Northwest Vacation 2005

April 23
Got up at around 2:30am. It was not my plan to get up this early. Oh well! After my shower, I got both my backpack and small luggage packed. I realized there was no way everything would fit. So, at 3am, I unpacked the stuff in the small luggage and transferred it to the medium sized luggage bag. To the best of my knowledge, I did not forget anything. I left the apartment at 3:50am and decided to drive the speed limit. There was ample time to reach the Omaha Airport. I arrived at the airport at 6am for the flight that left at 7:30am. The flight to Minnesota and Seattle was uneventful. As the plane was approaching Seattle Airport, I looked out the window and saw mountains. Yes, beautiful mountains and some of them had snow at the top. I was excited! Nick was at the airport to greet me. I can’t believe it’s been close to eight years since I’ve seen him. It was great to see him after all these years. The first place we went to after leaving the airport was the world famous Pike Street Market to grab some chow. We had “Char Siew Pau” (Pork BBQ bun) and it brought me back home. It was that good! We then walked in the market and I got a feel for what the market is like. By the way, we all know that Seattle can be just grey and rainy. Well, guess what? It was sunny with highs around 70 degrees! I say it’s because of this Iowan! After walking in the market, we walked along the harbor to take in the ocean and the ocean smell. Ah, it was good! We then headed up to Bellingham, but decided to try and see if we could see some tulips. Alas, all the tulips were gone. Maybe I’m just destined to go back to Pella for the Tulip Festival. It was very nice of Nick to want to show me tulips. Oh, I saw a bison. Yeah, who would have thought of a bison in Washington State? To go to Bellingham, one could take the I-5 or take the scenic route. Nick opted for the latter. This route gave me the opportunity to see the San Juan Islands pretty close. Also, the route reminded me of driving up Fraser Hills in Malaysia … lush greens on the side of the road. We drove around Bellingham upon arrival and I definitely got a feel for the city. I told Nick that my goal for these two weeks is to not check my e mail, read the papers and not eat chicken or beef but seafood! For dinner, we went to a moderate restaurant that served good, fresh seafood. I had the all you can eat cod and fries and chowder. Nick had a salad and chowder. We took a short little drive around Bellingham again. This time we saw the “commercial” side of the city. Before calling it a night, we sat and chatted for quite some time. A lot has happened in close to eight years in all our lives.

April 24th
Body woke me up at around 4am which was a little too early for my taste. I managed to go back to the bed and finally got up at around 8am. I had a very good night’s sleep. After getting ready, Nick and I had breakfast. We then headed to Mass. Since it was a little early, we drove around town some more. This time, we went to Western Washington State University. The campus was up on a hill and right next to campus was a beautiful arboretum. Boy, it would be great to be a student studying here! Mass at Sacred Heart was celebrated at the parish hall because the church building was getting ready for its 100th anniversary. In some ways, the church reminded me of St. Catherine because a number of students came to Mass here. No, this was not a Newman Center. On this particular Sunday, there were five baptisms and let me tell you, I’ve never been to a baptism where none of the babies cried! It was downright amazing. The weather today was once again magnificent. So, Nick decided to drive to Anacortes (where I would be taking the ferry) using the scenic route. Why not? We arrived at Anacortes with lots of time to spare. The ferry left at 2:40pm and it took me an hour to arrive at Friday Harbor which is the island where I was staying for the week. During the ferry ride, I got to see numerous islands and its different shapes and sizes. I also got to smell the ocean. There’s nothing like the smell of ocean on a gorgeous spring day. I could not believe that I would spending a week on the island! The ride on the ferry was definitely relaxing. I found the B&B without any problems whatsoever. It’s a quaint little place. My room was sufficient. I definitely did not need a television or anything like that. The room came with a patio and that’s where I wrote in my journal. After settling in, I decided to walk around town to have a feel for Friday Harbor. The first place I went to was Island Bicycles to rent my bike. Boy, was I glad I came here. The place would not be open on Monday or Tuesday. I got a hybrid bicycle and a helmet. Yes, for the first time in my entire life, I would be riding a bike with a helmet. It’s only taken me 26 years to succumb to the helmet! I then proceeded to have dinner. I had told myself that seafood’s the goal! I had calamari for seafood pasta. The calamari was the largest calamari I’ve ever had in my life. The seafood pasta was good with lots of clams, sea scallops, and shrimps. After dinner, I decided to walk around town some more. Town itself is not big so it made walking very accessible. Tomorrow, I begin my biking.

April 25th
I got up at around 7am. It was a very good night’s sleep. Breakfast is served at 8am. This place is famous for its scones. Let me tell you that it was good. It reminded me of scones a family friend used to bake when I was a kid. One thing about B&B is that people don’t get up for breakfast early which is nice. After breakfast, I started my bike ride up to Roche Harbor. It took 10 miles to reach Roche Harbor. The bike ride was not too bad. Let’s just say Anthony is a little out of shape! Roche Harbor is pretty much a harbor. I did get to see a quaint little Catholic Church. The church was not open, but I got to see the outside. It’s also I believe the one and only privately owned Catholic Church in the USA. After some time at Roche Harbor, I walked to a mausoleum. Very interesting to say the least. One needed to hike a little to get to the mausoleum. When I was done visiting the mausoleum, I biked south to British Camp which is part of the San Juan National Park. I got to explore the site in depth and took a number of photos. Walking around the site game me a good rest from the bike. My next stop was supposed to be Lime Kilm Park where I would be able to see whales. However, I missed the turn off. In a sense, it was a blessing in disguise because with the amount of biking left, I would have died! It took me some time to bike back to the B&B. By the time I arrived, I was pooped. Once I cooled off and relaxed a little, I headed to the whale museum. The museum was a little small, but it did have some really neat exhibits. There were a couple of orca whales AV presentations. I did not plan on spending close to two hours there, but I did and it was time well spent. After the museum, I explored town a little more. I went into a shop that was pretty unique. It had numerous artworks by people from the island. Very impressive. I thought of buying some stuff, but it was a little pricey. I walked around town some more while waiting for restaurants to open for dinner. The place that I wanted to have dinner was a Mediterranean restaurant, but it was not open. I then headed to the Friday Harbor House Restaurant. Various guidebooks recommended this restaurant and let me just say that I was not disappointed. I started with a nice glass of Pinot Noir then for my appetizer, I had a very nice and unique potato soup with caviar and a type of fish I don’t believe I’ve ever had. For my entrée, I had halibut. I have to say that I’ve never tasted halibut as fresh as the one I had. It was exquisite. To top off the meal, I had a chocolate mousse cake topped with home made rum and raisin ice cream. It was a perfect end to a very good day. Hopefully, I won’t be too sore tomorrow. Even if I am, I will still be biking. This time, I’ll be headed south to another state park where the American Camp is located. The distance is around six miles which is not bad at all. I will also be going whale watching with a small group of people on a small boat. A very exciting day is planned for tomorrow. I am hoping and praying that we will be able to see some orcas. The reports for the past couple of days said that everyone has been able to see orcas. My fingers are crossed!

April 26th
The day started early. I wanted to get a head start to the day. The goal was to head to American Camp as early as possible. I left at around 7am and I arrived at American Camp by 7:40am. Oh, I forgot to say that it was extremely foggy. The bike ride to American Camp was not too bad at all. I’m glad I left when I did because it was cool and comfortable. That made the ride a lot easier. There was no one at the camp and I grabbed a self-guided walking tour. The tour itself was fine, but I could not get good shots because it was too foggy. My plan is to spend the entire day tomorrow at American Camp. It’s supposed to be sunny, so all the more reason to take my time and truly take in the whole area. I visited the visitor center and met the park ranger there. She gave me a couple of tips for places to visit at American Camp. I’ve realized that it’s good to befriend the most random people because they just give you the most intriguing insights. I needed to be back at the B&B by noon because I was going to loan my bike to a guy from California. He wanted to bike to a site where you would be able to see some whales. Since I was going whale watching, on a boat there was no reason for me to have my bike. The captain of the boat is named Jim and let’s just say he made the entire whale watching experience unforgettable. All in all, there were five people in the group including Jim. A father and his daughter and a couple from Alice Springs, Australia. We all got along great. On the way, up north to see the whales, we passed by islands owned by the guy who owns Cinnabon and Oakley. Truly gorgeous islands. Jim’s boat allowed us to go at a faster speed and while heading to where the whales were, we kept hearing from other boats. Now, the big and most important question is whether we got to see orcas. You betcha! All in all, there were close to eight orcas and to see them live in the wild is truly a sigh to behold. I managed to get a couple of really good shots of the orcas. We spent a good hour and a half just being around the orcas and taking the entire experience in. There were times when I was just speechless (does not happen too often!) Whale watching is one of those life times experiences that will never leave you. At the end of the journey, we realized that we were the only American boat that saw orcas today. The other boats were from Canada. I forgot to say that we saw the whales on Canadian water, not American water. This was my one opportunity to be in Canada. On the way back on one of the islands, we saw a bald eagle, Canadian geese and some wild sheep. By far, today was the climax of the trip so far. It’s difficult for me to see anything topping this experience, but you never know. By the time we got back, it was time for dinner. I decided to try this restaurant right next to the ferry. The restaurant was featured in a number of food magazines and the food definitely did not disappoint. I had excellent raw Westcott Bay oysters for my appetizer. As an entrée, for the first time in my life, I had Oregon Salmon. Now, one could ask the question how in the world is Alaskan and Oregon Salmon different? I’ll just say that the taste is slightly different. Subtle and different. For dessert, it was a delightful chocolate moose cake. It was divine! A fantastic meal to end the day, that’s for sure! Tomorrow, the plan is to bike to Orcas Island where the road is supposed to be most hilly and challenging. My ultimate goal is to bike up Mt. Constitution. If I am able to do it, it would be a mini victory of mind over matter.

April 27th
Today’s the day. My goal was to leave at 6:10am. I did not have that good a sleep so needless to say I did not make it on that ferry. I was not 100% sure if I was going biking. Finally, I made the decision to do it. I took the 8:20 ferry and packed some scones for the trip. Well, the ferry arrived at 9am which was not a bad time at all. So, the bike ride started! Well, to put it mildly, it was challenging. The hills were definitely a challenge. I made it to the mid-point in an hour and a half which was not too bad. It took me another hour to make it to make it to the base of Mt. Constitution. I made the decision to not bike up Constitution. Yes, I know, I’m a failure (not!) Really, when it came down to it, I figured I would not be able to bike back to the ferry dock. So, what I did was to go on the hiking trail up Constitution. It was a good, steep trail and proved challenging to yours truly. On the way up, I saw a snake (a tiny little one!), some really neat birds and a couple of deer. See, if I had biked up Constitution, I would not have been able to see the animals in the wild. Another really neat thing about taking the trail was that I got to take some cool photos of mountains from a very unique spot. I don’t recall if I said this, but Constitution is a good 2500 feet above sea level. When I reached the summit, the view was out of this world. It was a clear sunny day and I got to see numerous mountains including Mt. Baker. It’s really rare to be able to see the tip of Mt. Baker. It was awe-inspiring. I took numerous shots of just different scenery. One thing that I should have predicted was how cool and windy it was on the summit. Little old Anthony had his pair of jeans shorts and a t-shirt. Thank God I just love the cold weather. On the way down, I made the decision not to use the trail. Bad mistake! I figured walking on the road would be faster. Hah! It was not and it was extremely steep. While walking down, I realized there was no way I would have been able to bike up Constitution. It would have killed me – literally! I ran out of water when I reached the summit and there was no water fountain at the summit. Thank goodness, it was all downhill. In addition to taking me a longer time to reach the base, it was further. Life is all about learning. I learned that the trail is always the way no matter what my mind tells me. I took a good break where my bike was parked to catch my breath and to rest my feet. I figured the ride back to the ferry was not going to be as bad, but I did give myself ample opportunity when it came to timing. I pretty much took my time biking back. I did stop in town to get some ice-cream. Hey, it was hot and I was biking facing the sun! By the time I reached the ferry dock, I was close to an hour and a half early which was good because my feet got ample time to rest. The only thing on my mind now was dinner. I needed something hearty. So, I decided on a Thai restaurant. I had some reservations initially, but once the appetizer arrived, I knew I was in for a nice treat. I had salmon cakes for appetizer and freshly blended pineapple juice (very refreshing) For my entrée, I had a combination seafood (oysters, squid, halibut and crabs (none of those imitation crab meat. This was the real stuff!) The seafood was cooked in coconut milk. Anything cooked in coconut milk is always good. I was not disappointed. It’s hard to believe that all the meals that I’ve had have just been wonderful. I spent the rest of the night journaling. I may bike to American Camp again tomorrow depending on how my legs and body feel. I still have two more islands to hit by Sunday. I may hit them both on Friday. Both the islands are small and t he terrains are pretty much flat.

April 28th
Needless to say I took my own sweet time getting up. Surprisingly my body did not ache as much as I thought it was going to. I left for American Camp at 10am. It was a slow leisurely bike ride to American Camp. The weather was just perfect. Actually, before arriving at American Camp, I veered off to Eagle Cove. One of the locals told me that I should head there. It’s pretty much a small state beach in the midst of many private property. I like the intimacy the beach provided. After Eagle Cove, I went to American Camp. It’s amazing what you get to see when there’s no fog around. I basically took the same guided walking tour, but this time I was snapping my camera away. While walking around the camp, it dawned on me how much nicer it is to visit all these places during the off-season. There’s just no one around. Once I was done with American Camp, I headed to a couple of places close by including a lighthouse, Jackle’s Lagoon and South Beach. I did not go to the lighthouse per se, but was close enough to take a couple of nice shots. In my bike back, I went to Jackle’s Lagoon. It was really neat getting to the lagoon because you had to hike through some nice wooded area. The lagoon itself was nothing to shout about but it was a nice experience. I headed to South Beach after the lagoon. South Beach is the longest public beach on San Juan. I walked a little, but was more content to just sit on a long, take in the sun and hear the ocean. I think I spent close to 45 mins just taking the entire experience in. Whoever said heaven can’t be found on earth? I believe I’ve experienced a slice of heaven today. Once the ocean experience was completed, I took a leisurely ride back to the B&B. There was no one around the B&B so I decided to take a tour of the different rooms. All in all, there are 15 rooms at the B&B and all of them are different and has its own personality and charm. After looking around the rooms, I decided to head on over to the second hand bookstore. Anthony in a bookstore is a very bad idea. Thank God I only got two books! One was a book by Pennington and Merton and the other was a book called “Illusions”. After the bookstore, I had dinner at Basil. The restaurant used to be called Fat Cat. The current owners bought it in December. Initially, they were only open for lunch. However, beginning last week, they opened for dinner. The chef/owner is from England and was an executive chef at different restaurants. I had a very nice potato basil soup with crab meat. I also had a wonderful spring salad with strawberry. Both were very nice. For my entrée, I had poached salmon served with lemon basil aioli with arugala. Very, very good. I would never dare dream of having poached salmon in Iowa, but let’s just say you can’t get salmon this fresh. The chef told me that the salmon was caught in the morning. Overall, it was a very good dining experience. I actually wanted to have a no frill seafood for dinner, but all the restaurants were closed. When one door closes, many others open up. One need only to look! After dinner, I pretty much spent the evening at the lobby writing in my journal and chatting with the person working at the front desk named, Chris. The people at the desk have all just been wonderful. There’s something to be said about B&B. It’s definitely different than a hotel. The subtle little things make all the difference.

April 29th
I had to scrap my initial plan of leaving for Lopez Island at 6am. I had difficulty falling asleep last night. It all worked out fine because I took the later ferry. I arrived at Lopez at around 9:50am and got biking. Lopez is a lot more flat compared to Friday Harbor or Orcas. So, the ride was not bad at all. The first place I went to was a state park called Spencer’s Spit. The park had a nice beach and some nice scenery. There were two guys who were about ready to camp for the night. It was interesting to see the guys unpack their stuff. The next place was Shark Reef State Park. Unbeknownst to me, the ride from Spencer’s Spit to Shark Reef was 19 miles. Yes, that’s a lot of biking. However, with the roads pretty much flat, it did not seem like it was 19 miles. One you arrive at Shark Reef, you heave to hike another mike to the spot where you have a neat view. From this spot, you can actually see the lighthouse that I took a photo of. How one can see different islands just fascinates me. I spent some time just embracing my surroundings. Next stop was Lopez Village. Now, when someone mentions a town, I immediately think of a nice sized town comparable to a small Iowa town. I was shocked how small this town was. It had one main road and let’s just say a number of shops I could count on two hands! Here I thought I had seen some small towns in Iowa, but this beats everything I’ve ever seen. I was supposed to have a very nice dinner here at the Bay Café Restaurant. This restaurant got rave reviews from just about every food magazine out there. However, the restaurant was to start serving dinner at 5:30pm and I was planning on taking the 7pm ferry back to the island. After dinner, I would still have to bike to the ferry. When it all came down to it, I decided against having dinner here. I walked around town a little then took a slow leisurely bike ride to the ferry. I was waiting for the ferry with ample time to spare. All in all, today I biked close to 35 miles. Definitely more than I had planned. Once I arrived back at Friday Harbor, I knew exactly where I was going to have dinner. The place is a no frill seafood place that specializes in fish and chips. Since I’ve been having some really good food lately, it was nice to have something simple. The fish and chips were wonderful. Definitely the best I’ve had in years. After dinner, I went back to the B&B and journaled. I also watched a documentary about an orca in captivity that is abused for the sake of entertainment. The documentary is called “Lolita – Slave to Entertainment”. Tomorrow, depending on how my legs and body feel, I am planning on heading to the smallest island – Shaw where there is a Benedictine monastery. I hope to tour their monastery.

April 30th
The day did not go according to plan, but that’s part of life eh?! Well, I did not make it to Shaw Island. It was a little cloudy to start the day so I figured there really was no point for me to head over to Shaw. The way I look at it, all the more reason to come back. So, since I did not make it to the island, I figured I would stay at Friday Harbor, spend a leisurely touristy day and just wind down and mentally prepare myself to leave the island. It’s somewhat amazing the stuff you’ll notice when you have all the time in the world. I went to the different stores looking for souvenirs for different people. It was fun and relaxing. After getting gifts, I decided to watch a movie. The movie is called XXX-State of Union. The movie is definitely a guy movie with lots of action and very little dialogue. It’s nice to get a guy fix once in a while. After the movie, I came back to the B&B and decided to get some packing done before tomorrow. Once I was done packing, it was pretty much time for Mass. I had asked for directions to the church, but got a little lost on the way. I’ve never had problems asking for directions so I just put on my friendly face and asked a guy for directions. He was very helpful. I was actually really close to the church. The church was a small quaint little church that is shared by Catholics and Lutherans (I bet Luther must be turning in his grave!) The church is called St. Francis. I was close to 30 mins early for Mass so it gave me a good opportunity to see the crowd. It was definitely an older group of people and the vast majority of them were locals. The priest who celebrated Mass was an old Irish guy with a charming Irish accent. One of the most pure joys of being Catholic is how no matter where you may go, the Mass is always celebrated the same way. I had dinner reservations for seven and by the time Mass ended, it was perfect timing for dinner. I’m going to give you a little history regarding how I came about this restaurant. Jim, the captain of the whale watching boat said that the clams at this restaurant is to die for. He also called the restaurant pan-Asian. Now, whenever, I hear of any restaurant with “pan” cuisine, I tend not to visit it especially if it’s pan-Asian. The people at Basil already told me that they will find room for me if I decided to visit them again. But, something told me I should give Backdoor Kitchen a chance. Yes, that’s the name of the restaurant. So, when I looked at the menu and saw clams, I knew I would definitely have to have it. They also had a wonderfully described goat cheese appetizer. So, I decided to have both the goat cheese and clams. The clams came first and it arrived in a nice sized bowl. The way they prepared the clams sounded simple enough – white wine, parsley, spring onion, garlic, oil and butter, but I don’t think I would ever be able to have anything like this. It was simply divine! That’s the word I used to describe the clams when the wait staff asked me. Next in line was the goat cheese. Splendid, just splendid! The cheese was wrapped in some kind of leaf, had apricot, fried garlic and a delightful caramel type sauce. I knew from the clams that I would have to eat my words regarding the restaurant. For my entrée, I ordered the mahi-mahi. That’s not a common fish especially at this side of the world, but when I bit into it, I felt like I was transported to heaven! The fish simply did not taste like mahi-mahi. It was way too good! Mahi-mahi tends to be a little tough but trust me, this was outstanding. It came with asparagus and rice cake pattee – something pan-Asian. I thought there was no way anything else would be able to top this – Alas, I was wrong! When the wait person asked if I was interested in dessert, I told her to tempt me. There were five dessert offerings, but after hearing the first two, I tuned out the rest. The first was homemade Tiramisu and the second was chocolate cake. I have mum to thank for tiramisu and whenever the opportunity presents itself I will always try it. Most of the time it’s misses. However, one restaurant in Des Moines does serve a pretty good tiramisu. The way the wait staff described the chocolate cake, I just could not turn it down. So, I decided on two desserts. Here’s something that won’t happen very often! One of my desserts was free! The reason being the kitchen staff had a bet to see if I would be able to finish my entrée after the two appetizers and some bread. Hah, I guess they just did not know me well! Not only did I finish it all up, I could almost lick the plate! So, when I did finish my entrée, I got dessert for free. They actually wrote that on my receipt. I decided to bag the cake and bring it back to the B&B. I would have loved to take a photo with the chefs – a brother and sister, but I left my camera at the B&B. It seems that they travel a lot and have been to Thailand and Indonesia hence the pan-Asian cuisine. I told the wait person to tell them to make a trip to Malaysia because that’s where they’ll find the crown jewel of Southeast Asian cuisine! I have to say that this whole dining experience was the best way to end my weeklong stay on the island. When I arrived back at the B&B I gave the cake to Melissa, the manager. Both she and Chris have just been the most gracious hosts. Every night while journaling at the lobby, they would talk to me. They truly went above and beyond. It was the staff that made the weeklong stay all the more amazing, memorable and unforgettable. How can I ever forget such gracious people? Tomorrow, I will leave this island with a heavy heart. I will definitely be back if the opportunity ever arises and that’s a promise! The second leg of my vacation begins tomorrow.

May 1st
Today was definitely a bittersweet day. I would be leaving the island today, but the second leg of my vacation begins. I tried my very best to savor every moment of the island. I leave with extremely fond memories of my week on the three main islands. I took close to 120 photos and I am planning on posting them on a web album. One of the things that really struck me was how much contemplation I did throughout the week. In a sense, I just be and let everything come to me. It was a very deeply religious and spiritual experience – something I can’t put into words. It needs to be experienced. On the ferry ride back to Anacortes, I let “The Song of the Bird” by Anthony de Mello speak to me. His writings are definitely thought provoking. Nick was at the ferry landing to greet me. On our way back, we would be picking up Mary from church after her meeting. We came back to the house and kind of just caught up with one another and rested. For dinner, we headed over to Mary’s parent’s condo right across the street. It was so gracious of them to invite us over for dinner. I had a wonderful time with them. After dinner, Nick, Mary and I went to a meeting by a group called ROOTS. The best way for me to describe this group is to say that it’s a group of people whose goal is commitment to peacemaking, gentle justice, reconciliation, healing and care of creation locally and globally by gathering for ritual, prayer, service and celebration. Nick was invited as a speaker because of his work with nonviolence for peace. I’ll say that the entire meeting was interesting. All sorts of different spiritual traditions were part of the meeting. Definitely one of the most interesting experiences of my life. After the meeting, we went to Mallards – the local ice-cream place. Boy, did they have good ice-cream! What a neat way to end the day. After dessert, we came back home and I journaled before calling it a night. Some of the plans for this week include a trip up Mt. Baker, kayaking, hiking, visiting a number of museums and a baseball game. The outdoor activities depend on the weather.

May 2nd
I got up at around 8am and had breakfast with Nick and Mary. Mary and I went hiking at Whatcom Falls. It’s kind of interesting how you can find a nice waterfall close to the city. While hiking, Mary showed me different types of trees and plants. It was a leisurely hike and I even saw a trout hatchery. When we got home, it was Nick’s turn to spend time with me as Mary had to go teach at the community college. The weather was a little cloudy so we planned on going to the historical and art museum. Alas, it was closed on Monday. So, we ended up walking near the city center. This time I got to see a salmon hatchery. On the way back to the house, we stopped by a nice little marine life place where at one time you were able to see a live octopus. The octopus has since been transported to the Seattle Aquarium. However, there were still other marine life that one could see. When we arrived home, Nick got ready to go for a meeting. I started typing out my journal on Mary’s computer. I received a phone call from one of my soccer girl’s mum informing me that the girls won their game on Sunday. I guess there’s no need for me to coach them anymore! I do plan on being at their next game on Sunday because I would be back in Des Moines. For dinner, Mary and I headed over to her parent’s condo. They prepared dinner once again. I truly enjoy spending time with them as they just have the most wonderful stories to share. After dinner, Mary and I had a nice chat. Nick soon returned and joined us. We watched the ending of the Mariners and Angels game. The Mariners lost. The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow so I believe Nick and I will be kayaking.

May 3rd
Happy 27th birthday to me! There was a voicemail from mum wishing me happy birthday and she did say she would call me later in the day to wish me. It rained in the morning and it ended up being a cool day so we did not go kayaking. Nick and I went to Tennant Lake County Park. It was really interesting because we got to experience a fragrance garden and walk on boardwalks through wetlands. We did not see many birds, but we did hear a lot of them. You know, it dawned on me how I’ve spent a lot of time with nature throughout this entire trip. It’s good to be one with nature because it’s in nature that we get to see and experience God through creation. When we got back, Nick had work to get done so I decided to finish typing my journal. It took me a couple of hours to finally get caught up with typing my journal. When Nick was done with work, we went out to get some smoked salmon for the men in the office. I had already gotten the women gifts, but had no idea what to get the men. Nick suggested smoked salmon since it’s very much a Northwest thing. I was very happy with this gift. We came back and I got to do some reading. Mary and I went out for dinner at a brewpub/restaurant. I had two appetizers – a smoked salmon fish dip and some mussels. For my entrée, I had fish taco which is something is native to this part of the states. The only other time I had fish taco was in Des Moines, and the preparation was different. I’m normally not a beer person, but since we were eating at a brewpub, I had the beer sampler. I know that I’m definitely not a stout guy. That proves that I’m not Irish! For dessert, I had a lemon meringue pie. I thought it was kind of cute to take Mary out for dinner as a Mother’s Day present and also to celebrate my birthday! She was shocked to find out it was my birthday. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve come to realize that birthdays are not about big celebrations. It’s more about spending quality time with real people. After dinner, we walked at Boulevard Park and saw the sunset. It was the most spectacular sunset ever and I think it was my birthday present from God. I told Nick and Mary that we need to come back so I can take photos of the sunset. The day truly ended up a nice, relaxing, pleasant and wonderful day. Oh, I forgot to mention that over the course of the day, other people called to wish me happy birthday. One friend even sang me happy birthday on the phone! That was touching. You know, I am a very blessed individual when all is said and done.

May 4th
After breakfast, I helped Nick to move some furniture. Once that was done, we were pretty much ready to head to Seattle for the baseball game. We arrived with ample time to spare. While waiting for Nicco to arrive, we had a hot dog. Pete (Mary’s dad) and I went in first while Nick waited for Nicco. The Mariners were down 0-2 by the end of the first inning. It ended up being a good game with lots of hits, but the Mariners lost 2-5. Oh well, we can’t always be winners in life. After the game, I walked to the place to meet up with Darcie. Darcie and I coached the girls’ soccer team and she moved back to Seattle after spending four years in Des Moines. We had planned on meeting up while I was in the Northwest. We had Ethiopian food for dinner and it was delightful. What made it more fun was that we both enjoyed Ethiopian cuisine especially being able to eat with our hands. After dinner, Darcie graciously drove me back to Bellingham. We got to chat long the way home. That’s pretty much how the day went. I can’t believe my vacation is soon coming to an end. All good things must come to an end some time or another. What is left are great fond memories and lots of photos!

May 5th
Nicco and Mary spent the morning with Mary’s parents. After breakfast, I helped Nick with different stuff around the house. I helped put up a waterbed which was pretty cool to say the least. Nick had a meeting in Fairhaven so I followed him there. Fairhaven is very much the historical district with lots of quaint little shops including a huge independent used/new bookstore. I can’t believe I did not buy anything, but I did! At Fairhaven, I had some ice-cream and a piece of tiramisu cake. Both were delightful. On the way back, we stopped to get groceries because Nick would be cooking dinner tonight. Nick’s an excellent cook so to be able to taste his cooking is always a neat experience. We had vegetables, salad, bread, pesto pasta and salmon. All of it were good. For dessert, Mary got me an ice cream birthday cake. Oh, I forgot to mention that Mary’s parents came over for dinner and hung around for the party. Everyone sang happy birthday and I got to blow a couple of candles. That was nice. After dinner, Nick, Mary, Nicco and I went to Boulevard Park. This time, I had my camera with me and I got to take a number of sunset shots. The scene was not as spectacular as Tuesday yet it was still amazing. We headed to Fairhaven again and spent some time at a bookstore after the sunset. What a nice way to end the day!

May 6th
After breakfast today, Nick and I went to Larrabee State Park. We got to walk on the beach, look at rock formations and just take the whole ocean experience in. After the park, we went to another park and this time we saw a bald eagle and a couple of herons. They both are majestic birds. We then came back and got some prep work done for dinner. We would be having home-made pizza from scratch. To see an Italian-American make pizza from scratch is truly out of this world. I was fascinated beyond belief. Actually, I forgot to mention that before getting back, we saw a huge ferry that leaves from Bellingham to Alaska dock. It took the ferry at least 30 mins to dock. Those ships are humongous. While waiting for the dough to rise, I checked in online and printed my boarding pass. I also reserved my bus-shuttle to the airport tomorrow. It will be fun to ride the bus from Bellingham to the Seattle Airport. For dinner, we had the Mele family, Mary’s parents and a couple from church. After dinner we talked about going to the movies, but settled on playing Cranium. I had forgotten how much fun it is to play board games on a Friday night. I believe we all had fun and that’s the most important thing. Oh, the pizza – excellent!

May 6th
Well, this is my last day of vacation. I once again leave with bittersweet feelings. The two weeks were amazing and I don’t think I’ve been able to put a lot of the experiences into feelings. I just know what I experienced was unique to me. Something I can say is that I’ve a much deeper appreciation for nature now. After packing up, I said goodbye to Mary’s parents. It truly was a pleasure to meet them. I said goodbye to Mary also. Nick would be driving me to the Bellingham Airport where I would be picked up by the shuttle. Before headed there, we walked at the farmer’s market which was just wonderful. There’s something to be said about supporting the locals. The flights were uneventful. I made it back to Des Moines at 1:30am and had a difficult time falling asleep. Oh well!