We’re coming to the end of our South Sound trip, and we both agree that it has been a rousing success.
It’s been two weeks since we picked up family in Anacortes and headed out on a chilly, windy morning through Deception Pass. We encountered some wind-against-current, which left one member of our crew looking a little green. Along the way we picked up our buddy boats—Spree, Dancing Bear and Cerise—and settled into our usual rhythm of cruising, exploring, happy hours and games.
Transient orcas have been thrilling the South Sound for the past two weeks. Lisa and I managed one sighting—the briefest glimpse of a fin disappearing into the water. Apparently, that was all the orca was willing to give us.
The weather has followed a remarkably consistent pattern: chilly, cloudy mornings, sun breaking through by late morning, and then blazing-hot afternoons. We’ve learned to enjoy the cool mornings while we can!
I asked ChatGPT to put together a route for us, and I have to admit it did a pretty good job. We covered a lot of territory, although we mostly stayed in marinas because, let’s face it, being on a dock with our buddies is half the fun.
We started in Langley, where the marina drove us into town in a golf cart—and even gave us a little tour along the way. We enjoyed beers at a local brewery and discovered a wonderfully well-stocked grocery store. There were also baby seals hanging around Cerise’s slip, which may have been the cutest welcome of the trip.
From there we cruised through beautiful Agate Pass to Poulsbo, where we had the added attraction of Sluy’s Bakery along with the local high school students’ first-ever drone show, and they absolutely nailed it. It was one of the highlights of the trip. We celebrated Logan’s birthday at the pub, while Spree headed home for a bit since this is their home turf.
Gig Harbor provided a little navigational excitement. We were shocked at how narrow the entrance was—and then had the additional challenge of finding the entrance to Arabella’s Marina. It was very tight, with absolutely no room for a wrong turn. We made it safely, explored town, had beers at the Seven Seas and played some games.
Tacoma was surprisingly loud, but we enjoyed heading down the Foss Waterway to Dock Street Marina. The glass museum was right at the head of the dock, although we passed on it because of remodeling. A few of us took the tram and did some sightseeing instead.
Then came Penrose Point State Park, our only anchorage on the way down. The entrance was confusing enough that we couldn’t quite figure it out until we launched the dinghies and discovered that the state park dock was actually around the corner—and completely invisible from where we were looking. There were mooring balls in both bays, an extensive spit to avoid, and plenty of rocks and shallow ground to make us pay attention to the charts. Coming in at low tide turned out to be a very good decision. Once settled, we enjoyed the hike around Penrose Point.
From there we headed to Olympia, where my cousin Chase lives. I’d mostly seen Olympia from a distance, so I was surprised by how beautiful it is. We stayed at Swantown Marina, enjoyed a fantastic farmers market, dinghied to the grocery store, and spent two fun-filled days exploring.
Eventually our family headed off to SeaTac, and our little band of buddy boats continued on to Jarrell Cove. We lucked into a spot on the dock and enjoyed the tranquility of the park. Power at a state park dock for only $6 a night? One could get used to that.
I took a little walk after dinner, although the trail wasn’t particularly well marked. I was missing my usual hiking partner, so I cut it short. Unfortunately, somewhere in that short, steep walk I managed to strain my Achilles, which put a bit of a damper on my hiking ambitions for the next few days.
Blake Island was another favorite. The camp hosts that week were good friends from All R Nichols, Russ and Denise, which made the stop extra special. At high tide we could see the twinkling lights of the Seattle skyline from the flybridge. The docks had power again, and we stayed two nights. Gerry and Barb made us a wonderful dinner of beef stew and freshly baked bread. Yum! Jim even joined in for the perimeter walk around the island—although I’m not sure either of us would recommend that particular decision in retrospect!
We eventually parted ways with Cerise and Spree, while Dancing Bear and Miss Marlie headed into Seattle for a little urban delight at Bell Harbor. Staying downtown was pretty fun. We took the elevators up to Pike Place Market, I visited the aquarium, and we did plenty of people-watching from the flybridge. Ray’s daughter lives in Seattle, so they were able to catch up over dinner.
Then came Kingston, where a yacht club event meant slips were scarce. Ray snagged the last 40-footer, while they put us in a 30-footer all by ourselves. It had plenty of room behind us, no assigned slipmate, and even a gazebo, so we considered ourselves lucky. We took the courtesy golf cart up to the grocery store, picked up pizza at Sourdough Willy’s, and played Mexican Train on Dancing Bear.
Our last stop before heading north was Port Ludlow Inner Harbor, one of Spree’s favorite anchorages. It was peaceful and beautiful—and the chart says the entrance has two feet of depth. We have decided the locals must have bribed someone to drop a zero here or there because we had plenty of water.
The next morning, however, an optical illusion briefly convinced us that Dancing Bear was sitting on the bottom. He actually had seven feet under him. Whew. I don’t think we would ever have been allowed to live that one down.
We finished the evening with happy hour and games on Miss Marlie, an early night, and an opportunity to get caught up on Ted Lasso.
And now we’re headed toward Port Townsend, before the buddy boats finally begin heading in different directions. More on that—and the end of our South Sound adventure—in the next installment.
Talk Soon.