Deception Pass
2006 Summer
Deception Pass is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. The whole Deception Pass experience starts at the look out point a few feet ahead of the bridge (or is it the pass?). The scenery from this look out point is like a painting in the true sense. A painting with a back drop of the ocean, the ocean hitting a beach, the beach ended by the mountains, the mountains where the waves collide as fast as they can, the waves with the sun's rays glittering on them, the sun rays blinding my eyes and my eyes ... in for a feast.
From this look out point we could also admire the confused waters below the bridge. It is here that the waves running in from the ocean and the back waters merge. The waves clash with each other and move on directionless. The stream is neither stagnent nor does it flow in any particular direction.
The drive continues over the bridge to the top of a small hill. At the bottom of which is the pebble beach. There are defined tracks to reach the bottom. But trekking on the rocks is a lot more fun. The waters near the beach were not very deep and I could see people swimming a little deeper to find the right spots to swim. Finally sitting down at the edge of the beach with all the land behind you and only waters in front and seeing the sunset had made my day.
Whidbey Island is the next destination from Deception Pass. The island is pretty deserted and far from civilization which makes it look very natural and Australia like. An interesting incident that happened at Whidbey Island was our whale watching. We went to an Espresso to drink some coffee. The owner of the cafe was able to see a whale far far away inside the ocean through her binoculars. We got to see it too!! The whale watching was more worth it than the Espresso coffee.
Returning from Whidbey Island, we took a ferry ride back to the mainland. The ride lasted 20 minutes. From the darkness of the waters, I enjoyed watching the city lights as we returned back to normal life.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
New Year's at Alki Beach
Place: Alki Beach
Time: New Years 2006
New Years never seemed like a big deal earlier. I was either at home seeing some stupid movie on Sun TV or preparing to get back to college .. back to my campus life. This time it was different. I was not home for New Years and there were a few loser friends of mine who werent either.
We decided to go to Alki Beach ... to see the new year fire-works. Fire-works ... hah well .. didnt excite me much. But hey ... it is a beach and how can beaches ever get boring. We drove around in packed cars. Even the trunk was packed ... with cameras, huge lenses, tripods. You guessed right ... we had a few expert photographers along with us.
I was in for a surprise again. There was no sand on this beach. ?? Made me wonder if I was at the right place. Hell ya .. I was. The beach was a pebble beach. We couldnt walk around much on the beach, but you think anyone was interested? Especially in the freezing weather? Again ... I was the only one in the whole crowd who wanted to touch the water. Everyone else were busy setting up their cameras and tripods and waiting silently for the new year fireworks. I went closer to the waters. This time, my roommate came along. Her motive was mostly photos. And going closer to the water .. was creating a pretty good background for the photo.
Fire-works finally. The fire-works originated at the Space Needle. For the first time ... the Space Needle looked more magnificent than the qwest field and the safeco field. At all other times, the lighted quest field took control of the sky line. It started at mid-night sharp and lasted exactly 8 mins. (oh ya, I remember 8 mins). It seemed less to me and very repetitive. But others found it pretty good.
The photographers also managed to get a few shots. Some of them shook too. Apparently the cars driving on the road were shaking the tripod and so the photos shook. That explanation surprised me. Well, what the hell do I know about photography (other than to pose ofcourse ;))
The Seattle sky line looked pretty good. Ever since ... I have wanted to go back to Alki and see the sky line both during the day and during the night. I guess I will go back sooner or later.
ps: the photographers know to take snaps but they dont know to share them. I never got the snaps that were taken that night. :(
Time: New Years 2006
New Years never seemed like a big deal earlier. I was either at home seeing some stupid movie on Sun TV or preparing to get back to college .. back to my campus life. This time it was different. I was not home for New Years and there were a few loser friends of mine who werent either.
We decided to go to Alki Beach ... to see the new year fire-works. Fire-works ... hah well .. didnt excite me much. But hey ... it is a beach and how can beaches ever get boring. We drove around in packed cars. Even the trunk was packed ... with cameras, huge lenses, tripods. You guessed right ... we had a few expert photographers along with us.
I was in for a surprise again. There was no sand on this beach. ?? Made me wonder if I was at the right place. Hell ya .. I was. The beach was a pebble beach. We couldnt walk around much on the beach, but you think anyone was interested? Especially in the freezing weather? Again ... I was the only one in the whole crowd who wanted to touch the water. Everyone else were busy setting up their cameras and tripods and waiting silently for the new year fireworks. I went closer to the waters. This time, my roommate came along. Her motive was mostly photos. And going closer to the water .. was creating a pretty good background for the photo.
Fire-works finally. The fire-works originated at the Space Needle. For the first time ... the Space Needle looked more magnificent than the qwest field and the safeco field. At all other times, the lighted quest field took control of the sky line. It started at mid-night sharp and lasted exactly 8 mins. (oh ya, I remember 8 mins). It seemed less to me and very repetitive. But others found it pretty good.
The photographers also managed to get a few shots. Some of them shook too. Apparently the cars driving on the road were shaking the tripod and so the photos shook. That explanation surprised me. Well, what the hell do I know about photography (other than to pose ofcourse ;))
The Seattle sky line looked pretty good. Ever since ... I have wanted to go back to Alki and see the sky line both during the day and during the night. I guess I will go back sooner or later.
ps: the photographers know to take snaps but they dont know to share them. I never got the snaps that were taken that night. :(
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
RV trip ...
Place: Long Beach in Washington, Seaside in Oregon, Another park in Washington.
Date: Christmas 2005
My first proper trip in the States ... 3 day RV trip. The three places we visited Long Beach in Washington, Seaside in Oregon and Another park in Washington.
The first time in my life ... my geography was really pathetic. I had no clue where we had gone or what we did. It is really amusing me today that we had been to Long Beach. I feel like jumping up high in the air and screaming 'I know this place. I know this place'. I still cannot believe I was so clueless as to where I went.
The thing I remember most of this trip was eating and cards. I have never eaten so much in my life nor have been with ppl who eat soo much in my life. Singapore had pretty much shrunk my appetite. Coming from Singapore, this exposure to US life-style was pretty over-whelming. It was non-stop food supply and alcohol too.
Another thing I remember distinctly ... is the feel of freezing air on my face ... I think it was Seaside. We had walked on the beach in the darkness without knowing how far the ocean was or how deep it was getting. We could feel a stream of water below our feet. We were judging the distance from the ocean based on that ... and the sound of the waters also. There was total darkness around us. This darkness made the whole evening even more beautiful. Everything was left to our own imagination. It sure made my mind work overtime. I had tried to imagine everything around me ... the vastness of the ocean, the color of the waters, the foot prints we left behind, the bushes we crossed, car trails on the sand, anyone else as crazy as us ... maybe even dogs?
The only thing that was real was the chill air that froze my face and hands. We reached a pole and marked that for reference to get back to it the next day. For the first time in my life, I went to a beach ... walked back without even touching the waters ... and still wet all over. Just thinking of that night n the winds can run a chill down my spine even today.
The night ahead ... greeted us with strong winds. Even the RV was shaking non-stop thru the night. The next day we were back to see the sand-dunes ... this time it was the turn of sand filled winds that could so casually hurt your eye. If I were even half the American I am today, I would have tried to judge the speed of the winds. A friend had even attempted to fly along with he gusts of wind. We also got to see the ocean in the bright light. Just for stats, the pole was far-far away from the ocean. We hadnt even walked half the distance.
The drive to Seaside and back was good too. We drove on 101 next to the ocean. Despite the chilly weather and covered skies, the drive looked good. Not bright but pleasant. Even the short bridge between Oregon and Washington had excited me. The highway next to the waters and the curving ramp ... it felt new then. We had a trail of 5 cars behind our slow moving RV all the time. Without a license, I missed driving this RV. I am sure I would have liked it. Driving a RV would have been a notable experience .. especially in the Safeway parking lot. Although I didnt think it as such a big deal till I bought my own car.
I met a bunch of smart people who all knew to play cards well and ate well. Despite having so few activities in the trip, the trip was never boring. They lived life the happy way and enjoyed it. The second day even saw a new addon to the RV. He joined us out of nowhere ... despite phones not working, despite the rains, despite the darkness ... he knew exactly where we were and made it with perfect timing.
Overall ... I was off to a pretty good start in the States.
Date: Christmas 2005
My first proper trip in the States ... 3 day RV trip. The three places we visited Long Beach in Washington, Seaside in Oregon and Another park in Washington.
The first time in my life ... my geography was really pathetic. I had no clue where we had gone or what we did. It is really amusing me today that we had been to Long Beach. I feel like jumping up high in the air and screaming 'I know this place. I know this place'. I still cannot believe I was so clueless as to where I went.
The thing I remember most of this trip was eating and cards. I have never eaten so much in my life nor have been with ppl who eat soo much in my life. Singapore had pretty much shrunk my appetite. Coming from Singapore, this exposure to US life-style was pretty over-whelming. It was non-stop food supply and alcohol too.
Another thing I remember distinctly ... is the feel of freezing air on my face ... I think it was Seaside. We had walked on the beach in the darkness without knowing how far the ocean was or how deep it was getting. We could feel a stream of water below our feet. We were judging the distance from the ocean based on that ... and the sound of the waters also. There was total darkness around us. This darkness made the whole evening even more beautiful. Everything was left to our own imagination. It sure made my mind work overtime. I had tried to imagine everything around me ... the vastness of the ocean, the color of the waters, the foot prints we left behind, the bushes we crossed, car trails on the sand, anyone else as crazy as us ... maybe even dogs?
The only thing that was real was the chill air that froze my face and hands. We reached a pole and marked that for reference to get back to it the next day. For the first time in my life, I went to a beach ... walked back without even touching the waters ... and still wet all over. Just thinking of that night n the winds can run a chill down my spine even today.
The night ahead ... greeted us with strong winds. Even the RV was shaking non-stop thru the night. The next day we were back to see the sand-dunes ... this time it was the turn of sand filled winds that could so casually hurt your eye. If I were even half the American I am today, I would have tried to judge the speed of the winds. A friend had even attempted to fly along with he gusts of wind. We also got to see the ocean in the bright light. Just for stats, the pole was far-far away from the ocean. We hadnt even walked half the distance.
The drive to Seaside and back was good too. We drove on 101 next to the ocean. Despite the chilly weather and covered skies, the drive looked good. Not bright but pleasant. Even the short bridge between Oregon and Washington had excited me. The highway next to the waters and the curving ramp ... it felt new then. We had a trail of 5 cars behind our slow moving RV all the time. Without a license, I missed driving this RV. I am sure I would have liked it. Driving a RV would have been a notable experience .. especially in the Safeway parking lot. Although I didnt think it as such a big deal till I bought my own car.
I met a bunch of smart people who all knew to play cards well and ate well. Despite having so few activities in the trip, the trip was never boring. They lived life the happy way and enjoyed it. The second day even saw a new addon to the RV. He joined us out of nowhere ... despite phones not working, despite the rains, despite the darkness ... he knew exactly where we were and made it with perfect timing.
Overall ... I was off to a pretty good start in the States.
Coming up ...
RV trip in Washington n Oregon
Los Angeles in Spring
Hikes around Seattle ... Tiger Mtn, Mt. Si, Mt. Rainier, Deception Pass
SFO n Yosemite in Summer
Fall colors near Snoqualmie
Vancouver
Power outage in Seattle
I am already forgetting what I did ... More when I remember
Los Angeles in Spring
Hikes around Seattle ... Tiger Mtn, Mt. Si, Mt. Rainier, Deception Pass
SFO n Yosemite in Summer
Fall colors near Snoqualmie
Vancouver
Power outage in Seattle
I am already forgetting what I did ... More when I remember
A year in Seattle ...
I have been in Seattle for over a year now. Lots of events. Lots of trips. And the fact that I have been forgetting everything that I did ... makes me want to write it down at least.
The last year has been a ride. An experience of a life-time. So many events ... beginning from a RV trip last December to the wind storm last week ... lots to write about.
So not yet the End folks. Blogging starts again ... this time, it is just a journal to remember the tourist spots I have visited.
The last year has been a ride. An experience of a life-time. So many events ... beginning from a RV trip last December to the wind storm last week ... lots to write about.
So not yet the End folks. Blogging starts again ... this time, it is just a journal to remember the tourist spots I have visited.