THURSDAY / FRIDAY

Sunrise at Hope Island

Friendly Seal

I woke up Thursday to a small splash and a huge exhale.  A seal surfaced just under my open porthole and was about 2 feet away.  I could hear it breathing very clearly as he swam away from the boat.

Jodi kayaking at Hope Island

View of Rainier from Hope Island

Thursday we decided to go back to Olympia.  Great moorage and nice showers.

Out of sequence picture from the previous evening

We hiked up around the capitol building above capitol lake and strolled the grounds.  Somber memorial to WWII, with all the battles and names of Washington state service members who perished in that great struggle.

From there it was a one mile jaunt to the West Side Tavern, a sports / seahawks fan bar that was recommended to us.  We snared one of the last tables and watched the Hawks roll over the Packers.  We also won a raffle during the game with a tee shirt and various odds and ends.  Fun night watching the game.

Water front homes dot the south sound

The Military appreciation day by the Olympia Yacht Club

Note the latter extending over the harbor with a firefighter up top...

Friday morning back at the Olympia Yacht Club the docks were humming.  It was military appreciation day.  Some 300 to 500 (we kept on hearing various numbers) are hosted by club members aboard their boats and taken for a day of fun to 'Home Island', the Olympia Yacht Club's outstation.  Fire and Police have quite  a presence as the procession leaves the main docks on their way to the outstation, some 8 or so miles in the distance.