But first, look at this!  We ate dinner at the Steelhead Diner again last night and feeling a little more awake than last time, I could take a closer look (and photograph) the fishing flies.  This one was labelled with the following details:

Isn’t it pretty?  Love the purple!

Anyway, Hushpuppies were on the menu and Mary suggested we give them a try.  They tasted good, even if she did think that any self respecting Southerner wouldn’t recognise them!

This morning we loaded up the car and set off immediately after breakfast (at Lowells again) having put together a picnic of delicious cheese, bread and peaches from the market.  We were heading north, eventually to cross the bridge over to Whidbey Island, where we had rooms booked at The Boatyard for a couple of nights.

First, a little retail therapy at an Outlet mall, though none of us were really in the right frame of mind and our only purchases were one bag and three soft drinks!  Though there was a Chicos outlet there, we noted that almost everything was labelled “Chicos Additions” and was, we suspected, made for the outlet market rather than being reduced “real” stock.  Highly coloured, very patterned and mostly made of synthetic fabrics, these were generally not to our taste at all.

On then, through the rural scenery of dark greens under grey skies, towards La Conner, a small town noted in our guides as being worth a visit.

Spot on – a fine main street with a handful of individual shops in historic landmark buildings.  Just right for a potter about around lunchtime, especially since the sun had come out by now.  We looked around a couple of stores, one of which had several lovely things to tempt us, but we resisted the urge to buy and returned to our picnic instead!

La Conner was a delightful place and we very much enjoyed our stop.  I love this little corner with the poppies, their colour looking especially good against the pale grey clapboard building.

From here, it was a breathtaking ride through the lovely Skagit Valley and on towards Anacortes and the bridge over to the islands.

Such a blue/green landcape, this, becoming more wooded as we reached Whidbey Island.

Whilst the others photographed the view, I was looking closely at the wood, thinking that these patterns could prove useful for the NYC art course next month!

Finally, we reached The Boatyard Inn and boy, were we pleased with our (ok, Mark’s) choice!   We have a wonderful suite overlooking the water, complete with comfortable sitting area and fully fitted kitchen.

After eating out three nights in a row, it’s great to buy in a few bits and pieces and sit and watch TV in such comfort!  Mary, too, has a similarly well equipped room and the warm welcome from Mynda, the innkeeper, was delightful.

We have a fair bit of driftwood to explore tomorrow, too!

So, overlooking the Saratoga Passage, we’re sitting here eating M&Ms, drinking Blue Moon beer and watching the 25th Anniversary performance of Les Mis on the TV.  How good is that?