On the day before Thanksgiving I went out for a walk. I’ve been doing a lot of walking this week in some of my favorite places. It restoreth my soul. I took the week off for a much needed break. I’m not traveling to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I’m not even going to feast with friends. I’m just walking. I watch birds and wildlife. I sit and stare across the blue expanse and the misty mountains on the far horizon. When it rains I carry my umbrella. It took 3 days to break the routine, to leave my cares behind, to find peace. Something shifted. My heart opened. Walking is good therapy in troubled times. Today I went to meet Jack for a walk. He lives in Anacortes. I live in Freeland so we met in the middle at Joseph Whidbey State Park. It was a good thing we decided to meet there for a beach walk. The tide was high, but there were still plenty of places to walk. Woodland trails and a trail just off the shore are mostly accessible for those in wheeled scooters or trail savvy wheelchairs. For the more agile, a beach walk offered a chance to pull off ones shoes and feel the sand between ones toes, if one had a mind to do such a thing in late November. We walked north with the sun on our backs passing industrious youth building castles and digging moats. We walked until we came upon a sign marking the edge of the Navy property. Then, turning inland toward a cattail marsh, we watched a Northern Harrier glide a few feet off the ground, hunting. It wheeled showing its white rump and tipped and whirled and spun around to circle back. Then another raptor sped by at head height and caught our attention. Was that a Merlin? Neither of us had brought binoculars. What were we thinking? It was a good day to catch up with a friend and walk a few miles. We climbed the bluff and took the trails through the woods. Blue sky shone through bare branches full of busy little Chickadees, Kinglets and Pine Siskins. Sparrows sang sweetly from blackberry boughs. A woman collected downed branches for holiday swags. A mother walked with her young daughter. A couple walked with their dog. We all need to get outside on lovely days in the winter to get our vitamin D, fresh air, exercise, to stay healthy and sane. Jack and I had both been under stress these last few months. It's been a really tough year for many. But on our walk, we didn’t dwell on that. This was a day to shed the strain, stretch our legs and our lungs and enjoy good company. As the sun sank below the clouds and the golden glow lit up the landscape, we both pulled out our cameras and tried to capture the moment. “What are you thankful for?” I asked. Our answers were the same. This beautiful place we call home, the ability to walk, and talk, and enjoy it, the cozy homes we have waiting for us as darkness falls and temperatures drop, the good food we’d enjoy this Thanksgiving, and the friends and family (human and animal) that enrich our lives even if we can’t all be together. Thanksgiving will be different this year which provides an opportunity to be creative, try something new. But one thing remains the same. It’s still a time when we stop to appreciate what’s around us and give thanks. Be Blessed, Maribeth Directions: From the stoplight at Highway 20 and Swantown Road on the south side of Oak Harbor, take Swantown Road 3 miles to the main park entrance. Restrooms and picnic tables are at this entrance. You will need a Discover Pass to park here. Or turn west and park at the beach on West Beach Road where no parking pass is required. Or turn right and park around the corner on Crosby Road for quick access to upland trails.
Those with mobility devices can choose between the beach level and the upland trails. Depending on how cars are parked, there may be problems reaching the beach trail. But the main entrance offers access to the upland trails with views of the water and access to picnic tables and restrooms. These are not ADA trails but fairly smooth, wide and mostly flat.
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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
April 2024
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