Domestic Expeditions
Lighthouses of Puget Sound
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Tour Registration Form
please call the office at 415-362-7255 or email us at jeff@uslhs.org
Dates
June 17th through June 20th, 2011
Itinerary
From satellite images taken above the state of Washington, you can clearly see the jagged arms of Puget Sound which were etched by glaciers over thousands of years. These glaciers created a vast, inland sea which is over 2,000 miles long and famous lighthouses dot the landscape. Our abridged Puget Sound tour will give you the highlights of the region from land and sea.
Friday, June 17
The tour begins in Seattle where our coach will pick up participants at either the airport hotel or Celebrity Cruise Line dock in the morning. For those driving, vehicles can be left at the hotel for the duration of the excursion at no charge. For those arriving on Thursday, arrangements can be made to stay at the airport hotel. A free shuttle is available from the airport to the hotel. Our first lighthouse tour will be at Alki Point, which is located at the southern entrance of Seattle’s Elliot Bay. Interestingly enough, Alki marks the spot where the first white settlers arrived in 1851. The group will then travel to Lake Union for a quick stop to view the Lightship SWIFTSURE. After lunch we will travel to the West Point Lighthouse, which marks the hazardous shoal and northern entrance into Elliott Bay. The beacon, located in Seattle’s Discovery Park, remains essentially unchanged from the time it was built and has recently undergone a major renovation. Heading north the group will next visit the famous Mukilteo Lighthouse for a tour of the beautifully restored tower and ancillary buildings. We will spend the night at a hotel and enjoy dinner near
Mukilteo.
Saturday, June 18
Visiting the Puget Sound region goes hand in hand with riding ferries, and after leaving Mukilteo we’ll drive north to Anacortes and hop on our first ferry of the trip to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. The Island received its name from the Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza who charted and explored the islands in 1791. This beautiful voyage through the northern islands of Puget Sound will enable the group to view the stunning scenery and wildlife of the region. Once we arrive at our destination, you will be provided some free time to wander the streets and stores of Friday Harbor. Later in the afternoon, we will travel to Roche Harbor, a favorite “get away” harbor town rich in history and ambiance with is world-class marina, where we will have dinner. After dinner the group will make their way to the Lime Kiln Lighthouse for a sunset tour and a chance to see the resident Orcas. Built in 1919, Lime Kiln is located on the west side of San Juan Island in Dead Man’s Bay overlooking Haro Strait. We will return to Friday Harbor where we will spend the night at a local hotel.
Sunday, June 19
After breakfast, the group will embark on one of the highlights of the trip, a chartered cruise to the lighthouses of the San Juans. These include Patos Island, Turn Point, Lime Kiln, Cattle Point and Burrows Island. We will also get a long range view of the East Point Lighthouse on Saturna Island in British Columbia. The group will also enjoy lunch this day aboard the vessel, which will take us back to Anacortes to continue our journey to Whidbey Island. Our next destination is the Admiralty Head Lighthouse located on the west boast of Whidbey Island. Admiralty Head is a 90-foot high promontory that projects into Admiralty Inlet, the waterway connecting the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Puget Sound. Following the tour, the group will head to Oak Harbor, a small town on Whidbey, for dinner and the night.
Monday, June 20
Following breakfast, the group will take their final ferry ride of the trip from Whidbey to Port Townsend. Upon arrival, we’ll head to Point Wilson Lighthouse for a tour. Admiralty Inlet was considered so strategic to the defense of Puget Sound at the turn of the century that three forts were built at the entrance with huge guns creating a “Triangle of Fire” that could theoretically thwart any invasion attempt by sea. Admiralty Head on the Whidbey side and Point Wilson on the Port Townsend side mark the entrance to Puget Sound (Fort Worden, on the Quimper Peninsula marks the third point of the impenetrable triangle). After a drive south along the Kitsap Peninsula, the group will arrive at the Point No Point Light Station, headquarters to the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Here we’ll enjoy a tour of the facility and picnic lunch. Point No Point has the distinction of being the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound which is located on a low finger of land that the local Native American tribes had given the name - Hahdskus, meaning long nose. After the tour and lunch, the group will make their way back to Seattle for flights home and car pick up. Puget Sound, WA is steeped in maritime history, and this tour will give you a great opportunity to experience the best the area has to offer including the unique natural environment and beautiful lighthouses of the region.
Double - $2,430
Single - $1,565
Puget Sound, WA is steeped in maritime history, and this tour will give you a great opportunity to experience the best the area has to offer including the unique natural environment and beautiful lighthouses of the region.
