True Seattle Weather

Well just as I suspected, once I put it in print (and purchased a new pair of sunglasses) mother nature went and waved the magic wand to bring Seattle back to its place of gray skys and drizzle. Joe and I didn't let that stop us from going on a little exploration (and an early celebration of our 2 year anniversary). We hopped aboard a ferry and rode to San Juan Island which sits north of Seattle in the middle of the sound. Our trip started with an hour and 45 minute car ride to the ferry port in Anacortes followed by an hour long fairy ride arriving in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. It was drizzling when we first arrived and of course Joe's stomach was growling so we set off in search of lunch. The streets sitting closest to the harbor are filled with restaurants, shops, and of course coffee places. We settled on a little hole in the wall that boasted "the best fish and chips." Joe concluded true advertisement with a stomach full and we set off in search of sunshine and a chance to see our surroundings. Well the sunshine never happened (in fact the rain got worse as the day went on) and the opportunity to see the island was roadblocked when we found out the charter bus was no longer in service due to it now being the "off season." I had my heart set on finding the Orca whales at Lime Kiln Park and so we set off in search of other transportation. We ended up renting a car (an old white Chevy Cavalier to be exact) from a small rental company on the island with a very laid back attitude. They had no problem letting us know that they would be closed by the time we brought the car back and that we could just drop the key in the door slot and park the car "wherever." So we set off in hopes of finding Orca whales. After just seven miles of driving we were at the park which was more like a small cliff overlooking the Sound. We missed the whales by 2 hours but did get a nice view of the lighthouse and the surrounding sea (with very gray sky). Back in the car we continued our travels around the island to visit Roche Harbor and then onto the San Juan Vineyards. After some yummy wine samplings and a chance to interact with some friendly locals, we were back in the car on our way back to town. The whole island could be driven in under an hour and we were able to cover a lot of ground in our little car. Back on the ferry by 5 o'clock and after a short nap we were back in Anacortes tired, damp, and just a little chilly. I have yet to wear the right shoes or the right jacket for these outings of ours so I was feeling more of the chill than Joe. Rain or shine, we had a nice day together and got to explore yet another area on my every growing list of things to see. I think I'll put it back on my list for next summer when I can be guranteed sunshine and a view of the traveling whales.