Mike's Birthday Adventure #2

Last week I wrote about Mike’s birthday present tickets to the Seahawks football game. Today I want to tell you about our second little adventure – a jet boat tour at Deception Pass.

Deception Pass is about 95 miles north and west of Seattle. The Deception Pass Bridge (actually two twin bridges) hooks Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island and is host to Deception Pass State Park. The Deception Pass Jet Boat Tour takes off from the little marina on Cornet Bay Road and provides a one-hour tour through the salt waters of Deception Pass.

So Saturday morning we jumped in the truck – with gloves, hoodies and umbrellas – the forecast was rain, but heck we live in Seattle – and off we went. In about an hour and a half we got to Deception Pass and found the marina.


Here is our boat coming into the marina.

It’s an unusual boat with several seats in the front, the captain’s wheel in a funky wheelhouse and the jet in the back.

It was a small cruise and the other family even brought their little doggies bundled up in doggie coats!

Our gloves came in handy, but it didn't rain on our boat tour - not even a drop.

Here is the view of the twin bridges from our seats on the boat.

These folks climbed into a prohibited area and were sitting on a precarious ledge.

I thought it was weird how the trees grew right out of the rock.

Here’s a view of the bridge from below – a view I’d never seen before.

One out of the Pass area, the Captain turned it up and we headed west at a fast clip! We saw great blue heron perched on tall, green trees. We also saw harbor porpoise breaching the surface in their playful way. Although we didn’t see any bald eagles, the Captain did point out a huge eagle nest in one of the trees. He explained that the eagles mate for life and keep the same nest year after year. We also saw a harbor seal poking his head out of the water and checking us out. But alas – once again - no orca whale sightings. Maybe next year…

All too soon our hour was up and we headed up to the park to check out the vista from the bridge. And that’s when I discovered I have a bit of acrophobia (height aversion). It really made me feel weird as I was walking across the bridge trying to get the perfect picture of Deception Pass.

I couldn’t even make it to the middle of the bridge – which was about where these tiny people are in this picture.

But here are two fairly good shots of the Pass. The water is an intense emerald green that is not reflected well in my pictures.

We finished the adventure with a late lunch at The Corner Bar and Grill, on Highway 20, not too far from the state park.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (again) MIKE!