{location}: Spencer Island

I have found a little slice of heaven!  While sitting in traffic on the bus one day, I used my smartphone to check in on Google Maps as to why the bus was not moving.  As I am seeing the red lines which are the freeway I am stuck on, I see this little tag that says "SPENCER ISLAND PARK".  Hmmm...what's this??  So I clicked on it and Google Maps opens up the location, which shows 2 photos of of the most picturesque landscape.  My curiosity has the best of me now, so I decided to investigate further and "Google" the park.  My results left me with a smile and a new place that we had to go! 

The park is a wildlife refuge which sits east of Interstate 5 and is part of the Snohomish River Estuary.  It has many types of waterfowl, small amphibians and is also home to many coyotes, river otter and deer.  I have yet to see any of the large mammals (and to be honest I am okay with that) but have seen many birds (including a whole group of swallows this morning who were not the least bit thrilled that we were in their territory) and frogs...LOTS of frogs!  Here is one guy who was playing peek-a-boo with me this morning!

This mornings early walk also greeted us with numerous spiderwebs that had been spun across the bridge that grants access to the island.  In the early morning light with the spindles still covered in dew, it was a sight to see (and maybe a skoosh eerie).

  

A little history about this great park via the Snohomish County's Parks & Recreations website:

"Spencer Island lies in the heart of the Snohomish River Estuary, an ecosystem formed by mixing a freshwater system (the Snohomish River) and a saltwater system (Port Gardner Bay).

A dike was built out of earth and wood around the island in the early 1930’s for flood control and the island was converted to agricultural use. Most recently, James Scott Rhodes farmed the island, raising over 400 head of cattle.

A barn previously stood near the park entrance and served many generations of farmers. Legend has it that Tom Mormon, a farmer, rolled the barn on log skids across the island to its previous location. The barn fell down during a wind storm in 2006."

Now enjoy some more great shots that I was able to capture on my morning walk.....


A morning view of Mt. BakerThe fog rising in the valley An example of the beautiful flora. The estuary during low tide.(This photo has been entered into Aerial America Photo Contest) One of the several bridges crossing the waterways.To see all of my photographs from my visits to Spencer Island Park, please visit my Flickr page by CLICKING HERE.