Breakfast and Alki Paddle

Our Pancake paddle group (because why wouldn’t you be a part of a group like that? If you’re in the area here’s the page) couldn’t meet at the Swedish club like last month because they weren’t open over the 4th of July weekend

Some of us wanted to get together anyway! (The kayak nerds among us). So we went to Marination Mai Kai (Hawaiian-Korean food). Since there was only five of us that made it I really enjoyed getting to know the others there in the smaller group.

We launched right next to the restaurant (wear shoes, it’s rocky!) at Seacrest Park.

There’s a rental place, Alki Kayak Tours, right next to the restaurant as well if needed.

We headed to the right to the Duwamish River . I’ve been wanting to see this place ever since reading about it in the paper.

Obviously my selfie arm isn’t that long so I didn’t take the shot above (thanks Joseph!).

And another awesome angle, this one from the other Alex on the trip.

I apparently need a nicer camera than my phone….

We paddled along together, exploring as we went. The grain elevator below is no longer working, except apparently on Halloween when the broken machines come to life and the ghost ships get stocked up 😉

There are lots of abandoned docks that are fun to paddle under and check out the wild life. There was a seal, huge star fish, and lots of mussels and barnacles.

Throughout the trip we got to see many lively birds. Herons hunting, geese waddling, osprey and swallows nesting, and a group of duck size birds (not sure what they are) that can sprint on the water.

Under the West Seattle bridge.

The planners of the group, Pat and Joseph, know so much about Seattle history, making the trip extra delightful with their fun facts.

Pat kept up well on his stand up paddle board, Joseph in the same version of our boat except a single, and the other Alex in his Oru (which I learned does have very appropriate ties to origami as the creator loves kayaks and origami!)

The weather was perfect! Not too hot, not too cold, and only a very slight wind

Once we got to the end of Harbor island they turned around and headed back and we went on with Oru Alex to Kellog Island. We saw so many birds and the contrast between industrial and wildlife was so interesting to see.

On our way back we went on the other side of Harbor Island and saw the huge parked ships, taking a sleepy Sunday from hauling their goods to and from who knows what ends of the earth.