July, 2022
Blog reader Rob said he has cruised north and south along the west side of Camano Island many times on his boat and noticed some cabins near where I was camping on Camano, and he wondered what those cabins were. I found them!
On this camping trip, I was camping at Camano Island State Park. The cabins are at Cama Beach State Park, just a couple of miles north of where I was camped. What was really cool about Cama Beach and the cabins was that about half of the cabins are truly right next to the beach. It used to be a private “camp” but now it’s owned by Washington State and anyone can rent/reserve those cabins.
I bet you remember that “Camano” is pronounced “kuh-MANE-o”. Cama is pronounced “ca” as in “cat” … then “ma” as in “mushroom” … sort of like “camelot” but without the “lot”.
Cama Beach State Park is where the cabins are. You can’t drive in, even if you’re staying there. You park your vehicle in the parking lot up the hill in the trees behind the cabins, and then you carry all your gear (clothes, food, bedding, toys, books, cameras, etc) … you get to carry all your gear down to your cabin. I think there may be some sort of wheelbarrows or carts available for that process.
But look … you’re right on the water. There are official vehicles that drive in and out on the road in front of the cabins in the photo below, but they are few and far between … and the beach is right there. In the photo below, I’m looking south, back towards the main entrance to Cama Beach.
Then I turned around to look north (in the photo below). Now that’s more like it. Those cabins are truly right on the edge of the beach. And they look directly west towards the sunset across the water.
Each cabin has a number, but each cabin also has a name. The name of the first cabin in the photo above is Boatman’s House.
And a very appealing house it is.
Of course, the property has buildings that house maintenance equipment and work space. The state park rents small rowboats, so they have people employed who maintain and repair those boats.
And, surprisingly to me, there was this large shed for The Center For Wooden Boats (photo below). The main facility for “CWB” (Center for Wooden Boats) is in Seattle at the south end of Lake Union. As an owner of a 40-foot long 1939-built wood hulled power boat, I’m very familiar with that Lake Union facility, especially with my good friend Betsy Davis as the Director there for a very many GOOD number of years (which their website doesn’t even mention!?). I didn’t know CWB had another building here on Camano Island.
Unfortunately, I was here mid-week and the building was closed. Let me in!!! Aargh!
Well, ok, I’ll have to come back another day.
I then walked north through the entire wonderful community of rentable cabins and work buildings and the people who were out and about here on this perfect day. The state park land continues north a bit outside the area of cabins and other buildings, and into pristine beach area, with woodlands above.
Looking north above.
Looking south below.
You might notice the kayakers and paddle-boarders in the photo above.
Here’s a video (below) of the area. Turn your sound on. Enlarge the video if you wish.
And here’s another video (below) showing a commercial fishing boat cruising by on its way north to prime fishing grounds.
Notice the stand-up paddle boarder … lying on her board, having a nap! That’s how wonderful the waters are here in Puget Sound.
So I walked on the beach a bit, talked with a nice woman who was out walking with her dog, and I talked with the dog a bit, nice dog. And then I headed back south into the cabin area so that I could then get back to my big white truck and head back to my campsite.
I’d like to rent that end cabin on the right please, the one right on the beach.
BUT!!! Ok, here it comes. In the photo below, you’ll see two people on the left looking up into the trees … and two people in the middle of the photo looking up into the trees. But I didn’t even have to look, I heard it! You got it, another eagle.
The photo below has a RED arrow pointing to the eagle. It was SO FAR away. But still, there it was. 🙂
Zooming in as much as I can …
Ok, a little more zooming here. It was so far away. But still we all heard it.
Eagle #4. 🙂
You cut away before the wake from the fishing boat could wash up to the napping paddleboarder! 🎶 Rock-a-bye napper, 🎶 on the soft swells ,🎶 😴😃
Could have been interesting?
Hi love it!
🎶 Rock-a-bye napper, 🎶 on the soft swells, 🎶
🎶 Sweet rolling and rocking, 🎶 on such gentle swells ,🎶
🎶 But when that boat passes, 🎶 and it’s at full speed, 🎶
🎶 You’d best pay attention, 🎶 or you’ll get flipped by the wake of the boat and you will be dunked completely in the water and lose your paddle board and have to swim to shore and you will be sorry, indeed! 🎶
Oops, sorry about that last stanza.
Ok, so what actually happened out there was that the napping paddle-boarder did pay attention and did get up and paddle directly into the oncoming wake so the board just bobbed over the wake instead of flipping. No harm done.
Thanks Fritzi, that was fun. 🙂
My version of it goes:
Rock-a-bye napper on the soft swells.
Rock o’er the place where the octopus dwells.
When the wake passes, will you still sleep?
Or will you be down with our friend in the deep?
A lot less typing than yours.🙃🤭😃
Thanks for filling us in on what actually happened!
LOL!!! That was perfect Fritzi. That was really great, made me laugh (and sing). 😃 ❤️
What a beautiful place! I’d love to rent a cabin too. I see them at our state parks and often think maybe I’ll try that, especially as it gets into fall, I think they come with heaters! Love your eagle #4. It’s always a treat to see them.
There are a number of areas here in Washington known for being high density eagle territory in the winter, when the salmon are running. But summer isn’t known for eagles hereabouts. But I seem to find them, or they find me, or I have good hearing. 🙂 If I didn’t have my travel trailer, I’d be renting those cabins.
I want a beach front cabin! I looked them up online and they are actually nicely priced for what you get, a kitchen, electric heat, separate bedroom, some with a small bathroom. The website didn’t mention a fireplace or woodstove, but the cabins have brick chimneys on them so I would hope they are still usable for that. Gorgeous place … a cozy autumn afternoon with a gorgeous sunset across the water and a fire in the fireplace. On my way! 🙂
I thought about looking the cabins up online but didn’t do it. Thank you for that information, Ruth. They sure are attractive, especially if they have a wood stove or some such for winter use. I’ll see you there! 🙂
I thought about that boat wake too, Fritzi. Like your little song. 🙂
Thanks for finding “my” cabins Ann. It’s really cool that you pay attention to the comments here, makes it personal and friendly-wise. Red-right-returning … safe travels. 🙂
I really appreciate that you’re a boater, Rob. Spending so many weeks and months and years out on the waters of Puget Sound (and Canada) gives us a different perspective. Probably like hikers get a different perspective of the world, too. Red-right-returning indeed. 🙂
How can there be so many gorgeous places to stay or visit in Washington? I’m a Wisconsin native, with lots of water hereabouts, but the places you show us in Washington are gorgeous! Ok, planning a trip. Eagles, and napping paddle-boarders, and bunnies. 🙂
Pat, when I sold my 40-foot classic wood boat and bought the travel trailer, I figured I would see everything in Washington State by land that I wanted to within 2-3 years. Well, 2023 is my seventh year and I haven’t seen 1/3 of this state! Come visit, let me know!
Napping on a paddle board on the ocean, with eagles flying and calling in the distance, the thought of an approaching beautiful evening sunset, and life in a cabin right on the beach. Ah me. I could handle that!
That sounds so wonderful!!! 🙂
This was great. What a great week you’re having! The eagles and in such gorgeous country (and water). Friends of mine and I are planning a camping trip in our trailers to Puget Sound later this fall. We’re re-reading ALL of your blog posts, it’s hard to decide where to go!
Susan, if you want ANY information more than what I share in this blog, please let me know. I just emailed you so you have my personal email address. And … when you and your friends get here … if you need help or direction or a turkey sandwich, just let me know. 🙂 Come visit.
I want to live there!!! But only if you promise me eagles and sunsets. I have my standards after all! 🙂
I promise you! I promise you eagles and sunsets, David. Absolutely! 🙂
Who else does anyone know who finds eagles everywhere they go? We have eagles in Montana, I’ve seen maybe ten in my whole lifetime! But you see them everywhere. Someone else here called you an eagle whisperer. I think you are an eagle magnet!
The water is really beautiful.
I don’t know the answer, Tim. Reader Sesapa here says that I listen, and maybe there is something about me that hears the eagles. I don’t know. I like your comment about an “eagle magnet” but I really think that eagles are already out there and I just hear them and see them.
Oh yes, the water here is beautiful. Puget Sound is a “magnet” for boaters!
I like your pronunciation help. and your maps. and your wonderful photos. the eagles! the water! most blogs don’t allow enlargement of photos, yours does, thank you! a simple click. Found you on RVing-Women from your cover photo and info in their magazine last month. Wish they would list all RV women with blogs. Yours would be the best. 🙂
What a nice comment. Thanks, Olivia! Setting my blog so the photos open/englarge with just a click uses more space/storage in the blog software and costs me a little more money, but I like that option. And, there are so many place names in Washington State that are based on Native Tribe names that it’s really fun to listen to people try to pronounce them. 🙂 But maybe better to help with pronunciation.
Interesting you mentioned the RVWomen group. I’ve been trying to get them to list women’s RVing blogs for more than two years. I’ve even offered to do that for them (that was one of my professions), and monitor the blogs for content so they meet the RVW criteria. But they continue to tell me “no”, it can’t be done. Sigh. If you keep asking them, I will too. What a great resource that would be and how much it would encourage all women to join and participate in that group. So far, the door is closed to the blog list idea, but maybe we can squeak it open one day in the future.
Thanks for being here. 🙂
You pay attention to birds and animals and the earth. Even the dog on the beach, you talked with the woman and she was nice, and you talked with the dog too, and you say it was a nice dog too. Everyone could learn from you. I bet that dog loved you. The eagles don’t follow you, they are already there. You listen.
This might be a little too “spiritual” for some folks, but this is what all of us should be doing, listening. And, ok, I really like your photos. 🙂 And the sense of humor that comes through in your blog from you and readers like Fritzi and others. thank you, makes my day when you post a blog!
Oh Tina, what a wonderful comment. That sure makes me smile. Yes, I too think the eagles are already there. If I see them because I listen (or because I hear them even if I’m not conscious of listening for them), then I’m really happy with that. Yes, more listening to eagles, and to each other, is critical. Ha! makes my day when you post a comment. 🙂