Above: tidy, tight, trim building in Coupeville, Washington. I love the colors.
Get into Seattle around 11AM yesterday, go to pick up my Budget economy rental car and get upgraded to a blue Mustang since they are out of economy cars. Vawoom! I head to Mukliteo to catch the ferry to Whidbey Island, since I want to go to Anacortes to check out fishing boats. (I’m looking for an aluminum boat in the 15-17′ range that can handle getting out through waves.)
Pretty soon I’m driving down the road on Whidbey with all 9 of the radio stations preset to R&R and jazz. Brand new road — nothing like it. Exploring the unexplored, hunting with cameras. The Stones , Thelonius Monk, a — get this — reggae song in Spanish, within fiddles, on the French (Canadian) station, Da me ague, da me pan, da me fuero, da me amor, terrific song, but can’t find it anywhere…
I ask a guy on the ferry about a place to get lunch and he recommends Toby’s Tavern in Coupeville, a gem of a tiny town on the water. A 70-year-old good-vibes, good-beer, good-food bar looking out on the bay. I have a few (ahem) glasses of inky Black Butte porter (on tap) and local mussels with garlic bread. Visit the local bookstore, get a maple nut (homemade-style) waffle ice cream cone, crank the Mustang back up, crank the radio back up, and make my way to Anacortes. The elephant (of concrete) was just in a field all alone. Kinda perfect. Now it’s Thursday morning, and I’ve sussed out the La Crema Cakes bakery in Anacortes, with an excellent apple turnover and a latte and wi-fi. Right now, Johnny Otis’ band on radio doing Willy and the Hand Jive…
I know a cat named Way Out Willie
He’s got a cool little chick named Rockin’ Millie
He can walk and stroll and Susie Q
And do that crazy hand jive too…
I love that elephant! Just bought some land out there and I'm building. Digging out all my old CEQ and WER for reference.
thanks for sharing.