Fort Flagler Summer 2013

Fort Flagler Summer 2013

 

Fort Flagler, another “favorite place”, provided us a home base for the summer.  As with all Washington State Parks, there is a 10 limit on your stay.  With careful planning we reserved 40 nights throughout the summer from June 1^st to September 1^st.  The park sits at the tip of Marrowstone Island, across the bay from Port Townsend.  In good weather the views are magnificent!

 

When reservations go well, our sites are in the first or second row from the beach.

 

 

A short walk through the beach grass places you on the rocky shore of Puget Sound.  This is looking east.

This is looking west toward the Olympic National Park and Olympic Mountain Range.

 

Here’s a view of our RV from the beach.



 

 

On a clear day, Mt. Baker shows herself across Puget Sound to the east.

 

The sun sets late in the Northwest. The sun set at 9:00 pm this night. 

 

This year blessed us with the sighting of a Goldfinch right in front of the coach.  Blue Herons visit the calmer areas of the bay inside coves and inlets.

Eagles fly over frequently or sit in the trees for hours.

 

The daily deer count remains a fun activity.This year we saw several fawns. One baby still wobbled on his tiny legs.

Fort Flagler along with Forts Worden and Casey were designed to protect the entrance to Puget Sound. Although no guns were ever fired, their gun batteries, officer’s row and barracks provide plenty of walking area, picturesque views and a peek at history. Concerts are held at the Henry Bankhead Battery during the summer months. 

Traffic on Puget Sound also makes our stay interesting.  Cargo ships, ferries, cruise liners, navy boats and all kinds of pleasure crafts sail these waters.  Cruise ships often sail out on the same tide, so three or four many pass by within minutes.                               

Sometimes a navy ship comes to Indian Island, next door, to drop their armaments before heading down the sound.  Sighting a nuclear submarine with its entourage of Coast Guard boats and Navy protection boats stirs most campers’ interests.

 

Crab fishing ranks as a #1 activity for many Flagler visitors. Here kids drop their crab pots right off the dock at the marina part of the campground.

People and pet watching are great here too!  Check out this dog carrying his own lease! Of course, Ashley prefers to nap in the sun.  Murphy likes collecting the rays, too!

 

Our rent-a-grandkid loves to fly her kite here when the winds are good for that activity. 

The carriers behind the bike may hold children or small dogs.


 Bike riding continues to be popular with the beginners and the experienced riders.





Many a small child goes around and round the beach campground clattering on plastic training wheels.  Often this is the place where those wheels are removed. 
 
Sometimes a fall needs a little TLC
before going out again.

 The experienced riders take to the park trails. Others just take a leisure ride around the beach.

Mystery Bay provides a safe harbor for pleasure boats and a scenic view on our way to Fort Flagler.  Check out this stunning photo I caught on a trip out of the park.

 

Fog frequently visits this area. Weather this year includes more sunny days than wet or foggy days.  This inlet is on the way into Port Hadlock.

 

Returning to Bremerton takes you out Beaver Valley Road with its farmland and rural sights. We've spent more time than we want on this road this summer.

Pacific Beach WA July 4, 2013

 

 

Pacific Beach WA remains one of the special places!  Here we meet up with good friends to celebrate the 4^th of July.  We honor our country with about 10 days of celebration.  This year 15 rigs of people came to our annual event.

 

 

 

 

 

Wind toys show the group has arrived.  Many people in this group make and fly kites.  Some just fly the wind toys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see big toys filled with air,

 

 

 

 

 

      

          

                      smaller lawn art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and often the whimsical display.

 

  A variety of kites fill the air.  Some remain tethered to catch the wind.

 

  

      A single line kite

Some are flown for fun.  The kites fly at the end of a single line, a double line ( above) or with four lines (to the right).

 

We gather for our big meal at the rig with the least wind. The dinner place is chosen just before set up time.  Our group possesses some great cooking skills!  We serve 40 people this year.

 

 

     Mike’s fried rice from his giant wok      
         remains a perennial favorite.

 

The young and young at heart enjoy Pacific Beach.  The weather even cooperated with sunny skies and sometime a warm temperature.

 

 

We said goodbye to our beach friends and headed inland for Fort Flagler.

 

Washington Beaches

Hurray for salt air, waves lapping the shores and sand for castle building!  We spent time this year at a Thousand Trails park near Copalis WA.  Lynn and Jay (Derrille’s brother) stayed at a park just up the road. One day we took in the Ocean Shores Sand Castle Building competition. 







 The promoters changed the dates this year and several regulars could not attend.  Only five or six teams were present. Very unlike what we've seen before at Cannon Beach OR.

 

We attended early in the day, and didn’t stick around for the final construction.

 

This entry had something to do with the mind and brains. It looked like the best construction to us.

 

 

This group took aspects of the Candy Land Game for their creation.

 

 

Throngs of people came to watch the creations taking shape.

 




 

 

Other people just enjoyed a warm day at the beach in the sun and surf.

 










 

 

I found this father to be a hero, letting his sand soaked daughter climb on his back. Way to go Dad!

 

We carry a dual rod-iron hanger for my two hanging planters.  Last year we traveled with petunia pots, this year it's geraniums.

This bold crow landed on my hanging baskets and decided to dig in them a bit.

 

At Ocean Shores we saw this doe and her fawn at the entrance to the resort.

 








 

Next stop Pacific Beach, WA