Living Well With Diabetes

The ferry terminal where I’ll catch the Alaska Marine Highway ferry is a short 35 miles from Anacortes, so I felt I could afford the luxury of doing some exploration of the Anacortes area today.

I spoke with a couple people in Anacortes who suggested I visit Guemes Island, directly north of Anacortes and a short five minute ferry ride away.

Four dollars got me a round-trip ticket to Guemes Island and by 9:10 this morning, I was on South Shore Drive beginning a twenty mile ride that would take me to all three sides and through the middle of this roughly triangular island.

During my visit, I really enjoyed its nearly empty roads and a rural countryside that was peacefully free of the distracting sounds of modern life.

Of course, it didn’t last. Eventually, there was traffic on the road and later in the day, the skies were filled with the sounds of jets taking off and landing at a nearby military base. (There’s a Naval Air Station near Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island.)

I had lunch at Young’s Park at the far north end of the island. It was down a short, very steep (17% grade) hill. It was worth the trip because for the first time on my trip, I actually set foot on a beach and put my hand in the water.

Enjoy some of my favorite photos from my tour of Guemes Island: