Last week we took a trip to Washington!
We spent just about a week on Orcas Island (off the coast of Washington).
In true Hauck fashion, it was nothing short of a traveling circus.
There were moments I thought we might
not make it (there's nothing easy about the time change and lack of our
regular routine with our tiny pal) but there were just as many moments
when I couldn't even handle the perfection.
Here is a tiny peek into our week....
At this point...Max is a seasoned pro at the airport...
and Rob and I are total pros at letting him
have a lot (read: pretty much unlimited time)
on the iPad. Mostly, I just want him to
enjoy the travel time...and not have to deal
with total chaos on the airplane.
And, selfishly I want to read my own
books too :)
He was LOVING the moving walk-ways
in the Chicago/Midway airport.....like
I think him and Rob rode them for like
half and hour straight. haha!
Once we arrived in Seattle...Grandpa Jim and
Grandma Sugar picked us up for the drive
to La Connor, Washington. It was an adorable
little town (and our hotel, right on the water!)
to spend the night in...and we
especially enjoyed the local brewery.
There was a weird little store (I believe,
called Nasty Jacks Antiques) with the most
adorable ride on animals (and one chariot)
that we spent a good $1.50 on!
Anything to keep this kid occupied
while Mama shops :) At one point
Max asked me, "why do you like
to go in all the shops, Mommy?"
The next morning, we set off again - to catch
the ferry which would transport us to the island.
This was a large boat -- (it even had a tractor
on it...which blew Max's tiny mind)...
We passed the time on the ferry boat by running
back and forth between our seats (complete with
a table!) and the front/back of the boat.
Max also started collecting brochures on the
ferry boat--so he consulted his whale
watching brochures to learn about all the
animals we might see later in the week...
The view from the ferry was just breath taking...
Once the ferry docked, we drove right off and
over to East Sound Suites. Our house for the
week was in the most perfect spot - right above
the lavendar shop in town and next door
to the local bakery (the smells were amazing each
morning!!).
Our week was the perfect mix of beach, culture, and just
relaxation...
At first Max was a little confused by the lack
of sand and shells...but he took to tossing rocks,
helping me find beach glass, investigating
tide pools, and collecting drift wood pretty easily!
Our house was right across the street from
one of the public beaches...so we made a trip over
nearly every morning and afternoon to
look for treasures (and stop for coffee)!
We also managed to visit another awesome spot -
Crescent Beach....just about half a mile down the road!
Here, Max was able to build a sand castle, complete
with driftwood framing...and add a few shell bits.
Max also stumbled upon this driftwood "house"
and wanted to play the rest of the day in there :)
I would say, "Max, add 5 more pieces"...which would
then turn into 10 more...and so on!
One of the true highlights of our trip -- arranged
by Grandpa Jim (seriously, he's the best!) was
our whale watching trip. He booked it through
Deer Harbor Charters - it lasted about three hours -
and I can't recommend it enough.
I know it looks like the whale is pretty far away...
but I really felt like they were close (all things
considered). We were able to follow one male
and then two other separate groups over the course
of the three hours.
Max was adorable shouting "did you see
that daddy"? and then when they would
disappear for five minutes...he would say,
"they must be on their long dive"
which is what the on board naturalist
had told us.
The naturalist was so knowledgeable
about the different pods and members
of each group. It seemed impossible to tell
them all apart...but I guess they are studied
quite a bit...so everyone in the area knows
the differences.
Another highlight was our hike out to Indian Island.
It's a two acre island surrounded by eel grass and rocks
directly across from East Sound (where we were!)
About 41 days out of the year it's accessible
to people when the tide recedes. We were lucky
enough to experience all of the tidepool magic
on our trek out!
In the above pic you can see where we started
and the path out to the island.
The rocks were covered with ochre sea stars...
in shades of orange and purple.
Max is pointing out the sea stars under the rocks
in the below picture.
I loved every minute of that adventure...even
when a clam squirted a fountain of water from
it's hiding spot under the sand at me!
Our culture day included a trip to the Rosario Resort
(formerly the Moran Mansion)...
Robert Moran was originally from New York
but settled in the Seattle area and became
famous for his ship building.
He built the mansion (with a movie theatre and bowling alley)
when he was given only a few years to live.
However, freed from the pressures of his
business, Moran recovered and lived another
40 years!
Beautiful views around the resort...
The grounds were just immaculate and
after peeking into the spa...it became clear
I would need to visit again and schedule
some services :)
Our next stop was through Moran Forest to
Mount Constitution.
**historical note: Robert Moran offered
Washinton State thousands of acres to become one
of Washington's first State Parks. Today, the resort
property borders on one of Washington's premier
state parks, Moran State Park.
The road to Mount Constitution was closed on
our first attempt...but we cruised over to the
town of Olga...checked out the art gallery...
and ate the most delicious brunch.
Our second attempt proved successful
and the road had been cleared!
Mount Constitution rises nearly half
a mile above Orcas Island - and is the
highest point in the San Juan Islands.
The panoramic views were astounding!
Also - a very wise person operates an air stream
which sells ice cream on Mount Constitution.
They are a genius. :)
I know you've aware that traveling with kids
is hard. Like no joke. You're out of your
routine, often hungry, tired etc. I had prepared for the
week to be exhausting, frustrating, and fun...and it
was all those things...and more!
We flew, ferried, drove, walked, dug, built,
complained, walked, laughed, learned, ate,
schlepped, slept, cooked, sweat, colored,
cleaned, and shared....
To quote my friend Courtney, "We did a whole bunch
of regular life in a really stunning place, with
some really fantastic people, and somehow it all added
up to far more than the sum of it's parts".
Grandpa Jim and Grandma Sugar,
We can't thank you enough for taking the
time to plan this adventure and for
sharing a place that holds so many
memories for you with us. I loved
getting to see Max take it all in...
and still talk about it today.
I have an i-phone camera full of snaps, and a mind
full of memories. And my heart, it's really full too.
xoxo
