Did you know that we’re big into sailing? no? That’s because we’re not. It’s something that we’ve never done. Hell, we’ve barely ever been on a boat. And while we’ve seen the majority of our beautiful country we’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest. So this was a trip of first for us and we wanted to share the journey with you all.

How did this come to be? It’s kind of a funny story. Way back in 2020 I (Loren) bought an Oculus VR headset. It’s something I wanted to try for a long time ever since hearing about the technology nearly a decade prior. And honestly with my high susceptibility for motion sickness, it made me physically ill. But I found the experiences so captivating and immersive that I kept trying. After a few weeks it got better and better. And before too long, it cured all of the issues I’ve struggled with my whole life regarding motion sickness. Nothing seems to bother me now, from cars to planes and I’m beyond grateful for that.

So I started playing a game called Population One. And the best part of the game is the social aspect of it. You get paired up with 2 random people for a 10min match and fight to the end as a team. And after playing this game for nearly 2.5 years. I have met some of the most interesting people from all walks of life. From scientist to teachers, veterans to stay at home moms, other photographers to record executives. People that live in the same town to people on the other side of the globe. The community is vast as it is diverse.

Well, way back in the beginning, I met someone named TrapDo_r. He was a teacher and also runs a non-profit program near Seattle that educates the public about Maritime history with a replica tall ship named Lady Washington. Trap also is a certified sailing instructor and holds a USCG 25 Ton Master’s license. Well, Trap and I hit it off. We played often with one another and began playing competitively in leagues. And one day, about a year ago, he said hey, every year my wife and I charter a sail boat and spend a week sailing through the gulf islands up through Canada. Would you and Mary Beth like to come with us? My answer was sure! My wife was like, with strangers? And after a lovely video chat, Mary Beth got more excited for the idea. Trap and his wife are lovely people that want to share their passion with others. We thought this was something that we’d never seek out to do on our own. And it would be a opportunity to meet new people, and learn something new.

So we planned our trip. Since we’ve never been to the PNW, we figured we’d spend a few days in Seattle and see the sights. Our hotel was next to the downtown library and it was so impressive. We walked down to the water and rode the Big Wheel. Had some delicious meals and checked out the MoPop museum.

Then we met up with Trap and his wife. It was time to head to Bellingham to get our boat and meet the other couple that Trap invited. We stopped off to get some extra groceries for the trip and we made it to the harbor. Our boat was a 46′ Jeanneau that was appointed nicely (not that I have anything to compare it to). That night we slept on the boat with the plan to set sail the following morning. From there we sailed to Pender Island BC, then to Galiano Island, Maple Bay, Roche Harbor, Orcas Island, Lummi Island and back to Bellingham. We’ll let the photos speak for themselves. But what a way to experience the Pacific Northwest. Memories and friendships were made and we’re grateful to have went on such an adventure.