Return to Fort Worden

For two months, we had a date set aside in September to spend together at Fort Worden. We made improvements from the last time by making ferry reservations and packed enough food for everyone.

So this past Saturday at 7:50am, three Fuji's, three Grays, three Jamiesons, one Hacking, four Miles and one Caitlin-- fifteen people total-- loaded into the our "rad" semi-white van and headed for Fort Worden. I forgot how chaotic and loud a full van can be, but it was fun to listen and participate in the different conversations. We arrived in Coupeville at the ferry terminal in great time. Forty minutes before the ferry was to leave. It left us the perfect amount of time to play Duck, Duck, Bang and Ninja in the parking lot. 

Fierce game of Ninja at the ferry terminal

Once on the ferry, the looks we got while fifteen adult/teens got out of the van was priceless! It looked like a ridiculous amount of people in one vehicle. 

All those people fit in one van! 

We admired the view and eventually met up on the Mezzanine deck of the ferry where it was relatively quiet and clear. We had to take what is now a traditional ferry picture for us. 

We arrived at Fort Worden hungry and ready to explore. We grabbed lunch things and headed for the beach. 

Some things you should know:

Gracie+Beach= Friends

Gracie+Beach= Frolicking 

Gracie+Beach= Happiness 

Gracie+Friends+Beach= Bliss + <3

So we ate our Robin Hood lunch of French bread, meat, cheese and sand. Washed it down with Mucho Mango tea and water and hand pies. 

The beach explorers took off, running and laughing down the beach, we were happy. There was real sand between our toes and sun in our eyes. The majority of them ran around the bend in the beach and way out from eyesight. Since shoes, socks, bags, wallets and food were still at our original lunch area, I stayed relatively close looking for cool rocks and shells and talking with Lindsay. 

After a good hour or so, the beach wanderers were called back (I'm mean, what can I say), so we could go explore the fort. They came back with smiles, covered in sand and some wet. 

The beached boat was our next destination. We had to get a group picture there and recreate the recreated Washington Crossing picture from last time... 

We went next to explore the upper bunkers. They were pretty much all the same, but still pretty sweet and not as busy as the lower bunkers. We always search for the best singing bunker. Part way through the exploring, Nick, John and I ditched in hopes of finding a different room to sing in, or just get away from the rest of the group. I think a good scare would have been planned as well. It was fun. I took a bunch of picture as we continued to explore, we ran around, sang and looked around more. 

Near the end, some of us got "separated" from the rest of the group (we thought they would find us, but instead, they went all the way back to the van). It gave us a chance to sing a little as a smaller group. The funnest part was when this dad and his three girls walked past and we screamed really loudly and Ian banged on his Cajon, then silence. When we stepped out into the hall, no one was there. It was awesome! 

Overall the time at Fort Worden was a blast, although it could have been longer.... 

The second ferry ride was us hanging on that same Mezzanine deck the entire time. Gracie gave me a killer neck massage. I was so out that walking back to the car was really really weird feeling. 

Since spending ten hours together wasn't enough to satisfy anyone, we went to Fort Ebey to watch the sunset and sing some more. It was the perfect way to spend the evening. The acoustics in the large room at Fort Ebey were way better than any of the others at Fort Worden. 

It was a sweet time and once again, I am left thinking that I know a great group of people and am thankful for my friends. Until next adventure... 

Crater Lake

It was a rather spontaneous plan, made in the parking lot of a movie theater at 2am. A plan that none of us actually thought would happen. A little less than two weeks later after much planning, some challenges and lots of excitement, we got in the van and began to drive. We kept looking at each other. Eyes lit. Smiles wide. Hearts happy. We were on a road trip. It was immediately comfortable, like being with family, we had talks and silences, serious and jesting conversations, we sang, danced and snacked away the 476 mile drive down to Crater Lake, Oregon. Best weekend of my life.

We stopped off at Cannon Beach to have lunch and to see the beach. It holds fond memories for the majority of us, but now it has even more fond memories of getting drenched by misty rain. Of frolicking in the waves. Of soggy hair and cold feet. Of homeless chic and delicious warmth from Insomnia Coffee.

And then more driving. Warming up under blankets, snacking on peach rings and figuring out that veggie straws are way more fun to eat when you blow out as you bite. Crumbs were everywhere. From Oregon gas stations and an overly flirtatious attendant to pulling over for yet another bathroom break (yes, I lost the game the most) we drove. The excitement of realizing that in just a few short hours were were out of state. 

We set up camp, including not bringing a proper second tent, which meant the boys suffered a bit as far as the sleep department... Ate dinner and literally hung around the campfire for hours until it became dark enough to see the stars. The adventure to find a "good" stargazing location in and of itself was fun and entertaining, if not a little scary as we drove down construction roads in the black of night around Crater Lake. We found a glorious field (a dessert, actually) that was dark and perfect. As far as looking up. It was so breathtakingly beautiful I can hardly describe it, but I will try.

The view was vast, we lay, heads together in the center, blankets, sleeping bags and towels keeping us warm and laying on a tarp to keep up dry. None of us knew that apparently Crater Lake is among the top ten dark sky locations in the National Park System. We could see so many stars. We laughed at the location of the big dipper and how some of us couldn't see it. We held our breath, then burst out laughing, but that was the only sounds. There was no constant roar of the highway, so sirens or dogs barking. Pure, blissful silence with the only sound being the peaceful breathing of these friends. We lay out in that field until we were gibberish with exhaustion, or in some cases, fell asleep. We could see so many stars, layers upon layers of stars and breathtaking shooting stars. We were also extremely lucky to have had a new moon that night, so it was even darker! It gave me perspective and made me appreciate God so much more. 

The next morning I was up first. I walked down to Diamond Lake and sat on the dock. I made hash for breakfast and we packed up the tent and campsite. We took our time. We drove to Crater Lake and the first sight of it in the day light was mind blowing and made me unreasonably excited. I had wanted to go here for many many years.

We drove around, stopping at many of the outlooks and taking pictures or hiking past fence lines. We hiked up to a lookout tower and sat on the edge just looking at the magnificent view. It felt so unreal.

The drive home was more or less dreaded, not because of the distance, but because none of us wanted this short little adventure to end. None of us wanted to recognize that we were going different directions within a few weeks. Our conversations skipped between serious and giggly. Friendships strengthened. Sure we've known each other for ages, some, up to eleven years, but in that particular, short weekend we became true friends.

Since then, we've gone on other adventures, expeditions to forts, watching sunsets and starry nights, late night talks and near constant Facebook chats. Then it happened, life got in the way. I left first, making the 2385 mile journey to Tennessee. Another left a week or so later to begin his 1500 (ish) mile drive to Arizona and closely following that, my best friend made the 5239 mile journey to Peru for a missions trip.

And that is my little story of one of my most favorite weekends of my life.

Planning Another Adventure

So today, I was looking at pictures on Instagram of Fort Worden. A completely different fort from the one we visited.... At first, I thought it was just people miss labeling their photos, but decided to look it up.

This blog showed me what exactly I was missing.... The majority of Fort Worden went unexplored by me and my friends! We explored 2/9 of the bunkers!

So I guess I'll have to plan another outing to explore that part of the fort. I wonder if it is pretty quiet, seeing as even I didn't realize it was there and I did some research... Good thing is, there's another fort, Fort Flagler that is 40 minutes away from Fort Worden. It is the fort that completes the triangle... 

It too looks like a fun fort to explore! And it's on an island! So, for those of my friends up for another adventure... Looks like we have two destinations to check out in late July or early August.

According to Ev, you've seen one fort, you've seen them all. I disagree and can't wait to go exploring again! Perhaps we'll even find a better singing bunker.

And I'll learn from my mistakes and make reservations for the ferry and bring enough water/snacks ;-) 

Fort Worden Adventure

You know the times when you see your friends at different activities, but you don't actually get to hang out and talk with them? That's how I've felt pretty much the entire time since I've been home. I've seen friends at dancing, volleyball, Jane's choir and birthday parties. But it's not the same as actually getting to hang out with no real schedule or plans.

Nate Miles and I while trying to arrange a day to go somewhere as a group of friends, could not settle on a date, pushing it out into June. Big family with older kids problem right there... So on a more spontaneous idea, we set the date for Sunday, just over a week away. Ridiculous that everyone we wanted to come was able to come that day! But skipping Church... 

8:45 Sunday morning, a Jamieson, a couple Hackings, a few Miles and three Fuji's embarked in the rather dirty 15 passenger van and headed Northwest to Coupville. We really wanted to catch the 10:15 ferry, so we were cutting it way too close. I was positive we would have to wait for the 11:45 ferry (which is way too long to wait). We were sooooo excited that we were the second to last car boarded on that ferry. They had me re-park after the initial time pulling up in order to get us to fit. We were stoked to be on that ferry and many high-fives went around. 

Needless to say, we had a blast on the ferry, both admiring the view, losing members of our group and then sending other off to find them, then people to find the people who were sent to find the original group who had just returned. It turned into an endless cycle of missing people. It was hilarious! 

We finally got to Fort Worden and after posing for pictures in the beached boat, we explored the fort. It was just as cool as I remembered. Almost all the doors opened and closed, hardly any were welded closed and the super narrow (almost creepy narrow) pathways between bunker rooms were super sweet. We did a lot of singing in the bunkers because the acoustics are amazing in those rooms! 

We had our standard Robin Hood lunch on the REAL sand beach and then while the others explored, Nate, Lindsay and I found an even better bunker to sing in. We had fun singing before being joined by the others. I felt a little bad doing a Sunday since everyone goes to Church, but I have to say, the fellowship and worship that happened in that bunker was 10x better and more natural then going to Church. :-D 

Even though we left plenty of time to get back to the ferry, most people made reservations for that particular ferry, so we were stuck at the terminal for an additional 1+ hour. John, Jane and I played card games while the other explored Port Townsend. All of us played Quack, Quack, Bang and Ninja until it was time to board. 

As if that day wasn't crazy enough as is, Ian and I took Kaylie to volleyball and caught the last game before heading home and to bed. Now to clean up the van and wait patiently until the next time we can have a crazy adventure like this one was. I love this particular set of friends, they're so easy to be around, we're like one crazy family. <3