Fear of Flying: 10 Reasons Commercial Air Travel is Last on my List

It's on again and off again... my love-hate relationship with flying. While I am intrigued with the concept of flight, it is commercial air travel that has my stomach in knots.

I come from a family that loves the air. My mother dreamed of being a woman pilot. But since it was not yet time for most women to fly, she ended up working for the Army Air Corps as a civilian personnel specialist. But her dreams were filled with flying.

My son had always been intrigued with flying. I signed him up for Aerospace Explorers at age 14. We went to air shows, to aerospace facilities and he got his first taste of flying. I have to admit I was as thrilled as he was to see aircraft and spacecraft. He now has his own plane and flies for recreation and for charity work in the Bahamas. 

But I am not flying.

Why? Well, let me count the ways...

1. Thieves: Did you hear about the group of airport staff who were recently arrested for pilfering the suitcases of travelers?

2. Getting Undressed: Did you ever feel like you were disrobing in front of strangers at the airport? I don't like getting dressed before traveling in a nice outfit and then having to undress (shoes, jacket, belt) to go through security.

3. Early Arrivals: There are not many who relish getting to the airport 1-2 hours in advance of a domestic flight.

4. Hurry up and Wait: How many really like waiting in security lines and then having to move it, move it, move it.. Removing your computer from its case, take out any liquids and stuffing your jacket, purse and more into dirty bins to go through the X-ray machines.

5. Lining Up: Enjoy standing in line to board the plane?

6. Bin Hogs: I don't like waiting for the glutton to stuff two huge carry-ons into the overhead bin.

7. Cell Phone Convos: I cringe as I am forced to listen to the most intimate details of a person's life while seated next to them or waiting in line. And now it's being discussed that passengers can talk on the cells in flight? Noooo!

8. Health Concerns: Care about your health? I don't like having to seat myself with strangers, some of whom may be coughing and sneezing. Even if your seat-mate doesn't give you something, the airplane air is drying and makes it much easier to catch something in that crowded airport.

9. Terror in the Skies: Of course we've been watching the news and reflecting on the loss of a huge commercial jet over the Indian Ocean. I don't like to think that we might be in danger of hijacking or pilot diversion.

10. Stormy Weather: Oh yes, and there is the weather. I haven't forgotten turbulence and having to be re-routed because of a dust storm on the ground as we were landing. I haven't forgotten watching the cowlings on the engines ice as we climbed through ice pellets. Yikes!

It is hard being a travel writer who really doesn't want to fly. But being grounded has given me more time to explore the West in detail. Driving back roads, hiking and walking have given me opportunities so see history, culture and natural beauty not otherwise experienced. And I meet wonderful people on my travels instead of stressed out people crowded into an airplane.

There is something freeing about looking up into the sky during a storm and enjoying the clouds, the wind and the rain. With my feet securely on the ground, the weather has become a thing of beauty rather than something to be avoided or feared. 

I don't know when or where I will fly commercially again, but, believe me, it is on the bottom of my travel bucket list!

Flying "Air Geoff" - Cross Country with the Piper Lance

Salt Lake City to Jacksonville, Florida in a Piper Lance

I had a marvelous experience with my son recently. He purchased a larger private plane, based in Salt Lake City, and invited me to fly cross-country with him to deliver the plane to his home in Florida.

I was so excited, and a bit apprehensive, since the longest flight I had ever had in a private plane was 1.5 hours! This flight would take approximately 12 hours and would be divided in to two legs with an overnight. Originally the overnight was planned for Texas. I soon found out that pilots plan their trips according to the weather. So, before we left Salt Lake City, our interim destination was changed to Kansas City.

First Meeting with "De Plane"

I arrived in Salt Lake City a couple of days in advance of our big trip. Geoff met me and we headed for Red Robin, a family favorite, and had juicy hamburgers. On the wall, behind Geoff, was a Babar poster showing the storybook elephant flying a plane. How appropriate, I thought. And then I drifted off in thought to the days when I read books to my little boy, many of them about flying.

After checking in to the Embassy Suites, we headed for the airport to meet the new plane's former pilot. Needless to say, we were both very excited.

We went through the gate and eagerly headed for the open hangar. There was the new, much larger, plane that Geoff had purchased over the Internet. It was a blue and grey Piper Lance but somewhat dulled by hangar dust. That was a bit disappointing. Geoff's first plane had been presented to him in tip top condition, complete with polishing kit for the windows. As Geoff went over the plane, I thought about how I could help clean her up for the big flight.

Fortunately a bit of dust has nothing to do with the mechanical condition of a plane so Geoff planned to meet the pilot the text day for test flights and I e-mailed a Salt Lake City friend who I volunteer with at the Adopt a Native Elder Program. She gladly agreed to meet me for a personal Temple Square tour and lunch.

Early in the morning, Geoff was off to spend time in his new plane. I met my friend Sarah, a documentary film maker, and we walked to Temple Square to see the sights. I learned much from her and enjoyed her company during the warm day.

That evening we visited the plane and gave her a bit of a sponge bath... well, Geoff cleaned up the windows, especially the photographer's window (mine). The plane looked much better already!

Planning for the Flight
By now Geoff was noticeably more relaxed. He'd flown the plane, everything checked out and he was complimented by the pilot, an IP for high performance aircraft. Geoff is a great pilot and I have tremendous confidence in him.

We found a place to have pizza and talked about details for the next day's flight. It was going to be an early departure as the morning weather would be better. Our big hurdle, literally, was going to be climbing over the Wasatch Mountains. Geoff chose a great route... follow I-80 through the pass. Geoff intuitively knew that sharing all these details with me would help me with any apprehensive feelings I would have. He was spot on and this helped me immensely.

Geoff checked the weather again and confirmed his route. He selected an airport in Wyoming for a gas stop. Pilots often choose these airports because of low gas prices.

Day 1

It was dawn and we were headed to the airport. I had a bit of trouble quieting my stomach. The plane was tied down at Million Air. What service they provided! A great terminal, help with checking in Geoff's rental car, and they filled the oxygen tank for us. Everything was ready.

As soon as Geoff completed his pre-flight, he showed me how to get in to the plane and buckled me in the comfortable seat. I began to relax. The journey was about to begin. I readied my camera for the glorious mountain photos I expected to take.

Geoff contacted the tower. We thought we'd have to wait until all the "big boys" had taken off, but no... we were second in line. We taxied out to the runway, did the usual engine "run ups," and took off. It was quick. Soon we were gaining altitude and Salt Lake City was getting rather small. The green mountains loomed in the distance. Geoff was busy talking with the tower and I was busy snapping photos.

Over the Mountains

I was pleased with how smooth the flying was. We gained altitude and leveled off just over 11,000 feet.. a great altitude for going through the pass.

The mountain was green and the views reminded me of Hawaii. As we flew, a mountain town came in to sight - Park City. I could see the remnants of the Olympic games construction and, in the distance, two beautiful hot air balloons flying way below us. We quipped about slingshots, and continued on. The green ended and a drier, desert-like look took over the landscape.

Geoff kept me informed about where we were in our flight and which state we were in. It was going fast. Soon we were in Wyoming and desert landscape gave way to agricultural lands.

First Stop - Pine Bluffs, Wyoming

There was no tower at Pine Bluffs but Geoff could get the weather from an automated weather station. We flew over beautiful patch-work fields and over the actual bluffs. Geoff circled and announced to the airspace that he was to land. There was no response. All was clear.

I've heard that take-off and landing are the most dangerous parts of flying. So, of course, I just love take offs and landings. This was our first landing and I was thrilled. Geoff did a great job. We looked for the aviation gas and taxied over. While Geoff gassed up the plane, I learned about the process... affix a ground to the plane, then swipe your credit card, roll out the huge hose and pump gas into both wing tanks. Replace the hose and wince at the credit card receipt.

At the tank was a sign directing us to a metal building for a bathroom break. In front of the building was a retired police cruiser. Geoff pointed out that many small muni airports used police cruisers as courtesy cars. Sure enough, we found the key sitting on the bathroom sink. If we had wanted, we could have driven into town for an ice cream.

After watching the bright yellow crop dusters and military helicopters fly in the area, it was time to take off. Geoff completed his pre-flight and we were off... headed for Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City - Here We Come!

When we took off from Pine Bluffs, it was sunny and the winds were quiet. But in the distance we saw some clouds building... harbingers of what was to come.

Geoff, via GPS, worked hard to keep a reasonably direct route, while dodging any major storm activity. I had my first experience with weather in a small plane. Geoff handled everything perfectly, in my opinion.

After several hours Geoff began to communicate with the tower about landing at Wheeler Airport in downtown Kansas City. It was near the hotel... how convenient!

We moved through the patches of rainy weather and we saw the skyscrapers of downtown Kansas City in the distance. And, there, sure enough, was an airport. It was just across a bridge from downtown.

As Geoff banked the plane I got some fantastic pictures of the skyline. And, I experienced another perfect landing. Again, we taxied over to get gas before tying up at Hangar 10. We covered the plane with an eye on an approaching storm. We hoped it would not hail!

Hangar 10 provided a courtesy ride into town and to our hotel. We were both really tired, for different reasons, but agreed we should seek out a Kansas City steak for dinner. I was tired from being overly excited and alert during our flight and Geoff had been communicating with Air Traffic Control and the towers constantly, monitoring weather and acclimating to a new plane.

Fortunately we were in walking distance from the Country Club Plaza. We checked out a couple of restaurants and decided on a grill with excellent filet mignon. Neither of us were relaxed enough to eat a great deal and I soon dubbed our adventure, "Geoff's Airborne Weight-Loss Camp." As we ate, a thunderstorm passed through the area dumping what looked like great amounts of rain but no hail, thank goodness.

Day 2
Hangar 10 didn't open until 7am. I was surprised because I liked Geoff's idea of early flying while the air was calm. And, besides, sunrise is the most glorious part of the day. We ended up taking a taxi to Hangar 10 rather than wait for the shuttle driver.

After the pre-flight, we had an easy taxi on the small field and took off. The weather, we heard was fairly clear in Jacksonville even though there were still clouds in the KC area. I was excited. Today I would end my adventure with visiting my granddaughters and daughter-in-law.

What we thought might be a "partly cloudy" flight turned out to be a "storm trooper" type of flight. Geoff did some amazing flying that day. I was totally impressed. Clouds were building all around us. The area was full of storms. And we were in a, gulp, small plane!

Gas Stop - Savannah, Tennessee

It was getting to be time for a gas stop. Geoff switched during the flight from right tank to left tank to keep the plane balanced. He had planned a stop in Savannah, due to their gas prices. As we dipped beneath the clouds, I enjoyed the green trees, rivers and farmland views. Our destination was a small county airport, Savannah-Hardin County Airport.

It was humid out and there was evidence that a storm had just passed through. Surprisingly, we were greeted by the Airport Manager, who pumped the gas and regaled us with tales of Savannah, Georgia shipments that were mis-routed to her airport. The airport manager was so warm and friendly that we spent a bit more time there than we had planned.

The small terminal was decorated like a homey living room. It was ultra-clean and convenient. I rather liked it there. But, it was time to take off on the last leg of our journey.

Storms and Home

We took off into the clouds and from Savannah to Jacksonville, it was hard work for Geoff. By monitoring the GPS, looking at the Strike-Finder, and talking to Air Traffic Control, Geoff managed to dodge the "thunder bumpers" and get us through safely.

As we flew by immense clouds, I was alternately frightened and entranced. They were beautiful and they were unpredictable. If we saw a hole where we could pass through in the distance, it would be filled with billowy thunderclouds as soon as we got there. It was hours of dodging storms and constant work for Geoff. The plane was fairly stable and any bumps we felt were not all that bad. A good family plane, I thought.

Soon Geoff was talking to the tower at his home airport, Craig Municipal. He was very excited to be going home to his family.

We passed over the area where Geoff works as a pilot for the Navy. I saw a tugboat and thought it might be one of his but no, it was a commercial tug. By now we were under the clouds and I saw familiar territory. I was getting excited about seeing my family.

The plane, I believe, was also happy about being in her new home. She eagerly landed on a wet runway and taxied right over to her new house, a small hangar.

It was nice to be on land again after all the storm activity. But would she fit in the hangar. Geoff said yes, but I was unsure. We pushed the plane back into the hangar and she fit! Maybe with only inches to spare, but she did fit in the hangar.

Kristi Abby, and baby Mary arrived.... all excited to see their new plane and Daddy. Abby jumped in the cushy back seats and sat like a princess in her carriage. She then eagerly jumped into the right seat (she usually rides next to Dad) and tried out the controls. I have a suspicion that she will be a young pilot!

It's Over

The cross-country flight was over. We were all safely home in Jacksonville, Florida. That evening we went out to dinner and we all felt like eating. There would be no more flying for awhile. We would just be reminiscing about the adventure we had just experienced.

I will remember this trip for the rest of my life. It was an opportunity to spend time with my son and to learn more about him and his love of aviation. The trip also was an experience based on trust. I would have never taken this flight with anyone else except my son.

Further Reading:
The Pilot's Version of the Trip (and More Photos)
Geoff's Blog - Family Flying
Photo Album on Facebook

Ever Wonder Why I am Temporarily Grounded? Check Out the Skyrider Airline Seats

By now everyone has heard about the delightful Skyrider Airline Seats . And I thought flying was uncomfortable and crowded enough! So no wonder I have temporarily grounded myself. I hate the lines in the airport, the bodyscanners, the unloading of laptops and gear for screening. Then, of course there are the crowded waiting rooms. 
As most travel writers do, I choose a window seat. I just want to see where I am going. I enjoy flying over the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains and the massive rivers of the midwest. But it is not easy to do anything but sit still during the flight. To get up and stretch my legs or do anything else, I have to inconvenience two people, who often are sleeping.

And now this... the semi-seated cramped seat called the Skyrider. In fact, as if this isn't bad enough. I have heard of standing "seats." Supposedly this is all geared toward making flying more affordable. But what about the charges for luggage? That hasn't made flying a bit cheaper. (Thank you Southwest Airlines for allowing me two bags without an extra charge).

Flying isn't a bit fun now and it looks even less fun in the future!

Rant over!

Hilarious Flight Attendant Video (And I'm Still Not Flying!)

You've probably read my rant about flying commercially and why I just don't want to do it. This marvelous video shows a flight attendant trying her best to make flying more fun and relaxing. But not matter how funny she is, all I see is how full the plane looks... how jammed in the "customers" are. Have a look....

Grounded Again: Why a Travel Writer doesn't want to Fly

Enjoying the clouds of northern New Mexico from the ground!

Each time I have one of these experiences, I swear off flying. Now don't get me wrong, I love Southwest Airlines. But stormy skies, both from New Mexico to Florida and return, coupled with rude passengers, led me once again to ground myself.

I won't bore you with the TSA process. Enough said in previous rants about disrobing only to be forced into a scanner that could see everything anyway!

Cattle Call
At some point in my life, I realized that I could no longer lift a full carry-on into the overhead bin without bopping a fellow passenger on the head. I put most of my travel clothing into my checked bag (Southwest doesn't charge for either of two checked bags) and carried on my purse and computer... that's all.

So when we lined up for the usual cattle call, I looked around. Passengers were wheeling elephant-sized bags, close to exploding garment bags, strollers and carrying huge purses. And two of those, they believed, counted as their carry-on luggage. There was so much luggage going into that plane that it was difficult to get in line!

Along with the unruly toddlers, tired moms and huge guys with huger carry-on luggage there were those important cell phone calls that we all had to listen to: "Mary, I swear he was so drunk I couldn't get him up this morning... I was all... John... wake up you b_____d!" "Yes, tell the staff to draw up a contract and fax it to me in Houston... and I expect it when I land." "Oh really... he said that?" "Well, I'm at the airport now in line but last night I puked my guts out so I'm not feeling all that great."

You get the drift... TMI!

Finding a Seat
Armed with my A boarding pass. I knew I'd find a window seat fairly easily. But it wasn't until we all waited for those women my age to find kindly assistance jamming their full, and very heavy carry-on luggage into the overhead bins. I quickly scanned the seats to see where the children were sitting and found what I hoped was a quiet aisle in the plane. I sat down to survey the continuing mass of people looking for places to stow their household goods. Well, that's what it looked like anyway.

The Flight
I watched out the window during the smooth take-off and soon noticed some clouds were building. I also noticed the associated turbulence and was rather happy for the short stop in Houston. Ahh land... and muggy land at that! Soon, after enduring yet another cattle call I boarded the flight to Florida and hoped that we would leave the storms behind.

A group of giggly young Texas girls got on and seated themselves behind me. They were busily finishing what seemed to be inane phone conversations. I was tired and had hoped for a nap. But no, they spent the entire flight getting to know each other, commenting on what brand they were wearing and continuing a three-way inane conversation. Given their mentions of college I surmised that they were not pre-teen girls after all. But the conversation sure fooled me!

And wait... there's more! Read Irene Levine's article on inflight nuisances.

Diversion #1
As the pilot kept skirting the building cloud formations and the young women chatted on... and ... on, it got rather turbulent. I couldn't tell whether or not the plane was making a beeline for Florida or not. As the landing time came closer and closer, the plane wasn't descending. I should have known.

When we did land and I wearily disembarked, a half hour late, my son, a private pilot, met me and showed me on his iPhone the route my plane had taken. It had been diverted way north in order to avoid storms. He knew I would be late. I had no clue. But, I was happy to be on the ground and heading home with my family for a visit. That night it rained but I was safely on the ground and sleeping well in the guest room.

Diversion #2
After an enjoyable visit with my family and a farewell luncheon dockside at the Safe Harbor Seafood Restaurant, it was off to the airport. I was certain that the tough flying was behind me. I hadn't checked the weather although I did hear something about winds in Albuquerque where I was headed.

What ensued was yet another storm-filled turbulent experience. This one was laden with danger but our Southwest pilots knew just how to handle the situations as they arose. We ended up circling Albuquerque which was filled with dangerous winds and dust storms, turning suddenly and heading back to Texas through a hail storm. (I've never experienced icing on the engines!). I shared the entire scary tale in my article High winds divert flights from Albuquerque Sunport: The experience in the air.

Grounded
So I have indeed grounded myself. As I gaze at the building clouds over northern New Mexico I see only beauty. As storms hover overhead, I am happy just to enjoy them and am thankful, for now, that I am not flying.

Mark Your Calendars for Kite Festival 2016: Fun for all Ages

A spectacularly colorful week of all things kites will take place in Long Beach, Washington from August 15 through 21.

The Washington State International Kite Festival offers a full, entertaining program of kite competitions, exhibitions and demonstrations, kite making and flying lessons, mass ascensions, indoor kite ballet, a teddy bear drop and more on the spaciously wide, sand beach in Long Beach, Washington.

Making it easy to join in, the event offers three days of free kite making for children, a grandparents’ day, a kite photos workshop and numerous other interactive events for all ages. Other crowd favorites include the Rokkaku Battles, sport kites lessons and flying, themed mass ascensions, mystery ballet and, on Friday, the magical lighted night fly followed by a fireworks display.

Featured flyer for 2016 is a remarkable team of flyers from British Columbia – Island Quad. They will be performing artfully choreographed, breathtaking feats throughout the week.

Adding to festivities, an expanded lineup of live music will be performed in the beer garden on the Bolstad beach access, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon and Friday and Saturday evening.

The Washington State International Kite Festival is the longest running and biggest Kite Festival in the U.S. For a downloadable event program and more information, please visit www.kitefestival.com.

Festival at the Farm November 15 and 16th showcases Arizona wines

November 2013 is the time to enjoy the bounty of Arizona's wine country. 

Kent Callaghan, winemaker with Callaghan Vineyards and a pioneer in the Arizona wine industry, compared the 2013 harvest season to the 1992 and 2006 harvest years - wet and late but great quality potential. Harvest 2013 is more than half over for most Arizona wineries. Vineyards located at low elevations such as Charron Vineyards in Vail, Arizona (just southeast of Tucson) start bringing in their grapes in mid-August, and the higher elevation vineyards will be harvesting into October. 

At Lawrence Dunham Vineyards, over 15 tons of Viognier has been harvested, and according to Curt Dunham, owner/winemaker, there is another 10-12 tons still in the vineyard for which he is trying to find buyers. “I would have never guessed that we would be harvesting this much Viognier in mid-September when we harvested Viognier in 2012 in mid-August,” said Dunham. “After last week’s hail storm, I am thrilled to have grapes to harvest.” He reported some damage to the vine canopies but not  to the grapes.

All the vineyards across Arizona have commented on the amount of rain and cloudy days that have occurred late in the season. The cloudy days have made it difficult for the grapes to ripen and caused significant bunch rot. Many of the vineyards have had to cut back the vine canopies so that the sun can penetrate the grape-filled vines to encourage increased brix (or sugar levels).

Flying Leap Vineyards is experiencing their first harvest from their vineyards in Cochise County and Elgin. Mark Beres, one of Flying Leaps owners, said they still have not harvested a single grape from their Elgin vineyard because the sugar levels have not risen to where they want them to be. “However, the story for this year’s harvest is certainly how early we picked at our vineyard in Cochise County,” Beres exclaimed. “Who would ever have imagined that we’d be harvesting Grenache at 23.6 brix levels on August 10^th?”

Kief Manning, winemaker at Kief-Joshua Vineyards in Sonoita, said that harvest was going well. “Our vineyard had good fruit set and the quality looks great” Manning said. “I think it is better than last year which was good and it followed two bad years with hail in 2010 and a series of spring frosts in 2011.” 

Page Springs Cellars, located in the Verde Valley, reports processing 80 of an expected 125-ton harvest. Like Southeastern Arizona, it has been a wet season in Northern Arizona causing an increase in predation and rot issues over 2012. However, the monsoon weather has been very localized, and Page Springs Cellars reports that they have some amazing fruit namely Dos Padres Syrah (third leaf), Stage Stop Shiraz, and House Mountain Petite Sirah. 

“We’re really excited about the potential of some of these young Northern Arizona vineyards,” said Page Springs Cellars’ winemaker Matt Rollain. “Despite the frost issues experienced earlier this year at our Colibri Vineyards in the Chiricahua Mountains, the Syrah (low yield) and Mourvedre (high yield) look amazing,” Rollain said.

Though harvest is not yet over, winemakers have their fingers crossed that it is going to be a good year both in quantity and quality of the wine grapes. Some of the vineyards will wrap up harvest in early October where efforts shift to the winery.

Arizona wines have received much recognition this past year with wines made from Arizona-grown grapes receiving high marks from nationally-respected publications and wines winning prestigious awards in competitions with the best wines in the world. The number of vineyard acres is growing, wine production is increasing, and the wine quality is being recognized. The gallons of wine being produced in Arizona more than doubled from 2011 to 2012. 

James Callahan, winemaker Rune Wines + Halcyon Vineyards, see a bumper crop because of the long hang time even with two major rain events. “For the first time there is a lot of fruit for sale,” he said. 

Peggy Fiandaca, President of the Arizona Wine Growers Association, said “The opportunities of the Arizona wine industry are great, and there is no reason that the wine industry cannot be the next billion dollar wine region like Washington and Oregon.”  “The Arizona wine industry is excited about the 2013 growing season as well as the recognition the industry is receiving which boosts Arizona’s image as a quality winemaking region,” Fiandaca said.

The Arizona wine industry will celebrate the fruits of their labor at the annual Festival at the Farm November 15 and 16 at the Farm at South Mountain. The Arizona Republic announces the winners of the annual wine competition at a reception on Friday, November 15 at Quiessence Restaurant. The festival on Saturday is where participants can taste the award-winning wines, sample wines and talk to winemakers from around the state, attend educational seminars, listen to music, enjoy a picnic lunch under the Pecan trees, and hopefully walk away with the winning bid for an incredible live/silent wine auction packages. 

To learn more and purchase tickets visit http://www.azwinefestivalatthefarm.com/tickets.html.

Photography copyright: Elizabeth Rose Photography

Long Beach Peninsula of Washington: Kites and Cranberries

The hand-painted kites at the Kite Museum
are works of art

There's always something going on at the beach. Washington's Long Beach Peninsula, in the southwest portion of the state, was named one of ‘America’s Favorite Beach Towns’ by ForbesTraveler.com and voted ‘Best Beach’ by the viewers of Seattle’s KING-5 TV. The Long Beach Peninsula offers visitors colorful shops, great locally sourced seafood, unusual museums, horseback riding, and miles of oceanfront dunes and beaches.

Long Beach is known for kites and the sea breezes that hold them aloft. Each August kites from all over the world are found at the annual Washington State International Kite Festival. You'll see colorful mass ascensions, sport kite events and trick flying. For one glorious week, kites are king in this beach town. 

Year round you can enjoy the beauty and sport of kites by visiting The World Kite Museum in Long Beach. This two story building displays different shapes and uses of kites ranging from the Kites of WWII to the beautiful display of Asian kites. These hand painted and beautifully constructed works of art caught my eye on a recent visit. 

Pirate ship kite.

Throughout the museum you'll constantly be looking up to see what's flying. A tall-masted pirate ship kite fascinated us. Videos display the kites in action. You can even make your own kite to take with you. The beach is close-by. (museum has admission charge)

Vintage photo of the cranberry harvest.

In fall, thoughts turn to the bright red cranberry. Early August is harvest time. You can see the bogs being flooded and the cranberries, that will float to the top of the water, being scooped up. The annual Cranberrian Fair, held in October is a good time to sample cranberry cuisine, tour bogs and travel by Cranberry Trolley. 

Ripening cranberries.

The Cranberry Museum is worth a visit. You can learn about the history of cranberry production in Washington, see cranberry-related machinery, take a self guided bog tour and buy a locally produced cranberry product in their gift shop.

Although these are great times to visit the Long Beach Peninsula, I enjoy the beach year round. Storms can batter the coast and make cozying up to a fire place a real treat. 

The beach is always great for walking. Long Beach has the Discovery Trail and Boardwalk to enjoy. And the local chefs do wonders with the locally sourced cuisine. 

More Information
Long Beach Visitors Bureau
Long Beach: A Foodie Find