We take a 2 week vacation to visit Snohomish, WA and Donna’s youngest brother and family, Seattle, WA and White Rock & Victoria Island, BC with Donna’s old brother and family before circumnavigating the Olympic Peninsula on our own.
Baby James - The reason for 4 days in Snohomish was to heap praise and admiration on James Leslie Morrison, son of Scott and Beth, nephew to Donna and Brian and the cutest 7-1/2 month old on the planet. (05/28/07)
Cul-De-Sac - This is the little cul-de-sac right off downtown that Scott, sister Sandy and their mom rented on when they first moved here 15 years ago. We think it was the purple house, but could be wrong. (05/26/07)
Blooming Plants - It was spring in Washington state, about 6 weeks after we had it back in Aiken. Everything was in bloom. (05/26/07)
Pretty Purple Things - Another plant in bloom that this botany challenged individual cannot identify. (05/26/07)
End of the Day - Every morning Scott and Beth turn out the 6 or 7 horses in residence to their pastures and every night the put them back up. (05/28/07)
98290 Snohomish - We were on vacation and did not seek out any Post Offices, but this happened by pure chance. We went into the food store in the same shopping center. The rental PT Cruiser parked in front of the Snohomish Post Office. (05/28/07)
Barclay Lake Hike - A nice little 2.2 mile walk in the natural forest up to Barclay Lake. For being in the western edge of the Cascades this trail was surprising level. (05/26/07)
Barclay Lake Trail - A few parts of the trail has wooden boardwalks to keep your feet out of what I'm sure would be mud in a rainier time of the year. (05/26/07)
Mount Baring - Looking across Barclay Lake you see the 3,700 foot high northeast face of Mount Baring. The peak is actually at an elevation of 6,125 feet. (05/26/07)
Eye Benches - by Louise Bourgeois. There are three sets of these giant eyes welcoming visitors to the Olympic Sculpture Garden on Alaska Way. On one side they look at you and on the other they beg you to sit on bench shape. Not sure if these are I, II or III. (05/27/07)
Typewriter Eraser, Scale X - by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. First I see one at the National Sculpture Garden in DC 2 years ago, now here is another in the Olympic Sculpture Garden. I'm being stalked by giant erasers... (05/27/07)
Eagle - by Alexander Calder. Probably going to become the symbol of the Olympic Sculpture Garden. Its big, its red and it was done by the 3rd generation of America's giant metal public art guys. (05/27/07)
Love & Loss - by Roy McMakin. The rotating ampersand portion of this piece of art in the Olympic Sculpture Garden. The rest consists of concrete benches, tables and a tree. (05/27/07)
Split - by Roxy Paine. We walked by this twice, if not three times, before we realized this was part of the exhibit of the Olympic Sculpture Garden. (05/27/07)
Evolving City Wall - by Pedro Reyes. Inside the Pavilion of the Olympic Sculpture Garden. Half the mural reflected in a glass table top. (05/27/07)
Shuttle - Donna's brother Jim, his wife Linda and their daughter Jennifer aboard the free waterfront shuttle. We were on our way to see Jim's #1 Seattle landmark, Sylvester the Mummy at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. (05/27/07)
Space Needle - Another landmark of Seattle. A left over of the 1962 World's Fair and generally regarded as the city's definitive landmark by everyone but Jim Morrison. (05/27/07)
Peace Arch - A montage of photos of the Peace Arch that sits in the de-militarized zone between the US and Canada. (05/29/07)
*The* White Rock - The rock is the reason the town of White Rock, BC got its name when it incorporated 50 years ago. I guess it was white-ish in the beginning, but now they have to paint it white every year. (05/29/07)
Two Jim Morrisons - From left to right: (couch) Anne Morrison, Jim Morrison, Donna (Morrison) Bogardus and Jim Morrison. (floor) Brian Bogardus and Linda (Walker) Morrison. (05/29/07)
Nearly Full Moon - Standing along the shore in White Rock, BC, Canada, watching the nearly full moon rises over Boundary Bay. I think those buildings in the lower right are actually in Blaine, WA back in the USA. (05/29/07)
Ferry To Victoria - Halfway between Tsawwassen (Vancouver) and Swartz Bay (Vancouver Island) while passing between the San Juan Islands, we pass our sister ferry headed in the opposite direction. (05/30/07)
Tigerfly? - I couldn't find this butterfly listed as a resident of the Victoria Butterfly Garden. Looks like a Clemson graduate though. (05/30/07)
Postman - Heliconius erato at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. (05/30/07)
Common Blue Morpho - A Morpho peleides at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. (05/30/07)
Mojave Checkerspot - I think. This is another butterfly not listed on the Victoria Butterfly Garden list. (05/30/07)
Buckeye?" - Not sure, not listed at the Victoria Butterfly Garden site. (05/30/07)
Spike - While wandering the Victoria Butterfly Gardens I suddenly felt a rapid tapping on the top of my foot. Looked down to see a deranged Puna Ibis feeding off the top of my Nike. They are not sure how he developed this habit, but the bird loves to tap on the tops of visitor's shoes. They have taken to calling him Spike. (05/30/07)
Bike Shaped Bike Rack - Found this interestingly shaped bike rack in downtown Victoria, British Columbia. (05/31/07)
Artsy Orca - Aiken had art horses a few years ago and Victoria, BC had orcas two years ago. And like Aiken, after the event ran, the sculptures were auctioned off and some local businesses purchased them for display outside their doors. A whale watching outfit on the Inner Harbour bought this one. (05/31/07)
Artsy Orca 2 - The Victoria Tourism Board bought this on to place outside their Visitor Centre at the Inner Harbour. (05/31/07)
Parliament Building - The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Parliament Buildings on the Inner Harbour of Victoria. (05/31/07)
The Empress Hotel - The 460-room hotel was built in the Edwardian style in 1908 and has been through several multi-million dollar renovations. It is considered to be the most photographed attraction on Vancouver Island, here is my contribution. (05/31/07)
West Coast Air Flight 80 101 - The Inner Harbour of Victoria BC is quite the hub of seaplane activity. There are two different companies operating there offering almost 2 dozen flights a day to Vancouver harbour. (05/31/07)
Hurricane Ridge - 18 miles of nearly all uphill inland from Port Angeles is Hurricane Ridge. The Visitor's Center is at about 1 mile in altitude while the ridge itself has elevations of over 6,000'. (05/31/07)
Ruby Beach Sea Stacks - To get to Ruby Beach you have a short hike down a steep, winding path and 30 yards of very large driftwood logs to climb over, but it is worth the effort. (05/31/07)
Rocky Shore - Not only are there interesting sea stacks and giant driftwood logs, but Ruby Beach is composed of big rounded stones not sand. Very different from the Atlantic Coast beaches I'm more familiar with. (05/31/07)
Sandy Beach - When the tide goes out at Ruby Beach it reveals that there is indeed sand there, but it is dark gray in color. (05/31/07)
Kalaloch Beach - To get to the beach you have to climb around and in some cases over these huge driftwood logs (06/01/07)
Raccoon on the Kalaloch Lodge - As we were loading up the car to leave, what should walk by and up the outside stairs of the lodge but a big ol' fat raccoon. (06/01/07)
Tall Trees - The trees of the Hoh Rainforest get to be a couple hundred feet tall thanks to the plentiful rain. (06/01/07)
Furry Trees - Club Moss on the Sitka spruce trees of the Hoh Rainforest give them a furry appearance. (06/01/07)
Scary Tree - Because it was day and dry this moss covered tree in the Hoh Rainforest looks interesting, but if it was a dark and stormy night. Picture walking alone when lightning flashes in front of you back lighting this tree, X-Files scary. (06/01/07)
Horizontal Tree - This spruce tree in the Hoh Rainforest fell over and went boom (that's right, if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one around, it does make a sound.) Looking up and seeing how tall the trees are is one thing, but to walk and walk and walk along a fallen one is something else. (06/01/07)
Lake Cresent - Formed by glaciers during the last Ice Age, Lake Cresent is over 600' feet deep with bright blue water. (06/01/07)
Marymere Falls - These were at the end of a half mile easy hike and a 1/4 mile straight up hike, but worth every effort expanded to get there. As a bonus we got a home baked chocolate cookie at the upper look out. There were a group of 4th graders touring the falls and Donna and I arrived just as they were taking a break. One of the chaperons was handing out cookies and they had a couple left over and offered them to us. (06/01/07)
Seattle Skyline - You get a really nice view of the Seattle Skyline when you take the ferry from Bremerton on Bainbridge Island. I bet it is killer at night. (06/01/07)
Mount St. Helens - Took this from the airplane as we left Seattle and headed towards Phoenix. (06/02/07)
White Rock Waterfront - There are several miles of a promenade along the waterfront of White Rock, BC. (05/29/07)
Hurricane Ridge Panorama - A few thousand feet up in the Olympic Mountains. (05/31/07)
Kalaloch Beach Panorama - Some one with a lot of free time decided to build this "wall" on the beach with driftwood.