Get Out of Town and Live in the Moment

Every summer, until this one, Marilynn and I have spent most weekends riding our bikes and camping in the San Juan Islands. It's a relatively short drive to Anacortes where we park the car and walk our bikes on the ferry. Our favorite island is Lopez. It's rural. There's very little traffic and the drivers always wave as they pass by. The "village" is folksy, not trendy, and there's a great bakery, Holly B's, and a terrific espresso place called Isabel's.

This year our jobs have kept us on a short tether, but after working two weeks straight we managed to clear our schedules yesterday so that we could hook up with some friends from Portland who are camping on the island. We couldn't quite do an overnight but we made a long day trip out of it. It's amazing what effect a day away in a beautiful place can have.

The weather was perfect. The ferry ride was relaxing and riding up the hill from the ferry landing it felt like we had entered the Magic Kingdom. It was sensational to get away and ride through farmland and then along the water's edge. Freshly mown hay and saltwater smells. We met up with our friends in the village and caught up on each other's lives over some delicious sandwiches from Vita's Deli.

After lunch we rode around the island. Marilynn hates the big hill leading up past Woodmen Hall, the old Grange building, but we did it and then rode past the little island church and cemetery. It was all relaxation - except for the hill.

On the way back to the 5:45 ferry we stopped at Isabel's to tank up and we ran into two other friends who live on the island. By 9pm we were home, but it felt like we had been away for a week. Take a break every once in awhile and smell the flowers or the tideflats. It worked for us.