This morning we woke up a little earlier than usual so that we could be sure to catch the 10 o’clock inter-island ferry. Daisy got out of the tent to work on breakfast while I moved A and H onto the same sleeping pad and put away as many items from the tent as I could. They continued sleeping without noticing.
I woke A and H with promises of chocolate chip pancakes, which got them moving enough. They went out to start eating with Daisy while I broke down the tent. Luckily they weren’t hungry enough to eat my pancakes, too! Once breakfast was over, Daisy took the kids to a playground and I did cleanup and finished packing up the bikes. By a little after 9 we were heading out on the road.
Our route took us along different roads than I’ve traveled before. There was one especially pretty spot with some houses lined up along a small bay. Since our bikes are still much lighter than when we started a couple weeks ago, the five miles to the ferry didn’t take long and we were at the ferry lot with plenty of time to spare. There is something very satisfying about seeing a long line of cars, but getting to go all the way up to the front since walkers and bikers are guaranteed a spot on the ferry. We waited for the ferry to come, unload, and then got on with the other cyclists and walkers.
The inter-island ferry stops at Shaw and then Orcas Island before arriving at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. A especially enjoyed watching us dock and the cars getting on and off at each spot. It was about an hour and a half boat ride. I enjoyed looking out at the shoreline as we passed.
In Friday Harbor we bought lunch at the downtown grocery store and the ate it at an overlook above the harbor. We then went next door to the Whale Museum. H is still too young for most of the displays, but we did talk about Orcas and watched a video. The Orca population has declined significantly due to shipping noise Navy sonar, and overfishing of salmon. Daisy took A around, and eventually they sat down to read a few books in the kid area while I took a quick look around by myself.
There was one book that caused a stir, called Springer’s Journey. It is about a young Orca whose mother died and who then got lost and tired and hungry. Eventually humans put her in a pen, helped her get healthy again, and brought her back north to reunite with her family pod. This sad story made both A and H cry. But then H demanded to read it again and again! (Crying every time.) It was clear that the book touched them profoundly.
On our way out of town we picked up groceries from the big grocery store. The road north had rolling hills and passed along farm and forest. Of course H feel asleep and we stopped in a driveway to try to keep her head upright. (We would need a long term solution if this bike tour was going to be much longer.) While Daisy did her magic with various pieces of clothing, and the two orca whale stuffies we had added to our collection that served as pillows, Alice enjoyed watching five kids that were jumping off a dock into a pond over and over again.
We rolled into Lakedale late in the afternoon to find a table with our name on an envelope, and headed to our campsite assignment. It was site 200, (they are not labeled sequentially,) and we were disappointed to see it. The was no grass, no tent pad, and no clear site to put a tent at all. There was only hard packed dirt like a driveway. After a few minutes of our kids shuffling around kicking up puffs of dirt, Daisy sent me back to find out what other site could be available. For the ridiculous sum of money we were paying for this site, we expected at least a minimum level of comfort! At the lodge I found someone able to assign me to a different site (apparently the only other one available) which we switched to. We were happy to see there was a small amount of grass (although large roots went through it, I’m glad the kids didn’t trip more than once) and a clear spot for a tent. It was acceptable. It was also a plus that the site was slightly further from the group playing loud music. Ah, yes, all of this combined reminded Daisy and I why we dislike private campgrounds.
We had a good dinner and then took our traditional walk through the campground to look at other sites, tents, and vehicles. We spent a few minutes at the field near the lodge, where there were outdoor games. I attempted to teach the kids ping pong (they need a bit more hand-eye coordination), they played with a large connect-4 set, and they built a tower with oversized Jenga blocks. It was then that I realized that the price of this campground was due to the associated amenities. (I’m also sure it helps them that there aren’t any other campgrounds nearby.) These amenities did make for a fun and eventful morning the next day.
Oh, and by the way, A and H have have been demanding that we tell them (made up) stories about flying doggies that protect the environment and save animals every night before sleep.
