Where is Admiralty Inlet?

When I was checking the weather earlier I noticed the wind advisory.

Wind Advisory Notice
Wind Advisory Notice

When you clicked on the link, it stated that we were watching for high-winds through Admiralty Inlet. I didn’t think much of it, but as the day progressed wondered how many people knew where that is. Well, let’s have a look shall we?

Admiralty Inlet

Named by George Vancouver after his bosses, the Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Inlet stretches from Edmonds to the south up to Picnic Point, then west across the Sound to Port Gamble, continuing west along the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas to Pt. Wilson (Port Townsend), and bounded on the north by Whidbey Island. And important nautical thoroughfare for the region as all ships heading from the ocean to Seattle or Tacoma need to pass through.

As a boy, one of my best friends and I thought kayaking this would be good. His father was in the Coast Guard and put the kibosh on that hard. We were NOT going to be allowed to be one of his rescues! I still think it would be fun to have a motor yacht and sail up to Port Townsend. However, my propensity towards seasickness will probably always make that a bad idea, especially since I’ve seen many storms whip through, buffeting the shores of Edmonds. For a protected body of water, the waves can get rather fierce.

A rather important piece of northwest geography in my own little neighborhood.

 

 

 

Whidbey Summer Open Studio Tour: A Belated Recap

Well, I promised a couple of weeks ago that I was going give more details for the artist’s tour I did on Whidbey, but life got a bit maniacal. So, here we are, a bit late, but, well, here we are.

The tour covers the whole island, from the southernmost tip all the way up to Oak Harbor. Check out the map below, giving the studio locations.

We only explored the southern parts of the island, focusing on Freeland and Langley. And we pretty much just went from our first to the next closest, and so forth. For a tour that’s got some geographic spread, this seemed the best way to go.

First we stopped at Sharon Spencer’s studio. Her work combines native American themes and styles, along with some asian influence. What I saw was amazing, but I deeply delighted in the architecture of the studio itself. Allowing plenty of tree filtered light in, I felt at home in this very northwest styled space.

Sharon Spencer's "The Embrace"
Sharon Spencer’s “The Embrace”

Our remaining sites blurred together, order-wise. So I’ll put them here in random order.

I love Codie Carman’s use of color and line. Very bright and cheery. Her paintings make me think of island life at its best.

Painting by Whidbey Island's Codie Carman
Painting by Whidbey Island’s Codie Carman

Christi Shaffer’s pottery delighted me deeply. I love the intersection of functional and elegant her work brings.

Penelope Crittenden’s sculpture’s modern elegance warmed my soul. Oh, and since I love owls, too, her work has a happy place in my heart.

The proverbial last but not least was Gina Michel’s glass art. One piece she had on display (not the one below) charmed the musician in me deeply. An electric guitar, made of glass. Though not playable, it was still rather awesome. She told us about crafting a piece from an old harp. The photos were amazing! Amazing enough that it was bought by a music school to inspire those students.

 

I plan to make the 2019 tour (August 24 & 25, 2019). And, perhaps, budget even more time and explore further. I might even be clever and bring my camera.

Exploring Whidbey Island: 2018 Open Studio Tour

As it’s Whidbey Island’s Open Studio tour this weekend, we spent this afternoon and early evening exploring art studios on South Whidbey. Our focus today was on Freeland and Langley. 

This studio tour is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time. Glad i got this chance this weekend. 

I’ve met some really fascinating artists, and got some insights into how artists run their business in the 21at century.

I’ll write more about that shortly. Right now, it’s been a long day. And I’m taking benadryl due to the region’s smoke issues. So, I’m about to fall asleep. 

Good night! 

Let’s Talk Burgers, Shall We?

Over on Instagram one of my chums, Eat Stay Love posted the photo below:

 

Their post led to a discussion about great burger places in the region. Funny, but I realize I’ve experienced many and have my “definitive” list of favorites, which stretch from Seattle north to Bellingham.

This my reflexive list. What’s missing? What are your favorites? I’d really love to hear them.

Several years ago, I considered doing a road trip focused on the best burger places. Might be time to consider that one again. What do you think?

Headed to Whidbey Island this weekend? There’ll be some traffic impacts

Hey Whidbey Island ferry travelers,

Catching the ferry to Whidbey this weekend? Please give yourself extra travel time. On SR 525 between Mutiny Bay and Bakken Road (mileposts 22 to 25) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. road crews will be working on this 30 mile summer paving project.

Fellow cyclists, cycling the Island this weekend? Well, consider alternate routes. Those crews will be road grinding Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and there will be uneven surfaces along SR 525 between Mutiny Bay Road and SR 20.

Don’t forget you can reserve a ferry sailing spot on many runs (though not the Mukilteo : Whidbey run).