Coastal Adventure - Part 2

Coastal Adventure - Part 2

My Coastal Adventure is a round-trip Seattle, Vancouver BC, San Francisco, San Diego, LA, and back to Seattle. In my previous post, I covered Part 1 - Seattle to Vancover by rail. Here, in Part 2, go along with me from Vancouver to San Francisco aboard ship.

Vancouver, BC to San Francisco, CA

The Pan Pacific Hotel is in the same complex
as the Vancouver Cruise Terminal
known as Canada Place. Note brilliant 
design to look similar to a ship.

After spending one night in the hotel, I'm up early for a cup of Canada's favorite coffee ... Tim Hortons. At Canada Place it's so easy to cross the street and enter the Waterfront Food Court where you'll find Tim Hortons, McDonalds, and many other food stands.

 

Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam
 arriving at Canada Place.
Boardling begins around noon.

Walking around Canada Place and couldn't resist snapping
this picture of the flag.

We'll be aboard this ship for 5 days as she heads
south to San Diego. For the ship this voyage is called
a REPOSITIONING. All summer she has been carrying
passengers on weekly voyages to Alaska and back
to points in the Pacific Northwest. Now she'll be
heading south for the winter months.

This part of the Harbor is home to Harbor Air --
float plane service to nearby locations.

I'm on the starboard side of the ship. This shot is taken
as we depart about 4 PM. The building across the way was
built for the Olympics in 2010 and was used as the
Media Center.

As the ship departs, so do some float planes, part of
the Harbor Air fleet.

Don't miss the float planes that have just taken off
ahead of us. Note Lions Gate bridge ahead.

Lions Gate Bridge

Sunset, first day of the cruise.

2nd Day ... out for a walk on deck. You might think it
rained overnight ... actually the crew washed down the
deck during the night. We had great weather on
the entire cruise.

Shipboard activity results. 😂

Whoa! What's the above all about? Well, people are always asking me: What do you do on a cruise ship? My favorite thing, of course, is sitting on deck watch the ocean go by, but there there are folks always suggesting I take part in some of the organized ship activities. In this case, a lady was offering a class in artistic doodling. She provides the paper and pens and suggests we start doodling without thinking about it too much. After about 30 minutes, my result is what you see above. Ha Ha. I think it's kind of crazy, but the lady teaching the class thought it was "very interesting." And, honestly, it was fun. 

3rd Day ... afternoon walk on deck.
On this day the Captain told us we were about 52 miles
from the coast.

Early morning arrival in San Francisco just before dawn.
The Captain had reminded us to be ready to sail
under the Golden Gate bridge.

Sailing under the Golden Gate is spectacular.

The bridge is undergoing a major refurbishment.

Quick look back after passing under.

Arrival, San Francisco, dawn October 2nd

Comments are off until the final post of this series. Thank you for stopping by. Keep an eye out for Coastal Adventure - Part 3 - San Diego, The Surfliner, L.A., and The Coast Starlight to Seattle.

Coastal Adventure - Part 1

Introduction

Those of you who follow John's Island may have noticed the frequency of posts has slowed and you may have noticed me missing from comments on your blog. I've just completed traveling the West Coast and social media has been on the back burner. Considering how to put a post together to cover my travels resulted in something way too long. It would require scrolling for hours 💫 and I don't wish to put anyone through that. I've decided a series of posts is the best way forward, and this post is Part 1 of my Coastal Adventure.

The entire trip consisted of Seattle to Vancouver to San Francisco to San Diego to Los Angeles and back to Seattle.

Seattle to Vancouver BC by rail

Aboard AMTRAK Cascades

Where the journey started ... Seattle's King Street Station
[Click on images for a larger view.]

This classic, vintage station has been completely
remodeled in recent years.

Train #516 departed King St Station at 8:30 AM on Saturday, September 28, and was scheduled to arrive Pacific Central Station, Vancouver, BC, at 12:30 PM.

Pics along the way ...

As the train started to roll northbound, I snapped this picture
from my seat. It was 8:30AM, right on schedule.

Looking west from bridge over canal between
Puget Sound and Lake Union, a few miles
north of downtown Seattle.
(Close to famous Ballard Locks.)

Occasional curves allowed snaps of the forward
part of the train.

Logging is a big part of Pacific Northwest history.
However, not many of these lumber facilities are
still in operation. I enjoy seeing this kind of 
industrial activity along the way.

I like this kind of wide open countryside.
I'm guessing that's a farmer's home along the tree line.

I wonder what it's like to live so close to a major rail line.
Click for the large image and zoom in to see
the rocker on the front porch.

Southbound AMTRAK Cascades which passed us,
having departed Vancouver earlier in the morning.
The engine needs a wash and has had some rough scrapes.

Getting close to Bellingham. Some lucky folks have some
pretty magnificent homes with water views.

Getting close to Bellingham. If you are on this train,
you want to be seated on the left side for the scenic views.

Kayaking on Puget Sound

Looking into Bellingham Bay near the 
Fairhaven neighborhood of Bellingham, WA

Famous "white rock" at White Rock, BC, Canada
The train rolls right by downtown White Rock,
just north of the US/Canadian border.

Pacific Central Station
Vancouver, BC
Final stop, taxi to hotel.
Arrival was late, but not more than an hour.

Today's destination ... Canada Place,
Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal
and Pan Pacific Hotel.

Comments are off until the final post of this series. Thank you for stopping by and keep an eye out for Coastal Adventure - Part 2: Vancouver - Overnight stay.

Hello September

 Cut Care Confirmation

In my last post I gave you 7 tips for keeping
cut flowers fresh. Most unusual was #7 ...
Add aspirin to the water. I purchased the flowers
above at the Farmer's Market last Saturday.
This is how they looked yesterday (Thursday).
Looking good to me for 5 days.

Walk snaps

Fall colors are underway.
Love this leaf!

Most of the plant was was looking done, 
but a couple of blooms were still brilliant.

Could this be true?
Google says this:  Urine has nitrogen and minerals
that will kill carnivorous plants. Golly, I thought
the neighbor was being mean. Guess not.

Critter Watch

Male Anna's Hummingbird at my feeder.
-- See lots more critters at Saturday's Critters --

Sky Watch

Looking over the Marina, across Puget
Sound, to the Olympic Mountains 
in the distance. Wildfire smoke colors
the sky.

Unusual ... the setting sun highlights wind-blown
rain falling from a cloud.

Strange photo of the sun setting behind the 
Olympic Mountains on this smoky day,
September 6, 2024.

Ship Watch

US Coast Guard Cutter POLAR STAR
returning to home port, Seattle.

Fully loaded CMA CGM Container ship
arriving Seattle

Sailboats on Puget Sound

Climate Watch

Washington Post, September 6, 2024
It was plenty hot in Seattle, for sure.

Closing thought ...

Confucius

Blueberry Time

Mid-Summer Report

Blueberry Stand in Seattle

For years I've been buying blueberries at the Spooner Berry Farms stand in Seattle. The Spooner farm is located near Olympia, Washington, about 65 miles south of Seattle. During blueberry season they pick the berries very early in the morning and deliver them to the stand you see above by about 9AM. They sell out daily, usually before noon. These are the sweetest, freshest blueberries I've found in the Seattle area. August is the prime month for blueberries.

Late July and early August snaps ...

Starting point for waterfront walks.
Locals refer to this spot as "the steps".
A quick pic here records the sky conditions
for the day's walk.
[Click on images to enjoy the larger view.]

All flower pics are snaps taken while on my walks.
This is a White Dahlia.
The pink edges were just beautiful.

Chicory.
Info on the internet tells me Chicory is
the root of wellness. I need to do more
research on that.

Purple Coneflower

Roses in the Rose Garden
Elliott Bay in the background.
Bainbridge Island in the far distance.

A wild Rose just starting to open up.

Cirsium / Thistle
Don't miss the Lady Bug

Found this on Facts.net ...

"When it comes to fascinating plants, Cirsium is definitely a top contender. This diverse genus of thistle plants is known for its unique characteristics and stunning beauty. From its intricate blooms to its prickly leaves, Cirsium has captured the attention of botanists, gardeners, and nature enthusiasts around the world." Elsewhere, when trying to get more info on this pretty plant, I found it called Canadian Thistle and also California Thistle. Not sure if those are actually different plants OR just named differently based on where they are found.

The Lupin story ...

The setting wasn't particularly attractive but the 
blooms were, when I snapped this picture of
Lupin in June. Nature has an amazing way of
turning the blooms into seeds. See next photo.

A Lupin creates a lot of seeds.
Upper right ... close up of an unopened seed pod
Lower right ... A pod with one seed left

Worth Sharing ...

I'm adding a new segment of things worth sharing to my blog posts. Today I'm sharing tips for keeping cut flowers fresh. 

Background story:  Each and every single day I get a bunch of marketing emails. I'll bet you do too. Marketing emails are sent, usually, by some business or person you've purchased from online, or even from some website you've visited and allowed them to collect cookies which identify you and reveal your interests. Unless you're really careful with your online connection, you're leaving cookies all over the internet. There are ways to block cookies, but that's another story for another time.

Getting back to marketing emails ... they usually start with a catch. It's sort of like fishing ... you put bait on the hook and the fish go for the bait. So, daily, I must go through my emails and check them, not going for the bait, before deleting them. A few days ago, one email started with Tips for Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh. There is no doubt in my mind that the email came from some place that knows I enjoy flowers. So, I read through the email and thought, this is really good and worth sharing. The bait got me, however I didn't fall for the sale. The question becomes, can I share the tips without the links to purchase the product? The way I look at this, they put the tips right there for me, so there shouldn't be any reason for me not to share with others.  Enjoy.

"Tips for Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh

Summer is bursting with fragrant, colorful flowers. But unfortunately, those beautiful blooms you clipped from your home garden or snagged from a local farmer’s market won’t last forever. Here are seven tips you should try to keep your cut flowers fresh for as long as possible.

1. Cut flowers in the morning (except during hot weather).

2. Use a clean vase.

3. Avoid submerging any foliage in the water.

4. Change the water every day.

5. Keep your flowers away from direct sunlight.

6. Don’t put your flowers near any fruit.

7. Add aspirin to the water."

Now, in reflection, I was aware (more or less) of most of these tips, except for add aspirin to the water.  A little research on the web revealed this:  "Some claim that putting aspirin—and it must be aspirin, and not another pain reliever—in the water can help your cut flowers stay fresh. The drug is a form of acetylsalicylic acid, which lowers the water’s pH and may help the plants absorb water better. Simply crush a couple of aspirin pills and put them in a vase filled with water before adding your blooms." Let me know if you appreciate stuff like this.

Skies ...

Sunset August 8, 2024
FINALLY, the sun is setting early enough for me to 
snap a picture before I go to bed. 😊
Sunsets during summer's Daylight Saving Time are
crazy late (in my humble opinion) here in
Seattle. At our latitude, there is so much daylight in
the summer, the last thing we need is DST!

June 25, 2024  5:42AM
The phase of the moon was Waning Gibbous
An unusually clear sky allowed this shot.

An unusual scene for me: A rainbow over
Puget Sound.  June 16, 2024  6:25AM

It's always hard for me to resist snapping a pic of Mt Rainier.
Take a look at the larger view ... do you see the face at the top?
This particular view is looking across Elliott Bay from the
waterfront trail. 

Critters ...

Great Blue Heron

A member of the family of seabirds known as Laridae.

Gulls are members of a large, widespread family of seabirds known as Laridae. Often known as seagulls, though no species is actually called a seagull, and many are found far from the sea.  Gulls are intelligent, adaptable and often beautiful birds.

I believe this is a White Crowned Sparrow
spotted in the Rose Garden.

The little Sparrow moved out of the grass for a better view.

Apologies for the quality of this photo. This is a hummer
who frequents my feeder on my deck. The photo is taken
through a window. This is a female Anna's Hummingbird
I had watched for a while. She would rest at this spot keeping
an eye on the feeder. When a competitor arrived, she would
chase the other hummer away and then return to this
spot to continue guarding her territory. This is
common behavior for hummingbirds. And, yes, she looks
a little rough ... a fighter? 😉

Google Lens tells me this is an Eastern Cottontail.
And she/he does look like the examples shown on Wikipedia.
So I ask, what's an Eastern Cottontail doing on the
Western Edge of the Continent?
Shall we just go with RABBIT?
In any event, this bunny was busy dining on the green plant
and was not disturbed by my presence.  

Linking up with Saturday's Critters

Ships Spotted ...

I enjoy watching ships come and go here at the
Port of Seattle.  Most passenger ships arrive early
morning ... just about dawn. 

Cruise companies spare little expense to
create a unique appearance. 

This is a Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ro-Ro departing, probably
heading to Asia. Ro-Ro is short for Roll On - Roll Off.
These ships carry vehicles.

I no longer try to photo all the private yachts that appear
near the Elliott Bay Marina. Yes, there are a lot of them!
The economy is doing really well for some folks.
I like this one because it carries along a helicopter.
Need some fresh eggs for breakfast?  Send your 
pilot to pick some up.

Coastal Standard
Identified online as a Refrigeration Vessel
Zoomed in on Captain's image -- top right.

The "fast" passenger-only service between Seattle and
Victoria, BC, Canada.  Known as the Victoria Clipper.

Using parts of the Grain Terminal to frame up a
cruise ship as it appears while I'm walking the
waterfront trail.

Every 4th of July I might as well sit out on my deck
and watch all the fireworks. (I say "might as well" because
there sure isn't going to be any peaceful sleeping!)
The big Seattle fireworks show is on Lake Union, which
I cannot see. However there are plenty of displays
around Elliott Bay and nearby towns, like Bremerton.
This particular shot is a burst in a nearby neighborhood.
Looking closely, you can see the shadow of the 
Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Closing thought ...

Thanks to Jean Wagner for this bit of wisdom.

Thanks for stopping by!