Back when my husband and I were young sailors, we dreamed of owning a small sailboat and mooring it at Shilshole Bay Marina. The Seattle marina was beautiful and offered easy access to Puget Sound and beyond. Best of all, we would not need to traverse the Locks every time we wanted to enjoy the […]
Yes, the houseboating season at Billy Chinook Lake in Central Oregon is over for this year, but fall is the perfect time to check-out the scene and make reservations for the summer of 2015. You may gasp, “Houseboating in Oregon? That’s crazy!” But, we are here to tell you that the only lake in Oregon […]
By Leslee Jaquette You have motored through the Seattle Ship Canal, negotiated the Locks and look forward to a long weekend in the San Juans. But you are just too late to make it all the way to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. So, why not overnight at a gorgeous inlet in route at […]
By Leslee Jaquette The recently rededicated statue of Viking Leif “Lucky” Erikson stands sentinel at Shilshole Bay Marina, welcoming recreational boaters to one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest marinas. Not only has the 17-foot, reconditioned statue found a permanent home in the Leif Erikson Plaza, the bronze continues to symbolize the region’s Nordic heritage and […]
By Leslee Jaquette As we motor into the marina at Blake Island State Park, a bald eagle flies “thwumpa, thwumpa” across the bow of our hosts’ 39-foot powerboat. Oblivious to our arrival, a raccoon combs the nearby tide line as John and Candy Temple of Seattle secure the lines on Bigger Juan II. The Temples’ […]
By Leslee Jaquette In 1841 when Capt. Charles Wilkes charted the South Sound, he must have been tired. Or, perhaps, he had simply run out of names? You see, Wilkes named Gig Harbor, Wash., after the type of longboat, a gig, he used to survey the small bay. These days, perfectly protected and perfectly beautiful […]
By Leslee Jaquette When I asked Charleston Marina Manager Aaron Simons why Coos Bay, Oregon is a great stop for boaters, he didn’t hesitate, “It’s got one of the best bars on the West Coast.” When I snickered, he politely set me straight. “Not drinking bars,” explained Simons. “It’s got one of the cleanest, easiest […]
