Mark and Karen go West: October 2009

Guests from the frozen North

Well, not quite but Kevin, Margaret and Michael did seem to enjoy a trip to Wallingford playground in the sun. We cooked a mountainous brunch that I personally ate most of. I’d like to blame it on my 20-mile bike ride that morning but I fear pure gluttony (and possibly Kyla’s exceptional conserves) are really to blame.

Naches Peak and first snow of the year

On Saturday we headed up to the foothills of Mount Rainier (around 5500 feet) to see the autumn colours of Naches Peak. Flaming patches of huckleberry duly noted – but we weren’t expecting to encounter our first snow flurry of the year!

The walk is short and undemanding (no real climbs) but gives a succession of amazing views over forest, lakes and (supposedly) Mount Rainier itself.

We made do with a chilly packed lunch on a crag and a brisk stroll back to the car!

Through the locks!

It’s that time of year already – moving Ulithi from its summer berth at Bill and Mary’s on Lake Washington to its winter digs at Pier 66. This time we had the pleasure of Mary, her sister and niece from Germany, and Karen’s pal Kyla, who was over from Ohio for their big Walla Walla Whitman reunion (whisper it – 20 years!).

How many fast food joints in the world have a ‘sail-thru’ dock for fish and chips and chowder? Hurrah for Ivars!

Here are Karen and Kyla enjoying the beautiful crisp, clear sunset – and we even had a little sail!

And a bonus shot – Ulithi out of the water the next day, revealing the bashed-up keel where I crashed her in the San Juans. Doesn’t look so bad! (Though ask me again when I get the bill…).

Kitsap Colour Classic

All bike rides should be like this – well organised, perfect cool, sunny weather, a good route, fine company and a tiki bar with beer at the end. Shame it’s the last organised roll of the year… Here’s we all are at the dock at Edmonds, waiting for the ferry…

Halfway round, at Poulsbo, and still feeling fresh.

Some of the charming scenery – I wish I had some snaps of the rolling country lanes, glowing leaves and all the other stuff I was too busy pedalling to notice at the time!

A stroll under the freeway

It’s nicer than it sounds – the Denny Creek trail runs a couple of hundred feet under I90. Wild forest below, thundering traffic above – a pleasingly surreal hike.

It was warm enough to encourage Karen to do this, but cool enough that I wasn’t (really) tempted to strip for a splash-about.

Stunning, smaller falls further up the trail…

High fashion in New York

The rest of the day, we scooted around the city – starting with new-ish, must-see High Line walk in Chelsea.

I lunched with Stuart, a British journo pal enjoying a summer in New York, and then grabbed a choice table in the rooftop bar at 230 5th Avenue. That’s the Empire State Building behind the palm tree, darling.

Needless to say, things got a touch raucous.

And this has to be some kind of a record for lift-squashing photography…

Dumbo, Sleepy and Bedknobs

It wasn’t quite Disney but the fancy B&B Jess, Nico and I ended up at in Prospect Park was straight out of a Victorian theme park. Nice biscuits, though. Karen had to fly back to Seattle – leaving us to live it up in the Big Apple. Mmm… no dog chew for me, thanks.

We started early Tuesday with a crack-of-dawn visit to Brooklyn Bridge – no other tourists, just us, dog walkers and those damn Fashion Week snappers everywhere.

Here’s a shot they missed…

And another – it’s an interesting part of the city. Not as interesting as the ‘crepe-olettes’ waiting for us back at the B&B, mind. Strange.

AnnMarie & Jordan get hitched!

Just time to drive back to the hotel, wash off the sand and iron a shirt and then it was time to head out to the church. Here’s Dad with aunt Kay.

And a very happy collection of Harris/Andersons!

The obligatory all-the-cousins photo (well as many as we could find).

And ALL the brothers and sisters (including Dad hiding behind his camera, naturally).

Cue much eating and drinking, and laughing and dancing. Here’s Robbie entertaining Maryann and Ken.

Fire Island frolics

On the Sunday morning before the wedding, us kids zipped out to Fire Island to get some sunshine. A lovely walk along a boardwalk through a nature reserve brought us to the lighthouse – always worth a climb…

Great views from the top – showing how skinny these sand-bar islands really are. Afterwards we braved the waves for a welcome dip – wunderbar!

Family fun on Long Island

Sorry I’ve been slow getting this up on site – it feels like I’ve been busy, but without really doing anything! Anyway, the best thing about New York was seeing Jess & Nico again (not the slightly strange 70s hotel!), and diving into the bosom of the Harris clan.