Lime Kiln Lighthouse

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Thursday, April 12, 2012

No. 27 Little Mountain Park ~ Mount Vernon, WA

Walk: Little Mountain Park

Location: Mount Vernon, WA

Why Visit? If your headed to the Tulips just down the road this spot will give you an aerial view of the fields and help you find the best spots to take pictures. Once on ground level it might be hard to find them. For more information on the Skagit Valley Tulips click here

Trail length: About four miles of trails; elevation gain 934 feet. Print out a trail map from the website at the end of this column; maps are not yet posted at the park.

Level of difficulty: Flat-to-moderate dirt/gravel trails (short paved path at parking lot to vault toilet and pavilion overlook).

Setting: This aptly named park rises up from the Skagit Valley southeast of downtown Mount Vernon. Logged between 1914 and 1920, a portion of this park has been part of this park system since 1929, and trail and signage improvements are under way.

A narrow, paved road winds 1.5 miles up to the parking lot and two overlooks, while forested trails lace the park's 517 acres. Volunteers are giving the park's well-loved trails some TLC. For a good two-mile loop that traverses some of the reconditioned trails, park at the top, then walk down the road to the short paved path to the north viewpoint. From here, follow the path away from the road and take the first right onto the Sidewinder trail (per the trail map). Here you'll see signs of old shortcuts being blocked off by logs. Signs describe how shortcutting tramples plants and erodes hillsides. After about 0.75 mile, at the fork, go left, then immediately take the right branch (the Huff N Puff trail per the map; signed as a multipurpose trail). After a half-mile, you'll come out on the main road. You can walk back up the road (go right), or — if you have a map — take an older trail across the road that climbs back up to the parking lot.

Highlights: If possible, time your visit for a clear day when you can see the stupendous views. (The Saturday farmers market in downtown Mount Vernon next to the river runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 16). The park's covered viewpoint looks out to the south and west over Skagit Valley fields, the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. The north viewpoint, just below the parking lot, looks toward Mount Baker and sports a long ramp with a striking parasail-shaped arch.

Facilities: Accessible vault toilet at parking lot; restrooms at Hillcrest Park off Blackburn Road.

Restrictions: Leash and scoop laws in effect. Bikes not permitted on certain trails (marked). Watch for stinging nettles.

Directions: From Interstate 5, take Exit 225, and at the end of the exit ramp, turn east on Anderson Road. Immediately take the first left onto Cedarvale Road, which heads north alongside I-5. Turn right on Blackburn Road, go up the hill, and in 1.2 mile, get in the right turn lane and turn right on Little Mountain Road. In 0.5-mile, turn right into the well-marked park, and drive to the top

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Little Mountain Park, Mount Vernon Wahsington Little Mountain Park, Mount Vernon Wahsington Little Mountain Park, Mount Vernon Wahsington Little Mountain Park, Mount Vernon Wahsington Users may not manipulate or use this photo in commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products, or promotions without licensed permission

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lens rental Free Padded Belt

No. 26 Lake Stevens ~ Lundeen Park

Lundeen Park A lovely city park at 10020 Lundeen Parkway on the Lake Stevens north side. Lundeen Park has playground equipment, a grassy play field and a large shallow swimming area with beach and L-shaped dock.

For Dogs Leash Law and poop scoop in effect.

This park offers swimming, a covered picnic area, playground, and wetland viewing areas.

The covered picnic area is available for a rental fee for family gatherings and other groups that are looking for a covered picnic area with barbecue and power outlets. The summer dates fill up fast so make your reservations early in the year. Contact City Hall at (425) 334-1012 for reservations.

Lundeen PArk

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lundee Dock

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lens rental

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

No. 25 Gas Works Park

Gas Works Park in Seattle, Washington is a 19.1 acre (77,000 m²) public park on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant, located on the north shore of Lake Union at the south end of the Wallingford neighborhood. Gas Works park contains remnants of the sole remaining coal gasification plant in the US. The plant operated from 1906 to 1956, and was bought by the City of Seattle for park purposes in 1962. The park opened to the public in 1975. The park was designed by Seattle landscape architect Richard Haag, who won the American Society of Landscape Architects Presidents Award of Design Excellence for the project. It was originally named Myrtle Edwards Park, after the city councilwoman who had spearheaded the drive to acquire the site and who died in a car crash in 1969. In 1972, the Edwards family requested that her name be taken off the park because the design called for the retention of much of the plant. In 1976, Elliott Bay Park was renamed Myrtle Edwards Park.
 More info on the park

Gas Works park via photosynth

Gas Works Park Photosynth Panorama

"The Prowlers"

"They Might be Giants" Colored

They Might Be Giants

Gas Work Park

Great Mound, Silhouetee Gas Works Park
Great Mound Silhouette
Aurora Bridhge Sunset
Aurora Bridge Sunset
Space Needle Lake Union
Cleated Space Needle
Dock Dodge Races on Lake Union
Tuesday Night Duck Dodge Sailboat Rave, Lake Union
Seattle Gas Works Pipes Users may not manipulate or use this photo in commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products, or promotions without licensed permission
Seattle Gas Works Pipes Postcards, Art Prints and Canvas Prints are available for sale here

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lens rental

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

No. 05 2012 Mount Vernon, WA - Skagit Valley Tulips

do not use my images on blogs or websites without my permission. If you would like to license a photo, please contact me.




Distance from Seattle: 62miles 1hr 10min
Rating: 3 out 5
Reason to go: Short drive from Seattle to see hundreds of acres of tulips in all sizes and colors. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is one of the most fantastic events in the state of Washington.  It runs from April 1 to April 30 every single year. Its worth it to start your day really early or go during the week. The word is out and weekends the tulip route will be packed with young kids and families. If your into Landscape or Flower photography this festival will give you great subjects to photograph.

TIPS: Although the Tulip Festival runs from April 1st through April 30th the actual blooming of the tulips varies with weather conditions. Short or long winter weather can cause tulips to bloom earlr or be delayed a few weeks. Check http://www.tulipfestival.orgTulip Festival / for current field conditions.

 If you do plan on going to the Tulip Festival. LEAVE EARLY in the morning to avoid the traffic mess, easier to find parking, setup your camera in a field looking east for a nice sunrise shot. Shoot by yourself and not have many people will be walking through your shot. The best light is in the morning and towards the evening.
It can be cloudy in Seattle but bright and sunny in Mount Vernon. Once the sun gets up over the cascade mountains the sky becomes a huge baby blue light box and it will be harder to find the right exposure for the flowers.
Tulips grow on raised mounds of dirt. Depending on previous days weather you could be walking on soft dirt or trekking through mud puddles, so bring shoes and pants that you don't mind getting dirty.

Every year the layout of fields change, to find out where things are  you can download a field map from Tulip Festival. Some of the growers charge a parking fee of $3-$5 to visit their grounds. Most of the streets that run between Mount Vernon and La Conner are 2 lane rural roads with NO SHOULDER PARKING.  There are ropes and signs all over the place telling people not to park on the side of the road, but as the day goes on and the mass of weekenders start to roll in you will see backups building up because people will stop in the middle of the road to admire the fields.

do not use my images on blogs or websites without my permission. If you would like to license a photo, please contact me.