Hope Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
7–8 September 2024
Leon and I end up on the wrong island, but the deer are overjoyed to see us.
Wolfe Property
Hood Canal, Washington
31 August–1 September 2024
Spooky hands, unusual aquaculture, and a driftwood dragon.
Wingehaven
Central Puget Sound, Washington
13–14 July 2024
All we need for a perfect summer weekend are a grassy field, a few birds, and a parade of killer whales.
Posey Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
13–14 April 2024
Rachel and I spend a weekend with the kids on the smallest camping island in the San Juans.
Turn Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
23–24 September 2023
Often overlooked in favor of flashier islands, Turn Island is the perfect place to close out the kids’ camping season.
Blind Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
12–13 August 2023
It’s no great loss to sleep through the meteor shower when a family trip is as much fun as this.
Salmon Bank
San Juan Islands, Washington
20 July; and 1 and 5–6 August 2023
After eight months, more than a dozen kayak launches, and many long hours in the cockpit, I find my final species of whale.
Hope Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
22–23 July 2023
Voracious deer and aggressive raccoons are our neighbors here at the pearl of south Puget Sound.
Middle Point
Central Puget Sound, Washington
17–18 June 2023
James and Chelsea join me and the kids for a Father’s Day weekend at a decommissioned fort.
Possession Point
North Puget Sound, Washington
20–21 May 2023
The kids and I go camping alone together for the first time, only to be confronted by various forms of animal mischief.
Shi Shi Beach
Olympic Coast, Washington
28–29 January 2023
Far from the lights of the cities, out on the wild coast, an ancient, green comet is visible in the night sky.
Cypress Head
San Juan Islands, Washington
17–18 September 2022
Strong winds and rare birds await us and our friends on a long-promised visit to Cypress Island.
Blake Island
Central Puget Sound, Washington
20–21 August 2022
An entire weekend of kayak-camping, just me and Leon, age two.
Hein & Salmon Banks
Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington
6–7 August 2022
Flocks of California gulls guide me to the minke whales.
James Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
30–31 July 2022
It’s no mirage—James Island makes for a perfect family getaway.
Sucia Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
11–12 June 2022
Rachel joins me and the kids on a kayak-camping trip to one of the most beautiful islands in the state.
Jones Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
14–15 May 2022
Forgotten food and a rainy night out can’t dampen our spirits.
Wingehaven
Central Puget Sound, Washington
30 April–1 May 2022
Leon’s first-ever kayak-camping trip.
Kalaloch
Olympic Coast, Washington
16–17 April 2022
The Olympic coast is a wonderland of geology and wildlife.
Vashon Island
Central Puget Sound, Washington
22–23 January 2022
Cruising the foggy passages of our inland sea.
Sand Island
Lower Columbia River, Oregon
20–21 November 2021
A visit to the scene of a conservation catastrophe.
Carr Inlet
South Puget Sound, Washington
23–24 October 2021
Despite a threatening windstorm offshore, the south sound is a sanctuary of wildlife and autumn leaves.
Kinney Point
Admiralty Inlet, Washington
25–26 September 2021
My dad joins me and Maya for a weekend in the woods on Marrowstone Island.
Grays Canyon
Continental Slope, Washington
21–22 August 2021
Twenty-two hours, sixty-five miles, thousands of seabirds, and a capsize at the end.
Sucia Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
24–25 July 2021
James and I take Maya and Chelsea fossil hunting.
Willapa Spits
Willapa Bay, Washington
26–27 June 2021
This small, desert island won’t survive forever against the sea.
Anderson Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
19–20 June 2021
With James and Chelsea, Maya and I explore an island full of mammals, birds, reptiles, and crustaceans.
Burrows Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
1–2 May 2021
From the treetops overhead, a raven laughs at two strange visitors to its island.
Fort Ward & Middle Point
Central Puget Sound, Washington
10–11 April 2021
The nineteenth century’s last line of defense against an enemy fleet is now a pair of peaceful parks.
Long Island
Willapa Bay, Washington
6–7 March 2021
In memoriam of Dave Kruger, I explore one of his favorite areas for kayaking.
Obstruction Pass
San Juan Islands, Washington
9–10 January 2021
Even during a winter storm, there’s always somewhere beautiful to go kayaking.
Point Roberts
Strait of Georgia, Washington
7–8 November 2020
Adverse currents, strong winds, and a navigational error make for a difficult crossing.
Hope Island
North Puget Sound, Washington
24–25 October 2020
The Fraser outflow winds bring clear skies, strong winds, and cold temperatures to north Puget Sound.
Saddlebag Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
26–27 September 2020
A little rain won’t keep two adventurous girls and their dads from having a good time on their own, private island.
Hope Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
5–6 September 2020
A short, easy crossing to one of the gems of the south sound.
Blake Island
Central Puget Sound, Washington
1–2 August 2020
Two little girls and their dads go romping around an island.
Cascade Head & Cape Meares
North Coast, Oregon
10–11 July 2020
Seabird colonies and deep, dark caves are two of the most exhilerating environments to visit by kayak.
Anderson Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
13–14 June 2020
One of the most scenic campsites in south Puget Sound is also one of the easiest to reach.
Sucia Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
30–31 May 2020
Sucia Island is the perfect place to be a child.
Discovery Island
Haro Strait, British Columbia
2–3 November 2019
Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to challenging countercurrents and international border crossings.
Doe Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
5–6 October 2019
Rosario Strait is the beating heart of the San Juans.
Blake Island
Central Puget Sound, Washington
13–14 July 2019
Rachel and I take Maya for her first-ever kayak-camping trip.
Chuckanut Bay
North Puget Sound, Washington
22–23 June 2019
Is it really possible to go fossil hunting from a sea kayak?
Possession Sound
North Puget Sound, Washington
16–17 March 2019; and
14 April 2019
Each spring, a small population of gray whales lingers in our waters, feeding on shrimp.
Cypress and Sinclair Islands
San Juan Islands, Washington
22–23 September 2018
My attempt to find a secret campsite is unsuccessful, but a rare Arctic visitor arrives to raise my spirits.
Lummi Rocks
San Juan Islands, Washington
16–17 June 2018
A secret campsite turns out to be not such a secret, after all.
Strawberry Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
19–20 May 2018
In paradise, no one needs a tent.
Goat Island
North Puget Sound, Washington
14–15 April 2018
Hidden deep in the jungle are the overgrown ruins of an ancient and warlike civilization.
Blake Island
Central Puget Sound, Washington
15–16 January 2017
What kind of maniacs go camping in January?
Hope Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
27–28 February; and
29 April – 1 May 2016
Camping on Hope Island is so much fun I come back a second time with Rachel.
Blake Island
Central Puget Sound, Washington
7–8 March 2015
Rachel and I spend the night in the Cascadia Marine Trail campsite closest to home.