Nomad Life - Day 124

Overnight, I didn't sleep well and was especially fitful towards the end of the night.  Fortunately, it was a weekend day and I didn't need to work at all - this allowed me to sleep until 0630.  After that, I enjoyed puzzles, reading and Duolingo exercises before making breakfast in my room.  During this phase, I also made reservation for a Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Lopez Island - I'd heard good things about the place and hoped today would be a great day for a visit.  At 0830, I departed the Navy Inn at NAS Whidbey Island and headed north (via WA-20) towards Fidalgo Island.  Along the way, I could clearly see Mount Baker (pretty).  The temps were in the 30s and it was sunny and calm - perfect!  I stopped for photos from the bridge at Deception Pass and then drove through the State Park on my way to Anacortes.  Through the trees, I could see nearby Burrows Island and Allen.  I arrived at the Anacortes Ferry Landing at 0905 and purchased a round trip ticket to Lopez Island (the reservation only held my spot).  The Terminal much busier than when I was there on Christmas Day and the line for the ticket booths extended outside of the waiting area.  Surprisingly, I talked to the same ticket booth worker who I'd met on Christmas Day and we laughed about how I had a better plan this time.  After waiting for about 40 minutes (the parking lot kept filling), I drove on board “Kaleetan” (near the front of the line) and we departed at 1005.  Not surprisingly, the ship was definitely more crowded than it was on Christmas but there were still plenty of available seats.  I worked on fox puzzle that I found on one table and managed to finished the entire border - hope that should help someone later in the day... I spent the rest of the transit outside on the deck and was pleased by the many beautiful vistas I saw.  We arrived at Lopez Ferry Landing by 1045 and I was off the ship within five minutes.  From the dock, I drove south to Lopez Village and explored the little hamlet.  Almost everything was still closed but a small group of protesters had stationed themselves at a road junction - thankfully, I managed to get by them without incident and escaped the little "downtown."  From there, I repositioned to southern end of the Lopez Marina and parked at Setsunai, a noodle restaurant I'd read about in a travel brochure from the Ferry (1105).  The place was co-located with a pub called The Galley but neither were opened yet.  While waiting, I read in the car and then explored the docks across the street.  The weather was still marvelous and it seemed silly to be inside for any length of time.  However, I stayed on task when the doors opened (1130) and was soon sitting at the bar with a local (Lopez Island) beer and an order of meat dumplings (very good).  The bartender was very nice and we had some good conversations about life in the San Juans (she had grown up on Orcas Island).  For my main course, I ate some Karaage Udon Stir Fry (noodles) and also tried some of the tankotsu broth.  The meal was well worth sacrificing some sunny weather!  Once I was done eating (1245), I drove south to a place I'd seen on my paper map called Shark Reef Sanctuary.  Between 1300 and 1340, I walked on the nature trail (that began with a boardwalk through the rain forest).  The trail ultimately came out to a beautiful vista of the Shark Reef itself, which was a series of small rocky islands in the middle of a raging (rip) tide.  Across the water, I could see the Cattle Point Lighthouse on San Juan Island.  There were a few other folks nearby and we had some good conversation about the wonderful weather.  Back in my car, I made my way further south towards Agate Beach County Park.  Along the way, I noticed that almost everyone waved at me as I drove by - people, cars, etc.  And I mean EVERYONE!  I think it would get tiring to try to remember to wave every time...  When I arrived at the park (1350), I couldn't find a place to park so only took a short look at the beachfront scenery before continuing onwards.  At different times throughout the day, I found myself in the middle of large pasture land - very picturesque! I followed a series of back roads all the way to the east coast of the island and the literal end of the pavement.  I believe the place I stopped (ad the end of Sperry Road was called "Sperry" and the water off the coast "Shoal Bite".  From this location, I got an even better view of Mount Baker (1405) - unfortunately, I couldn't proceed further because the track to the road was private.  Backtracking to the west side of the island again, I parked at the Otis Perkins Day Park (1425) and walked along a strip of beach land to the Fisherman Bay Preserve.  All around me, the gulls and Herons were catching/eating shellfish and crabs.  The weather was still perfect and I would have liked to go farther up the beach.  Unfortunately, there are so many private beaches in Puget Sound...  Before I left, I was surprised to see people swimming!  Wanting to get some ice cream from the (famous) Lopez Creamery, I drove back into Lopez Village (arrived at 1500) but found the store closed (no reason given, the sign said it should be open).  Hoping to maximize the use of my remaining time on Lopez, I drove north and east towards the east coast again.  Along the way, I drove through small orchards with trees covered with apples (and more on the ground).  Washington definitely lives up to its reputation for apples!  I arrived at my goal, Spencer Spit State Park, by 1515 and walked around for about 10 minutes.  The park is centered around a sandy beach that seems to be trying to extend from the mainland to a little island in the channel.  Scientists don't believe the sand will ever reach its goal because of the currents, though.  Sensing that I needed to be back at the Ferry Landing soon, I made my way there.  The reason for my tingling Spidey sense was because there were no reservations allowed for the return trip to Anacortes ("first come, first served only").  I arrived in the boarding queue by 1535 and spoke with the employees who worked there about my chances to get onboard the next boat.  Since no one has any idea how many cars will board in Friday Harbor, the ride back to the mainland is never certain (although I noticed a local official who "cut the line" to improve his chances...).  Luck was with me, in the end, and I drove on to “Kaleetan” at 1610.  Inside the ship, I encountered LOTS of passengers who had apparently come from Friday Harbor.  A group of young ladies was working on the fox puzzle I'd started but they said everything had been destroyed when they got onboard...  We departed Lopez Island at 1620 and it was still light enough to see all kinds of scenery as we transited east.  I spent most of the ride walking around on the ship and enjoying the nice temperatures.  "Kaleetan" arrived at Anacortes Ferry Landing by 1705 and I drove off the ship five minutes later.  Hoping to get at least one night in town before I departed the area, I headed to town.  I was stuck behind a traffic jam (accident) for a little bit but made it to downtown by 1720.  The area wasn't too busy and I was able to park on the street one block from the Brown Lantern (1725).  This was an old hang-out for my squadron mates when I was still in the Navy and I've had some good meals in the restaurant.  Tonight was no exception - I ordered the Fidalgo Whaler (fish burger) and enjoyed my dinner very much.  Finished eating at 1800, I spent a little time walking on the city streets (reached my step goal) before heading south again.  I used city streets to reach WA-20 and made it back to NAS Whidbey Island by 1840.  By then, the temps had dropped into the 30s...  In the Navy Inn, I spent time shredding, packing and relaxing in my room.  After 1900, I watched a series of movies until it was time for bed (2215).  I had a great time on Lopez Island today and can say, without a doubt, that my appreciation for the San Juan Islands has greatly increased during this last week.  During my next visit, I'm hoping I get to visit the Sisters of Mercy convent on Shaw Island!