|
|||||||
|
Doe Island State Park |
WASHINGTON STATE MARINE PARK GEMS -----Every state sets its priorities on how to spend tax revenue -- the money of the people, for the people. Washington State has decided, like other states, to spend some of the people's money on purchasing, developing and maintaining state parks. Washington, however, has developed Marine State Parks and some of these parks are in the San Juan Islands, and most are only accessible by boat. They are gems!! -----The Cascadia Marine Trail, a National Millennium Trail designated by the President, stretches from Lighthouse Marine Park on Point Roberts near the Canadian border to Olympia, Washington, on southern Puget Sound. There are over fifty campsites throughout the San Juans for hand- or wind-propelled craft, many on State Park Islands. The Trail passes through some of the most beautiful and unique marine environments in the United States and some of the most popular recreation destinations in the Pacific Northwest. The Cascadia Marine Trail may be of interest to cruisers who also enjoy time off their motorized craft. |
SAN JUAN ISLANDS STATE PARK GEMS
Quests
-----El and I enjoy a 'quest.' We find, in our wanderings, that it often serves a wonderful purpose to have a 'quest' to help direct our peripatetic ways. This is a great excuse to learn, to experience, to discover new ideas, new places, new faces. We once traveled three months in Iberia searching out the home towns of the Spanish conquistadors of the New World. Another time, we traveled for a year, from winter Alaska though springtime Dry Tortugas to summer on the shores of Hudson Bay to fall along Padre Island - on a quest to search out 500 species of North American birds.
-----"Great idea, hon. Let's do it!"
-----We had just completed ten days with our son and two grandkids aboard. It was a delightful experience -- visiting islands and the youngsters camping ashore independent of the folks. We had previously had enough experience camping with young ones in the San Juan Islands of Washington to know the best places for a ten-day shared cruising/camping vacation.
-----"Let's find all the Marine State Park areas in the San Juans," El had suggested after there departure. We still had three weeks for cruising in the San Juans, so I readily agreed to her idea.
-----So, this site will lead you (and your kids and/or grandkids) to each of the Marine State Parks in the islands. We will share some tales, opinions, and pictures for you to put together your 'vacation' time in the San Juans.
San Juan Island Marine State Parks
-----The State maintains more than twenty state park areas in the San Juan Islands and they have become some of our favorite places to visit. Many have delightful walking trails and campsites ashore for the kids and grandkids. Most have mooring buoys and some have docks. There is a reasonable charge for their use. If you are a boater new to the San Juans it should be helpful to study the above map of the park locations and to read our impression of the parks. You can click on any of the hyperlinks below to 'visit' one of the Marine State Parks. Those with a star are our favorite islands.
DECEPTION PASS (INCLUDES BOWMAN BAY, SHARPE COVE, AND CORNET BAY)*
CASCADIA MARINE TRAIL
Washington Water Trails Association (http://www.wwta.org/trails/cmt/)
(07-08)
