2014 La Conner and surrounding area

Our campground for this stay is near La Conner, WA – an area filled with interesting things to see and do. La Conner, itself features a beautiful Rainbow Bridge which we crossed on the way into town. This is a nice town set up for tourism. The walkway along the river has shops and restaurants with a view. There are many other attractions in town. Pioneer Park, named in honor of Lousia A. Conner is a day use park on the edge of town near the river. Be sure to check out the trail that goes under the bridge.

Saturday we attended the Anacortes Waterfront Festival which featured a variety of food and craft booths along the riverfront with ongoing music. There was a Corvette show going on and we enjoyed looking at all the beautiful cars. The waterfront theme was taken seriously: the local Kiwanis had boat kits they were giving to the children. There was a place to assemble and sail the boats. The adults as well as the children were having fun. Not too far away a full size boat building competition was taking place. The builders would take them out onto the water and race them the next day. People were encouraged to pick their favorite team to win. Nearby was the Saturday Farmers’ Market where we bought local cheese and fresh bread for lunch. The town itself has a variety of shops with something for everyone.

After attending church on Sunday morning we purchased Subway sandwiches and went to Campbell park where we drove the loop road. We stopped at an overlook and enjoyed our meal then continued on around to another overlook where we had an enjoyable time on Face Time talking with family and letting them see some of the wonderful view.

Monday we drove to La Conner to check the mail and then took a farm road and followed directions on the sign advertizing strawberries for sale. We followed the road to a farm house with a fruit stand. There is a sign directing shoppers to put their money in the red box. We followed directions and then enjoyed some excellent, fresh strawberries for a few days.

Another fun trip was our Ferry ride to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We parked in the lot and walked onto the ferry. Our hour ride was enjoyable with beautiful scenery to watch as the ferry took us through the Islands to the town of Friday Harbor. This is a friendly town that mixes tourism with everyday life. We found a bakery and had coffee and scones. Cell service was excellent so we took time to update our email and Facebook. One of the attractions is the Whale Museum — a very educational stop for a family. There are several whale skeletons for viewing as well as videos and posters showing the various Orcas and their markings. Several places in town offer whale tours if that is what you are looking for.

Another day we drove to Whitbey Island. We stopped to look at the bridge and water at Deception Pass which is the most famous spot on the island. We we also spent some time at the overlook of Ebey’s Landing, an original homestead that is now a National Historic Preserve. We could see the open prairie land where they farmed for many years with a glimpse of the Olympic Peninsula across the water in the distance. Nearby Coupeville is a lovely little town with buildings built by the early settlers. We found many places of interest. I especially liked the Dutch shop offering lace, glass, chocolate and other items of interest as well as the Lavender shop with lavender-based health and beauty products and also a small bakery. On the pier is a cafe and a coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating.

We’ve enjoyed this area and we know we’ve barely scratched the surface of things to see and do. We’re looking forward to returning on future trips to the northwest coast of Washington.