Getting to Lopez Island requires driving north of Seattle to Anacortes and then taking a ferry.  The kids thought the car ride was long, but they were champs.  They LOVED the ferry ride.  A Boat!  A Boat that’s big enough for our Car!  A Boat that’s big enough for our Car and we saw a Seal!  Oh joy of joys!  This is the best trip ever Mom!

By the time we finally got off the ferry and drove across the island, we were done with the car.  Done.  We were greeted by this beautiful view off the south end of the Island, right across the Straight of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains.  We were also greeted by the lovely hostess Michelle, who met me with a warm smile and said “there’s a bottle of white wine in the fridge for you.”  There was a bouquet of fresh picked flowers by the garden, a welcome message in Scrabble letters and the inescapable feeling of peace and relaxation that just washed over J and I.  This is the best trip ever… sigh…

Lopez Island is nicknamed “Slow-pez” because, well, nothing much happens there.  The island is about 12 miles long and probably has more cows than year-round residents.  Everyone knows everyone and you wave at cars when you pass them.  You don’t drive much faster than 30 miles per hour and there are about as many bikes on the roads as cars.  The beaches are peaceful and more or less deserted, the little town has three really good restaurants and two groceries.  It was a lovely little step back into Mayberry with a sea view.  Our pulses slowed down, our patience stretched out, our shoulders unclenched and our smiles widened. 

So what did we do?  Hiked at toddler pace.  Climbed on rocks.  Threw countless rocks into the ocean.  Waved sticks.  Hunted for crabs and fish.  Dragged sea weed up and down the beach.  Dug holes in the sand.  Watched river otters swim in the ocean, seals rest on the rocks and birds catch fish.  Collected shells. 

 

We settled in, slowed down and noticed details that we normally miss in the hustle and bustle of our normal life.  We all struggled to put into words exactly what the island breezes did to us, how exactly they relaxed us from the inside out, but we all felt it.  We all left a little begrudgingly, wanting to somehow stay in both this beautiful island and also in the beautiful state of mind it put us in.  Clare waved to the island as we left “Good-bye Lopez Island!  We will come back to you!”