Category Archives: Travel

George Washington Inn ~ Port Angeles

Between Sequim and Port Angeles on a bluff above the Strait of Juan de Fuca is a beautiful Inn dedicated to reflect the spiritual legacy that was the foundation of our country. Here’s a little recap of our journey for High Tea at the George Washington Inn.

We woke up to a significant wind storm on the morning of George Washington’s Birthday. We were hoping our ferry crossing on the Puget Sound would go well. We crossed with rocking and rolling and white caps in view.

We picked up Beth in the historic little town of Port Gamble and crossed the Hood Canal bridge without incident. When we turned the bend into Sequim we were hit head on with some gale force winds that made me keep a tight grip on the steering wheel. We were visually impressed when we turned up the driveway to the George Washington Inn.

How fun to have to be squinting in the bright sunshine! Despite the wind the weather treated us kindly.

What a wonderful surprise when we walked into the front door and George Washington greeted us!

He was kind enough to take a photo with us.

We were early so we toured the Inn before our tea time.

The guest rooms were so lovely. The soaking tub really was inviting. We headed out to see the views from the Terrace.

There was a driving wind blowing across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Did I already mention how lovely it was to have the sun shining brightly?! We headed back inside and downstairs to look around.

The Inn has great comfortable spaces and we enjoyed this sitting area before we headed into Tea. My next post will show all my photos from our High Tea time which included time with George Washington and hearing some history of his life.

What a wonderful setting. We all agreed that it would be a very special treat to stay overnight at this beautifully appointed and comfortable Inn. The Innkeepers made us feel right at home. This Inn and property also participate in the annual Lavender Farm Faire. How great  it would be to stay here during the festival!

USS Midway!

Midway Magic…

When we were in San Diego in January we got to tour this amazing ship. My brother Tim, his wife Letty, my sister Vera and I were allowed on board after laying down some cold hard cash.

It was difficult to capture the enormity of this ship with my camera.

No other aircraft carrier served the U.S.A. in the 20th century as long as the USS Midway. Its track record of humanitarian missions, establishment of new naval aviation standards, and marathon deployments made it one of the most noteworthy aircraft carriers in the history of the U.S. Navy.

The Midway was commissioned in 1945 as the largest ship in the world for a decade, the first too large for the Panama Canal

The flight deck is 4.02 acres!

Friendly Docents are located all over the ship to give informative tours and answer any questions you might have.

For our tour of the Bridge we were happy to be assigned to Captain Bruce W. Churchhill. He served for 25 years in the Navy and even had his aircraft featured on the deck of the Midway.

Views from the Bridge…

The Midway was decommissioned in San Diego, California in 1992. In 2004 it opened as the USS Midway Museum in San Diego.

As of 2010 the Midway Museum has surpassed 5 millions visitors since opening.

We were all given permission to go ashore except for my feisty Sister-in-law Letty…

They threw her in the Brig. If San Diego is in your travel plans make sure to put a tour of the Midway on your itinerary. If you do visit would you please say hi to Letty for us…

I’m linking up with Miss Jenny for Alphab-Thursday since we are on the letter M!

25 days to the wedding!!

Before They Sail Away…

…from my memory. I’ll share some fun sailing vessels.

Today is another walking day for me. I walked on Friday with some new friends on the trail. Today I meet up with another of my former walking buddies and my sister to continue the quest of walking and keeping our joints from freezing up on us. Do you walk? It’s one of my favorite forms of exercise when I have a friend to walk with…

Sailing Ships in San Diego

Star of India is the world’s oldest active sailing ship. She began her life on the stocks at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man in 1863. Iron ships were experiments of sorts then, with most vessels still being built of wood. Within five months of laying her keel, the ship was launched into her element. She bore the name Euterpe, after the Greek muse of music and poetry.

The ship now known as HMS Surprise began life in 1970 as a replica of the 18th century Royal Navy frigate Rose. During the next 30 years Rose sailed thousands of miles as an attraction vessel and sail training ship prior to her conversion to HMS Surprise. For the academy award winning film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the filmmakers made a painstaking effort to recreate a 24 gun frigate specific to Great Britain’s Nelson era Royal Navy. The result is a replica vessel unmatched in its authenticity and attention to detail.

Surprise found a new home at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in 2004. A popular shore side attraction, the ship now joins our collection of ships along with the Star of India and Californian.

I saw these beautiful ships on our last morning in San Diego while walking along Harbor Drive.

Hope your February is going well. Life has been good and challenging amongst our family and friends. Joy and Sorrow going hand in hand. This week I’m trying to memorize this part of scripture from Job.

Job 19:25-27

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!

Night and Day…

  When the golden day is done,
Through the closing portal,
Child and garden, Flower and sun,
Vanish all things mortal.

As the blinding shadows fall
As the rays diminish,
Under evening’s cloak they all
Roll away and vanish.

Garden darkened, daisy shut,
Child in bed, they slumber–
Glow-worm in the hallway rut,
Mice among the lumber.

In the darkness houses shine,
Parents move the candles;
Till on all the night divine
Turns the bedroom handles.

Till at last the day begins
In the east a-breaking,
In the hedges and the whins
Sleeping birds a-waking.

In the darkness shapes of things,
Houses, trees and hedges,
Clearer grow; and sparrow’s wings
Beat on window ledges.

These shall wake the yawning maid;
She the door shall open–
Finding dew on garden glade
And the morning broken.

There my garden grows again
Green and rosy painted,
As at eve behind the pane
From my eyes it fainted.

Just as it was shut away,
Toy-like, in the even,
Here I see it glow with day
Under glowing heaven.

Every path and every plot,
Every blush of roses,
Every blue forget-me-not
Where the dew reposes,

“Up!” they cry, “the day is come
On the smiling valleys:
We have beat the morning drum;
Playmate, join your allies!”

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Joining in on Mosaic Monday with Mary at Little Red House.

City Scapes taken in San Diego, California. The Sunrise photo is taken at my house in the Seattle area.

Are You Serious…

…about going green…really?

Have you noticed lately when you go to a motel/hotel that there is always a note that explains that the hotel is concerned about conservation and being green and would like you to use your towels etc. for more than one use? When we were in San Diego they even gave us a $5.00 credit to be used at the hotel restaurants and Starbucks in the hotel. I was happy to get the $5.00 coupon but I wasn’t thrilled with our bathroom…can you see why?

Not one towel rack in the bathroom. Where do they want me to hang my wet towel that they are giving me a $5.00 credit for? How will my wet towel dry nicely before my shower the next morning?  Do I have to come up with my own towel rack?

For this great invention, I think they should give me a $10.00 credit!

Today is Saturday. I’m headed out on a walk in our great dry sunny weather we are having! Yippee! Dear has a lot of plans that involve hauling and moving stuff. Wish me luck on my body holding up!

We Arrived in San Diego…

…the same evening this beauty arrived on it’s maiden voyage!

SAN DIEGO – A colossal yacht was seen cruising in San Diego Bay Wednesday evening.

The 330-foot mega-yacht Attessa 4 stopped by San Diego during its maiden voyage.

The owner, industrialist Dennis Washington, had the boat custom built to his exact specifications. Washington’s net worth is about $4 billion, according to Forbes, and the Attessa 4 has everything a discerning billionaire might want.

The ship boasts a helicopter, a speed boat, pool, hot tub, movie theater, a fully operating day spa and much more.

Forbes estimated the price tag for the nautical masterpiece at $250 million. Large as it is, the Atessa 4 doesn’t make the list of the world’s top 10 mega-yachts, all of which are more than 400 feet long.

Here’s some interesting information about the owner of the yacht.

The fun little side note to us arriving the same time the Atessa 4 arrived is knowing that a friend of ours worked on this Yacht while it was docked in British Columbia. We listened with interest on his account of his time on this yacht and it was fun to put two and two together to realize that this was the very same yacht we heard about a year before…

I was so happy to have an “off” day on Wednesday. Life is really full around here. Just the chance to hang around in my robe as long as I want in the morning is a nice respite for me. What do you like to do on your “off” days?

Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas!

Did you know that there is a Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas? While we were touring the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier in San Diego we kept seeing Santa look a likes. Of course I had to take some photos and we found out there was a Santa Reunion just down the street.

Here’s what the website of the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas had to say about their event.

“Here it is! The tradition is alive and well in San Diego this coming January 26, 27, 28 and 29 2012 as the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas host the Santa Reunion XVIII / San Diego 2012! ”

Now you know…

I’m linking up with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday with my real bearded Santa mosaic!

I’ll be away from my computer all day tomorrow as I’m traveling to Canada to celebrate a milestone birthday for 2 dear friends.  I’ll be in a bathing suit for part of the time and I hope no photos of me in all my glory make it onto the world wide web…time will tell. I’ll catch up on visiting later in the week. Blessings!

Birds of a Feather…

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to photograph sea birds.

I was so happy to see this Pelican.

This Heron was fun to see, too. A Blue Heron in a spot I don’t usually see them.

These were not the birds I was excited to see. But there they were all in a line begging to be photographed. They were some of the fattest pigeons I’ve seen in a while.

We are home safe and sound. It’s always good to come home. We enjoyed being in the bright sunshine for a few days but “there’s no place like home”.

She Walks…

…she meets and eats! A beautiful full day in San Diego.

After Dear left for his meetings of the day I got my walking shoes on and headed out to the Harbor. I walked east first and then I turned around and walked west. I thought of you Sara! More walk photos to follow.

Later in the morning Tim and Letty picked me up at the hotel and we met my sister Vera at The Mission Soma for brunch.

Willow! The rosemary potatoes were really good and we all enjoyed our breakfast choices at your favorite breakfast spot in San Diego!

I’m totally skipping our experience on the Midway for now and going straight to finally meeting up with Dear for a few hours before his next business obligations.

It was good to be together with some of my family and get caught up on what’s going on in our lives.

See that drink…it did have a flashing light in it. It was the signature drink at the Lighthouse Restaurant. After the Lighthouse we had some dinner and shared a dessert at Island Prime C Level restaurant.