NORTHWEST COAST PT.3

Welcome to the third installment of my journey to the Northwest Coast.  Time to hit the road!  Below is the route I took from SEATTLE to CAPE FLATTERY (the most Northwest point of the continental US)!

A major part of the fun for me was going places I've never been to before...there were always surprises just around the next bend in the road!  I think there is a saying that goes something like: "The Journey is the Destination".  (If there isn't...I just made that up, and you have to pay me a dollar every time you say it.)

The next few photos are of things that just caught my eye, and made me pull the car over.  I loved seeing all the little towns and ports along the way.  Below is PORT GAMBLE...sure would have enjoyed sketching that logging stuff if I had the time!

Next are a few shots of PORT ANGELES. 

These beautiful views are of LAKE CRESCENT.

So much of the pleasure of this trip was driving up and down very steep and curvy roads.  On every side there were lush forests of evergreens and ferns.  A good portion of the route I took went through the OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK...more to explore another time!

Now I don't want you to think it was ALL a lovely drive. There was a stretch of the road that had several crews laying new asphalt down...black tar...loose gravel...dust...and LOTS of waiting for our turn to follow the little "Pilot Car" down one lane of the highway.  Probably added a least an extra hour to my drive-time.

Next up...a FISH IN A BRA!  I just had to get a pic of this amusing wood-carving watching over the little town of SEKIU.

As I rounded a curve, I saw this interesting "Backyard Boulder".  I thought it would be cool to have that behind your house.  Actually, it's part of a lodge at CHICO BEACH.

This is the last port before reaching the end of the road...NEAH BAY.

Made it!!  Here's the path that will take you to see the views of CAPE FLATTERY.  It's a very steep walk downhill...had to take lots of stops to catch my breath on the climb back up to my car.  I thought it interesting how "indecisive" some of the trees were..."Do I grow down?...er...no...UP!  Yeah, that's where I want to go...UP!"

This is the first observation point you come to...gorgeous! The fog made it quite magical.

According to Wikipedia: Cape Flattery is the oldest permanently named feature in Washington state, being described and named by JAMES COOK on March 22, 1778. Cook wrote: "... there appeared to be a small opening which flattered us with the hopes of finding an harbour ... On this account I called the point of land to the north of it Cape Flattery."

A bit farther down the trail, looking back southward to the cove that I just showed pics of...the water was an incredible blue green...mesmerizing!

This is the farthest point on the trail...I'm looking west towards TATOOSH ISLAND.  Unfortunately, the fog prevented me from seeing the lighthouse.  I borrowed a photo from Wiki that shows what I missed.

These are the waves crashing directly below that little tree...the colors seemed unreal!

While the fog was so thick on the westward side of the cape...you could make a quarter turn to the right and look north towards VANCOUVER ISLAND (hidden in the fog...but I'm pretty sure I could hear Canadians speaking French). There it was...SUNSHINE on the rocky shore!

That's all for now!  Next time...on to the land of "TWILIGHT"...FORKS, WA.

NORTHWEST COAST Pt.2

Welcome to the next part of my travel journal out to the Northwest Coastal region!  From this point on, I'll be showing some of the photos I took along the way.  This post will focus on SEATTLE, WA.  I hope to return to explore some more...could only do so much in the two days I was there!

I love "cloudscapes"...here are a couple from the window of my flight out to Seattle.

I was thrilled that we flew so close to MOUNT RAINIER on the way into the airport.  It's the tallest mountain in the state of Washington.

In the evening, my friends Michael and Linda Stubblefield took me on a bit of a tour of the city.  As we had a bite to eat on the waterfront, we decided to ride the giant ferris wheel seen at the far left of the photo below.  The views of the port are from the windows of one of the gondolas, as we reached the top of the rotation.

Michael, as I found out, is not fond of heights.

Here are a couple of shots of the Seattle Skyline.  It is a really beautiful city!

The day I went sketching, I returned to one of the areas we had visited earlier...LAKE UNION.  So many cool sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes down there.

Below is the view of downtown Seattle from the north side of Lake Union.  Underneath that photo is a collage-composite of the view from on top of this rather large mound in the middle of the park.  Some kids (and a mom) were sliding down the hill on blocks of ice covered with a towel to sit on...pretty funny to watch.  The mom slid the greatest distance...it was her 43rd birthday that day.  I know this because she was louder than any of the kids, and kept gloating over her win!

On the far left side of the collage, you can see GASWORKS PARK.  Below are all the amazing structures that were "salvaged" and turned into a "destination".  I loved drawing that, and wished I could have explored more and climbed all over it (which, of course, you aren't permitted to do).

Part of the park shows some of the huge machinery, all painted up in bright colors.

The morning I left Seattle for the next part of my journey, I rode on the EDMONDS-KINGSTON FERRY.  It was about a 30 minute ride, and you could get out of your car, and go topside to the observation deck.  A gorgeous day!

 

Next time, we'll get out of the "big city" and head towards CAPE FLATTERY!

NORTHWEST COAST Pt.1

I just got back LATE last night from my 8 day adventure out in BIGFOOT COUNTRY!  As I've done on other Art Trips, I'm going to start the show with my sketches.  I did not draw near as much as I had planned...there was just too much to see in too little time!  But I took 1300 photos !!  I'll post my favorites in the days to come.  I was also in "Twilight" and "The Goonies" movie territory...awesome to see the beauty out there!

And the sketch above...I drew him from a photo while on my flights home.  I really think I saw the Big Guy!  I'll show you the pic later in this post...YOU be the judge.

The map of my excursion is shown here.  I must say that I bit off a bit more driving time than I should have...couldn't draw as much since I had places to get to.  But seeing the sights were worth it!  I flew to SEATTLE, WA to stay with my dear friends Mike and Linda Stubblefield for a couple of nights.  What a gorgeous city...will have to go back for sure.  Then I headed to Cape Flattery, the most northwestern tip of the USA.  I made my way south to FORKS, WA, where I explored nearby Rialto Beach, Second Beach, and Ruby Beach (a bit further south near KALALOCH, WA).  Next I went to CANNON BEACH, OR...back up to ASTORIA, OR for a day with my friends, Josh and Monica Holtsclaw, then a day trip down to TILLAMOOK, OR.  I drove to Portland, then flew home last night!

First up are a couple of my usual airport sketches.  The second one shows what happens when a brush pen filled with ink/water mix is opened in a pressurized jet! 

 

The next few are images from the Seattle area, down by Lake Union.  As I sat drawing the big crane at the marina, a diving class was going on to my left.  The instructor is shown in the red hat below.

 

Okay...I almost didn't include this next one, but it makes me smile.  I was just starting to draw this little band that was setting up on the hill at Gasworks Park.  All I had drawn was a cymbal for the drum kit, and some grass. Then Mike texted me that he was done with work for the day, and I could drive over to get him.  He later commented that it could be a UFO that just abducted the band I was going to draw.

I drew the next two while waiting for and riding the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry.

When I finally made it to Forks, WA, I was so excited to go draw some on Rialto Beach.  To my dismay, FOG was everywhere!  I think it is just common with the beaches, even if it burns off later in the day.  It was very wet and cold, but I managed to sit for a couple of hours to sketch these trees. (It was so cold, I had to stuff kleenex down into the toes of my sandals...they were freezing!)

 

Okay...the pic below is what I promised!  I got a good, clean snap-shot of SASQUATCH!
(At least, I'm pretty sure...)

This is what my early-stage drawing looked like before I tried painting it with water colors and guache, then inked it.  I think I prefer this version.

The next sketch is at Second Beach.  When I first got there...more fog covered everything.  But as I drew, the fog burned away right in front of me!  I would sketch some, then run around snapping photos with this huge grin on my face. (I'll post those later, as I said.)  The whole scene was unveiled as I sat there...huge rock formations appearing off-shore that I didn't even know were there.  Exhilarating!

The last sketches from this trip are done at the AIR MUSEUM at Tillamook, OR.  That place is massive, and an architectural wonder to behold!  It is the largest wooden structure in the world.  It was a hangar for the Navy's Blimp Squadrons in WWII.   I drove down, only because it was raining in Cannon Beach, and I needed an indoor location to draw.  So glad it rained!!

 

 

 

 

 

Well...that's it for this post.  I will be sorting through all the photos, and showing the best ones.  The sunset on Second Beach is where I drew the big rock sketch, after the fog cleared.  Stay tuned!!