Midwest Day Trips: State of Washington San Juan Islands

The family gathered on Lopez Island during the mid part in the of May. This gathering was to celebrate the wedding between our oldest son, Nick, and our daughter-in-law, Nova. Step one was to get onto Lopez Island from Iowa. So the journey begins.

Lopez Island is part of the San Juan Islands group off of the coast of Seattle, Washington. It is about 2,000 miles from our home in Iowa. Road trip. We loaded up four willing passengers, beverages, food, cameras, things for the family in Lopez, and headed to Anacortes, Washington to catch the ferry out to Lopez Island.

Stop along the way out for a solid meal at Zombie Burger, Des Moines, Iowa.

Melody having some tomato soup in Anacortes, Washington before loading onto the ferry.

Here is Anacortes, Washington in the rear veiw mirror while winding our way through the San Juan Islands for the harbor landing at Lopez Island.

We passed another ferry going back to Anacortes full of cars and people. The photograph below is approach Lopez Island from the ferry.

Did I mention that Nick and Nova also recently opened up a hyper local restaurant, Ursa Minor, in the Village of the Lopez Island? Pretty cool, hey. Lopez Island has a reputation of proud farmers growing produce and raising livestock. Below: here we are filing into Ursa Minor after the drive down from the ferry.

Ursa Minor is an amazing eating establishment. It has a lot going on with comfortable atmosphere, extremely fresh food, tasty menu, artisan fittings, fantastic people all in one of the most scenic places in North America. You can't make this stuff up - do a reservation now. Check out some photographs below from our tour of Ursa Minor.

It got more fun as more of the family showed up and as we mingled with Nova's family from northern Wisconsin. They also drove out and gathered family members along the way.

Above: one of our other sons, Dane, showed up from Burbank, California. He was welcomed by his cousin, Oscar. Dane works for Walt Disney as a research imagineer. We have some accomplished children - parent proud.

We met all of the families as the restaurant was closed up to celebrate the wedding. Below is a photograph of Nova's parents, David and Susan, enjoying the wedding reception meal at Ursa minor. Nova's sisters (Laurel, Rebecca, Lily, and Kate) are around the table of four in the background and in the other photograph below as they got ready for the walk out to Iceberg Point for the wedding ceromony. Beautiful family. The first course of the reception meal included crab and a variety of oysters plus spreads for the bread from a local bakery.

What a wedding. The wedding was officiated by our middle daughter, Mariah, on a rocky point overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a gorgeous afternoon. The wedding was attended by family and friends. It was a very intimate experience.

Melody and the girls, Claire, Mariah, and Alex, all ready for the wedding.

Take a left for the Coffey - Askue wedding.

Here comes the bride...

True North...

The wedding cake at the reception was from the local bakery, Holly B's Bakery, across the street - a fitting closure as one cannot get more local than across the street. We are unable to show you a photograph of the cake before hand, because Charlie got to the last piece. That's okay, because it was good too.

We got to spend some extra time on the Island visiting and site seeting before and after the wedding. Check it out.

Living room of our vacation rental home on the Island. Left to right: Dane, Charlie, Chad, Oscar.

View from master bedroom skylight window of the Village on Lopez Island.

Susan and Melody visiting on Ursa Minor patio -

open now for seating as the weather has turned nice.

Nick, Dane, and Oscar conversing over the stove at Ursa Minor.

Mike's brother Chad, son Charlie, and girl friend Alex

with new cool hat from the ferry gift shop.

Great lunch restaurant on the Island - The Galley.

We got to enjoy the first Farmer's Market on Lopez for 2017.

Must stop juice bar among other things - Vortex.

Hidden bay along the coastline of Lopez Island.

Photograph by Dane.

A great time was had by all. We headed back home with the fondest of memories. Nick and Nova have good visions and know what they are doing when it comes to oepning up a restaurant, getting married, and hosting a reception. Love yas.