A photo everyday for the month of September! Can it be done!?!?!? This one's early!

   ETC took a little trip aboard Kingsley last weekend, North from Shilshole to stay the night at the Edmonds Marina in Edmonds, Washington. We brought our two Innova Safari kayaks on deck and set out to explore the Edmonds marina and breakwater.

   First, breakfast on the new grill...ok, newer grill. 
P.S. - the cast iron keeps the grease and liquid out of the fire (the drip pan is small and shallow, the grill is hard to clean without taking the whole thing apart, & the cast iron stays warm after the fire is out so you can cook on low...because the grill doesn't really do low).

   I usually add the sailor flotation/seat cushions to my Safaris since the water is cold and some of my kayakers are a little over the weight limit (me) on these guys (water comes in and out the self-bailing holes).

   Paddling next to the snow covered breakwater! Actually, that's bird poop.

   Not a bad little paddle. The marina is a lot smaller (actual size and number of boats) than Shilshole but has some really cool boats. The entrance, at least in the summer, can get a little busy with pleasure and fishing boats so paddlers should be careful. Although we launched off the back of Kingsley as marina guests, anyone could put in close to the marina - there are beaches on the North and South ends (see map below).
   ~Paul, Ann   ETC  

  We made a little visit to our kiteboarding, beer-making neighbors to the South  in Hood River, Oregon. They advertise the 'best wind in the world'. Well, it was windy, I'm not so sure about best (because it is a lot and is blowing all of the time?), but they do make some good beer.

   Full Sail brewery is located in the small adventure town, almost right on the mighty Columbia. They have free daily brewery tours and a great little restaurant/pub. It's not exactly on the water but it's easy to hop in the car and drive on down to the beach where the kiteboarders are going at it. I wouldn't take a picnic and blanket because it's windy...like, really windy (unless you like watching the kiteboarders like me).
   The brewmaster told us that the beer-making staff works four ten hour shifts and then plays every three-day weekend in the beautiful outdoors that surround the city. Some kiteboard, some hike, in the winter they ski and/or snowboard, snowmobile, snowshoe, etc. Sounds nice. It's basically what we try to do here at ETC...but with more beer...and wind...OK, not just more wind...the best wind in the world!
   Paul, Micah, Joe, Matt   ETC

   So, this next post belongs in a section of ETC's less aquatic travels (although, see the Land Yacht picture at the end)...
   We got tired of Seattle's so called summer this year and drove East over the mountains, towards the wineries of Yakima.  
   On the way to the vineyards we couldn't help but stop and check out the Yakima Speedway. We showed up during the day when they were getting ready for a night of racing.  Now, I'm not exactly a car guy, however, I've recently started watching the U.K. Top Gear episodes on Netflix.  That, combined with my slow but gradual learning of Kingsley's diesel engine, makes all things that v'room a little cooler. Boats and cars have quite a bit in common actually ($ for instance)...
   Click on the hyperlink above to check out the upcoming race schedule.  They apparently have something called "Bump to Pass" that might definitely be worth another trip over the mountains.
   ~Paul & Amber  ETC

Land Yacht!

   Sometimes I take a quick paddle off of Kingsley around the Shilshole Marina breakwater. It only takes about 30-45 minutes and it's hard to miss my skeletal and serpent neighbors. We posted on them once before, check it!
   ~Paul   ETC

Dinosaurs among us! You've got to get over to the Kingsley blog and check it out!

   There was one more ruin site (what classifies something as a ruin anyway?) we saw on a local Virgin Gorda map and wanted to check out. I searched for more information about the location online before we drove over to check it out...there wasn't much info (it is on Google maps though) and hardly any pictures. We were looking for the stone ruins of a centuries old sugar mill plantation. The search engines kept taking me to some fancy rental property (which turns out is right next door). 
   We chanced it and drove to Nail Bay looking for, well, something, anything...and we found it. Okay, we at first drove past it, scratched our heads a little bit, then turned around and finally found it (it's by the sign, who would of thought?). Pretty cool stuff! It's on the way to the North Sound - let's call it the scenic drive to the North Sound. It's an almost completed road that actually goes around Gorda Peak instead of straight up and down it like the other road! There's not much to it but it's worth a look - don't expect to make a day of it.
   ~Paul, Ann   ETC