Connections. We all have them, connecting us to friends, neighbors, loved ones, our businesses and daily lives and food sources and oxygen sources and waterways and places to go and memories of the past and dreams for the future. Some of our connections are tenuous, like water for the southwestern states or the temperature of the earth fifty years from now, where the trail of knowing fades into the fog of the future. Some are deep and strong, like our connections with someone dear to us, or a personal habit or skill, where the trails are freeways paved with experiences we treasure or regret. Trails connect. The Tommy Thompson Trail connects downtown Anacortes with the waters of Fidalgo Bay and the distant landscapes of March Point, its refinery towers connecting our current lifestyle with the oil it receives, from far-off lands and waters, for us to burn in our travels near and far. The trail also brings a non-stop parade of bicycles, strollers, joggers, commuters, and dreamers, of those wishing to exercise, or get away from their daily work, to breathe the marine air and feel the sunshine and winds off the waters, and to see wildlife literally at their feet or above their head. We had some of those goals as we joined the trail at the 17th Street access, where tractors, dump trucks and concrete mixers are transforming the wide-open views along Fidalgo Bay into soon-to-rise apartments, condos, and businesses. We passed people picking ripening blackberries. It helps to get the good ones if you are tall or impervious to stickers. We enjoyed the artwork on the side of a building near 30th Street, became frustrated with a restroom nearby that never seems to be open, then smiled as the 34th Street approach brings the trail right alongside Fidalgo Bay. From here south we forget about traffic, enjoying the shade (and more blackberries) for a mile on our way to the Fidalgo Bay Resort. Here the trail connects with the water in a real way, crossing the railroad trestle with the incoming tide below bringing unseen fish and very visible and noisy seals following the fish. Eagles and herons flap their way above; seagulls drop an occasional clam to break it open; Mt. Baker rides the horizon, and the trail connects us to all of these. It also connects us to our past. The rail-trail follows the inactive corridor of the short-lived Seattle and Northern Company line, which was built in 1890 but which was discontinued a couple decades later. So who is Tommy Thompson, the trail’s namesake? Tommy Thompson the father studied the sea water chemistry while also teaching at the UW and Friday Harbor Labs. Amazing connections to Fidalgo! His son Tommy Thompson was a train and steam engine buff who dreamed of a tourist train from downtown Anacortes to March Point. He operated a popular six-block narrow-gauge railway for some 25 years until his death in 1999. His name remains connected with the delightful trail now paved for human traffic. To make more educational connections, read the dozens of Trail Tale signs scattered along the four miles of the Tommy Thompson Trail. Make even more connections this Saturday at Fidalgo Bay Day: a FREE, fun, family outing from 11 – 3 at the Samish Indian Nation’s Fidalgo Bay Resort, 4701 Fidalgo Bay Road. Celebrate local estuaries and fascinating marine life. Take part in popular educational beach-seining demonstrations, touch live marine critters in an undersea zoo, get creative at the kid friendly craft tables, and learn about local projects and volunteer opportunities at the many educational exhibits staffed by local agencies and organizations. You will get the chance to taste complimentary chowders and samples of seafood BBQ’d to perfection, and enjoy a traditional salmon BBQ lunch offered by members of the Samish Indian Nation. Making connections for life. jack Directions: the trail is accessible in so many locations in Anacortes. It starts at the Cap Sante Marina near Ninth Street, or anywhere along much of Q Avenue. The 34th Street area has considerable on-street parking and provides an immediate jump onto the trail as it leaves town, following Fidalgo Bay. And Fidalgo Bay Resort has a handful of parking places for the trail.
By Bus: Take Island Transit from Whidbey to the March Point Park and Ride, then walk on March's Point Road almost a mile to the east end of the trail. Or take Skagit County Transit 410 to that same park and ride, or jump off anywhere along R or Q Avenues for a short walk to the trail. By Bike: The roadways in downtown Anacortes are fairly level with easy urban access to the trail. Just be careful, of course. The trail itself is nearly level the entire way, paved the entire route except for the trestle, which is planked. Just watch out for clam shell fragments near or on the trestle. The Parks Department does a great job of blowing off the shells on a regular basis. Mobility: the entire route is paved, level, and wide. There are several road crossings in the downtown area with flattened curb edges in appropriate places, many with mobility warning aprons.
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Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
May 2024
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