria and frites; for me, a Negroni,
and the oysters, all on happy hour

Next day we are back in the harbor area, admiring the big buildings

And such

Provincial parliament

Hotel Grand Pacific; or possibly something else

Mostly there to catch the ferry to Port Angeles, WA, USA; interestingly
one has to pass through US customs and immigration both before boarding
and also upon arriving at Port Angeles; the anxiety, new, in the immigration
area was palpable...

This guy followed our ferry all the way out of the harbor before
taking off ("bandits at 11 o'clock, low")

At sea, the Salish Sea, Google says, note the rather fully loaded container
ship and the high-riding tanker...

More of Vancouver Island

After our two nights on Campbell Lake we drove on to the west side of the island to Tofino and spent the night at the Green Point provincial campground there. The next day we drove down to Ucluelet, the other town on the west side but spent most of our time walking on Long Beach and then at the Amphitrite Lighthouse in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. After some brief shopping at Ucluelet we drove back to the east side, stopping at the Cathedral Grove of old firs, and ending up at a designated RV site in Chermainus, just short of Victoria.

Crossing the island, a recreation site on the way to Tofino

Sculpture at a Tofino city park

Totem take on a whale tail?

Part of Tofino harbor

Familiar Pacific northwest sight

Great meal at the Schooner, Tofino

We really liked Tofino...everything but the fog

Largest private berry patch ever, so far

Next day, on fog-bound Long Beach

Surf City

Also bi-valve and mollusk city

Down to the sea in kayaks, too

Moving right along, past Ucluelet (not pictured), on the Wild Pacific Trail

Toward

The not-very-famous Amphitrite Lighthouse

Going for a Heisman pose, but the paparraza didn't seem
to get it...

Wild indeed

And scenic, when the fog momentarily lifts

Now driving back across the mountains to the east
side of the island again

Douglas, as seen recently in the VanDusen botanical garden

Very shallow roots, these big trees

We'll see much bigger ones soon, when we get to
California