Welcoming Summer with Island Ceremony

A new tradition has been established. Up here the coming of summer is so much anticipated that there is ceremony in experiencing sunny, warm days in the low 70s. We packed our camping gear and headed to the San Juan Islands (Orcas Island to be exact) to celebrate Memorial day and what was forecasted to be the best weather of the year thus far. Our weather forecasters didn't let us down. With nights in the 40s and days in the low to mid 70s it was near perfection. I'll admit that I would have easily accepted another 10-20 degrees though.

We spent our long weekend at a lovely place called Doe Bay, where island-hopping kayakers and sailors stop over for the luxury of prime camping, a community kitchen, semi-warm showers and clothing-optional soaking tubs, complete with sauna. Note to potential visitors: the "clothing-optional" option became less an option and more an excuse to turn in ealry the later it got.

The weekend ended with a five-hour wait for the ferry back to the mainland. It was worth it though. Breaking out our books we kicked back for an afternoon of napping and reading in the sunshine. Can't complain about that. This is a olace we will revisit year after year to enjoy the benefits of complete escape.