Today was wide open and Libby and I didn't have plans to do anything. As I lay in bed before waking up this morning it came to me. She put together a light toast and fruit breakfast while I did a little research, checked the ferry schedule, and mapped our route. We left the house right at noon and, once at the ferry pay station, Libby realized where we were headed. Vashon Island.

Since coming to the area last July she was keenly aware how very close we were to the island where the mythical treed bicycle resides. The ride on the Sealth across the Narrows to Vashon was smooth and only briefly interruped by a ship's captain who gets a thrill out of blasting the ferry's horn when couples like us stand romantically on the bow. Once on the opposite shore we wound our way near the town of Burton where we found a boat launch and little beach on Quartermaster Harbor where we enjoyed a calm rain and some rock skipping.

Maury Island next beckoned despite there being a land bridge connecting it to Vashon. The road led us nearly straight to the Point Robinson lighthouse park. Though the lighthouse itself was closed we strolled the lumber (and garbage, unfortunately) beach amidst another comfortable shower just across the water from Des Moines and civilization. Before setting out in search of the treed bike we passed another set of bikes of the exercise variety. Just where Maury and Vashon connect sat a row of old, used and abused stationary bicycles perched on a sliver of land between the road and the Puget Sound.

Soon after that odd and awesome photo-op we found the corner we were looking for. We got directions from the nearby country store and headed into the woods. But just barely. It wasn't much beyond 20' or so from a gravel parking lot where we caught a glimpse of the fabled bike and were struck by its placement and the strange beauty of it. A little shopping and a quick bite to eat in the town of Vashon proper also helped us realize that alternative transportation in the form of electric vehicles is very real since we saw two such cars pass by and a sign noting a charging station.

We had a lovely and very Northwest time wandering a beautiful corner of this region on a gray but wonderful day.