Visiting Port Townsend, WA

We left the island, crossing to the Olympic peninsula via ferry.  However, research did not reveal the extent of historical interest of Ft. Casey near the ferry terminal.  
See http://parks.state.wa.us/505/Fort-Casey

We did see some of the buildings as we passed by onto the ferry landing.  

Two thoughts: First, sorry we missed some of the things discussed in link above. Second, the dreary architecture so typical of military installations, like Al's bootcamp experience.

Next we waited for our ferry.  Now there is a science to this using a ferry.  You cannot come earlier than 45 minutes before sailing and if you come later than 30 minutes before sailing, you move to stand-by, even if you have a reservation.

We had read the book and we are in the white car in row 2.

Here comes our ferry.

When all the east-bound travelers exit the ferry, we can get on.

A view of a later ferry arrival in Port Townsend and mountains in the background.

We wanted to see the downtown of Port Townsend based on some buildings seen from the ferry as we approached.  Here is a view of many impressive buildings there.

The folks that paid for buildings in that era loved to put their name and the date of construction on most buildings.

Al did some research on these buildings and how they came to be in a town with such small population.  Today about 9000 but far less in the years after construction.  
This is an example of the motto, "If you build it, they will come."  They did in the hope that Port Townsend, based on its harbor location, would be the largest port on the West Coast.  One little problem was that the expected railroad did not come due to an economic panic in the early 1890's.  So the buildings were left relatively undisturbed and now serve as locations for artisans and merchants serving the tourist trade. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Townsend,_Washington

This view reminds us of Hendersonville, NC, where Sue's brother Mark and family live.

As we are driven around Seattle by Chris and Anna, buildings similar to these are squeezed in between much larger more modern buildings so at this time in history, Seattle looked much like this.

Visiting Whidbey Island

 Our first stop of the day was at the massive Boeing plant where we saw, from an overlook, the types 747, 767, 777, and 787 being manufactured.  Quite impressive. 

But since they will not allow any type of camera or cell phone, these planes awaiting their test flights prior to customer acceptance were all we could photograph.  They did comment, or brag, that 70% of all commercial flights use Boeing airplanes.

This was our home in Coupeville, WA, on Whidbey Island.  The owner said that the building was only 26 years old, contrary to appearances.  Coupeville has strong building codes and this site was commercial.  So the first owners built this B&B in a Victorian mode since the city will not allow "new" buildings.

Here we are at the B&B.

Jumping ahead a bit, here is the breakfast setting. 

Beautiful tableware.

We had an early morning visit from these deer.  Can you spot the others?

A view from "downtown" Coupeville.

This is "downtown" Coupeville.

Lavender is big in this area.  These all are lavender plants of various colors.

This weekend in Sequim, [pronounced Squim, rhymes with prim] is the Lavender festival.  People have told us that it is really crowded then so maybe this is as close as we will come to lavender.

A trip to the North Cascades

We made a loop around part of the North Cascades.  This area is beautiful and our nice weather continued.

A nice entry marker into this national park.  The white stuff is not snow, we did not notice it at the time

 A beautiful view of Washington Highway 20.

Views along the way.

A iPhone photo courtesy of Sue.

Going to the Visitor Center.  Our rental car is parked behind the "Bear" trailer.

A mobile instructional vehicle.

Al is caught in the act of deciding what photo to take.
 

Seeing the Gas Works Park

We visited the Gas Works Park overlooking Lake Washington with Seattle to the south. For more information on this interesting park, especially Al, the engineer, see 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Works_Park

 This park rests on the site of a gasification plant that converted coal and later oil into gas for use by the city of Seattle. The plant operated from 1906 to 1956 until the supply of natural gas rendered the plant obsolete.

Part of the columns that cracked the coal into gas still exist.  A landscape architect was hired to make sense of a jumble of facilities comprising the plant.  Between 1962 and 1972 the site was converted into a park.

 

 Rubble from the foundations of discarded facilities was used to form this "lookout" for views of Lake Washington here looking toward the locks we visited previously.

 A nice view of Seattle.

 Part of the site turned into a play land for children.  Can you spot the seaplane about to land on Lake Washington?

 Huge compressors used in the gasification process.  Can you imagine what those operators of yore would have said with the drive shaft painted pink?

Visiting Seattle with Anna and Chris

Al has wanted to see the Ballard Lock [also known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks who originally designed the locks] with its attached fish ladder for salmon. 
If interested, look up more information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard_Locks

The lock and dam system are about 100 years old and were developed to maintain the elevation of Lake Washington. 

The lock is filled and west bound boats are lined up.  To allow for more boats, they are "nesting" one to another. 


The fellow with the blue-wrapped jib line had a problem when the level was lowered. 

The skipper got his sailboat turned around and just went port to starboard with no turning to go on downstream.  It took about 15 minutes for him to get turned and allow the boats behind to move on thru the lock.  When he finally got it going in the right direction all those watching applauded.

  This boat is east bound into Lake Washington.

Chris and Anna watching the fun.

This sign credits Hiram M. Chittenden for designing the first fish ladder before there was any concern for salmon populations.

Salmon "resting" in the viewing chamber as they continue on eastward to spawn in freshwater streams.

Sue in the viewing area.

A plaque showing the season of migration.

A view of the fish ladder with a fish jumping, [Dark shape on right wall, center of picture.]

Anna, Chris, Sue and Al at the lock and dam.

A good place for lunch.

A motorized "Loon Boat" with the pilot wearing a "Cat In the Hat" hat.