We had a lovely dinner with Mo and Devin on the night we arrived in Tacoma, but then headed out the next morning to adventure up to Camano Island. We stayed at the state park campground and spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach and flying the kite. Besides the massive and prolific mosquitoes (like really LOUD swarms), we enjoyed our stay there. We were very glad we had our screen tent!
The next morning we went over to Ron and Terry’s house. Terry is my sister-in-law, Sara’s, mom. We had seen Ron and Terry in Michigan last summer when they came to visit Sara and Tim and family, and they had said to look them up if we made it that way – so we did!
We got a lovely tour of their beautiful home, walked down to the beach in their neighborhood, and enjoyed tasty snacks. The kids loved their new dog, Zoey! We just really enjoyed reconnecting with them and were grateful for their hospitality.
On the way back to Tacoma, we decided to get a taste of Seattle. We decided to check out the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center and the West Point Lighthouse at Discovery Park – right on the sound and in the heart of Seattle. Daybreak Star has an amazing history of reclamation and is a beautiful and thoughtful building architecturally. Check out the link for more info.
Driving through Seattle wasn’t as bad as we thought it might be in the van and we enjoyed the sights and different neighborhoods/areas we encountered!
Back in Tacoma, we shared another lovely meal together (yay for cowboy beans and adult grills!) and moved the yard disco ball that Reece accidentally knocked down, to now hang from their tree.
The next day we took it easy – did school, unpacked from camping, pulled weeds with Mo, etc. It was Cinco de Mayo, so we also made a Mexican feast complete with plenty of guacamole, carnitas, and tasty beverages. Their friend, Ashley, came over and we all had a fun night!
On Wednesday we went to Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. We started at Owen Beach and then hiked the perimeter of the park through beautiful forest on the bluff above the sound. We saw beautiful views including of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Then we cut down to the water and were making our way back to Owen Beach when we met a gentleman headed in the opposite direction, Elliott. He was excited to share his wealth of knowledge about marine life, so we turned around to hike the beach with him! We saw aggregating anemones, piddock clams, lots of seals, some sea lions, ghost crabs, starfish, and more! It was chilly and windy (which we weren’t exactly prepared for), but after Matt leant Reece his fleece, Elliott leant Matt his windbreaker. We were also joined by Nori, a local photographer and illustrator, who knew Elliott, and we had such fun learning about the area. It was fabulous!
(I just looked up Nori online and found his website!)
Then we stopped by the stairs and slides area right by the park. It was really cool!
We enjoyed our last evening with Mo and Devin – leopard hats, Barley’s dog collar on Reece, tasty leftovers from three nights of cooking fabulous meals, and time together. We will miss them!
We have also really enjoyed the Pacific Northwest! There are so many wonderful places and people!
But now we turn east for the final stretch. It’s a bittersweet feeling. We’re all excited to back in CO and live somewhere that doesn’t have wheels, but it’s hard to believe this big adventure is coming to an end. Looking forward to sharing stories and experiences from this trip for years to come!
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