Michael and I took a day to explore Washington Park in Anacortes, WA back in April. The tide was out and we took to the wooded trails to find the tide pools.
We stuck to the trails to avoid the passing cars on the road. The trail led us to a clearing with protected purple and yellow wild flowers. At the end of the trail, we found the beach. We climbed on rocks and jumped over pools and watched hundreds of hermit crabs climb over each other. Brightly colored sea stars moved slowly across the rocks and barnacles. The closer you looked, the more your realized how much life the tide pools were teaming with.
To me, Anacortes was always just a town that was listed on a freeway exit sign, or a town you didn't quite get to when going to Deception Pass and Whidbey Island. I had absolutely no idea what the little town had to offer. Whale watching tour advertisements are scattered among the buildings and restaurants. Cute houses line the neighborhoods. For being a coastal town, you don't quite get the feel that other beach towns have - where everything is based around spending time at the beach.
It's always exciting to find the little towns that have the best kept secret locations. Anacortes is one of them!
On the way back to the car, Michael took over as photographer. I couldn't resist adding some of his photos here at the end.