Did you know?

Washington has a rainforest!

Temperate rain forests are found on the coast, at the lowest elevations, or on the western side of the Olympic Peninsula, like the Hoh Rain Forest. An abundance of animal and plant life thrives on the moderate temperatures and abundant rain in the area. In the summer, fog is everywhere, further adding to the humid conditions that support the diverse ecosystems of the rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula.

More information: http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/washington/olympic-rain-forest.php

Fort Casey

Instead of heading home from West Beach yesterday, Dena told me she was taking me further South down the island to Fort Casey State Park. It was so cool!


Built as a coastal defense fort, Casey was officially activated in 1900. Fort Casey, with Fort Worden and Fort Flagler, comprised a "triangle of fire" guarding the entrance to Puget Sound and the Bremerton Navy Yard as well as the cities of Seattle, Tacoma and the State Capitol at Olympia.



During World War I Fort Casey was used as a training post. After the war the post was placed in caretaker status and removal of armament begun. Fort Casey was reactivated during World War II again as an induction and training center. Two batteries were modified to hold 3" anti-aircraft batteries and the barracks were rebuilt. In 1956 it was acquired by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and is now 467 acre Fort Casey State Park.

When we first arrived, we saw the Admiralty Head Lighthouse.


Built in 1861 and rebuilt in 1903, the lighthouse guided tall ships toward the Whidbey Island shore where they could fill their sails with wind. It was the last brick lighthouse designed by renowned German architect Carl Leick - its walls 18 inches thick to withstand the earthquakes that shake western Washington. Admiralty Head's Fresnel lens was extinguished in 1922, but the lighthouse today welcomes visitors with the help of dedicated volunteers.

After the lighthouse, we explored the fort.





There are still a couple cannons and it was fun exploring the underground rooms and pretending what it was like when the soldiers were there.


We even watched people flying kites in the large field.

Dena took me further South to catch the ferry to the mainland.

We fed the seagulls popcorn and they followed us all the way across the Sound.


It was so exciting to watch them dive after the popcorn!

On the mainland there was another lighthouse! It is called the Mukilteo Lighthouse.

A fun filled day!

Today was a big day! First we went to West Beach for a picnic. I was kind of worried when we woke up this morning because it was pretty windy and raining. Thankfully, the rain stopped before we left!

West Beach is on the Northwest side of Whidbey Island. Whidbey Island is the largest island in Washington and the 40th largest island in the United States. The island was named after Joseph Whidbey in 1792. To get onto Whidbey Island you have to ride a ferry from one of the routes at the central or south end of the island, or you have to drive over Deception Pass Bridge at the North end.

Since Mount Vernon is North of Whidbey Island, we drove over Deception Pass Bridge. Construction of the Deception Pass Bridge was started August, 1934 and completed July 1935. The bridge, one of the scenic wonders of the Pacific Northwest, is actually two spans, one over Canoe Pass to the north, and another over Deception Pass to the south. Traveling over it sure was impressive!


We stopped at Deception Pass State Park to get some pictures of the bridge. We had to park the car and walk down a short path to get to the beach. The trail was so neat! The fir and cedar trees are so tall, I couldn't see the tops of them! The undergrowth is made up of ferns, huckleberries and moss. It's SO green! No wonder Washington is called 'The Evergreen State'.


Look how small I am at the base of this old fir tree!


The drive to West Beach was just a short distance from the bridge. We met Molly's parents and her cousin Ashley for a picnic and then explored the beach a little. Oh, it was so neat! The rocks are round from being tumbled in the sea and they are many different colors! Just look at them!


I want to send some home to all my friends in Grovespring.

The air smelled like salt and the waves crashed on the shore. There were seagulls flying with the wind overhead.


As we were walking back to the car, it started raining.

Our day didn't end there, but I'm pretty tired after all the excitement today. I'll write about the rest of the day tomorrow while Dena is at work.

Coloring Eggs

Dena and Molly had to work yesterday, so I spent the day acquainting myself with their 5 cats and the house gnome.

Today, we colored Easter eggs. It was so much fun!

We colored 5 dozen eggs.


At dinner, I heard we are going to the beach for a picnic tomorrow! I can't wait!

My first day in Washington

I was sent to visit Dena in Washington. She lives in Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington. The city was named after Mount Vernon, the plantation estate of George Washington. In 1998 Mount Vernon was rated the #1 "Best Small City in America" by the New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities.

Dena and her roommate Molly were really excited to show me the sites! Mount Vernon is known for its annual Tulip Festival. Farmers grow fields and fields of tulips and daffodils to harvest the bulbs. Right now it’s too early for tulips, but the daffodils are in full bloom. It was so neat to see a field of all those gold flowers!

See if you can find me in the daffodils (you can click the pictures to make them bigger).


I also got to see the Skagit River. The Skagit River was named after the Skagit indian tribe. It starts in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia and travels 150 miles south to Puget Sound. It is the only large river system in Washington that contains healthy populations of all five native salmon species and two species of trout. Runs include Chinook, Coho, Chum, Pink, Sockeye, and Steelhead and Cutthroat trout. The river supports the largest wintering Bald Eagle population in the continental United States. When the salmon run is plentiful, there can be as many as 600 to 800 eagles on the river.

A train went over the bridge while I was looking at the river. See it?

It was a great first day and I look forward to many more adventures here in Washington.

A letter from my friend in Grovespring, Missouri