Washington Park, Anacortes revisited

 One of two deer we saw in the park

Large cargo and tanker ships go in and out of Anacortes harbor.  There are three refineries in Anacortes where Alaskan oil is refined for use in the Northwest.  We saw several of these large ships in the bay. 

Last year when we visited Washington Park in Anacortes, Washington we saw lots of wildflowers, great views of Puget Sound, and Eagles soaring overhead.  The last few hikes we have gone on recently we hoped to find Fawn Lilies but did not.  Since we had found them at this park before we thought it might be the best chance this year to see some again.  However, due to the warm winter and early spring we were too late and found the leaves only, the flowers long since gone.  We did see a grouping of 20 or so Chocolate or Checkered Lilies.  Bob said it is the most he has ever seen.  We also saw Shooting Stars, Blue and White Camas, Monkey Flower, Nooka Rose, Spotted and Striped Coralroot, Pink Sea Blush, two deer, birds, and a Great Blue Heron on the shore by the parking lot.

 One of the first plants we saw was this magnificent Spotted Coralroot shown above

 Above and below, Shooting Stars

 Two of approximately 20 Chocolate Lilies growing near the cliff side

 Salal

 Nooka Rose

 Blue violet

 Above and below, pink Sea Blush and Death Camas with lichen

 Blue and Death Camas with a little pink Sea Blush in grass

 Striped Coralroot

 Blue Camas

 Yellow Monkey Flower and trailing Blackberry

 Naturalized Iris

Yellow daisy-like flower and Yarrow

The weather was perfect, not too hot nor too cold.   This destination always scores high on the trail reports Bob makes and more than lived up to previous trips.  The paved loop road can be driven in a car or walked on foot.  When walking there are plenty of side trails to take that wind away from the pavement and into meadows or woods.  Only in one place did we need hands as well as feet to go a short distance up a rocky, narrow incline to reach the lookout point where we stopped to have a picnic lunch before continuing on to complete the loop. 

 A section of the loop road

 View from the picnic area

The Havekost monument above was named for a German Immigrant, T. Henry Havekost, who settled in Anacortes in the 1870s and was a pioneer speculator and industrialist.   Havekost donated the land on which Washington Park now stands. 

 Views of Anacortes from the hill top scenic view point a short distance from the park.

 Great Blue Heron standing on the shoreline rocks near the parking lot for the loop trail