HARBORS Connecting People, Places, Adventure and Lifestyle.
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The Whales
Summer 2011
Golfing
Called “Killer”
Victoria, BC
Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula, WA
Adventure Fishing
Dent Island Lodge, BC
Friday Harbor B&B San Juan Island, WA
Concours d’Elegance Kirkland, WA
Everybody has a favorite parking spot.
Seen in All
the BeSt PlAceS
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Nature Designed Exteriors
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Waterfront Views Luxury Suites Designer Kitchens & Baths Indoor & Outdoor Event Space Spa Treatments Destination Weddings
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On the Olympic Peninsula The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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brentwoodbayresort.com | 888.544.2079 Victoria, British Columbia
SUMMER 2011
Features
10
The Whales Called Killer
18
The Sunshine Coast
22
Dent Island
26
Kenmore Air Destination Maps
30
The Kirkland Concours d’Elegance
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Golf Victoria
41
Friday Harbor’s Dynamic Duo
46
Hitting the Trail
50
South Lake Union - Seattle
53
Go Forth and Catch Crabs
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Hot Fun—Cool Wines
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2011 Summer Flyaway Destinations
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Flying with Kenmore Air
Observations of The Center for Whale Research
A Land of Dramatic Beauty and Unpredictability
Wilderness Adventures
South Zone / North Zone
Cover Photograph Desolation Sound Dive John Beatty www.floatingsomewhere.com
Where Classic Cars Compete
Golf Central Tours
San Juan Island Lodging and Coho Restaurant
Olympic Peninsula Hikes for Every Ability
What’s New in SLU?
Traps ‘n Tips For These Northwest “Flavorites”
Step outside the Chardonnay and Cabernet Box
Rondezvous Lodge, Deer Harbor Inn, Poets Cove Resort
What You Need to Know Before You Go The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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volume 2 issue 3 HA R B OR S The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine CONTACT P.O. Box 1393 Port Townsend, WA 98368
E: info@harborsmagazine.com W: www.harborsmagazine.com
PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Katherine S. McKelvey GRAPHIC DESIGN Danny McEnerney EDITOR Allen Cox query@harborsmagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS Allen Cox Julie Peg Ken Balcomb Michael Fagin Rebecca Agiewich
Richard Walker Robyn Roehm Cannon Roy Stevenson Terry W. Sheely Vincent Hagel
ADVERTISING SALES ads@harborsmagazine.com WEB DESIGN workin’ man creative PHOTO CREDITS Courtesy of:
Ken Balcomb, pgs. 10-15 Astrid vanGinneken, pg. 14 Mark Malleson, pg. 14 Molly Neely-Walker, pgs. 18-20, Mark Reed, pg. 20 Terry Sheely, pgs. 22-25 Dent Island Lodge, pgs. 23-25 Bob Gassen, pgs. 30-34 Allen Cox, pg. 34 (top) Bear Mountain Resort & Spa, pgs. 36-38 Vincent Hagel, pg. 37 Highland Pacific GC, pg. 39
Vctoria Regent Hotel, pg. 40 A.J. Hunt, pgs. 41-45 Michael Bertrand, pg. 42 Mark Gardner, pgs. 42, 45 (top) Mike Martin, pg. 44 Seastar Restaurant, Seattle, pgs. 50-51 Terry Sheely, pgs. 53-55 Richard Duval, pg. 56 Rendezvous Lodge, pgs. 58-59 Deer Harbor Inn, pgs. 59-60 Poets Cove Resort & Spa, pgs. 60-61
HARBORS magazine is printed by Mitchell Press, Vancouver, BC.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE www.harborsmagazine.com © 2011 by All Ports Media Group
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All rights reserved. Partial or whole reproduction is prohibited. The publisher will not be held responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space of the ad. No changes may be made or cancellation accepted after the publication deadline date. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this magazine or Kenmore Air Harbor, Inc.
HAR B O R S
Welcome to Summer 2011
Harbor Lights A Note from the Publisher
Welcome to our summer issue of HARBORS. This is the best time of year to get out and explore the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. This issue is full of great destinations that will make you want to experience them once you read how wonderful they are. Our main feature is an exciting and interesting look at the orcas, or killer whales, that journey through Northwest waters each summer, attracting thousands of whale watchers every year. Summer highlights the always fun destination of Friday Harbor—home of one of San Juan Island’s best B&Bs—a journey to Dent Island Lodge to fish the waters of Desolation Sound, and golfing Vancouver Island. We also have a historic look at the Sechelt First Nation on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Our three summer flyaways are the luxurious Poets Cove Resort and Spa on BC’s Pender Island, historic Deer Harbor Inn on Orcas Island, WA, and secluded Rendezvous Lodge in the inside passage of the Discovery Island Group near Campbell River, BC. It wouldn’t be summer if we didn’t feature fishing, boating, crabbing and good summer wines, so take a look and you are sure to find something that will inspire you to discover something new and interesting in the Northwest this summer, rain or shine. Be sure to take note of our great advertisers as they are sure to point you in the right direction for some quality summer goods and services. We encourage you to join the HARBORS Travel Club and take advantage of the travel rewards club card. Members receive a subscription to HARBORS magazine and special discounts at participating Northwest destinations. And please visit our Travel Blog at www.harborsmagazine.com to leave some comments for other travelers about your trip. Enjoy the magazine, the view and your destination!
Katherine S. McKelvey Publisher
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EXPERIENCE HANDS-ON H I S TO RY. The Center for Wooden Boats is a hands-on maritime museum located on Seattle’s Lake Union, a stone’s throw away from Kenmore Air. Rent a boat, learn to sail, or just marvel at the forces that make planes fly and sailboats sail.
Both adults and youth can learn to sail in historic wooden sailboats. Non-sailors can rent a rowboat and enjoy a floating picnic in the middle of the city. Do-it-yourselfers can build a wooden boat, cast a bronze oarlock, or learn classical navigation. A short walk through Lake Union Park will take you from Kenmore Air’s Lake Union Terminal to Wooden Boat Paradise. The Center for Wooden Boats | 1010 Valley Street, Seattle, WA 98109 | www.cwb.org
0 Register NOW for a Sailing or Skills Workshop at CWB! 0 LEARN TO SAIL AT CWB SailNOW!: Our most popular learn-to-sail program for adults. Sessions available throughout the year.
UPCOMING SKILLS WORKSHOPS Baidarka Building (Aleut Ikyak): Sept. 24 - Oct. 2 Build your very own skin-on-frame kayak in one week.
One-on-One Sailing Lessons: Need a quick refresher? Glued Lapstrake Canoe Building: Nov. 6 - 11 Haven’t sailed in years but know the basics? We will put you in a 19’ sloop with an experienced instructor who can help you get the feel again. This is also a great option for students who want to learn to sail at their own pace. lessons are scheduled based your availability and schedule.
Learn how to build a lightweight canoe with modern materials and a traditional appearance.
Oar Making: Sept. 24 - 25
Good oars are hard to find! Learn how to make your own in this two-day workshop.
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Welcome to Kenmore Air Whenever people write or talk about Kenmore Air, they often make a big deal of the fact that we are a “family business.” And I guess it is noteworthy that the company my grandfather, Bob Munro, began more than 65 years ago is still in the same business, in the same location and in the same family. I am certainly proud to build on his legacy and that of my other family members who have been—and continue to be—involved in running the company. But when I think of Kenmore Air as a “family business,” I often think about it in a different sense than this. To me, the fact that the airline is family-owned is much less important than the fact that it is family-oriented. By that, I mean that one of our most important functions is enabling families and friends to spend quality time together. And this is never clearer than during this busy summer season. Sure, even in the summertime, we carry people who are traveling strictly for business, who are flying solely to save time in their busy professional lives, and we’re proud to be of service to them. But the vast majority of our summer passengers are playing, not working. And most of them are traveling to be with family and friends. Maybe they’re going to the San Juan islands or Victoria for a reunion or wedding. Maybe they’re meeting on a boat or at a fishing resort somewhere along the Inside Passage. Or maybe they’re using our service to get to Sea-Tac for a flight to see distant relatives. In any case, in a world with so many forces pulling families and friends apart, it’s a tremendous source of satisfaction to all of us at Kenmore Air that we help bring people together. That’s what I mean when I proudly describe us as a “family business.” Have a safe, enjoyable summer with your family and friends, and thanks for flying with us!
Todd Banks President
Flights to all destinations through December 2011 are now available for booking at KenmoreAir.com
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The Whales Called Killer By Ken Balcomb
Whenever I fly the routes of Kenmore Air, I spend most of the time looking out the window at the spectacular Pacific Northwest scenery. It stirs up special emotions to call a little part of the Northwest my home. The snow-capped mountains, the islands, the constantly changing cloud patterns, and the ever changing colors and sparkles of the sea below are candy to my eyes. And, most spectacular in this realm of unparalleled beauty, are
captures for the marine park industry. Within a short time, I was hooked on these charismatic creatures. Nobody knew much about these magnificent animals—actually, large dolphins—when the first killer whales were brought into captivity in the 1960s. Thanks to the remarkable discovery by Dr. Mike Bigg in the early 1970s that free-swimming individual whales could be recognized and photo-identified by the pigment, shape,
Resident killer whales passing by Lime Kiln State Park, also known as the whale watch park.
the iconic killer whales that also call this region their home. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) brought me here nearly forty years ago at the behest of the US government for a contract to census that animal’s population following a decade of
and scar patterns around the dorsal fin, these whales are now well known. In fact, they are the most well-known whales in the world as a result of our photo-identification studies, and other non-invasive research (acoustic, genetic, etc.). A precise census of
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L79 giving some kayakers a close look along the west side of San Juan Island.
the resident killer whale population is conducted annually on both sides of the US-Canada border, a feat virtually unknown for any other wildlife species. Not only do the resident whales call this region home, but the calls, or vocalizations, they make are patterned in distinctive dialects for each geographic community of whales within the region, much like the language patterns of native humans in the Pacific Northwest—Salishan, Wakashan, Tlingit, etc. From genetic studies using sloughed digestive system cells found in the feces collected in the trail of these whales, we know that these geographic whale communities are genetically distinct, and have been for millennia. They do not interbreed. They are nomadic nations unto themselves, irrespective of politi12
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cal borders, but obviously respectful of ecological boundaries. There are southern residents whose core range is near the southern end of Vancouver Island (Fraser/Puget Sound/Columbia River systems), and northern residents whose core range is near Haida Gwai and southeast Alaska (Skeena River system), as well as Alaska residents, Aleutian/Bering Sea residents, and Kamchatka residents; and all are fisheaters, specializing on salmon wherever they are abundant. Photo-identification studies have revealed the fascinating social structure of these whales, beginning with the surprising finding that each resident offspring remains with its mother throughout its life, learning the language, foraging patterns and habits of its matriline. Sisters travel together with their mother and their mother’s
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mother (if she lives long); and, unlike most mammals, the brothers also travel with their matrilineal family—they do not disperse, fight one another, or form harems as was formerly thought. When momma dies (usually as a grandmother or great grandmother at 55-85 years of age) her daughters—the sisters, which by then have produced their own lineages of offspring—still travel together, and, with cousins and other kin, often travel in a group called a “pod.” Sons become socially adrift upon their mother’s death, leading to the curious early finding that male lifespan is much shorter than female lifespan (average 29 years, versus 54 years for females). Maybe they just go into a funk and die, or perhaps for other reasons join the big whale in the sky, but we know they do not relocate to other communities of whales to survive.
Following Mike Bigg’s pioneering efforts at describing the demographics and ecosystem role of these amazing top predators of the ocean, the scientific community designates each whale alpha-numerically, starting with alphabetically naming the pod—A pod, B pod,… J, K, L pods, etc.,—and gives each whale a sequential number within the pod as it is identified—J1, J2,…J46, etc. This may seem clinical, but we do not typically give the whales names, as the name may imply a personality that may not fit the individual or may simply be nonsensical. Scientists do occasionally have a sense of humor, though, as in the recent example of “Harold,” a pubescent young male (L87, now 19 years of age), whose mother died six years ago. He has since traveled closely with two post-reproductive senior females—first, “Maude” 1, or K11, estimated to be 82 years old when she died in June 2010; and, now, “Maude” 2, or J8, who is estimated to be 83 years of age. Those familiar with the relationship depicted in the movie “Harold and Maude” will understand the reference. Whales do have idiosyncratic behavioral traits that are noticeable or obvious with years of careful observation. Some whales are shy and some are very vivacious, frequently spyhopping, breaching and tail-slapping. A generalized behavior that we have surmised is that a mother (or a senior female) plays the role of matchmaker, introducing a young male to mating opportunities with eligible females within the social matrix of the community. We had long surmised, and now know from genetic studies, that the mating structure in resident orca communities is neither random nor monogamous. Both male and female sexual maturity occurs in the early teens, and the females may begin having babies by different fathers in their mid-teens; whereas, the males do not father offspring until they
reach social maturity in their early twenties. The mating is generally between whales in different pods, but always within the community. The older and larger males father most of the offspring. The females produce one baby, or calf, on average at fiveyear intervals from their mid-teens to about age forty, when they become reproductively senescent. The elder females are apparently the social leaders of the pod, and when pods of a community get together these senior ladies often form tight associations lasting for days (perhaps chatting or vocalizing about foraging success and grandchildren). I could go on for volumes relating objective facts and subjective anecdotes about these most fascinating marine creatures of the Pacific Northwest, but I would be remiss if I did not share a few urgent and salient points. First, the southern resident killer whale community, with fewer than 90 individuals, is Endangered and at serious risk of extinction within our lifetime if we do not manage wild salmon resources (especially chinook) sufficient for their diet in both the US and Canada. Second, not all killer whales are “resident.” There are less well known transient and offshore killer whales that episodically visit the inshore marine waters of the Pacific Northwest, and they have a very different story to tell as a result of long-term and patient studies and could very well represent different species.
This is an Island ...You Need a Boat
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SUMMER DISTRIBUTION The summer distribution of the southern resident Orca population is centered around the San Juan Archipelago of islands in Washington State. From late Spring through Autumn/early Winter each year, these whales follow “runs” of salmon migrating from the Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the many rivers flowing into Puget Sound and Georgia Basin. Millions of adult salmon of six species return to the rivers at various times to spawn, and hundreds of them are eaten by the whales each day.
WINTER DISTRIBUTION The late winter distribution for the majority of the resident Orca whales can be characterized as traveling southward along the Pacific coast from Washington toward central California, commencing in December or January. Within a few weeks they return northward from central California to coastal Washington. In some years they travel as far as northern B.C. The whales’ journey appears to be mainly in continental shelf waters, often near coastal (within 12 nautical miles of shore), although that may be an artifact of reporting (observers are typically land-based or aboard nearcoastal vessels). If you see Orca or killers whales anywhere in the North Pacific Ocean, please take photos and contact CWR at www.whaleresearch.com. J pod, and occasionally subgroups of K, L or Transient pods, (see CWR Transcient ID Guide) may venture into Puget Sound, Georgia Basin and around the San Juan Islands at any time; but, the peak season for observing them in interior waters is during the summer and early autumn months.
For additional information about these amazing and charismatic animals, visit www.whaleresearch.com. To report the time, place and details of sightings, call 1-866-ORCANET or visit www.orcanetwork.org.
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San Juan Classic Day sailing
Half Day, Full Day & Multi Day Sails Whales and Sails day Adventure Find us Between the ferry terminal and Kenmore Sea Plane Dock
Island Circumnavigation Sail Private & Custom Charters
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The Olympic Park Runs Through It By Bill McMillan
Nature Nurturing the Human Spirit
In 1961 and 1962, I explored alone from our Boy Scout camp at the headwaters of the Sol Duc River to follow elk trails meandering across snowfields, slopes of heather and huckleberry and around tangled groves of alpine fir. They led to ridge top views of Mt. Olympus and lakes tucked away in lobes of an ancient glacial cirque where trout glided in water clear as air. Using the scoutmaster’s map for bearings to any one of eight lakes within a three-mile radius, I would stuff pilot biscuits and dried fruit in one shirt pocket, a box of fish
sechelt article
By Richard Walker
The Sunshine Coast A Land of Dramatic Beauty and Unpredictability Our kayaks settled off British Columbia’s Miller Island at the confluence of Sechelt Inlet, Jervis Inlet and Hotham Sound. We bobbed gently, clouds swirling in the sky, forested mountains towering above us. A bald eagle spied on us from a cedar. Silence. Then, a whoosh of air behind, in front, all around. Seals— seemingly dozens of them—surrounded us, either curious or bothered by our presence. The sound of their exhaling one by one broke the dead calm. I thought, How do you top this? Twenty-four hours later, I found out. Chatterbox Falls roared as fog shrouded the mountains towering above. Here we were at the end of Princess Louisa Inlet, which Capt. George Vancouver skipped in 1792 because he mistook the entrance to the five-mile inlet for a creek. To get a close-up, safe view of the front of the falls, I took a path leadThe Kwatam-us Totem Pole, commissioned by Egmont Marina Resort, was carved by Sechelt carver Arnold Jones and donated in part by Jones and his wife, Sonja M. Stewa.
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Candace Campo, right, is an anthropologist and experienced kayak guide. On her guided kayak tours, she shares oral history, legends and stories of the shishálh people.
ing to the beach. When I turned and looked up, the mountain sent a wall of mist my way, showering me. Just then, the fog broke, revealing mountain peaks rising more than a mile above me. All of Sechelt, or shishálh, country is like this: A powerful world of breathtaking beauty and Nature’s unpredictability. Fortunately, it’s easily accessible. Kenmore Air has regular seasonal flights into Pender Harbour and Egmont on the Sunshine Coast (www.kenmoreair.com). Or, from Horseshoe Bay northwest of Vancouver, you can take the 50-minute ferry ride to Langdale. Once you’re there, the Sunshine Coast, with its numerous bays, coves, creeks, inlets and lakes, offers camping, canoeing, diving, fishing, golfing, hiking, horseback
Starfish cling to a rock near the confluence of Sechelt Inlet, Jervis Inlet and Hotham Sound. The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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A boat navigates Malibu Rapids at the entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet.
riding, kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing and windsurfing. Past and present blur in this timeless place. The earliest descriptions could have been written yesterday: “Immense cascades dashing down chasms against projecting rocks and cliffs with a furious wildness that beggars all description,” Vancouver’s botanist Archibald Menzies wrote of Jervis Inlet after his visit in the 1790s. In the 1920s, author Wylie Blan-
chet wrote of her first visit to Princess Louisa Inlet: “At certain times of the day, the whole inlet seems choked with mountains, and there is no apparent line between where the cliffs enter the sea and where the reflections begin.” According to shishálh legend, their earliest ancestor, spelmu’lh, first settled at Deserted Bay in Jervis Inlet, at a place called ts’unay. Ch’askin, the thunderbird, helped him raise the cedar roof beams for his longhouse,
Seals rest on a haulout near the confluence of Sechelt Inlet, Jervis Inlet and Hotham Sound.
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Chatterbox Falls roars under fog-shrouded mountains at the end of Princess Louisa Inlet.
and then helped his people build and settle other village sites. At the time of European contact, the shishálh occupied about 80 village sites centered around four principal villages: xenichen, at the head of Jervis Inlet; ts’unay, at Deserted Bay; tewanek, in Sechelt Inlet; and kalpilin in Pender Harbour. Estimates of the early population range from 5,000 to 20,000. In 1986, the Sechelt First Nation became the first aboriginal band in Canada to achieve self-government. Today, the population is about 1,100. There are many ways to see the world of the Sechelt people. But to get the shishálh perspective from oral history, legends and stories, consult a shishálhowned company or tour provider. For example, our boat captain, who was not Sechelt, pointed out village sites and pictographs en route to Princess Louisa Inlet, and our tour included a visit to Malibu, a Young Life
Ministries camp at the mouth of the inlet. But at the Sechelt First Nation tems swiya museum, we learned that Malibu was built on the site of swaywe-lat, a shishálh village. According to Candace Campo, our shishálh kayak guide, a small island in the mouth of the inlet is a burial site. We learned that the pictographs marked memorial and resource sites. And we came to know sites by their names. Chatterbox Falls is ko-kwah-lain-am. Mount Albert, which towers 8,350 feet above the entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet, is sluh-uhtl. Through Campo, we learned about traditional and contemporary environmental stewardship of the shishálh people. Armed with even a little knowledge of culture and history, we came away with a deeper understanding of this awesome place. For regular seasonal flights into Pender Harbour and Egmont on the Sunshine Coast, go to www.kenmoreair.com.
Visiting B.C.’s Sunshine Coast Galleries and Museums: Gift of the Eagle Gallery in Gibsons has a stunning selection of contemporary Northwest Coast Native jewelry, music, painting, pottery, sculpture. Artists represented include Jessica Casey, cedar hats; Carol Evans, watercolors; Janice Morin Stiglitz, carved masks; Roy Henry Vickers, prints; and Joe Wilson, carvings and prints. (www.gibsonslandingbc.com/art_galleries_museums.htm) The House of héwhíwus, or House of Chiefs (5555 Sunshine Coast Highway, Sechelt), is the administrative center of the Sechelt First Nation. It houses the tem swiya Museum, which chronicles the history of the shishálh people with displays of art, baskets, cedar carvings, hand-carved cedar canoes, personal stories, photographs and other artifacts. It’s also where you can catch performances by local dancers, musicians and First Nations storytellers at Raven’s Cry Theatre. At the adjacent tsain-ko Gift Shop, you can shop for books, cedar carvings, gold and silver jewelry and more. At the Sechelt-owned Tsain-Ko Village
Shopping Center, in Sechelt, you can enjoy lunch, see a movie, shop, and go online during a latte break at Starbucks. Kayaking and Nature Walks: Talaysay Tours Kayaking and Cultural Adventures in Sechelt (800-6054643; www.talaysaytours.com) offers three-hour kayaking tours that start at Porpoise Bay Provincial Park near the southernmost part of Sechelt Inlet. Owner Candace Campo is an anthropologist and experienced kayak guide who shares oral history, legends and stories of the shishálh people. You’ll learn about their ecological practices and view many species of marine life. Consider Campo’s Talking Trees Tour, which explores Porpoise Bay Provincial Park trails for a shishálh-led field lesson in medicinal and edible plants. Explore More: A boat tour up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa Inlet will take you to Chatterbox Falls. Jervis is a 30-mile, glacial-carved fjord, walled in by mountains towering
as high as 8,000 feet. The tide flows through the narrow entrance at about 10 knots. For a tour provider recommendation, ask Campo or visit www.sunshinecoast. ca or www.sunshinecoast-bc.com. At 16 knots during tidal change, the Sechelt Rapids at Skookumchuck Narrows on Sechelt Inlet are reportedly the fastest tidal rapids in North America. According to Campo, shishálh canoes traditionally traversed the rapids and, today, experienced sea kayakers take on the challenge. For a view of the rapids, take the Skookumchuck Rapids Trail two miles one-way through temperate rainforest from Egmont to Skookumchuck Provincial Park. Upon return, reward yourself with fresh baked goods and tea at The Green Rosette, a charming bakery near the trail’s entrance. While you’re there, visit Egmont Heritage Centre across the street from the trailhead; this museum features exhibits about the area’s shishálh heritage, as well as the fishing and logging industries (www. egmontheritagecentre.com).
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Dent Island Discovered By Terry W. Sheely
Where Wilderness Adventures Hide in a Beautiful Small Package
Bute Inlet waterfall. 22
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The water is stirring to life, a predator of rare symmetry and raw beauty, edgy with danger. Like good prey, I am simultaneously shot with exhilaration and stunned silent in hypnotic fascination. Justin Farr feathers the stick steering, touches the power and our jet boat skitters and dips at the edge of a gathering whirlpool, a small funnel by Dent Rapids standards, he tells me, but a monster saltwater hole in most other places. It is yards across, feet deep and funneling into the depths like the string of a tornado. The whirlpool grabs a small buckskin log and sucks it down to disappear. This place is forbiddingly understated on navigation charts as Devil’s Hole. We are circling its edge as it gathers into a growing whirlpool on a minor tide change. On a major flood tide, I am told the Devil demands respect and takes its due on anything that floats. Knowledgeable boaters wait for the slack calm before tackling these saltwater rapids and the bullet-proof extroverts who plunge ahead sometimes pay dearly for their impatience. On a wild flood tide, the hole
Waterfront view of Dent Island Lodge, British Columbia.
engorges to 80-feet wide and 20feet deep, an unimaginably powerful funnel that, at its worst, once swallowed a 70-foot boat. At its best, Dent Rapids—with its powerful hydraulics, daring-do seals, plunging eagles and 12-knot roller coaster surge—is simply exhilarating. In our sturdy jet boat, with an experienced pilot on the controls, we ride the edge of the whirl, looking down into the uncontrollable while surrounded by upwelling mushrooms of silky green water. This natural phenomenon is at once frightening and beautiful, fascinating and unforgettable. This trip is already delivering much more than I expected when I stepped onto the pontoon floats of Kenmore Air’s de Havilland Turbine Beaver and
Jetboat navigating whitewater.
onto the dock to shake hands with Justin Farr, general manager of Dent Island Lodge. I know from the website (www.dentisland.com) that I am in for a relaxing getaway—it is the unexpected that staggers me. The low-level flight across the San Juan and Gulf Islands and up the Inside Passage from Washington State proved a spectacular warm-up to this Canadian adventure. Dent Island Lodge is tucked onto a narrow and scenic strip of rock and high ground surrounded by saltwater between Dent Island and the coastal wilderness of British Columbia mainland. Saltwater views are front and rear with flowing tidal surges and pools on both sides. Dent is just one of dozens of calendar-perfect islands where the north end of the Strait of Georgia eases into Desolation Sound and sorts
through the nest of Discovery Islands. Fjord-like Bute Inlet is close, spilling into swirls beneath the Dent Island docks. At 42 miles, it the second longest inlet in the province, a place of black and grizzly bears, Dall’s porpoises and Orcas, giant prawns, little neck clam beaches and coves where coastal history is hidden in moss and alders. Above are eagles and mountain goats, camera-triggering waterfalls, and Coastal Range peaks capped with snow fields and glacier ice. Under the water is the challenge of saltwater salmon, and rivers of rarely-fished sea-run cutthroat and sag-bellied Dolly Varden. Challenging salmon is a huge part of Dent Island’s outdoor draw. Chinook are prime, averaging 18 to 30 pounds (last year’s large catch for the area was
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Tommy Thompson’s 72-pounder). The tight walls and cross currents of Discovery Islands attract a homogenization of pass-through salmon runs from hundreds of BC and Washington natal streams and, in season, anglers target chinook, coho, chums and pinks with a scattering of oil-rich sockeye. Like many, I came here to fish for prime chinook salmon, plunged into the challenge and ferocity of a rare beach fishery for 20-inch cutthroat and Dolly Varden char, and immediately dug to make room on the itinerary for the unanticipated slew of adventures that Justin ticked off. While summer salmon fishing is good, experienced visitors leave room for adventures into spectacular places—jet boat excursions skimming through the wild and infamous rapids at Yuculta, Arran, and Dent; a 40 mile run into the mountains up Bute Inlet, viewing eagles, marine wildlife, grizzly (from platforms built at bear fishing sites on Orford River) and black bears, as well as glaciers and waterfalls with jet boat runs up remote Southgate and Homathko rivers. In these rivers, Justin tells me, with a good fly or light spinning rod I can catch 200 trout and char a day. Dent is a small modern lodge, 18 guests at most and a ratio of about one staffer per guest. It is naturally landscaped and nearly invisible from the water, designed to blend into the cedar, fern and snowberry background,
creating a Zen-like natural tranquility. The polished wood, regional art, fireplaces, and white linen-covered dining tables lend just enough creature comforts. Evenings arrive with quiet purples and shadows of twilight on the water, five-course dinners from Chef Pascal Morin, provincial and international wines, and creative desserts that dissolve on my tongue but can be burned off on treadmills and stair-climbers arranged in a room of floor-to-ceiling views of BC marine spectacular. Later, there will be a deep soak in a hot spa on a deck overlooking the crazily surfing harbor seals rocketing down Canoe Pass. Each day ends engulfed in a chair in front of a fireplace in one of three large cabins spaced in the rhododendrons, drooping hemlocks, native flowers and ferns on the maze of winding brick walkways. For all its civilized satisfactions, make no mistake, this is a wild place, where wildlife is seen from porch railings and boat decks. Giant Steller sea lions glare from their rocky haul out, and harbor seals cut sharp vee wakes in a surge that seems impossible to swim. On shore, a blacktail doe pushes a fawn uphill into the hemlock swags and a black bear forages beach rocks for purple mussels. Above us, an eagle circles on the wind and, as the sun burns away the overcast, we catch flashing glimpses of a glistening ice pack. I grin, anticipating the day’s adventures. www.dentisland.com
Dent Island Lodge manager, Justin Farr, with a sea-run cutthroat.
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Topographical data by True North GIS. Map Š2009 Kenmore Air Harbor, Inc. All rights reserved.
Olympia to Nanaimo
South Zone Kenmore Air Destination Map
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For Reservations Call (866) 435-9524 • www.KenmoreAir.com
Topographical data by True North GIS. Map Š2009 Kenmore Air Harbor, Inc. All rights reserved.
Nanaimo to Port Hardy
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For Reservations Call (866) 435-9524 • www.KenmoreAir.com
The Kirkland Concours d’Elegance
By Allen Cox
Main display field opening day of the 2010 Kirkland Concours d’ Elegance at Carillon Point.
The Kirkland Concours d’Elegance has become the Northwest’s premier classic car show. Held at tony Carillon Point on the shore of Lake Washington every September, planners of this event are about to break out the bubbly and celebrate its ninth birthday in 2011. Kirkland Concours Chairman Jeff Clark says, “The Concours isn’t only an opportunity to see some of the finest and rarest automobiles in the world 30
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compete—it’s about helping children.” This non-profit exists for the sole purpose of raising much-needed funds to make sure no child with a medical need is turned away from two of Seattle area’s hospitals: Seattle Children’s Hospital and Evergreen Hospital Medical Center. By buying a ticket to the event, you know your money is making a huge difference in some child’s life. In its first five years, Concours raised more
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than $1.4 million to help children, and its fund-raising engine’s pistons are still firing. The Kirkland Concours originated as a concept by a few local collectors who wanted to begin a Pebble Beachstyle event in the Northwest, but on a smaller scale and with a more socially casual feel. According to Marc Nowak, one of the founders, “We didn’t want the Kirkland Concours to have the
Where Classic Cars Compete number of cars that Pebble Beach has, but we did want to strive for top quality. Some of the cars that show at Kirkland have been Pebble Beach winners.” Why Carillon Point? “We chose Carillon Point because of its beautiful lakeside setting and the amenities with its hotel and restaurants,” says Nowak. “And it has lots of space to show the cars and allow people to get a good look and mingle for the day.” For an adult ticket price of $25, you can spend the day strolling the Carillon Point complex, viewing hundreds of cars in every class, visiting with the owners, watching the judges as they make their rounds, and finally watching the ceremony where judges award the best in class and best in show trophies. At the 2010 event, Owners Bill and Liz Holt were showing their pristine 1939 Lagonda Rapide, which had won
Kirkland Concours d’ Elegance Class Winning, 1953 Hudson Hornet Convertible (Owned by Brent & Connie McKinley).
second in its class at Pebble Beach. When asked what’s the most difficult part of restoring classic cars, Liz Holt replies with a laugh, “Writing the checks.” Spending time around collectors and talking with them, it’s apparent that most are motivated by the beauty of the automobile and the camaraderie they experience with other collectors. Marty
Moore, owner of a 1924 Lincoln visiting from Colorado, comments about his experience as a collector: “Car collecting is an expensive hobby you usually just break even at, but you get the benefit of the experiences of all the other collectors around you. That’s one of the great things about an event like the Kirkland Concours.” Those wanting to see world-class clas-
2010 Best of Show, 1937 Delahaye, Type 135, Figoni & Falaschi (Owned by Peter & Merle Mullen). The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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A bevy of original and significant Ford GT40’s on display at the 2010 Kirkland Concours d’ Elegance.
sics in an even more elegant setting can head 150 miles south and catch the exhibit at Oregon’s Portland Art Museum titled “The Allure of the Automobile,” from June 11-September 11, 2011—a perfect lead-up to the Kirkland event. This year at the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance, several classes are lined up in the competition. “Working Girls” promises to be one of the most interesting. For the first time in its history, the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance
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will include a class of commercial vehicles: light-duty trucks manufactured between 1925 and 1950. This will provide a contrast to the more elegant classes of automobiles that normally grace the event. Of course, the usual elegant classes will compete as well. The 2010 Best in Show was swept up by a remarkable 1937 Delahaye Figoni and Falaschi, owned by Peter and Merle Mullen. On September 11, 2011, you’ll have to come to
Carillon Point and see for yourself what will take this year’s Best in Show. For more details about the 2011 Kirkland Concours d’Elegance, visit www.kirklandconcours.com. The Kirkland Concours d’ Elegance attracts a social network of collectors and enthusiasts who enjoy the festivities and camaraderie of the event.
A vintage Porsche T6 Roadster takes the Tour d’ Elegance in stride. (Sharon & Jeff Clark driving on tour, owner is Peter Hageman) www.harborsmagazine.com
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Tour d’Elegance
Tour Master, Al McEwan. Excitement mounts as an assortment of 30 to 40 people, mostly couples, from around the country convene with their classic cars in Kirkland about three days before the Concours d’Elegance. For these folks, classics are for more than polishing and admiring. They are for driving.
Tour Master Al McEwan’s 1934 Bentley 3-1/2 liter Vanden Plas Tourer. Every year, Al and Sandy McEwan plan a three day route that takes in some of the Northwest’s most scenic back roads and highways. Classic car collectors from all over the country apply to participate. Once the tour begins, the fun is in navigating the McEwan’s meticulous map and directions and learning about the
The 2009 tour stop at collector’s garage in Ellensburg, WA.
HARBORS will be one of the Class sponsors for the 2011 event. We encourage readers to come to the event and for those traveling from the islands Kenmore Air flies directly into North Lake Washington just 15 minutes from Carillon Point in Kirkland.
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points of interest along the way. Al McEwan, an internationally respected expert in pre-World War II vehicles, has been collecting classics for years, and has been touring since 1970. He is one year younger than his 1934 Bentley, winner of best in its class at the esteemed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. “I always have four to five cars at any given time in varying states of restoration,” McEwan says, “but I’ve had that Bentley since 1964.” McEwan judges at the Kirkland event as well as at Pebble Beach. Of course, with so many classic cars rolling down the highway one after another on the tour, heads turn. Onlookers gather whenever the cars amass at a rest point or at a lodge for the night. The proud owners are a friendly bunch; they enjoy telling people about what they’re driving and answering questions from curious onlookers. Most of them actually learn to restore and maintain the cars themselves, outsourcing the more technical or specialized jobs to a professional. But they all have one thing in common, a perfectionist’s insistence that their vehicle be in pristine condition. The 2010 Tour d’Elegance traversed the exhilarating North Cascades Highway and returned across Stevens Pass to end in Woodinville at various wineries where the public could view the autos from the tour. The 2011 Tour will head to the scenic Olympic Peninsula, September 8-10, and no doubt the McEwans will have no difficulty scoping out a suitably scenic and challenging route.
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Famous Golf Quotes “I have a tip that can take 5 strokes off anyone's golf game. It is called an eraser”. - Arnold Palmer
“You don't know what pressure is until you play for 5 bucks with only 2 bucks in your pocket”. - Lee Trevino
“Golf is game in which you yell "fore", shoot six, and write down five”. - Paul Harvey
“There is no surer or more painful way to learn a rule than to be penalized once for breaking it”. - Tom Watson
“I don't think I'll live long enough to shoot my age. I'm lucky to shoot my weight”. - Bruce Lansky
“When you get up there in years, the fairways get longer and the holes get smaller”. - Bobby Locke
“Any game where a man sixty can beat a man thirty ain't no game”.
Tranquility Central
By Vincent Hagel
- Burt Shotten
“By the time a man can afford to lose a golf ball, he can’t hit it that far”. - Lewis Grizzard
“If it goes right, it's a slice. If it goes left, it's a hook. If it goes straight, it's a miracle”. - Unknown
“What goes up must come down. But don't expect it to come down where you can find it”. - Lily Tomlin
“I’m hitting the woods just great. But I’m having a terrible time getting out of them”. - Harry Toscano
“A Gimme: An agreement between two losers who can’t putt”. - Jim Bishop
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The English language, now the most widely spoken tongue on the planet, finds the majority of its roots in a Latin graveyard whose inhabitants are anything but dead. Tranquility, for example, is an abstract noun, denoting calmness. Central, also from Latin, is an adjective meaning at the center. Normally an English adjective precedes its noun, but notably, as in Comedy Central, this adjective inverts its place and becomes central to the phrase’s meaning. In our modern language, this creates a certain syntactical tension and an oxymoron. Traveling from one city to another while seeking tranquility is also oxymoronic, but golfers regularly embrace tension and tranquility. Victoria B.C. is only forty minutes from Seattle on Kenmore Air and provides year-round golf in majestic settings as well as the
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comfortable sophistication of one of Canada’s premier cities. Winter and the shoulder seasons bring many golfers from eastern Canada to Victoria’s eight courses, while the summer season invites those from the southern, hotter climes. One of the stresses of traveling to play golf is organizing the trip. Sometimes, this includes the need to organize for friends as well, since golf ’s social nature is integral to the game. Organizing for our competitors and their various needs—sometimes more needs than we’re ready to face—is hard work, all in the name of relaxation. In 1995, Steve Jackson and Tyler Hadfield recognized that many Victoria-bound golfers sought solace rather than stress, and started Golf Central Tours, a business that has grown remarkably in sixteen years. They’ve
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Golf Central Tours, Victoria, BC made it easy for golfers, especially those of us who fly Kenmore Air. Recently, Leo Troha and I drove from our homes about ninety miles from Seattle and stayed at the historic MarQueen Hotel just a three iron from Seattle Center. The cozy suites include a sitting area, kitchen, and plenty of
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British Columbia. From our interactive Ocean Station to the First Peoples Gallery, we’ll keep you enthralled and entertained. March 2, 2011 to October 10, 2011 The Other Emily Redefining Emily Carr She is known as Canada’s greatest woman artist, but how well do we know the real Emily Carr? This exhibition will shake off the stubborn stereotypes that have come to characterize the iconic artist.
Visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call 1-888-447-7977 Belleville and Government, on Victoria’s Inner Harbour
Golfer Leo Troha & Golf Central Tour’s Steve Jackson. The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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“Talking to a golf ball won’t do you any good unless you do it while your opponent is teeing off”. - Bruce Lansky
“I may be the only golfer never to have broken a single putter; if you don’t count the one I twisted and threw into a bush”. - Thomas Boswell
“Half of golf is fun; the other half is putting”. - Peter Dobereiner
“Follow-through: The part of the swing that takes place after the ball has been hit, but before the club has been thrown”. - Henry Beard & Roy McKie
“If you’re going to throw a club, it is important to throw it ahead of you, down the fairway, so you don’t have to waste energy going back to pick it up”. - Tommy Bolt
“What a shame to waste those great shots on the practice tee”. - Walter Hagen
“In case of a thunderstorm, stand in the middle of the fairway and hold up a one iron. Not even God can hit a one iron”. - Lee Trevino
“There is an old saying: If a man comes home with sand in his cuffs and cockleburs in his pants, don’t ask him what he shot”. - Sam Snead
“My ex-wife has never broken 150. I wish she would stop telling people I taught her how to play golf”. - Bruce Lansky
“A ball will always come to rest halfway down a hill, unless there is sand or water at the bottom”. - Henry Beard
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Lush fairways on the Valley Course at Bear Mountain.
quiet. Wi-Fi keeps you connected to the 21st Century, while enjoying the charm of years gone by. At 8:00 a.m., our Kenmore Otter departed nearby Lake Union, and less than an hour later we landed in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. At the ramp just beyond Canadian Customs, Steve Jackson was waiting for us, and by 9:35 we had checked into the pro shop at Bear Mountain Resort, 1,050 acres of championship golf courses. Our cart was ready, with two sets of upscale Nike clubs, driver through A-wedge putters—another part of the package. We warmed up and at 10:10 teed off with Jordan Ray, the Director of Golf, who guided our 19 holes around the Mountain Course. This was too easy. The Mountain Course lies in the foothills of Mt. Finlayson. The course rises to 1,100 feet above sea level at one point along its 7,212 yards, and will challenge any player from any of its five tees from the shortest to the longest. Bear Mountain hosted The 2010 Talus Skins Game, a test for the pros. Jordan grew up in Victoria, hiking up Mt. Finlayson many times
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with his family as a boy. This particular morning, rather than hike, we rode in comfort. Jack and Steve Nicklaus utilized the slopes of gullies, natural outcroppings of rock, native grasses and trees to provide a unique mountain course, tight and difficult, but stunningly beautiful in its vistas. Jack Nicklaus once commented that every hole on this course was a signature hole, and the panoramas of Mt. Baker in one direction and The Olympics and Victoria in another lend credence to his claim. In the afternoon, we joined two men from Victoria on The Valley Course, which looked as if it were set deep in the British Columbia forests, miles from civilization. It sports fairways wider and more forgiving than The Mountain Course, but makes up for it with very large and complicated bentgrass greens. After our second round, Andrew, a Golf Central Tours driver, was waiting to drive us to The Victoria Regent. Within minutes we were in one of several spacious two-bedroom suites designed to fully accommodate small
groups of golfers, couples, or families. Soon we walked thirty yards to a sushi restaurant, though we could have turned left for seafood, or across the street for Italian. It was an easy and tranquil finish to an exhilarating day. Friday morning, Andrew was ready at 8:15—clockwork! Within minutes we were at Highlands Pacific, a public course with bentgrass greens, new Callaway rental clubs and a doubledecker driving range. The Pacific 9 opened October 2008, and the Highland 9 opened June 2010, but you would never have known the course was nearly new. The fairways are beautifully mown and tight, and the bentgrass greens are smooth and fast enough to have been maturing for years. The course is fair, but you need to stay out of “the hay” that borders most holes. Several holes feature elevated tees and more than a couple of waterfalls. At first, this magnificent 14th Green at Highlands Pacific.
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The Lido, Golf Central Tour’s bistro at the Victoria Regent hotel.
course is like playing in the foothills, then the forests, then the edges of the sky. The Range Café provides good golf course food, and the course hosts many groups and tournaments. Marketing Coordinator, Anney Fagen, took extra care to ensure that each part of our day was perfect. While we drank a beer with our
playing partners from Red Deer, Alberta, Andrew waited to shuttle us back to the city. Our day smoothed out at The Lido, Golf Central Tour’s bistro on the dockside of the Victoria Regent, where we chatted without a care in the world and enjoyed gourmet pizza while waiting for our flight back to Seattle. Tranquil. www.golfcentraltours.com
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Friday Harbor’s Dynamic Duo By Allen Cox
Innkeepers of San Juan Island Lodging When Anna Maria de Freitas and David Pass purchased The Tucker House Inn in Friday Harbor seven years ago, it was after much deliberation and a journey west from Baltimore. The couple was searching for something. More than just a change of pace, they were after a new life— a 180 shift from Pass’ consuming career as a software engineer with a time-gobbling daily commute and de Freitas’ demanding job in public broadcasting that frequently took her on the road. The Pacific Northwest had landed squarely in their sights. At first, they weren’t sure what had called them here but a sense of adventure and the region’s natural beauty, but as they traveled around, staying at inn after inn, a mutual vision began to take shape. “We started casually talking about the inns we were staying in,” Pass says. “Then the conversations became more and more serious. We realized that being innkeepers was something we’d like to do, or at least try.” After looking at properties for sale on Vancouver and Bainbridge Islands, they ended up on San Juan Island. “We spent only 12 hours here and decided San Juan Island was the place for us,” says de Freitas.
The San Juans hold that allure for many who visit this archipelago. The postcard-perfect shoreline scenery, the common bald eagle and orca sightings, and the charm of its villages, such as Friday Harbor, often inspire fantasies of packing up and starting over. In short order, de Freitas and Pass spotted The Tucker House Inn, a wellknown romantic getaway. In a matter of a few short months, they were the proud and enthusiastic owners of this B&B in the heart of Friday Harbor. Back east, they loaded their collection of antiques and art into a moving van
and made the cross-country drive west to their new island home and the new lives that had occupied their dreams. For hands-on innkeepers, personality plays a big role in success. Pass is an easygoing, jovial man—the kind of person who knows no enemies. De Freitas is a petite powerhouse of a woman with seemingly endless energy and drive. She manages the inn’s accounting, human resources, marketing and public relations, teaches strength training classes to seniors, gives flute lessons on the side, and serves on the board of the San Juan Visitors Bureau and sits on the Friday Harbor Town
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Council, all the while being a gracious hostess to her guests day after day. Whew! Pass takes care of the general maintenance needs, more than a full-time occupation given the age of the structures and the number of guests who come and go. And he also finds time to serve on the Lodging Tax Advisory Board.
Schooner
Adventures
Classic Sailing Charters Enjoy the Scenic Beauty, Anna Maria and Dave taking a break after a long day.
“San Juan Island is a small community and if people don’t get involved, things don’t get done,” says de Freitas. When they first arrived in Friday Harbor, their lives were a balancing act of renovations, hosting guests and learning how to be good innkeepers. On day one, The Tucker House Inn was far from turn-key ready. It needed a cosmetic makeover to suit the new owners’ vision. But it had “good bones,” according to de Freitas. They managed the renovations and redecorating, all in keeping with the original turn-of-the-twentieth-century character of the main house and cottages. Next door, another B&B was “a diamond in the rough,” according to Pass. The Harrison House owner approached the couple to ask if they would care to make an offer. The acquisition, actually consisting of two side-by-side structures, would add more suites and garden space, but
Whales and Wildlife aboard our Traditional Sailing Craft from Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands
360.378.2224 www.sanjuanspike.com
would also multiply the couple’s renovation projects. The prospect of the inn occupying nearly an entire city block was too tempting to pass up. Today, The Tucker House Inn and Harrison Houses Suites are essentially one property with seven guest rooms, eight suites, three cottages and a growing number of repeat guests. In fact, that’s what the innkeepers like best about their new-found careers: their guests.
The couple’s innkeeping philosophy is that you can’t operate an inn without a personal touch and it’s that caring, hands-on approach that keeps people coming back from all over the country and the world. De Freitas and Pass value far more than their guests’ well-being, they value the planet’s as well. Conservation, recycling and education are their operating principles. When guests stay at their inns, they know that
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The Coho dining room creates a comfortable and festive ambiance for locals and visitors.
Flat Iron Steak
they are helping preserve the islands’ environment and precious resources. Close proximity to the ferry and to Kenmore Air makes vehicles unnecessary for many guests, water conservation benefits the island’s limited fresh water resources, composting in their own gardens and local farms recycles waste, and partnerships with local farmers help pump vitality into the islands’ agricultural scene and productive lands. The couple’s day begins long before 44
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Wild Columbia River King Salmon
most guests are awake. The Tucker House Inn and Harrison House Suites share a common dining room where guests convene for breakfast and de Freitas and Pass are there to greet them and serve the hungry lodgers. In fact, the inn has earned a reputation for exceptional breakfasts using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, some from the inn’s garden and some from local organic farms. Three courses are de rigueur: fruit and house-made granola, a satisfying
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Local Wild Pacific Halibut
main course, and a small-bite dessert—just enough to get the day off to a sweet start. Home-baked cookies in the guest rooms give lodgers an added treat. And house-made gourmet doggie treats make K9 lodgers sit up and pay attention. It’s no accident that fine cuisine is one of the inn’s signature touches. De Freitas has a personal history with great food: She was an original member of the Slow Food organization in Baltimore (Slow Food is a move-
Exterior of the Coho Restaurant, once a local family residence.
ment that began in Italy and has since sparked interest in locales around the globe) and she has authored a cookbook, La Cucina Anna Maria, now in its fourth edition. Four years after opening the inn, the couple began to ask, What’s a great inn without a great restaurant? One block down the street, a restaurant in a period craftsman house went up for sale. They had never operated a restaurant other than the inn’s breakfast kitchen, so they snatched it up. Coho has since become one of the island’s finest dining establishments. Cozy and intimate,
The Coho’s signature label Syrah wine.
it has only nine tables. Every evening, de Freitas and Pass work the front of the house, personally serving guests, making wine-pairing suggestions and, in their signature style, unobtrusively making sure everyone is having an exceptional experience. Their kitchens take full advantage of the bounty from the islands’ independent farmers and artisan producers. The chefs in their inns and at Coho masterfully incorporate those products into their dishes, featuring what’s freshest and best. Coho is a Wine Spectator favorite
for its 290-label list. De Freitas and Pass can take full credit: They have personally tasted and approved each wine on the list. Their main criteria is what pairs well with the local ingredients that make their way into their seasonal recipes created and prepared by Chef Alphonsine Haslet-Phillips. Islanders as well as travelers have discovered Coho, one of the few fine dining establishments on the island open year-round. Marty Chevalier, a first-time Coho customer, is a San Juan islander. In fact, in 1961 he was born in the house that Coho occupies. “I shared the room upstairs with my brothers and the TV sat right over there,” Chevalier says, pointing across the dining room. “It’s really strange having dinner in the house where I grew up.” Pass asks Chevalier if he’d like to go upstairs and visit his old room. “No,” Chevalier says. “I think I’ll just stay right here and enjoy the food.” In the midst of their dynamic daily agendas, does this duo get a chance to find some balance in their own lives? “We love what we do,” says de Freitas, “but we recently moved off-site to a house near the inn. Living in our own space with a resident innkeeper at the inn gives us a chance to unwind and have the energy to do it all again tomorrow.”
Guest Marty Chevalier (second from left) enjoying a meal with friends in his once childhood family home, now home of the Coho Restaurant. The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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A moss covered canopy in the Olympic National Rain Forest, Washington State.
Hitting the Trail By Allen Cox
A patchwork of public lands spreads across Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, from the rugged and diverse Olympic National Park to the vast Olympic National Forest. From sea to spire, this northwestern corner of the lower 48 bears plenty of cardio rewards for those who take time out to hike its beaches, valleys and slopes. The peninsula’s geography, with its central core of snow-capped mountains, its surrounding deep forests and undeveloped ocean beaches, make this nature-rich region a haven for hikers of every ability. 46
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Port Angeles, Kenmore Air’s hub on the peninsula, is a centrally located gateway to the Olympic’s wild areas. I return again and again to one of four trails that are among what I and many kindred spirits believe are some of the peninsula’s gems. Each trail explores a distinct terrain—mountain, alpine meadow, beach and rain forest. Whatever your choice, bone up on road, trail and weather conditions before setting out, and be properly equipped with plenty of water, your favorite energy snacks and the right gear for your destination.
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Olympic Peninsula Hikes for Every Ability
Your Journey Begins
with King County International Airport
“13R” photo used by permission of Long Bach Nguyen
Proud Partner of Kenmore Air Express Since 2004 With flights to Port Angeles, Eastsound (Orcas Island), and Friday Harbor
Serving the Aviation Community Since 1928 206 -296 -7380 • www.kingcounty.gov/airport Mt. Ellinor The first time I hiked 5,944-foot Mt. Ellinor, the peak toyed with me. I thought I was always within sight of the summit, but when I reached the top of the ridge I had prematurely assumed was the peak, another hill would present itself, then another and another, like tiers of a wedding cake. One of the pleasures of this deceptive little mountain is that each stretch of slope is a different ecological zone, offering a wide variety of terrain in a single workout. Situated on the eastern edge of the Olympic Peninsula above Lake Cushman, Ellinor beckons beginners and mountain goats alike. I’ve witnessed senior hikers marching up its flanks and entire families with small children and dogs taking on the challenge. Beginning at the Upper Trailhead (road’s end), you’ll ascend through a mile of forest and eventually come to a rocky perch, a perfect spot for your
first rest and a glimpse of the stunning eastward view of Hood Canal, the Puget Sound lowlands and the Cascade Range. Scramble up through a long stretch of moraine, diagonally ascend a stepped mountainside wildflower meadow, and finally climb through a stretch of thinning subalpine forest and a barren rocky trail to the summit, where the sudden 360 view of the Olympic Range awaits as your reward. If you’re lucky, Olympic marmots will serenade you on your way up and tiny, panhandling Olympic chipmunks will greet you at the top. Both species are only found on the peninsula. On Ellinor, trekking poles come in handy to ease fatigue and maintain balance. This round-trip hike is just over three miles, with a 2,444-foot elevation gain. Unless you’re prepared for snow, hike it midsummer to early fall. www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/recreation-nu/trails/MtEllinor.pdf.
Hurricane Ridge At Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge, you get views that are as breathtaking as Mt. Ellinor’s at roughly the same elevation—without the hard work. The parking lot sits at about 5,000 feet above Port Angeles. Step out of your vehicle onto a network of trails: the Meadow Loop Trails are paved, easy and wheelchair accessible with assistance, but if you want a little more distance and elevation, the Hurricane Hill Trail is for you. I always go in midsummer when the lupines and paintbrush put on a colorful show, but the panoramic views north across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island, and south to the rugged Olympic peaks, are always there. www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-hurricane-ridge.htm. Ruby Beach West of Port Angeles, where US 101 finds the Pacific, Olympic National
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Park’s Ruby Beach offers a painter’s and photographer’s seascape of stacks, needles, islands, crashing waves and miles of undeveloped beach just waiting to be explored. The quarter-mile trail from the parking lot heads to the beach through a stunted forest of wind-sculpted trees. Once you descend to the beach, the rock formations and tide pools are fascinating, but you still have miles to go. Equipment needed? A tide chart. During low tide, set a northerly course on the beach for the three-mile hike to the mouth of the Hoh River. Every time I hike this magnificent stretch of wild beach, I rarely pass another hiker.
The inaccessible sea stacks offshore comprise part of the vast Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex and make cozy nesting colonies for several species of birds, among them the tufted puffin. Watch for wildlife, such as bald eagles, shorebirds and deer. www.nps. gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-kalaloch-and-ruby-beach.htm. Trail of the Giants What’s a hiking trip to the Olympics without a drizzly, wondrous trek through one of the four temperate rain forests that carpet the peninsula’s western valleys and slopes? This is
the land of giant Douglas fir, western hemlock, red cedar, and the world’s record-breaking Sitka spruce. You can commune with these giants on Quinault Valley’s The Trail of the Giants. This hike begins at the Ranger Station on the south shore of Lake Quinault. In a loop that’s less than three miles, you’ll take in some of the largest trees in the world, and under the canopy, a verdant display of fern, moss and lush undergrowth. Remember to pack your rain gear and waterproof your hiking boots. www.quinaultrainforest.com/images/hiking/hikingmap.pdf.
Rialto Beach on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State. 48
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It’s all right to look down on Seattle . We do it every day.
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866.435.9524 KenmoreAir.com 950 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle
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SLU:
Neighborhood Happenings
Seattle’s South Lake Union Neighborhood, home of Kenmore Air’s Seaplane Terminal.
Fine Food, Huge Heart By Robyn Roehm Cannon
and delicate mobiles that look like giant suspended bubbles. All of this thoughtful decor will put you in the mood to enjoy an artfully presented and delicious lunch or dinner—or the freshest sushi and sashimi at the raw bar. Howie has worked hard over the past twenty years to earn recognition as one of Seattle’s most respected chefs. He trained at several of the city’s finest restaurants, including Palisades at Elliott Bay Marina, where he spent a decade as executive chef, beginning in 1992. When Howie left in 2002 to open the
first Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar in Bellevue, it was his dream to showcase the best Pacific Northwest seafood and regional ingredients in a signature style that doesn’t alter or “fuse” ethnic cuisines with a Northwest interpretation, but pays high respect to these cooking styles in their purest forms. “I enjoy so many different world cuisines,” says Howie, adding, “at any one time, you’re likely to find authentic dishes with Thai, Chinese, Cajun, French, Mediterranean, Italian or Spanish origins. But we don’t do fusion—we
MarQueen Hotel
Chef John Howie, at the Pike Place Market.
Chef John Howie is a big, friendly man with a very clear vision of quality. The moment you set foot in his Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar, located beside South Lake Union’s Pan Pacific Hotel, you can see that you’re in for an extraordinary experience. Seastar’s creative menu has earned high praise from Zagat (Top Cuisine, Seafood) and Food & Wine. But even before you study the diverse offerings, the quality of the surroundings will engage your senses. A cozy lounge and raw bar is customized with warm wood casework and intimate lighting; the comfortable dining room is appointed with simple but elegant table settings, hung with original northwest contemporary art, and accented by hand blown lanterns that resemble found sea glass 50
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600 Queen Anne Ave N • Seattle, WA 98109 (888)445-3076 • www.marqueen.com Located just one mile from Kenmore Air’s Lake Union Terminal
Historic Charm Romantic Ambiance Distinct Personality 58 spacious guestrooms and suites featuring kitchenettes• first class hospitality meeting space • European inspired spa • onsite espresso bar and bakery MENTION “HARBORS MAGAZINE” WHEN MAKING RESERVATIONS AND RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY BOTTLE OF NORTHWEST WINE TO ENJOY WITH YOUR STAY!
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stay true to each world cuisine and the seasonality of local products as I bring those flavors to the menu.” This concept was so successful that when the space became available in 2009 for Howie’s South Lake Union Seastar, it was a natural addition to his family of restaurants. He’s since become an important fixture in the South Lake Union culinary scene and Seastar has been lauded by Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast
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Local Owners Acquire Crow’s Nest Yachts Seattle on South Lake Union. Pictured left to right: Dale Partna, Vic Parcells, and Dan Wood.
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(top) Seastar Dining Room (bottom) Seared Ahi Tuna
and the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards for its extensive and outstanding list. The generous portions at Seastar are only exceeded by Howie’s generosity to community and world causes. Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar has earned the Washington Good Neighbor Award; Howie’s donations of service, time and gift certificates have generated over $2,000,000 in charitable giving through events such as his recent “Chefs for Japan” wine dinner and auction, which involved chefs from each of his restaurants and wine and food vendors, raising over $27,000 to aid tsunami recovery. More than anything, this talented and big-hearted chef loves to give his patrons a great experience. “One of my core values in all my restaurants,” he says, “is unexpected hospitality and value—every guest, every time.”
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C O M M E R C I A L R E A L E S TAT E
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Go Forth and Catch Crabs By Terry W. Sheely
For grinning sport crabber Kurt Kamholtz nothing brightens Northwest mist like a pair of prime Dungys.
Traps ‘n Tips For These Northwest “Flavorites”
Fat claws dripping streams of melted butter, succulent white flakes molded into cakes and slathered with sauce, meaty chunks mixed with thick Roma tomatoes and buried in avocados— there is no bad way to eat a fresh Northwest crab. It’s catching crabs that cause us heartache, but there are ways. It helps that they are almost everywhere. Each time a Kenmore Air float plane settles onto saltwater and taxis into ports in Puget Sound, San Juan or Gulf Islands, the Strait of Georgia or the Discovery Islands in Desolation Sound, beneath the pontoons are Dungeness and sweet red rock crabs,
clinging to the sea floor, looking for a pot to fill. Trapping Dungys (and keeping incidental red rocks) is not brain surgery, but there are rules. Set crab pots over mud or sandy bottoms. Crabs need to bury themselves from the surge of tide changes to avoid being swept away. Eel grass and kelp beds are golden— perfect crab habitats: food, soft bottom, and cover. River mouths and bays are a close second. There is no trappable water too deep for crabs (Dungys are common at 300 feet and found at 750 feet), only for crabbers limited by pulling rope
lengths and muscle spasms. Red rock crabs, small but succulent and sweet, are shallow creatures, and the closer to shore you trap the better odds that you’ll sweep up a few red rocks. For the summer season, most Dungy pots trap well at 80 to 180 feet and, by fall, add enough rope and drop past 200 feet to find crabs that have survived the summer. Put pots to work an hour either side of slack, especially high slack, when crabs are on the hunt. Bait: Forget the old gospel of smellbads. Use fresh, oily meat. Crabs track food by scent and the stronger and fresher the scent the
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Joe Paul hauls in a catch of delicious Dungeness crabs and an unwanted, inedible but striking orange sunflower sea star, a frequent trap raider.
better the trapping. Crab expert and seafood guidebook author J. D. Wade recommends baits, in this order: clam meat, filleted fish carcasses, chicken, turkey, beef. Eastern soft shell and horse clams are good. Razor clams are
best, but true seafood junkies would rather eat razor clams than bait with them. While researching commercial baits, Wade found “the absolutely best concoction” consists of equal parts fresh ground salmon (or bottom fish), ground chicken necks and backs. I add an absorbent rag thoroughly soaked in herring oil, available at fishing tackle stores. The scent leaches a long, wide trail. Clams should be smashed, shell and all, to release maximum scent. A lot of energy is wasted debating the best shape for crab pots. Roundtrap proponents invariably argue that crabs will work along the edge of a pot and when they hit a corner keep right on going. Square pot defenders—and I am one—scoff at such nonsense and point out that crabs don’t survive by leaving food on the table, and that commercial crabbers, especially in Alaskan waters, do well enough with
The right and painless way to hold a live crab, out of pincer reach.
square pots to make a decent living and popular television. In harbors and shallow bays, off docks and moored boats, inexpensive collapsible crab rings that lay flat to the bottom are excellent tools and easy to pack. Unlike rigid traps with one-way entrance doors, crabs can crawl into rings from 360 degrees. The difference is that traps, suspended by ropes to buoys, should be left unchecked to fish for hours while the scent trail tolls dinner. Rings and star traps, however, need to be pulled every 15 minutes to check the bait and trap the crabs that have crawled to the feast. Left unchecked too long, the crabs will lick the bait container clean and simply walk away. A tip: when trapping from a dock, lower the trap straight down resting it near the pilings. Crabs cuddle into the cover offered by pilings. To coax the absolute best from crab, cook it fresh, on the beach if possible, in a cauldron of boiling sea water.
Fresh meat clinging to a filleted salmon backbone is prime crab-getter bait.
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When I must pack crab inland I prefer to pack out a few buckets (sealed) of saltwater for the cooking. Cooked in freshwater the meat goes bland and robs the diner of a delectable experience. When freshwater is
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(top) Only males are legal, identified by the narrow triangle on the belly. Females have distinctively wide triangles. (bottom) Two Dungees and a red rock crab invited to dinner.
Port of Everett
• P.O. Box 538 • Everett • WA • 98206 • Phone: 425-259-6001 • www.portofeverett.com
the only option, salt it by adding one cup of rock salt per gallon of water. Sweeten the pot with crushed garlic, Italian seasoning or any one of numerous crab seasonings on the market. If you intend to freeze the catch for later, immediately dump the boiled entrée into ice water stopping the cooking action. I prefer to eat my crabs fresh and hot. Bring sea water to a rolling boil and drop in the crabs (after washing the shells of muck and goo). When the cauldron re-boils let it work on the meat for 15 to 20 minutes. Pop ‘em out, crack the shells, clean out the gills, separate the pieces, roll up your sleeves, melt the butter, open the beer and go for it. There are no table rules for fresh crabs on the beach. Crab recipes can be found in Pacific Northwest Seafood Cookery, available on Terry W. Sheely’s website: www.TNScommunications.net.
A Northwest seafood feast of fresh Dungeness crab, salmon fillet, prawns, razor clams and hardshell clams--why we live where we do. The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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Hot Fun—Cool Wines By Julie Pegg
Step outside the Chardonnay and Cabernet box for Northwest summer sipping. Thirty years ago Eastern Washington and B.C.’s Okanagan Valley were better known for orchards (and onions) rather than vineyards. Enlightened winegrowers placed their faith and greenbacks in the cultivation of vinifera grapes, gradually coaxing winegrape into bottle, and eventually into today’s thriving wine industry. These innovators looked beyond Cabernet and Chardonnay, proving cool-climate Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Noir, can rival their European counterparts in Pacific Northwest soils. Merlot and Syrah, in particular, also learned to 56
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strut their stuff on Eastern Washington’s well-drained soils. What’s more, these varietals balance old-world acidity with new-world fruit, thanks to long, hot summer days and shorter harvest nights, a perfect match for the fresh, local flavors of the Northwest’s summer bounty. To begin our journey into great Northwest summer wines, let’s rethink pink. JoieFarm owner-winemaker couple Michael Dinn and Heidi Noble craft a classic Rosé predominantly from estate-grown Pinot Noir. This is no tutti-frutti frivolity. On the
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contrary, this dry and refreshing watermelon-hued wine smacks of strawberry, cranberry and a trace of spice— a picnic-perfect choice for cold ham, chicken and tarragon salad or mild creamy cheeses. Ian Sutherland, local boy, ex-hippie and garagiste winemaker began Poplar Grove Winery in 1993. Few Okanagan wineries, if any, beat Sutherland at the Pinot Gris game. He has shepherded carefully selected grapes from various Okanagan plots into 100% stainless steel tanks. The result? A 2009 Pinot Gris that exudes ripe pear and peach
flavors and is framed with crisp acidity. On the other end of the palate, Nichol Vineyard uses wines from Okanagan’s Naramata Bench region for its zippy 2010 Pinot Gris that blushes with a hint of pink and tastes of wild berries (Gris, French for “gray”, refers to the grape’s blue-gray skin). Both styles love steamed crab, seared scallops, or grilled fresh halibut. Washington’s oldest and largest production winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, never sacrifices quality at the hands of quantity, especially when it comes to its popular Columbia Valley Riesling—at a cost that doesn’t deepen the pocket. The 2009 brims with apple and lime flavors, and makes an ideal partner for fresh salmon, trout, Asianinfluenced dishes, or a wedge of aged Gouda. Chateau Ste. Michelle also makes the popular and affordable Red Diamond Merlot with its soft cherry and vanilla flavors that beg for a big, juicy burger hot off the grill.
Meanwhile, ex-climbing guide Chuck Reininger swapped boots for barrels back in the ‘90’s with a view to making serious wines in Walla Walla. Fast forward to the 2008 Reininger Merlot, a wine of remarkable finesse displaying black cherry and exotic spice—perfect for beefing up a well-marbled steak.
Syrah could very well trump Merlot as Washington’s signature wine grape with its concentrated damson
plum, blackberry and blueberry flavors. Hogue, a household Washington wine name for more than thirty years, earned a solid 90/100-point score in the “Discover Washington” issue of The Wine Spectator (December 2010) for its “smooth and velvety” 2007 Genesis Syrah. Woodinville’s Efeste (pronounced F-S-T after the owners’ surname initials: Ferelli, Smith and Taylor) 2008 Cadleigh is essential Syrah—firm with wet stone and ripe plum that dance on the palate with classic pepper, and a hint of smoked bacon. This is the match for local lamb. Chalk one up for visionary Washington and British Columbia wine growers and winemakers who trusted that so many grapes other than Chardonnay and Cabernet could flourish on Northwest terroir and in the bottle. Add to that a passion for sourcing and eating fresh, local and artisan. Your summer table is set.
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Summer Flyaways Rendezvous Lodge, Discovery Islands, BC
There’s a little something for everyone at Rendezvous Lodge, located in the stunning and remote Outer Discovery Islands of British Columbia, and easily accessible from Seattle on Kenmore Air. This intimate, eco-conscious guesthouse offers everything from world-class fishing, to hands-on lessons in “living off the grid,” to grizzly-bear-viewing with First Nations guides. The adventure starts the minute you set foot on the Rendezvous Lodge deck,
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By Rebecca Agiewich
with its panoramic views of mountains, forest and deep, glacier-fed inlets. Feast your eyes on Mt. Waddington, Toba Inlet, and the surrounding Calm Channel where passing Dall’s porpoises are a common sight. When 5:00 pm rolls around, listen closely for the pair of breeding bald eagles that have adopted lodge owners Mark and Abby McNeill. “They start screaming in the trees, and we’ll all go down to the dock and feed them fresh fish. Everyone gets fantastic photos of the eagles from six to 10 feet away,” says Mark McNeill. Relaxation opportunities beckon too, starting in the comfortable guest suites. The rooms overlook either the forest or the ocean, and brim with little extravagances such as oversized terry cloth robes, roomy king-sized beds, and comforters that adjust individually on each side of the bed (no more fighting over the covers!). The Eagle’s Nest Suite—a
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favorite among honeymooners—offers both ocean and forest views. Immersed in luxury, most guests don’t notice the lodge is completely “off the grid,” functioning on its own power and water systems. “We try to supply the types of comforts that guests are used to, but we do it in a way to reduce energy consumption and water usage,” says McNeill. Visitors who are intrigued by these practices have plenty of opportunity to learn more during their stay. When outdoor adventure calls, the hardest part will be deciding between a guided kayak tour, visiting one of the few remaining floating post offices in British Columbia, fishing for salmon, halibut, or red snapper with local guides, or going prawning with Mark McNeill. No matter what adventures you choose, you’ll be well-fueled by the lodge’s locally-sourced, hearty food.
Nine passenger wheeled Caravan
Ten passenger turbo Otter seaplane
Fresh-caught seafood is always a favorite. Salmon is cold-smoked right on the premises, and fresh herbs and vegetables come straight from the lodge’s garden. “Hot rock” dinners, served several times a week, are a specialty. The “hot rocks” are granite squares that have been heated in a 700-degree oven all day, and then used to sizzle choice cuts of meat right at the table. As the day winds down, step out on the deck again for a soak in the hot tub. Surrounded by stars and the music of the surging tide, you’re sure to feel one with Calm Channel in no time. www.rendezvouslodge.com
Historic Deer Harbor Inn Resort, Orcas Island, WA On a knoll on the sunny side of secluded Orcas Island, Deer Harbor Inn overlooks a tranquil harbor and a quiet waterfront village. This country resort offers more than a century of intriguing history, a comfortable boutique lodge, private cottages, modern conveniences, a cozy little spa cottage, and a gourmet restaurant—all the fixins for a restful
and memorable flyaway on Kenmore Air, which lands at the harbor’s marina a short distance from the inn. Dating back to 1910, the property has undergone transformation from apple orchard to hotel (originally known as Norton Inn), which was torn down and resurrected again in its current incarnation as Deer Harbor Inn. The resort has
By Roy Stevenson
come a long way from when guests clad in long white dresses played tennis on the courts and took the waters in the beachside swimming pool. Since 1982, owners Craig and Pam Carpenter have rebuilt the resort, starting with the large two-story log cabin lodge with eight guest rooms. They added two private Orchard Cottages
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and the Cottage on the Bluff, plus the Norton Harbor View House, enabling the resort to accommodate 35 guests. The lodge cabin guest room amenities include private bathrooms, queen size beds, and handmade log furniture, giving the rooms a comfortable but rustic ambiance. And all share an outdoor Jacuzzi Hot Tub under a gazebo. The
homey cottages are equally enticing with their own kitchenettes, fireplaces, satellite TV and DVD players, and private hot tubs. Back in the early 1920s, the Norton Inn’s 150-seat restaurant attracted locals and guests alike in large numbers, all lured by Mary Norton’s famous chicken dinners. Today the
Deer Harbor Restaurant, owned by the Carpenter’s sons Matt and Ryan continues delighting diners in the original restaurant building. Now that’s history! The restaurant serves up some satisfying dishes, such as generous helpings of fresh wild king salmon, grilled with lemon pepper and dill, a New York steak and king crab combo, and an array of seafood temptations. Favorite island pastimes include shopping in small galleries and boutiques, many choices for fine food and wine, and spa treatments in the Ataraxia Spa Cabin at the Inn. For a healthy dose of nature, guests can go whale watching, sea kayaking, hiking up Turtleback Mountain or strolling on the beach—all in or near Deer Harbor. And look no farther than the resort grounds where island fauna abounds: eagles, deer, bunnies, woodpeckers, ducks on the pond, and chickens in the resort’s organic farm. www.deerharborinn.com.
Poets Cove Resort & Spa, Victoria, B.C.
By Michael Fagin
One must first ponder how to arrive at what I call the Island of Tranquility, officially named South Pender Island, part of the Gulf Islands in Southern British Columbia. Travelers have three options: plane, pleasure boat, or ferry. My favorite and quickest way is the scenic ride on Kenmore Air which takes you right to the dock of your destination—in this case, Poets Cove Resort & Spa. Alternatively, you could take your boat through the tranquil waters of Bedwell Harbour and dock at one of the many slips at the resort or board the British Columbia Ferry which docks at Otter Bay, just a 20 minute car ride to the resort. Once you arrive at eco-friendly Poets Cove Resort & Spa, you are faced once again with a triple option: hiking, relaxing or boating. My first choice was hiking the short distance from the resort to Greenburn Lake, where people often spot the Western Painted Turtle.
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I knew I would be pushing my luck by suggesting to my wife that we do some more hiking, so a bribe was in order. The offer of the special “Taste of Spa Package,” which includes the beneficial effects of the Eucalyptus Steam Cave and massage as a post-hike treat really helped with her motivation. We had this agreement in hand as we proceeded along the trail toward the best views possible. The trailhead for the highest point on the island, Mount Norman, is a short drive from the resort. The hike to the top was an 800 foot (244 meter) elevation gain, but our reward was a panorama of Vancouver Island, Saltspring Island and the San Juan Islands.
The main discussion during the ride back to the resort was which seafood we would enjoy for dinner. The chef, who hails from Nova Scotia, offers R & S different seafood specials every week, based on what catches are fresh and available. The locally raised lamb is PENDER ISLAND, BC, CANADA also a favorite. Herbs and much of the produce are picked fresh in the resort’s garden. As my wife hurried off for Poets herCove Harbor Magazine Fall outlines.indd 1 8/19/2010 promised spa treatment, it was time for me to engage in some serious power-lounging. I laid on the bed and enjoyed the view of Bedwell Harbour. thinking about tomorrow’s fishing trip and a whale watching tour the day after. www.poetscove.com. E S O R T
P A
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Flying with Kenmore Air
Things you need to know... Baggage Allowances
At Kenmore Air we have big hearts but little airplanes! Our baggage limits and penalties for overweight bags are dictated solely by safety of flight concerns, which are more acute on our size aircraft than on the big jets. Seaplane passengers are permitted up to 24 pounds of baggage per person. All items are weighed and count toward the limit, including purses, laptops, backpacks, and so on. Additionally, no single baggage item can exceed 10 x 16 x 24 inches. On Kenmore Air Express wheeled-plane flights, passengers may check baggage totaling up to 50 pounds and may hand-carry one personal item (purse, backpack, etc.) of up to 20 pounds. The checked item may not exceed 62 linear inches, and the personal item may not exceed 36 linear inches. Overweight baggage will be carried on either service if capacity is available for $1 per pound, and oversized baggage will be accommodated, if possible, for a $10 per piece penalty. However, overweight/oversized baggage is always at risk of being bumped unless extra baggage space has been reserved and pre-paid in advance.
Sea-Tac Shuttles
Kenmore Air operates ground shuttles between SeattleTacoma International Airport and its three Seattlearea terminals. These shuttles are complimentary for connections to year-round routes and available at a nominal charge for connections to seasonal routes. Shuttles must be reserved in advance. When booking flights online, select “Seattle-Tacoma International” as your origin or destination, and our system will automatically book the correct combination of shuttle and flight for you. Shuttles pick up from Sea-Tac at Door 00 in the Scheduled Airporter waiting area at the far south end of Baggage Claim. Please be at Door 00 with your claimed baggage at least 10 minutes before the scheduled shuttle departure time. The shuttle driver will always make a departure announcement over the PA system, but passengers are ultimately responsible for getting on the shuttle by departure time. When connecting to another airline from Sea-Tac, be sure to schedule your Kenmore Air flight and shuttle to arrive at Sea-Tac with sufficient time (per your major airline’s recommendation) to check in, check baggage and clear security. A minimum of 90 minutes is generally recommended.
Customs & Immigration
Charter Service
Kenmore Air offers a lot of scheduled flights to a lot of places, but sometimes, you really need to travel on your schedule, not ours. Or perhaps you need to go somewhere we don’t fly everyday. That’s what charters are for. With our large and diverse fleet of seaplanes and wheeled-aircraft, we’re able to offer customized flying throughout the Pacific Northwest. For a quote, call 866.435.9524 and ask for a charter specialist or send an e-mail to charters@KenmoreAir.com.
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With a handful of extremely limited exceptions, everyone flying internationally — regardless of citizenship or age — is required to have a current, valid passport book. Passport cards, NEXUS cards and so-called “enhanced driver licenses” are not valid for travel aboard Kenmore Air. Travelers should also be aware that some criminal offenses that are misdemeanors in the United States are considered felonies in Canada and can result in denial of entry. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a common example. Every traveler is responsible for making sure that they meet the requirements of international travel. Kenmore Air will accept no liability for cost or inconvenience arising from denial of entry into either the United States or Canada.
Check-in Times
Kenmore Air passengers enjoy a generally more relaxed traveling experience than the typical airline affords. Nevertheless, we do require check-in for all domestic flights 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure. Due to certain requirements of U.S. Customs & Border Protection, check-in for international flights is required 45 minutes prior to departure. Flights close for boarding 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure, which means that seats for passengers who haven’t checked in at that time may be released to stand-by passengers. Also, the flight may depart anytime after closing, even if it’s prior to scheduled departure. We like arriving early! For flights departing from unstaffed locations, like seaplane docks in the San Juan Islands or British Columbia, passengers should be ready to go at least 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure time to accommodate unforeseeable variations in flight time.
Reservations & Customer Service Reservations can be made online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at KenmoreAir.com, or call us tollfree seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time at 866.435.9524. For customer-service inquiries of an urgent nature, call our reservations line at 866.435.9524. For less timesensitive concerns, kudos or complaints, please e-mail us at feedback@KenmoreAir.com.
Alaska Airlines Partnership
Since April 2010, Kenmore Air has been a proud partner in the award-winning Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Passengers who are participants in the Alaska plan earn 250 miles each way on qualifying Kenmore Air flights, and miles can also be redeemed for free flights on either airline. For details on the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, visit AlaskaAir.com/MileagePlan. In addition to the Mileage Plan partnership, Kenmore Air and Alaska Airlines (as well as Alaska’s regional affiliate, Horizon Air) have an interline ticketing agreement. This means that you can purchase singleticket itineraries between Kenmore Air destinations and more than 90 Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air cities across North America, including Hawaii. Besides the simplicity and convenience of making a single phone call or online booking, such joint itineraries also offer much more coordinated and accommodating customer service in the event of weather delays, misrouted baggage or other issues.
Terminal Locations Seattle Boeing Field 7277 Perimeter Road Seattle, WA 98108 Seattle Lake Union 950 Westlake Avenue N. Seattle, WA 98109 Kenmore Lake Washington 6321 NE 175th Street Kenmore, WA 98028 Port Angeles/Fairchild Airport 1404 West Airport Road Port Angeles, WA 98363 Local tel.: 360.452.6371
Friday Harbor Airport 800 Franklin Drive Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Local tel.: 360.378.1067 Eastsound/Orcas Island Airport 847 Schoen Lane Eastsound, WA 98245 Local tel.: 360.376.1407 Victoria Inner Harbour 1234 Wharf Street Victoria, BC V8W 3H9 Local tel.: 250.384.2411
Interline bookings can be made only through Alaska Airlines. If your travel plans include an Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air city, we strongly encourage you to book an interline ticket by visiting AlaskaAir.com or calling 800.ALASKAAIR.
The Kenmore Air Destination Magazine
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HARBORS Travel Club Card
Particpating Businesses
HARBORS Travel Club Members receive a 10% or greater rewards discount at the following participating businesses. The rewards vary by business and are restricted to regular priced merchandise and services. Contact the individual businesses for restrictions and details or go to: www.harborsmagazine.com/travel-club Victoria/Vancouver Island, BC Abigail’s Hotel Bear Mountain Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort Brentwood Bay Lodge Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa Hotel Grand Pacific Fairholme Manor Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa Prime Steakhouse & Lounge Royal BC Museum Sauce Restaurant & Lounge Sooke Harbour House Victoria Regent Waterfront Hotel Waters Edge Resort at Pacific Rim
San Juan Islands Orcas Island: Doe Bay Resort & Retreats Orcas Island Golf Course San Juan Island: Afterglow Spa Roche Harbor Bird Rock Hotel Coho Restaurant Crystal Seas Kayaking Day Tours Earthbox Motel & Spa Friday Harbor Marine Harrison House Suites Horseshu Guest Ranch Island Wine Company Joe Friday’s Shirt Company Kings Marine Center States Inn & Ranch San Juan Classic Day Sailing San Juan Excursions, Whale Watching San Juan Vineyards Trumpeter Inn Bed and Breakfast Tucker House Bed and Breakfast Waterworks Art Gallery
Olympic Peninsula George Washington Inn Gift Shop, Port Angeles Clam Cannery, Port Townsend Port Ludlow Resort Quilecute Oceanside Resort T’s Restaurant, Port Townsend
Northern BC Islands Dent Island Lodge Nanook Lodge Poet’s Cove Resort & Spa Rendezvous Lodge
Seattle Center for Wooden Boats DiStefano Winery (Woodinville) Holiday Inn Seattle Jillian’s Billiards Kenmore Air Flightseeing Tours Kenmore Air Gift Shop Lake Washington Terminal MarQueen Hotel
See www.harborsmagazine.com for additional listings and restrictions.
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www.harborsmagazine.com
Everybody has a favorite parking spot.
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HARBORS Connecting People, Places, Adventure and Lifestyle.
HARBORS www.harborsmagazine.com
The Whales
Summer 2011
Golfing
Called “Killer”
Victoria, BC
Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula, WA
Adventure Fishing
Dent Island Lodge, BC
Friday Harbor B&B San Juan Island, WA
Concours d’Elegance Kirkland, WA