Sunset Dinner Cruise for NWIS

Tonight was our sunset dinner cruise that we donated to the Hope Classic Golf Tournament this past spring. The winner of the raffle was Robin Brigge who said he put every ticket he purchased in our drawing!  Robin brought his wife, son, niece and pastor. We had a great time getting to know them. They were a very friendly group and we had wonderful weather for cruising. We ran our usual route for the cruise - down to Mukilteo, across to Whidbey, along the coastline and then back to Everett.

Thank you, Robin, for supporting our chaplain program. It was very nice to meet you, your family and your pastor!

Cruising With The Craigs

This week we took Mike and Janice Craig out for four days of cruising up to Roche Harbor and Blakely Island. They have never gone out with us overnight so they were very excited and had really been looking forward to it. Janice insisted on bringing ALL the food so Bob and I sat back and let them wait on us!  Not quite - we did chip in and help when they would let us but we did have a feast all week. Janice had been busy in the kitchen so came loaded down with casseroles, desserts, fruit and steaks.

We left Everett at 5:00am because we hoped to go through Deceeption Pass at slack tide. It is so pretty there that we wanted Mike and Janice to see it from the water. Unfortunately, we ran into a lot of fog so had to make the decision to go through LaConner instead. That worked out fine and we arrived at Roche Harbor about 2:00pm.

After getting settled we took Barkley and showed Mike and Janice around the resort. We showed them the chapel that looks out over the marina. I don't think we had ever gone inside so it was fun to see it. Barkley waited for us at the bottom of the steps as we checked it out. The church bells ring every 3 hours during the day and play hymns as well as patriotic or other recognizable songs. We had a nice view of the chapel from our boat.

 

On our way up to the mausoleum we showed them the beautiful pool that we had never used until last time we were here with Robyn, Gavin and their family. There are also nice little cabins that can be rented for the tidy little sum of $410 per night!

We always take our guests up past the airport to see the McMillin mausoleum. There is a lot of history to be learned about Roche Harbor and the lime quarry that used to operate there and the story by the mausoleum is just a part of that.

When we got back we took Mike and Janice in the dinghy and looked at all the boats in the marina. There are many very large yachts moored there and it is always fun to look at them all. On our way back to our slip we saw this unusual looking boat. It is a Footprints brand boat and most likely would be used around the islands rather than out in open water. It was a very unique design and we were intrigued by it. It would be great for camping for a family.

Our slip was located right next to where the flag ceremony takes place each night so we had the best view we have ever had. We stood on the fly bridge and watched the colors come down. The cannon blast at the end was very upsetting to Barkley but the ceremony is very nice.

As always we were treated to a beautiful sunset each night we were there.

On our second day there we walked around the Sculpture Park which is a lot of fun. There are several trails you can follow through a large field near the airport. There are about 150 sculptures in the park.  We saw many of them but it was too hot to stay out and explore them all. We also walked along the trails that take you past the old limestone quarries. There are some beautiful views from there. 

As we headed back we took them past the stage where we watched Romeo and Juliet with Holly and Jerry last time they were here with us.We had a little fun with some role playing ourselves.

That evening we went to the Madrona Bar and Grill and enjoyed another great dinner there. Every time we go we try something new and we have never been disappointed. They have great food there and we had a wonderful time.

On Thursday we departed Roche Harbor about 11:00 and headed over to Blakely Island. Our goal was to treat Mike and Janice to a meal of crab that they wouldn't forget. The water was very rough as approached Blakely but we dropped the crab pots in a small bay on our way into the marina.  We waited until around 5:00pm to got out and get them. Since I am the one with the license and Bob runs the boat we both had to go retrieve the crabs. We wanted to take Mike and Janice so they could see the crab brought up but it was so rough that there was no way we could all fit in the boat, maneuver it to pull up the crab, or to all get back in. Bob and I were soaked by the time we got back but we brought back five large crabs from our two pots!

We had a fun time visiting while we cracked and cleaned all the crab and then enjoyed some wonderful crab cakes for dinner.

We enjoyed our last evening together playing Dominoes and watching another beautiful sunset.

Friday was our last day and we had a leisurely breakfast before departing at 9:00am. There was no fog today so we were able to return home through Deception Pass. These pictures show the pass as we approached and also looking back behind us. It was beautiful and we had great weather all the way home. We were sorry to see our trip end but we had a wonderful time with Janice and Mike. We know there will be many more adventures down the road.

Sessions Family Get-Away

We are so excited to be spending this coming weekend with Robyn, Gavin, Cohen, Avery and Austin. We took the boat up to Anacortes today so the kids wouldn't have such a long run to Roche Harbor tomorrow. Our weather was beautiful and Barkley was very happy to come with us instead of being at the kennel again.

We arrived in Anacortes in the afternoon and enjoyed  dinner at a diner that was obviously the place the locals hang out. The food was great and it was nice to have some time to ourselves. Since we left to go out on Synnova on July 12 we have been with friends or yacht club members nearly every day.

The next morning we started our day with a "test" breakfast of Dutch Babies. They turned out great - thank you, Al Smith, for the recipe! I think they will be on the menu for the kids in a couple of days.

Robyn and Gavin joined us about 9:15am where we loaded them up and cruised toward Roche Harbor. The kids were excited to be going out on the boat again. Robyn said that yesterday Avery was disappointed when she learned that mom and dad were coming with her on the boat! I guess she must have really enjoyed her and Cohen's sleepover on our boat when we went to Bremerton over Memorial Day. She recovered quickly, however, and was happy to have mom and dad along with us.

After we arrived in Roche Harbor we dropped the dinghy and Cohen and Gavin followed us in to our slip.

After we got settled and Austin was down for a nap Bob and I took Cohen and Avery with us to drop the crab pots to see if we could catch ourselves something for dinner. The kids had fun going out but we quickly realized we would be coming back alone to get it. The new dinghy is great but it is not designed for two adults, two kids, two crab pots, and a bunch of angry crabs to deal with.

In the afternoon we took a walk around the grounds and showed Robyn and Gavin what was there. We had never been over the the swimming pool so we checked that out and discovered how nice it is. The kids played on the playground and searched the beach finding broken clam shells which were still considered treasures.

On the way back to Synnova Bob took the kids to the store to purchase a net so they can try to catch fish and shrimp along the dock. Cohen seemed to find the cleat a great toy and it immediately became a periscope.

Bob and I went back out to check the crab pots but we had nothing but small ones and females. We left the pots and will check them again tomorrow. Robyn and Gavin did some kayaking and then we ended the evening with a nice steak dinner cooked right on the boat.

Saturday was another beautiful day so we decided if we wanted to take a walk we really should do it before it got too warm. We walked up to the mausoleum and did a little geocaching on our way back.

We went back out to check our crab pots and found two that were keepers. Gavin cleaned them for me and then while everyone went to the swimming pool, I cleaned them and prepped then for apetizers.

     

We finished our day with dinner at the outdoor cafe and the kids went to bed early. It had been a full but fun day and they were exhausted.

Sunday morning we needed to head home so Bob and I got up at 6:30. Robyn and Gavin kept the kids occupied in their beds in the salon as we departed. They watched part of Zootopia and had pancakes for breakfast, Cohen got his shower but then we realized all the extra towels were in Austin's room and he was still sleeping. Cohen got to be a human "burrito" for a little while!

We are on the last leg of our trip and we are sad to say goodbye. It has been so much fun but I think we have some kids that are ready to be on dry land, in their own house and in their own beds!

Gavin did some of the piloting on our way back and did a great job.

We said our goodbyes and then headed back to Everett. We cleaned the boat and did some preparations on the way to be ready to go back out in a couple of days with Mike and Janice Craig.