It's been so nice out here in Bellingham this week. Foggy cold mornings that open up into bright blue skies and sunshine! I love it. It makes me appreciate the sun even more especially after all those dark rainy days. My back has been all wonkey this week though, so I didn't get out as much as I would have liked. So Becky and I decided that yesterday would be the perfect day to take the ferry to Orcas Island and take a small hike to the top of Mt. Constitution, the highest point in the San Juan Islands. I have only been to Orcas once, when it was dark, so I thought this sounded like a great idea! The hike was only supposed to be about 2 miles round trip, so I thought my back would be fine for this. We checked out the ferry times and made our plans. We would pack up the boys after their morning naps, drive down to Anacortes take the noon ferry to Orcas, hike up to the top of the mountain, check out the gorgeous views of the entire Puget Sound, take some photos, and then go home on the 5 pm ferry. The boys would be home in time for their 7 pm bedtime! Great idea! Well... it didn't go exactly as planned :-)
We made it to Anacortes in time. The babies were a little fussy but pretty good. They were super excited to be outside in the sunshine. But then they wouldn't nurse. Too much going on. We got on the ferry. It was nice and quiet. The sun was shining. They had some avocado for lunch. Becky and I ate something. They still didn't eat much. Of course when we got off the ferry it was close to their nap times and so they fell asleep on the 20 minute drive from the ferry to the parking lot of the hike. When we got outside and parked, where we thought the hike started, it was cold, the babies started crying and the sign said 1.8 miles instead of 1.0 miles. We looked at the clock and thought, we can still make it in time. We got Corbin and Brody all dressed in their snow suits, hats, mittens, and put them in the packs. They weren't too happy at first. It was cold and windy out. Below freezing. No sun in the shade. Then we got on the trail. The sign then said 2.2 miles... hmmm... I guess we can still make it. We plugged along... then we hit snow. Yep. Snow. The trail is on the North East side of the mountain and thus does not get too much warming sun. So now we were slowed down by snow. In our tennis shoes. With babies on our backs. Below freezing temps. My back hurting. Me being out of shape. Get the picture? We sang some songs, pointed out what we were looking at, for the most point the babies were in a pretty good mood. Corbin fell asleep again. We continued on in the snow. Some parts of the trail were right on the edge with a steep drop off and snow. I was a little nervous especially since my back was hurting me, so I didn't feel as stable. There were some pretty amazing views. You could seem Mt. Baker, the islands, the plains of the Skagit and Nooksack rivers. It was gorgeous! We finally made it up to the top. The boys started crying again. It was cold and windy. We tried to get some pictures. We climbed to the top of the tower and got another couple take our picture. When we finally looked at the time it was already 3:30! Yikes! It had taken us almost an hour and a half to get up. And going down wasn't going to be much faster because of the snow. And we still had almost 20 minutes to get back to the ferry. And my back was really hurting now! So we loaded the boys up again. Corbin was not happy with me. He was cold. He was tired. He cried a lot more going down. He finally fell asleep for a little while but then got jostled awake when I went I got kinda stuck in the snow. He stared crying harder. We decided to go out to the road at the parking lot that we had meant to start at and walk down the road, which would at least be snow free. Corbin lost his hat and Becky was too far ahead of me to get her to put it back on. So I had to move him around to the front to both put the hat on and to comfort him because he was pretty upset. Which made me go even slower because now I had this 18 pounds in front and my back hurt and their was still snow and so I had to watch my step around Corbin... ahh... When we finally got to the road it was 4:30. We tried to book it as fast as we could. Could we make it? We tried to rush and throw the boys in their car seats. They screamed at us... the clock said 4:45. There was no way were were going to make the 5 pm ferry. So...
We nursed the boys. Called and found out that there was a 7pm ferry. Decided to go into town and get some food and then go to the ferry. When we finally got into town, found a restaurant, changed the wet diapers, ordered our burgers and beer, fed the babies, watched them be happy to be out of their packs, we somehow forgot about the time again... I looked at my cell phone and it said 6:41! Ahhh... Becky shot out of the restaurant, I paid the check. Corbin and Brody screamed to be in the car again all strapped in. We got behind a slow truck, passed him, and then pulled up to the ferry dock as the ferry was pulling away. My phone said 7:02. Shit. After the shock of not only having missed one ferry but now two. All we could do was laugh!
The next ferry was at 9:10 pm. But it went to Friday Harbor on San Juan first finally getting into Annacortes at 11:15 pm! There was nothing we could do but wait. At the ferry dock. We changed the boys again, screaming of course, got back into the car. Called our husbands. Listen to them laugh at us. Let the babies crawl around the front of the car wanting to touch everything. Becky finally got Brody to go to sleep but not Corbin. No he wanted to be awake. Too much excitement! He pooped again. And then finally let me nurse him to sleep as the ferry was getting there. We finally got on the ferry with the babies asleep on our laps. You think the adventure is over... but no... The ferry left. Only to stop and idle in the middle of the water and then turn around! Yes, turn around! A car had not gotten off! So we had to turn around and go back. 20 minutes later we were on our way again... We successfully transferred the babies to their car seats so we could be free to go to the bathroom and get water. We finally saw the lights of Anacortes. And here was our final bad timing decision. We thought we would buckle them in... well they woke up and screamed and we were still not at the ferry dock. One baby would cry, then the other. It was a comedy of errors. Once we were on the road they finally fell back to sleep but not without some pretty sad crying. Wow.
What an adventure. Corbin was finally home in bed by 12:30. Moms' idea of a fun time and the babies were different. They were troopers. We made it and now have a story to tell.
We made it to Anacortes in time. The babies were a little fussy but pretty good. They were super excited to be outside in the sunshine. But then they wouldn't nurse. Too much going on. We got on the ferry. It was nice and quiet. The sun was shining. They had some avocado for lunch. Becky and I ate something. They still didn't eat much. Of course when we got off the ferry it was close to their nap times and so they fell asleep on the 20 minute drive from the ferry to the parking lot of the hike. When we got outside and parked, where we thought the hike started, it was cold, the babies started crying and the sign said 1.8 miles instead of 1.0 miles. We looked at the clock and thought, we can still make it in time. We got Corbin and Brody all dressed in their snow suits, hats, mittens, and put them in the packs. They weren't too happy at first. It was cold and windy out. Below freezing. No sun in the shade. Then we got on the trail. The sign then said 2.2 miles... hmmm... I guess we can still make it. We plugged along... then we hit snow. Yep. Snow. The trail is on the North East side of the mountain and thus does not get too much warming sun. So now we were slowed down by snow. In our tennis shoes. With babies on our backs. Below freezing temps. My back hurting. Me being out of shape. Get the picture? We sang some songs, pointed out what we were looking at, for the most point the babies were in a pretty good mood. Corbin fell asleep again. We continued on in the snow. Some parts of the trail were right on the edge with a steep drop off and snow. I was a little nervous especially since my back was hurting me, so I didn't feel as stable. There were some pretty amazing views. You could seem Mt. Baker, the islands, the plains of the Skagit and Nooksack rivers. It was gorgeous! We finally made it up to the top. The boys started crying again. It was cold and windy. We tried to get some pictures. We climbed to the top of the tower and got another couple take our picture. When we finally looked at the time it was already 3:30! Yikes! It had taken us almost an hour and a half to get up. And going down wasn't going to be much faster because of the snow. And we still had almost 20 minutes to get back to the ferry. And my back was really hurting now! So we loaded the boys up again. Corbin was not happy with me. He was cold. He was tired. He cried a lot more going down. He finally fell asleep for a little while but then got jostled awake when I went I got kinda stuck in the snow. He stared crying harder. We decided to go out to the road at the parking lot that we had meant to start at and walk down the road, which would at least be snow free. Corbin lost his hat and Becky was too far ahead of me to get her to put it back on. So I had to move him around to the front to both put the hat on and to comfort him because he was pretty upset. Which made me go even slower because now I had this 18 pounds in front and my back hurt and their was still snow and so I had to watch my step around Corbin... ahh... When we finally got to the road it was 4:30. We tried to book it as fast as we could. Could we make it? We tried to rush and throw the boys in their car seats. They screamed at us... the clock said 4:45. There was no way were were going to make the 5 pm ferry. So...
We nursed the boys. Called and found out that there was a 7pm ferry. Decided to go into town and get some food and then go to the ferry. When we finally got into town, found a restaurant, changed the wet diapers, ordered our burgers and beer, fed the babies, watched them be happy to be out of their packs, we somehow forgot about the time again... I looked at my cell phone and it said 6:41! Ahhh... Becky shot out of the restaurant, I paid the check. Corbin and Brody screamed to be in the car again all strapped in. We got behind a slow truck, passed him, and then pulled up to the ferry dock as the ferry was pulling away. My phone said 7:02. Shit. After the shock of not only having missed one ferry but now two. All we could do was laugh!
The next ferry was at 9:10 pm. But it went to Friday Harbor on San Juan first finally getting into Annacortes at 11:15 pm! There was nothing we could do but wait. At the ferry dock. We changed the boys again, screaming of course, got back into the car. Called our husbands. Listen to them laugh at us. Let the babies crawl around the front of the car wanting to touch everything. Becky finally got Brody to go to sleep but not Corbin. No he wanted to be awake. Too much excitement! He pooped again. And then finally let me nurse him to sleep as the ferry was getting there. We finally got on the ferry with the babies asleep on our laps. You think the adventure is over... but no... The ferry left. Only to stop and idle in the middle of the water and then turn around! Yes, turn around! A car had not gotten off! So we had to turn around and go back. 20 minutes later we were on our way again... We successfully transferred the babies to their car seats so we could be free to go to the bathroom and get water. We finally saw the lights of Anacortes. And here was our final bad timing decision. We thought we would buckle them in... well they woke up and screamed and we were still not at the ferry dock. One baby would cry, then the other. It was a comedy of errors. Once we were on the road they finally fell back to sleep but not without some pretty sad crying. Wow.
What an adventure. Corbin was finally home in bed by 12:30. Moms' idea of a fun time and the babies were different. They were troopers. We made it and now have a story to tell.
5 comments:
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Oh my goodness, Erin. You're one brave soul. :) I don't think I would've even attempted it! But you all got some awesome stories to tell out of it!
Well it was a great idea and what a great experience! I'm glad the boys were little troopers for you guys. I must say....that's what you get for cancelling simple plans.LOL (only kidding)
Shay
Well, I'd say you are well prepared for any kind of travel disasters at this point! What a crazy day you had!
That is quite the story! You would be hard pressed to make it more ridiculous. Glad you finally made it home with some beautiful pictures and memories though!
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