Mukilteo...

8:15 am - Saturday - August 15th - Coupeville, WA - 54° F, 90% humidity (we're very near the ocean), wind - CALM.....clear, blue skies today with a forecast high of 70° F.  In fact the temps here in Coupeville, WA will be mostly in the mid to high 60's the next two weeks, and 70° day, or two sprinkled in for good measure.  Our view this morning......↴

The local fauna

.....on this day in 2017 we were hiking the Cascade Lake trail in Yellowstone......about 18 miles out and back.......

Knowing we had around 127 miles to cover Friday morning to the Mukilteo/Clinton Ferry in Mukilteo, WA, and wanting to arrive there midday to avoid the rush hour traffic on a Friday we left the Chelan County Expo Center around 8:30 am, and were merging back on to US-2 minutes later.  The drive into Leavenworth gave no hint of the massive traffic backup we experienced on Wednesday.....no construction whatsoever!  Within 30 minutes we had passed through Leavenworth and its attendant Friday morning traffic to the wide open spaces of the open road once again....

 Falls on the Wenatchee River

 Uncrowded alpine roads

.....from approximately 900' elevation in Cashmere we slowly climbed mile after scenic mile to the summit of Stevens Pass at 4,061' above sea level........

 Steven's Pass ski area

 Our high elevation for the day.....4,061' above sea level

....and then began the long slide downward into Everett, WA and the congestion you would expect of a sprawling urban setting.  We arrived at the end of the ferry line in Mukilteo around 11:30 am, as expected, to find we were still 1.4 miles from the ferry itself......I'd hate to be here at rush hour.  It took about an hour for us to make it down to sea level, and the ferry terminal.....

 In line for the Mukilteo/Clinton Ferry.....a 1.4 mile long line

......after paying the cashier $84 for the 15 minute ferry ride (takes longer to load, and unload than the passage itself) we got in line and waited for the next northbound ferry.  Soon we were loaded, and ready to to cover the 2.8 mile water crossing......

......loaded, and ready to roll....

....so what does Mukilteo (Mukl-TE-Oh) mean?  Here is a quote from HistoryLink.org....."Chief William Shelton of the Tulalip Tribes described its meaning as a throat, a neck or a narrowing in a body of water. Mukilteo was a favorite meeting and camping ground well into the historic period.".......

 On the ferry

  ....half way across

....ready to disembark

.....our destination for the day was the property of our long, long time friends Bob and Karen which sits on a hill overlooking Penn Cove and the lovely island town of Oak Harbor.  We have been coming to visit them here on Whidbey Island since 2001, and never ever tire of the amazing view.  We arrived there around 1:30 pm, and after discussing several possible parking sites, settled on this one behind their upper barn, and an unobstructed view of Penn Cove, as well as a view of the southern sky for our satellite.....win, win.....

Overlooking Penn Cove, and Oak Harbor in the distance

.....it took us a while to set up, and by the time we were done it was going on 5 pm, and time for pre-dinner cocktails, and then dinner.  Bob and Karen are two of our dearest friends.  I've known Bob since I met him at summer camp in 1963, and TLE has known him since 1962.  We met Karen, his wife, back in 1972 when they first began going together.  It has been our pleasure to visit them on Whidbey Island many times since they moved from Long Beach, CA to Whidbey Island back in 1999.  I always feel like I have come home when we visit.  We drank, talked and ate until after 9 pm finally bidding adieu to them and heading home for the night.....as has been the case for most the summer it was still quite light after 9 pm......

At 9 pm Friday night

....from this point on, as we continue our travels, we will never be far from the ocean, and its delicious cool breezes.

Thanks for stopping by!

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