We are back from our wonderful vacation! It was amazing and everything that we wanted it to be.
Our cell phones didn’t get service in most places on the island, and most importantly in my grandparent’s house! 
I’d already come to terms with disconnecting because my laptop hard drive crashed the day before we were to leave, but disconnecting totally!? Yikes.
Turns out, it was something I plan to do FAR more often. I didn’t realize how often I check my phone randomly. It’s like putting on lip gloss – just something that gets done 200,000 times per day. Thankfully moments of sanity when we went into town and I was able to instagram and share my amazing time with everyone.
The day before we were to leave the island J and I ventured as he and I did a few times over the 10 days we were there. We just drove around to our favorite places before we had to leave. If you follow me on instagram or facebook you may have seen a few of these come through.
But oooooh no you have not seen the money shot.
Before I give you the money shot, I’m gonna take you on a tour…
We had some time to spare before in Seattle so we headed downtown and did an impromptu ride of the Seattle ferris wheel! It is a MUST do! We had such a good time, the views are amazing – and it’s heated!
We waited on the ferry in Anacortes, one of my favorite parts of the trek to the island in the planes, ferries and automobiles is finally getting to Anacortes! Such a beautiful little town.
THIS is one of my most favorite shots of what I believe is Mt Baker. It came out so clear and captured the chill in the blue air just perfectly! Personally, I think this should be in National Geographic. Wow!! I would be in heaven. That’s a dream.
The boys and I always enjoy going down to the private dock to watch the sunset. The next few are here also. It’s amazing. I can snap 59 shots and every single one of them is amazing.
Lone sailboat coming in for the night.
This is Cascade Lake at the bottom of Mt. Constitution. The water was sooo smooth that it was just like a mirror. It was amazingly beautiful!
One day we took the ferry over to Friday Harbor (think Free Willy) on San Juan Island. We ate lunch at the most amazing BBQ place I have ever eaten and it was just a little hole in the wall! Anyway, I asked the waitress what we should do since we were just there for a few hours. She told us about the local legend “Popeye”. A leopard seal with one eye who hangs around the marina while some of the fishermen feed him. So we walked down to the marina and sure enough we found a group of people cleaning their fish and one guy was feeding popeye, right from his hand. He offered to give the boys his 3 packages of fish if they wanted to feed him so we spent probably 30 minutes with those boys in heaven!!
And yes, we got rain. Several days of rain. Of course………. it’s Washington in the middle of winter. It was beautiful!!
This is a sunrise – an unedited sunrise. Funny story behind this too. My grandma woke me up early to take this so I grabbed my camera and ran outside with bare feet and no sweat shirt. It was 29°!! So, I’m getting a few shots and my grandpa walks by sees the storm door open so she shuts it. And LOCKS it. They’re both very, very hard of hearing so neither realized I was locked outside and pounding on the door. Finally grandma came to see what was taking so long. I think my toes were frost bitten.
Random house. I often drive around the island just to soak up the beauty everywhere. If you’re on the island too you should watch for an out of towner stopped in the road trying to get that perfect shot.
This is a piece of land that I’m sure the locals don’t appreciate, but for me……….. it’s just amazingly beautiful. It’s vintage, it’s real.
THIS is the reason we took the trip to spend time with my grandparents. It was an amazing trip and we spent a lot of great time with them. After we took these family pics we went in the house and the boys flipped about an eagle that just flew by the window! So I grabbed my camera and ran to the back deck.
But it was a hawk.
Yep, definitely a hawk. Eyeing me. LOL
We gave our hugs, said our goodbyes and headed off toward the ferry with a two hour wait ahead of us.
And then I saw it. An eagle! So I pulled over, got out and went and took some shots.
And it was amazing and the boys were in awe.
And then we took off and waited for the ferry. For two hours. They started loading up the ferry and they let the car in front of me on and stopped with me. We missed the ferry by one car.
Missing this 12:55 ferry meant we would have to wait for the 4:50 ferry, which would dock on Anacortes at 5:40. Our flights left SEATAC at 6:55. The drive from Anacortes to SEATAC is 1.5 hours and I had a car to return. There was NO chance. No chance that the one-time 6-hour period we had open to go and visit the Space Needle and Seattle Aquarium were going to be allowed.
The first time I called Alaska Airlines they told me I would need to pay a $100 change fee per ticket + buy a new ticket for $319 – credit $81 for the ticket I already had. DO THAT MATH… and then multiply it times four. Almost $1,300. When that ferry pulled away I cried.
Bye Bye ferry. So I cried. Contemplating $1,200 more in flights + an extra day car rental + a hotel room, because of course the flight we missed at 6:55 was the last flight out. And I promptly gained a migraine. And we sat in that car for 6 hours total waiting for the ferry.
It was January 1st and I had vowed that this was going to be a good year. It had to be. The boys and I were all on board with a good new year. We talked about it, we all had good feelings and would get on that ferry. So when that ferry pulled away right away from me, now first in line I had to wonder…… WHAT LESSON AM I SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING RIGHT NOW? Spending time with the kids? Oh, I spent so much quality time with my kids it was amazing? Taking time for the small things? I did. I stopped and photographed everything. Find beauty everywhere. Beauty was everywhere. I already had it all so what in God’s name was the reason for this?
I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and I’m at a loss for this one. Because I’m not lying when I say if I hadn’t stopped to photograph that eagle I may have been the car in front of me and we would have been on the ferry, enjoyed the Seattle Aquarium, and get on our given flight. But no. I was stuck not knowing what to do in a state not my own with my three kids. I wasn’t maliciously stopping, I was stopping to capture magic.
We stopped to eat and my migraine was so bad I couldn’t even chew rice. And I still have to drive an hour to Seattle and still find a room with easy access to the airport.
What I do know is that I accomplished what I went to do and that is what matters. And my kids and I have an even more incredible relationship for having helped me through this. One of them even offered up his Christmas money to help with the change fee tickets. I cried then too.
I am surrounded with love, I am in a good spot – so why, universe, that big nasty and pricey, curveball?
And now I’m focused on how I can get back to that place and never have to leave on that damn ferry again!
Ever have those “moments”?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Welcome back!!
The picture of the mountains is my favorite! It”s gorgeous!
I’m glad that you got away & actually disconnected (even though we couldn’t talk) and was able to spend some much needed and deserved downtime.
You have a talent for capturing and composing these shots!
I have no idea what your lesson is meant to be from this one…except to confirm that you are a problem solver, resilient and strong (even with a migraine).
First of all, AMAZING pictures! What kind of camera do you use?
Second of all, it never fails to amaze me the way the airlines can gouge you like that. No other industry can stick you with those kind of exorbitant fee on top fee for making a change. If they have the space available, tell me why they need those kinds of fees. I could understand a small hassle fee – but $100+ per ticket, plus price difference? Crazy. You can’t really make a change of any kind without a fee unless you pay for first or business class – and those are insane prices for a chair on flying bus. And say something comes up and you can’t go but you want your sister/child/parent/friend to go instead? Nope. It’s unreal to me.
Hopefully you’ll have another Twinkie opportunity!
What about when the airlines are late? Or when they overbook? They don’t refund me. They hold us hostage. I literally called ahead of time and was bawling, because I did not know what to do and that was the last flight out. I’ve heard of other airlines being accomodating and offering standby on the next flight. I WILL NOT fly Alaska Airlines again.
Oh, and I have an older Sony Alpha 100. Some of these are actually using my Android (1st generation Galaxy) phone, believe it or not!
I’ve been honing my skills at blogging conferences and photography websites because I believe it’s more in the eye of the beholder than the actual camera. Sure, camera’s help, but you can take great shots with anything! The right light – or lack of direct sunshine definitely helped though.
I would have done the same thing as you and grabbed that camera and gone after it. So glad you got the picture of the Eagle. Can you imagine if you didn’t capture him and you missed your ferry and all that too?? =)
And I really enjoyed reading through your trip!
Sometimes you have to roll with the punches… I love your pictures! They are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing. We are saving for a vacation and the Seattle area is in my top 3 for the location we pick. That sunsrise may have tipped the scales!
Amy
Thank you! Admittedly, tonight on my drive home there was such a beautiful sunset over the mountains (in Colorado) and I was so sad, because all I could think about was the sunset/sunrise in Washington!
I am so sorry about your trip and just missing it. That had to be rough. I did like your photos though.