We left my sister’s summer place in Yelm, WA, and drove about 175 miles to Oak Harbor, a small port city on Washington’s northwest corner. At Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Cliffside RV Park is where we would make our home for the next five nights. At the end of those five nights, I felt tempted to stay forever.
Cliffside RV Park is a jewel in the military campground inventory. There are about fifty paved campsites, and it is the essence of shoreline living. Ken, the camp host, is also a horticulturist and master gardener who spends most of his days tending to the fantastic flower beds he created throughout the campground.
Helen and I parked Dora in a lovely campsite alongside one of Ken’s masterpiece gardens with a view overlooking Puget Sound. At the time, we didn’t know that we also had a front-row seat for the glorious sunset display that appeared every night of our visit. Somewhat later, we learned that campers at Cliffside often referred to this location as “Sunset Harbor.” Read on, and I’ll give you a taste of the beauty we witnessed.
We spent much of our time at Cliffside walking the tree-covered trails adjacent to the campground. The campground beach was very inviting, and we enjoyed spending time letting the calm water and salt-scented air refresh our road-weary bones. Two bald eagles entertained us when they weren’t scouting for fish from the evergreen tree over our trailer.
When the time came for us to do some scouting ourselves, we made a reservation for the ferry to San Juan Island. The boat ride alone was worth the price of the trip. Jaw-dropping beauty from every angle left us stunned. In the distance, snow-capped Mt. Baker towered over the water like a majestic giant.
We arrived at the town of Friday Harbor and, after walked around a bit to get our legs under us, we boarded a trolley for a one-hour tour of San Juan Island. I was surprised at how much farming there was on the island, but I suppose that an island needs home-grown foods. At one point, Vancouver Island came into view beyond the Canadian border. I sent a silent wave to my blogging friend, Donna (Retirement Reflections), who makes her home there. We wanted to visit Vancouver Island, but the border is still closed to American travelers. Maybe next time…
The next day, we had a surprise visit from a camper on the site next to us in the campground. They were hosting some friends from a town nearby to a dinner of Penn Cove mussels and salad. Roxie, a lovely lady from Roy, WA, came to invite us to dinner. Denis, her husband, and his friend, Jay, had bought way more than they could eat and asked if we could join them. It turned out that this was our lucky day, although I wasn’t confident at the time.
I cannot recall if I have ever eaten mussels and wasn’t sure if I wanted to now. I love seafood, so why not give mussels a try? Denis prepared a tasty brine and stewed the mussels in them. The smell was very enticing, and, by now, I was eager to dive in. The shells of the mussels had a lovely rich brown color which made them even more appealing. Denis served them in bowls and spooned the flavorful brine on top of them. I started slowly but, in the end, consumed more than my share. They were so tender and delicious I could not stop plucking them from their shells. Surprisingly, there were leftovers, but I had my fill. I had a pleasant conversation with Jay and his wife, Linda. We discovered that we both had served the Army in Germany about the same time and enjoyed reliving the experience together. We had a lovely time, and I give the entire evening a “10.”
Now, for the sunsets of “Sunset Harbor.” Because we were so far to the north at the same time as the summer equinox, the sun went down very late. I don’t remember the exact time and could probably find it with a bit of research (help me, Donna), but it was well past nine o’clock. We had light clouds around for most evenings, which always help to add some texture to the scene. In addition, smoke from far-away wildfires had filtered into the area, adding some brilliant red to the sky. The result was spectacular, and my photographs don’t do it justice but trust me, each display was something to remember. I have four images, each taken on a different night in the gallery below. I have one enlargement from the fifth night posted separately. It is my favorite of the group.
Helen and I use military campgrounds whenever we can, and Cliffside is as good as any of them and better than most for the sheer beauty of the surroundings. I would rank it right next to the Campground at Coronado Beach as a favorite. I have a picture gallery of sunsets and pictures of our entire visit as a separate post. (Click here to visit).
As mentioned earlier, I felt tempted to stay longer, but it’s time to be Easin’ Along. Delighted you could join us.
