FIVE EASY PLACES: ISLAND GEMS OF THE SOUTH SOUND My husband and I could keep our boat Murrelet almost anywhere. It is a trailerable MacGregor 26x with a swing keel, so our options include a friend’s dock on Lake Washington, a cousin’s yard in Skagit County, and a marina in our home port of Seattle, among others. Over the years, we have moored at Shilshole, Friday Harbor, and various locations on Vancouver Island—all of which provided a jumping off point to celebrated destinations. This might surprise you, but our favorite place to keep 48º NORTH
the boat is the South Sound. Why? Because we prefer the cruising grounds around Olympia. Five Washington State Parks in particular offer the quiet beauty and rural charm that characterize the region, along with public access to appealing anchorages. These are places to view the natural world up close, remarkable for their opportunities for solitude as well as for their stunning scenery. Sailors who venture here will find relatively uncrowded beaches and trails—and, as a bonus, remnants of island and maritime history.
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