Reflections...

When Larry asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday trip, I at first chose Mount Rainier, but decided that this wasn't the best time of the year for a visit. Then I thought of Deception Pass, one of my favorite places since I was a child. Larry and I had visited there a couple of times together and he loved it as well, so that was where we would go!

We had driven to the park a couple of weeks ago to pick out the perfect campsite - number 229. Our reservations were made and we were packed and ready!

The rack on top of my little car is truly a blessing. The tent, cots, camp box, Coleman stove, and sleeping bags fit there nicely, leaving room in the back of the car for everything else.

We're here!

When we visited a couple of weeks ago, I was so taken by the view of Cranberry Lake, that I didn't notice the somewhat steep hill that led down from the parking space to the  campsite. When we got out of the car I was worried that my bad knee would have trouble getting down the hill, but all was well, and we proceeded to carry everything down.

Unpacking the tent.

The lake through the trees.

Almost done...

After we got the camp set up, we drove down to West Beach...

 and settled in for some relaxation time...

I had brought along my latest cross stitch project - a miniature Navajo blanket for my dollhouse.

One of the Navy Jets from nearby Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

We headed back to the campground.
 

 I walked down the short trail to the edge of the road and took some pictures of the ducks on
 Cranberry Lake.

 

Walking back to the campsite...

Ferns

  and Oregon Grape

Larry got a fire going...

and a lot of doggy kisses!

Before the trip, Larry and I pulled out this book that I had gotten him a few years ago

 and planned our menus...

Dinner for the first night was oyster stew, but I neglected to take pictures of  our meal preparation! I'm not a big fan of oysters, and I was a bit dubious about those that came out of a can, but it was delicious. And after eating it I noticed that my arthritis was much better when I climbed up the hill to the water faucet to rinse the dinner dishes. Coincidence? I think not!

As dusk settled in, the reflections on Cranberry Lake were incredible...

 

Another thing I had failed to note when we picked out this campsite, was the distance from the restrooms. It was a little bit of a hike, but once we figured out the short-cut, it wasn't too bad. We walked up there before bedtime and soon were ready to crawl into out sleeping bags. We had read this warning on the park website before making reservations...

Please note: 

 "U.S. Navy jets from nearby Naval Air Station Whidbey Island may fly over the campground at any time for several hours. Navy personnel conduct training missions which are not announced ahead of time. Depending on the direction of the wind, their flight pattern may put them above the park, creating noisy conditions for campers. State Parks cannot be responsible for this significant intrusion into your camping experience."

but we didn't realize just how loud they were! 

I handed Larry a fresh pair of ear plugs and we made the best of things!