Welcome back as Everyone's Travel Club shares pics from a recent paddle around Mercer Island Washington. We ended the last post at a small sailboat race just off of Leschi.
Now we turn towards Bellevue (the city in the pic below) to the East and eventually the South, making our way towards our lunch spot: Luther Burbank Park.
Luther Burbank park is great stop on this trip. They have lots of waterfront with several nice places to pull up and stretch the legs (or launch from at another time). I prefer to beach my kayak on rocky patches (the small, smooth, Northwest rocks) so I don't sink into mud or sand when I step out. It also helps when it's time to pack up, avoiding sand/mud keeps the kayak clean when you put it back in the backpack.
Lunchtime...with friends.
Lunch break at the park over...time to press on. From the park heading South started to feel like the long stretch of the trip...
Pretty nice if you're into giant, awesome, bigger than some houses, super yachts. I kinda prefer the boat below:)
I-90 again.
Just park your planes on the dock...or...
...pull it into a hangar right next to your house (very 007).
Less 007 below, but still cool...Tug!
We're about to round our final turn of the Island and start heading North towards Seward Park!
Just...about...
...made it.
The circumnavigation is complete. If I had to do it over again I would probably go in the opposite direction (I went North from Seward Park to start because of the sailboat race at Leschi). That way I could break at Luther Burbank Park 3/4 way through the trip rather than 1/4 the way around. Other than that, a great trip, I'd do it again in a heartbeat...
-Paul E.T.C. Didn't see part 1? Click here!
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Greetings adventurers of the world! Yesterday I circumnavigated (went around) Mercer Island via kayak. The total trip took about 6 hours, the actual paddling took only about 4.5 hours. The total distance of my route was about 15 miles. This was my longest kayak trip yet, and even though we call this outfit Everyone's Travel Club, this trip might not be for everyone on account of the distance. I'll be posting this trip over a few posts, check back to the blog for more tomorrow and throughout the week!
I walked down to Andrews Bay, my usual launch spot, with everything I needed for the trip in my inflatable Innova kayak backpack. I spent about 10 minutes putting her together. I tend to attract attention during this part of the trip - I met Rico from La Push. We talked about the whale migration going on now around the coast and Sound and about his time living and surfing in Hawaii. I also met a German family spending time in Seattle for a couple of years. They were very interested in the possibility of kayaks that they could buy here, use here, and eventually take home when they return. Then I shoved off.
There she is - Mercer Island...
Seward Park behind me as I paddle North towards I-90.
Underneath the I-90 floating bridge...yep, the middle of the bridge floats...
Regatta at Leschi, not windy at all...
We're almost half-way around the island, check back for more posts this week! We'll explore a cool park on the Island, each lunch with the local wildlife, and find out how the islanders are livin'!
Later, -Paul E.T.C. Link to Part 2 of 2! Well, since we've started this new look here at Everyone's Travel Club, I thought I'd post my favorite trips from the past year here on the new site. This is one of my all-time favorites. ~Paul ETC 3/12/11 Everyone's Travel Club boldly kayaks where few have kayaked before - Lake Serene, Washington! Let me start out by saying that this trip, like a few trips before, might not be for everyone. Most people don't kayak in Lake Serene because she's almost at the top of a mountain, and, well, you have to get your kayaks up there somehow! My friend John and I (thanks for agreeing to do this one John!) drove about and hour and a half from Seattle to the Lake Serene trailhead (look for the turn on the right, just before Index WA). We came prepared to hike up the strenuous 3.6 mile (one-way) uphill trail to Lake Serene and kayak her with our inflatable Innova Safari kayaks. People looked at us like we were crazy on the way up with such large backpacks...they changed their tune at the top when they saw us gliding across the lake in our kayaks. It was hot. It was in fact strenuous. With lots of water & snacks, the oars, air pumps (one spare just in case), and kayaks, our packs probably weighed in at just under 40 lbs. Did I mention it was hot? I mean, for the Northwest at least... In all the hiking and kayaking took about 6 hours. A few to get up, a few to play around at the top and kayak, a few to get back down. Off we go!
Here she is folks, we made it, so clear.
Hey look, it's Spring...in Summer.
The entire lake...
Back down we go!
Wanna try this trip? A few ETC pointers.
*Watch the forecast, you saw the left over snow in the pics right? This was in August *Be very careful walking on the snow, the drift we were on had a small stream running under it *The lake water was warmer than I expected, a lot of folks were swimming up there. We noticed the water got a lot colder near the other side of the lake...the side with the snow *The sun goes behind the mountain tops surrounding the lake pretty early in the afternoon, get up there at a decent time to kayak in the sun (in the summer) *Take more water than you think, we even took a purifier to fill up our multiple water bottles for the trip down. We met lots of people with just one tiny bottle, poor things *Wear good shoes, sandals will leave your feet hurting, especially on the way down *The route is self-explanatory, just follow the trail *You'll have a choice early on to take a side trail to Bridal Veil Falls, it's awesome but extra hiking. If you really want to make it to Lake Serene and you have a kayak on your back, maybe skip this extra uphill mileage until next time *Bug spray in the summer is a good idea, there were lots of flies on the side of the lake without the snow *Take an extra pump for you inflatable kayaks, don't want to get up there and have a malfunction *Once you are there and kayaking, enjoy! The lake is very difficult to walk around so when you make it to the other side you have the whole place to yourself! ~Paul & John, E.T.C. 3/15/10 Hello folks! I am proud to announce that Everyone's Travel Club has followers! Sweet! Here we are at the close of our posts from Key West. We spent a total of 6 days in South Florida on this trip. It was my second trip down there, my wife grew up there. We had our Innova inflatable kayaks packed in our checked airline bags (each bag weighed 49 1/2 lbs after the kayaks, paddles (4-part aluminum), pump, and waterproof bags). Our trip was in February, the weather was a little cooler than normal, but still pretty nice coming from Seattle. Important: if you attempt this trip in the summer your hotel may be cheaper but it will be really, really, hot. As our final post about the trip, we're leaving you with links to where we stayed, ate, and paddled. Lodging1) The Merlin Guesthouse, Key West Great atmosphere and location (a couple blocks off of the main drag - close but not too close), we actually found parking pretty easily (but didn't drive that much). Our only complaint was that the walls are a little thin - baby next door the first night, lots of TV the second. They have a few room choices so this could be eliminated with a little planning (and $). 2) The Gardens Hotel, Key West We'd didn't stay here but I'd like to try it next time...A sweet layout and tropical gardens surrounding the place. The rooms look equally nice from their website...a good 50% more expensive than the Merlin Guesthouse however... RESTAURANTS we dined at: Coffee & Pastries: Croissants de France A Key West classic...get a "con leche"...mmm so good - espresso, hot milk, and sugar to taste. I drink my coffee black in Seattle but fully loaded in South Florida! Sushi: Origami Japanese Amber's basically a local so we avoid Margaritaville:) Nice secluded-off the main drag with outdoor seating (like almost everywhere in the Keys). Good sushi, parrot next door. Italian: La Trattoria So good. How does a nice looking Italian restaurant with great service and delicious food sound? Imagine that with a lot cheaper price tag than you'd expect. Make a reservation by phone the day you plan to dine. Sandwich Shop: Waterfront Market The best sandwiches in the world! Just mark down what you want on your sandwich and they make it fresh...it seems like the more you add the cheaper it gets (a.k.a. don't chose the pre-planned sandwiches, take the time to chose your own ingredients). OTHERS: Mexican: Salsa Loca Pony up to the bar for some tacos and cervezas...Hey, the Times liked it. Breakfast: Pepe's Cafe A legend that's been in Key West for 100 years. Tasty. Dessert: Better-Than-Sex - A Dessert Restaurant This place looked awesome, we were too full...we'll hit it up next time. KAYAKING SPOTS we visited on the trip: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: Key Largo $8/vehicle Bahia Honda State Park $8/vehicle Key Biscayne: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park $8/vehicle Kayaking book for the Keys:
Florida Keys Paddling Guide: From Key Largo to Key West Well, that's about it everyone. Go to the Keys - it's the best spot in Florida for sure! Check back to the blog soon - the posts return to the Northwest for a little while... ~Paul E.T.C. |
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