Every Memorial Day weekend, the Collins and I go camping together in great out doors of Washington. Since last year, I bought a 10-person tent and have been ready for the special weekend ever since. This year, Jen picked an island destination off the city of Anacortes in the San Juan and kids and I were very excited to take a ferry to get there.
The reservation system of the ferry was a bit confusing and they released tickets in three stages. We missed the first two release dates and were freaked out about not getting the tickets we needed. The final release date was two days before the departure date, so we were ready up early to log on and snatch the ticket. I was elated when I was able to secure the ferry ride.
We left somewhat on time and got to the ferry station an hour early which was perfect. Kids played by the beach until the ferry time. The ferry ride was quick and fun. The weather on the first day was a cool and cloudy with some rain. We wished for the sun, but we were glad it wasn't pouring. Things can be always worse so why wish for something better!?
It's interesting an island, big or small, has a distinctive island atmosphere. It's a short ride (30 minutes) on the ferry but it's as if we came to New Zealand! It was beautiful. Grassy pastures, old barns and patches of green woods. Our explorer spirit came out and we were keenly looking around. We didn't know what the campground looks like, so we were very excited to get there.
I am glad the campsite had a long parking space so that we could park two cars. The last campsite only allowed one and I had to drive in and drop off the gears then leave my car at a common parking area for two days. We surveyed the site and the children started to clear the pine cones and other debris from the ground. They already know what to do! Since our tents are big and the campsite was narrow and long, we had to pick the right spot to accommodate both. The adults got busy setting up the tents and unloading. While I went to use the restroom with Aly, Kevin had already set up my tent! He said it was the easiest tent he's ever done!
Once we were settled, I took the two big boys to the nearby beach. The beach was a short walking distance away from our campsite and had rocks, seashells, sands, logs, seaweeds, and carcases of wild animals from eagle attacks. The boys played on floating logs in the marsh until we realized the sign written "Do Not Enter the Marshland". We walked around the beach admiring the rocks and different kinds of seashells. Sean collected some pretty rocks and seashells for Saya, who decided she could not risk bear attacks and stayed home with Mike and Noah. There was a small island short distance away in the bay and a vintage style red and white sail boat was floating peacefully. I didn't take my camera then and I regretted it very much! It would have been a great shot if not everyone else there were snapping :-)
It was my turn to cook on the first night so I heated up the prepared pasta and meatballs served with pan fried green beans. I also grilled Shishito Peppers over the campfire sprinkled with sea salt. I think they enjoyed it! Eating out in the woods makes everything taste special and of course, the s'mores as dessert added a nice finishing touch. Kevin is a self-claimed s'mores expert and I have to admit, his s'mores have nice puffy melted marshmallows instead of some burnt ones!
The first evening, I didn't sleep too well because I was cold. I also was wedged between Aly and Sean who kept moving around. I was worried of them being cold so kept waking up to cover them up with their blankets. When I finally settled to sleep, Sean woke me up at 5:30 am with big smiles and big jitters. Everyone else was asleep so I had to make sure he won't disturb others. Writing about sleeping made me very sleepy as I write this. Noah woke up super early this morning, so I woke up two hours earlier than my usual wakie time, too! So, I will stop here and continue on tomorrow. More to come about our exciting adventure on Lopez Island!
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