June, 2022
This morning, I headed out in the big white truck to simply drive along the water as close as I could, and see what I could see.
In the image below, the RED star is where I’m camped with Towhee the Trailer. The RED arrow is the most northern point I drove to, on my S-shaped drive along the water. On the “head” of that peninsula is the Semiahmoo Resort and Marina. I didn’t spend much time there, just snapped a few photos and left.
My photos (below) start just as I’m driving along the narrow neck of land immediately south of that resort, while I’m driving north to the resort. The photos below are looking north (maybe northwest a bit) directly towards White Rock in British Columbia, Canada.
The beach in the photo above is in the USA. The city (White Rock) is in Canada.
Soon enough on my drive in the big white truck, I reached the end of that peninsula and drove into the Semiahmoo Resort in the USA, and had a nice view of the marina there.
That resort on the peninsula was very nice, but it was also commercial, not something that appealed to me. So I then headed back south. From that northern point of my drive, I then drove slowly back down the road along the waterfront and eventually back to the campground. It was a wonderful and peaceful drive.
On the way, I saw some very attractive homes. The one below might be a small home, but its front porch looked out over the roadway (a very quiet roadway with few vehicles on it) and then it looked out onto the beach and then west across Birch Bay to the sunset every evening. There were no homes or buildings to interfere with the view.
This very nicely cared for apartment complex (below) also looked directly across the road (same quiet roadway). The view from those apartments looks across the road and then at and across the beach and then out over Birch Bay and out over the water to the west. The name of this apartment complex is Mariners Cove (in Birch Bay, Washington) if any of you are interested.
A bit south of that, I found a short public driveway and public access to the beach. I parked the truck and walked out onto the beach. The view below is looking back to the north.
The view below is looking to the south.
And frankly, before I took off in the truck again, I found a nice log to sit on and enjoy the view, the sounds of the seagulls, the fresh air and smells of the beach.
Ah, but then, I did drive on south along the road.
The photo below was taken when I approached the very north end of the State Park property. The building across the waterway is owned by the State Park. You can see a few vehicles parked to the right of that building — vehicles owned by people who drove to this beach for an afternoon of enjoyment.
BUT … you can also see a whole lot of birds in the photo above … herons, cormorants, seagulls, and one solitary bald eagle. The RED arrow in the photo above points to the eagle waiting for a fish to arrive for its dinner.
Around the next bend in the road, I found this fresh-water (not saltwater) waterway (below) between the road (to the right) and the saltwater (to the left). This waterway was fresh water, a stream that came from further south, and then eventually emptied into the saltwater of Birch Bay right here.
The RED arrow points to where the fresh water stream empties into Birch Bay.
Notice the Great Blue Heron!
You might think this heron had a bit of trouble catching a bite to eat. Here’s a little video proving otherwise.
If you ever want to watch herons fish for food in tidal waters, hang out there as the tide is coming in, since these heron know that the incoming tide brings lunch!
As I drove south, back to the campground, I paid attention to this waterway. It had obviously started somewhere up hill in the mountains, but down here it had been contained and directed by humans. And yet, it still flowed on a path from the mountains down to the salt water.
After a mile or so along this road, and getting closer to the turn-off into the campground, this fresh-water waterway flowed through more trees, with fewer homes alongside.
And then, when I turned off that Birch Bay waterfront road, and turned onto the road that led back into the campground, I crossed a bridge that crossed above the waterway. With no homes and no buildings anywhere near, it was a sweet little fresh water stream that had a life of its own.
I stopped on the bridge, rolled down my window, and took the photo above. The volume of bird chatter was amazing. What an astonishingly wonderful world.
Such a cool drive! Do you keep a journal? Or how do you remember all these details a year later?
I take LOTS of photos! And I keep a very rudimentary “log” of where I went and what the weather was, but not a real diary. Mostly it’s the photos, Dawn, that remind me of all manner of details. For instance, if I like a specific drive along a specific road, I’ll pull over and take a photo of the road sign so I have the name of the road, same with building numbers, etc. That way it saves me time writing things down, or then later trying to remember why I wrote something down! Photos, now that they are digital and “free”, are invaluable to me … and to my memory. 🙂 But even without the inordinate, specific details of some of the photos, just the general photos seem to bring back tons of memories. So far, I think they are all true. 🙂
Nice drive. I’d like to buy that little house across from the beach please. 🙂
Ok, Cindy, I’ll find a realtor and would be happy to be assist. Isn’t that a great home in a perfect location?!
There is almost always lots of beautiful water in every one of your camping blog posts. Nebraska has water, hundreds of TINY little lakes, a few rivers, the only real lake I know of is Lake McConaughy which is there only because of a hydro dam. I didn’t think I cared about water but reading your blogs make me love even just reading about being around so much water. No wonder humans live near water …… except in Nebraska. Ha! The beaches in your post are wonderful!!
Hi Nebraska. 🙂 I’ve driven through Nebraska once. I don’t remember it. But when I look online, I see all of those hundreds of tiny lakes, fascinating. There truly is a LOT of water in western Washington, fresh water and salt water. We love it here. Come visit! 🙂
And again! could someone just swim or take a kayak between the USA and Canada? And then I think about other countries I’ve visited who are at odds with each other but where their borders are right next to each other just like this is. Sometimes it’s a puzzle why there are any borders. Maybe humanity is still in its teenage years, ack or younger.
Great drive tho 🙂 and great Great Blue Heron photos and video.
Oh now there’s a question, Pat, that could fill up several blog posts with the answer … could someone just swim or kayak between the USA and Canada. Here’s the short answer … yes, they could. But it’s illegal of course to cross the border without going through Customs, but a person sure can do it. As a long-time power boat owner who cruised into Canada many times, I can tell you the law used to be (maybe still is) that if you take a boat into Canada but DON’T touch land, then you can legally cruise through Canada and on into Alaska (USA). But that means you can’t even drop anchor, you have to keep going. If you keep moving and don’t stop, then that’s legal. But if you go to a dock, or drop anchor, or run your boat up onto a beach, and you haven’t gone through Customs, then you’ve broken the law and you could be arrested. I knew of people (won’t call them friends) who had private power cruising boats (24 feet and 36 feet in length) who used to cruise into Canada regularly without going through Customs. And they went to marinas in Canada and docked there. They got away with it for years. Lots of us talked about turning them in, but we never did. That’s the short story. Good question!
Wonderful! I’ll take one of those condo units please. 🙂
Ok, super, I’ve told them your name is on the list! 🙂
Just beautiful!
Thank you. 🙂
Gorgeous! We’d like one of the condos please … happy to be a neighbor of reader Emily. 🙂 The saltwater beaches and the birds are wonderful, we’ve never experienced them on our RV travels in the midwest. thank you. 🙂
Oh the beaches here! And the birds. 🙂 Ok, you folks are on the list for a condo unit near Emily.
Gorgeous. Loved the little house, and of course the beaches and the birds. I had the same question about using a boat to cross the border that Pat Carlisle has, will read your answer to her. 🙂
Thanks for your comments, Emily. My comment to Pat was the short answer, there’s so much more info about crossing the border by water (swimming or boating). That little house is so wonderful, isn’t it?
Love the pictures of the heron with its reflection in the water, and the video of the heron. It is so patient and stealthy, placing its feet just so. These large birds have always been among my favorites.
Nice shooting, Ann.
I love herons. Yes, they walk “just so” and use their heads and vision “just so”. And I can see sometimes when one of them has just a tiny drip of water on the end of its bill and that drip of water lands in the water and ruins its view of the fish below … the shake of the head to rid it of any more water, the irritation! 🙂 Thanks, Fritzi.
Delightful! Loved the idea of that freshwater stream, and of course the Great Blue Heron. I really like your photos and explanations, makes it real to me. I LOVE the photo of the heron with its beak in the water, just lost that fish! 🙂
Kinny, I liked that photo too … the heron had just attempted to spear a fish, but had failed and it wasn’t happy!
Super! Herons, beaches, great homes. thanks!
You are welcome, Paul. 🙂
I want to live there on that road across from that beach looking at the western sunset across the water, with the herons and cormorants and seagulls and eagles, and freshwater streams nearby, and with people like you Ann who come to visit now and then. I’m moving!! 🙂
Super! Move there June and let me know and I’ll come visit! And we can sit on your porch and enjoy the sunset across the beach, and tell stories. 🙂