4 September ‘09
We’ve moved up to Northern Lights RV Resort, which is just east of Anacortes, and at the back of the Northern Lights Casino…yes, I said “Casino”. For those that know Louise, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise, and the word is out that she’s enjoying all the gaming she can get. Well the truth is, we have only been inside the casino 3 or 4 times in the last week and the “one arm BANDITS” are letting us stay about even. Doug came up the first afternoon to join us for dinner. Bonnie had a chance to join a friend in Paris for a week so Doug was looking for an excuse to get out. Doug and I made a date for next Thursday to do a little bike riding on our “new” wheels.
On Wednesday Louise and I were told about this great view area on top of Mt. Erie so we had to check it out. Once we reached the base of Mt. Erie we found the first trail head and stopped to see just how much it would take to hike to the top. Studying the chart as best as we could, we opted to continue our journey to the top by driving… On the road to the top, we quickly realized our decision was the right decision. It wasn’t that it was a long hike but it was the fact that it was STRAIGHT UP. It turned out to be a great suggestion and a wonderful place to visit and see the outstanding water and territorial views of the surrounding area.
We’ve moved up to Northern Lights RV Resort, which is just east of Anacortes, and at the back of the Northern Lights Casino…yes, I said “Casino”. For those that know Louise, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise, and the word is out that she’s enjoying all the gaming she can get. Well the truth is, we have only been inside the casino 3 or 4 times in the last week and the “one arm BANDITS” are letting us stay about even. Doug came up the first afternoon to join us for dinner. Bonnie had a chance to join a friend in Paris for a week so Doug was looking for an excuse to get out. Doug and I made a date for next Thursday to do a little bike riding on our “new” wheels.
On Wednesday Louise and I were told about this great view area on top of Mt. Erie so we had to check it out. Once we reached the base of Mt. Erie we found the first trail head and stopped to see just how much it would take to hike to the top. Studying the chart as best as we could, we opted to continue our journey to the top by driving… On the road to the top, we quickly realized our decision was the right decision. It wasn’t that it was a long hike but it was the fact that it was STRAIGHT UP. It turned out to be a great suggestion and a wonderful place to visit and see the outstanding water and territorial views of the surrounding area.
From one of the viewpoints we were able to overlook the two large refineries for the area. Another was to see some close by lakes and the beginning of the San Juan Islands. With our need for a little snack, we headed back down the mountain and stopped by this quaint little “mini-store”.
Inside we met “Don and Gerry” the owner's/cashier/stockman/etc… Don and Gerry have had this store for over 40 years and seem to have enjoyed every year of the 40. We found Don to be quite a character and if pressed, has plenty of interesting stories to tell. After taking our sandwiches, chips, and drinks down to the shore of Lake Erie and enjoying a great beach side picnic, we headed over to Rosario Beach, which is just around the corner from Deception Pass. As you approach the final tree line prior to the beach, you come across the carving of "The Maiden Of Deception Pass" (the photo at top of the page). There is a wonderful story about this carving and I wish you would go to http://www.stonebard.com/maiden_of_deception_pass.htm and enjoy the story. Now it's time to turn north and head into Anacortes.
Doug did bring his bike by and we did take a ride. This is the longest ride that I've taken for a looooonnnnnnggggg time. We only covered 12 miles but that was a good 10 miles further than I've done in "too many years". We'll do that again and I WILL get more mileage in the future, I promise.