Oops! Lounging in my draft folder since August!
The Pacific Northwest has its own particular look, feel and culture that’s distinctly different then New England or virtually any other place we have been and, as those of you who follow our humble blog know, we’ve been to more then a few places. Besides the visual, this unique sense permeates the food - people’s sense of personal space - the pace in which they walk.
For us, no trip out west feels complete unless we’ve been in Eugene to visit Evie, Clara, Erin and Jeremy. The landscape has a bit of everything, but we particularly love the rolling hills. The kids small piece of paradise thrives with fruit trees, veggies, flowers, hay, chicks and a few other four legged critters. Close by vineyards in the Willamette Valley offer an evening escape for the adults, with Karen gladly sampling a flight of local whites. The summer days are warm, as we join the family for an early bike ride along the river, allowing Evie to demonstrate her newly expanded bike riding skills. Pop-pop and Bubbie are more than happy to go with her to her to witness her new found fascination with horseback riding. Clara’s artwork and passion for reading are complimented by her participation in debate club. Erin continues her art making and finds time for hospice work. Jeremy continues to teach in the nursing program while caring for the farm’s orchard. (Only Evie agrees to the occasional photograph, or we’d gladly include a picture of the entire family.)
Then it’s on to Orcas Island - north of Seattle on the Puget Sound and nestled in the San Juan Islands close to Vancouver Island. Yes, that is a bit complicated. You can take a ferry and weave through a hundreds of verdant islands or you can fly by seaplane. We chose the latter. One’s entire energy shifts as Seattle’s Harbour disappears behind you and literally hundreds of islands appear below you. By the time one lands, the mainland seems thousands of miles and many days in your past. Anyone recognize the cool looking guy in the shades?
We were hosted on Orcas by dear friends Stephanie and Frank. Orcas is known for its bucolic natural beauty, picturesque water inlets, terrific hiking opportunities and love of nature both by its native America residents and those who are more recently arrived, as well as its wildlife - particularly the Orca whale. We gladly went to local outdoor markets, hiked, indulged our senses, slept late and simply enjoyed these amazingly peaceful surroundings. (Yes, I was there too, but someone has to take the photos!)
A less known Orcas Island factoid is it’s history as a west coast berry growing stronghold. In 1935, local farmers established the Orcas Island Berry Growers Association (OIBGA) to build a cold packing berry station in the town of Olga. The plants opening was made possible by the arrival of electricity through a New Deal program, which, in 1938, brought electricity via underwater cable. Workers brought flats of freshly picked berries from trucks through the buildings large sighed door and weighed them on a floor scale, present even today. The site also boasts a wonderful small restaurant and gallery filled with diverse works by local artists. So add the Catkin Cafe in Olga on Orcas to your list for an outside lunch date. The Dutch Baby Pancake is ABSOLUTELY worth the calories.
Beautifully green hills dotted with richly colored wildflowers, views of water around nearly any bend and friendly folk who smile simply to be surrounded by such beauty. We have a friend who insists Orcas Island is where she is determined to take her last breathe. We can now understand why.
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