Meadowdale County Park

On our last night in the Pacific Northwest we stayed with my sister and her two boys. I think they are 12 and 9 years old. I'm a terrible aunt, I should know that.  Our first activity was a hike at Meadowdale County Park. Catherine, my sister, said this was a kid friendly hike. And by kid friendly I think that means the trail was wide and well used. There were even stairs to make it easier. Lots of stairs. On the way down, way way down, I just kept thinking, oh my goodness, my kids are never going to make it back up this. Never. I had Kaleb in the stroller, and just he, I figured, would never make it up the hill if I had to push him. It really wasn't that long or steep... for an adult or teenager, but for very tired 1, 3, and 5 years olds. Online I couldn't get a good mileage for the hike. One website said  2.5 miles and another said 3.85. I'm useless as to estimating what it actually was. But it was long enough and steep enough that I just didn't think we would make it.

But we did! It was amazing. We made it down to the beach (after wading through a flooded train tunnel carrying the kids through who couldn't make it themselves - that is hard to do with a toddler in a stroller) and parked ourselves on some driftwood logs for lunch. It was so warm and beautiful. Across the sound we could see the Olympic Mountians (on the Olympic Peninsula if you haven't brushed up on your Washington geography) and we just had fun. Gwen and Catherine had an especially good time playing "catch the toe." You'd have to have one of them explain that one.

To get the kids going on the way back a few of them would run on ahead and then jump out and "scare" us as we walked past. Or they would just let us walk past and then jump out, run past us, and do it again. Even Lukas took turns hiding.

Then at Catherine's a few of my kids took baths, Joshua wrestled with Bruce and Russell, Lukas just kind of played and did his own thing, Kaleb went to bed, Abby got to paint her nails with Aunt Catherine, we had dinner, and then ice cream sundaes, played games, and then got the kids to bed. Kaleb didn't get the memo. He woke up at 12:30 am ready for the day. He went back to sleep at 2:30 and then got up again at 3:00. Tuesday morning was accompanied with a lot of prayers that I wouldn't fall asleep trying to get us to Boise. We made it. Exhausted. And Wednesday we made it home. Exhausted. I think I was exhausted until yesterday. It was a long, fun, relaxing, vacation. But that drive is really hard if you have to do it alone... and with 4 little kids in your car.

two trains passed by while we were there.

Goodbye Lopez

We left the island Monday morning. It was strange that Monday actually came. For so long I kept thinking, wow, this is a really long vacation! And then all the sudden it was time to go. We actually cut our vacation short by two days for various reasons including a Thursday surprise party for my father-in-law involving all the family, a patch a really great weather to drive through (remember the horrible life threatening weather I drove up in!), and if we left early we could arrive home on Derek's birthday (actually his birthday was Tuesday and I miscalculated, but we started driving home on his birthday, so that maybe counts for something). 

So... back to Monday. We actually only drove maybe 2 hours that day. We ended up in Mukilteo to visit my sister and her two boys and stay there for the night. (subject for another post, of course.) So these are photos of saying goodbye to the Steinheiser's on Sunday night, when they left for the mainland, and Monday morning getting on and being on the ferry back to Anacortes.

They're playing Wild Kratts

Waiting for the ferry

There is the little hut at the end of Spencer's Spit. Now I can say, "I've been there"

Hyak is a tiny town just on the east side of Snowqualmie ski resorts. I've been there too - ok, I drove through it a couple of times. Hyak was also the name of our ferry.

Even getting to the ferry dock 40 minutes early, we still barely made it on. I think there were 10 cars behind us.

Mt Baker. Mt Rainier is still my first love, but Baker is going to have to do.

Fisherman's Bay Spit Preserve

This hike is also on the north side of the island on a little preserve across the bay from the village. There was more sand here to play in than at any of the other beaches, and also another fun little driftwood fort. We went here with Gretchen, her family, and Bob. By this time - about 24 hours after the Steinheisers arrived, the kids were such great friends! On the way back up the hill to get to the vans little Ethan and Abby were holding hands. Abby didn't want to hold his hand anymore because it was "uncomfortable" and he said, "well, ok... but we're still friends right?" "Yeah," she said, "we're still friends."