Mother's Day at sea (no driving required)
Thursday, May 8, 2014Posted by
Broch Bender
This Mother's Day, treat mom to a day trip across the
water. And, as a bonus, why not go on foot and use the money saved on vehicle
fare to take her out to lunch? Here’s a list of quaint seaside destinations
you can get to as a walk-on passenger.
Best kept un-secret
Did you know that Mother’s Day through Labor Day we double our service between Port Townsend and Coupeville? Now is a great time to stroll through Washington’s only Victorian seaport. Or, waltz ‘round Coupeville, Whidbey Island’s artsy hideaway.
Did you know that Mother’s Day through Labor Day we double our service between Port Townsend and Coupeville? Now is a great time to stroll through Washington’s only Victorian seaport. Or, waltz ‘round Coupeville, Whidbey Island’s artsy hideaway.
Psst: if your
car wants to roll on board too, we’ve got you covered with our Save A Spot
vehicle reservation system. Passengers can make reservations on the Pt.
Townsend/Coupeville route online
or by calling 1-888-808-7977.
Big
city getaways on a time crunch
A bunch of Seattle waterfront
restaurants and attractions are offering free or special-priced parking this Mother’s Day. After wheelin’ on the Great Wheel, how
about taking mom out for a spin on the Bainbridge or
Bremerton-bound
ferryboat? While your car stays safely on terra-firma, we’ll whisk you off to
the land across the water.
As walk-on passengers, you can get to
Bremerton and back in just over two hours. Allow 1.5 hours from Seattle to
Bainbridge and back again.
Small
town charm
At just $8, it’s worth the splurge
to splash over to Edmonds or Kingston.
Mom will marvel at Edmonds’ vibrant hanging flower baskets and dozens of
independent shops and cafes.
Nestled along the shores of Apple
Tree Cove, there’s a water view and things to do all around Kingston.
Listen
to mom, plan ahead
Mother’s Day marks the beginning of
our busy season here at Washington State Ferries for walk-on and drive-on
passengers. We’ve made it easy to help follow mom’s advice to know before you go
with terminal cameras and where available, we also provide an estimate of
available spaces aboard upcoming departures.
Have a happy Mother’s Day!
Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here?
Tuesday, April 22, 2014Posted by
Broch Bender
Break out the binoculars, mates. It’s whale-watching
season aboard the Washington State Ferries.
 |
| Occasionally, a humpback whale en route to Alaska pops up for a wave. |
Since April 1, 2014, more than 50 people reported sightings of gray and orca whales from our ferries, according to Orca
Network.
 |
| Spotting for spouts aboard the Sidney B.C. to Anacortes ferry. Photo by Sue Frause. |
Did you know that Puget Sound is home to a 103-year-old orca? Born in 1911, Granny (J-2, pictured below) shares the same waters as we do.
 | |||||
| When Granny was born, steamboats plied passengers through Puget Sound. Photo by Astrid van Ginneken. |
For our porpoises
(and Granny’s), it’s Earth Day every day at WSF
We’ve got a responsibility to help keep the Sound clean for
Granny, and all whales and marine life that call our region home. That’s why we’re proud to operate one of the
greenest ferry systems in the world on April 22 (Earth Day), and all year long.
Here’s how we sea it:
- All of our vessels are National Passenger Vessel Association Waters Program certified.
- EnviroStars, a regional pollution
prevention program, awarded WSF with five-star certification for demonstrated
leadership in recycling/compost programming and using sustainable/reusable
materials when feasible.
- In 2013, our ferries used up to 5 percent biodiesel. That’s more than 687,740 gallons of carbon-neutral, greenhouse-gas-reducing fuel.
- In 2014-2015, we’ll launch a pilot project to increase our biodiesel fuel to 10 percent.
- In 2016 the M/V Hyak will become afuel-efficient hybrid ferry, saving 237,000 gallons of fuel annually.
Water you waiting
for?
You can make it Earth Day any day of the week and hang out
with orcas in real time. Just take the Anacortes/Friday Harbor ferry to Lime Kiln State Park (photo, below) and get comfy.
Whale, there you have it, folks. Seas the day!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
