Anacortes, Washington
by Jami Savage
Anacortes is a beautiful coastal community located in the northwest corner of Washington, USA. Surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean, this small town’s connections to the sea can be seen on every corner. Stroll down historic Main Street and you can see the ship-building yard, fishing boats lined up at the boat launch, and Captains picking up supplies at the marine and hardware store. The town and the ocean have been strong allies for over the past 100 years – and this year they decided to really celebrate this connection in a very special way.
On the first Friday of December the whole town comes together for the annual Christmas tree lighting. The streets are lined with trees lit up in bright white lights. Every shop window is fully decorated with beautiful holiday displays. The streets are closed down for this special event as community members are encouraged to stroll from store to store and vote for their favorite display. Store owners welcome familiar faces into their shops and spoil them with treats and beverages.
At the tree lighting the Salvation Army is on hand to give out hot chocolate and keep people big and small warm. Children ride on parents’ shoulders to get a better view. A quartet plays traditional Christmas tunes and a little guy who can barely walk is bouncing along to every beat. The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in anticipation of the bright lights that are about to appear.
Then the fun begins. First you hear a loud bell ringing, and then you see a large man dressed in formal coat and cap. The town crier introduces himself and welcomes the townspeople to the Christmas tree lighting. The buzz is in the air. It’s almost time for the countdown to begin.
10, 9, 8 – children are shouting! 7, 6, 5 – their voices getting louder in anticipation. 4, 3, 2 – everyone is buzzing, ONE! The cheers erupt as the beautiful tree is lit up and on display for the whole world to see.
The tree is magnificent, standing at two stories tall and like no other tree that has ever been seen. It is constructed out of prawn traps, each carefully stacked on top of one another. Beautiful garlands are wrapped around it and then decorated with swags, lights, and handmade décor. The tree is creative and truly representative of this great little town.
The tree has many other elements that make it extra special. Local community groups including the Boys’ and Girls’ Club decorated floats that went around the tree like garland. The high-school arts class made beautiful foam starfish that donned the boughs of the tree. Even the tree topper was special this year, with an Angel holding a starfish high over her head.
The small-town vibe of pride was buzzing. People were proud of their beautiful tree, of what it represented and of the fellow community members standing around it. Mayor Laurie Gere said, “This is the best place to live in America!” and everyone who was there agreed. Including the beautiful angel on top of the glorious tree!
If You Go:
A trip to Anacortes should be on everyone’s bucket list. There are so many things to explore, from family owned shops, to regional parks, to whale watching and ocean explorations!
When planning your trip connect with the Chamber of Commerce at anacortes.org. They will tell you about seasonal activities and events as well as any special promotions going on in town. They can recommend hotels and restaurants to suit your budgets and even a few special stops for the children, or those with special interests!
Bring your walking boots and be ready to explore!
Jami is BC’s Family Adventure Blogger who focuses on eco-tourism and exploring new places. You will regularly see her writing stories about solo and family adventures as well as featuring Inspirational stories of other adventurers. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her hiking, biking or boarding often with her children by her side. Visit www.adventureawaits.ca.
All photos are by Jami Savage.
Andersonville was originally named Camp Sumter. It was built in early 1864, as Confederate officials wanted a larger space to house thousands of federal prisoners from Virginia and Georgia. In its short life, the camp confined 45,000 soldiers. Over 13,000 died from starvation, disease, overcrowding and poor sanitation. Half of all Union prisoner deaths occurred at this horrific site. From February, four hundred Union soldiers arrived every day and by the end of June, 26,000 men occupied a space that was originally designed for 10,000. One of the first stops was the entrance to the North gate. You can walk up the hill and follow the footsteps of where Union soldiers entered the prison for the first time. This was an incredibly powerful experience. One soldier exclaimed on his arrival, “is this hell?” I stood there for a while, trying to imagine the sights and smells those soldiers faced. Of course, nothing I could imagine would come close: people complained about the stench of the prison ten miles away. At its height, 130 prisoners died every single day. It was such a high rate that coffins could not be built fast enough. Instead, bodies were dumped in mass graves. Opposite the North gate, there stands a large empty field, originally the place where the prison hospital stood. Many soldiers refused to go, knowing they would never come out. Now all you can hear is the wind rustling through the tall grass.
As the circular loop goes round, the last stop informs the visitor about sheltering the prisoners. The Confederate army could not supply adequate food or clothing, and soldiers were expected to make their own tents out of any material they could find, a small sheet or ripped trousers which was meant to protect them through rain or shine. Many had no shelter at all. Unsurprisingly, it was a “hell on earth.”
A national cemetery was established at Andersonville in the summer of 1865. During the Camp’s operation, prisoner Dorence Atwater was assigned the task of recording the soldiers who died for the Confederate officials, but unbeknownst to them, Atwater kept a second copy for himself. After the War, Atwater wanted to give the Union prisoners a proper burial, and when the federal government spurned him, he enlisted the help of Clara Barton. A heroine of mine, Barton founded the American Red Cross and nursed thousands of men during the War. Atwater and Barton identified over 12,000 soldiers buried at Andersonville. There are over 500 unknown soldiers buried in the cemetery, something I have always thought of as a cruel twist of fate since visiting the First World War battlefields of France. Today, Andersonville is still an active cemetery (active in the sense that soldiers can choose to be buried there) and the roll call presently stands at 18,000.
In these days of distaste for the Confederate flag and all it represents, North Alabama continues to take great pride in preserving Pond Spring, the home of “Fightin’ Joe” Wheeler, the only former Confederate general buried in Arlington Cemetery. In truth, the Confederate flag never flew in front of Pond Spring. General Wheeler was also important in the Spanish-American War, served in the U.S. Congress, and did much to promote reconciliation of the North and South in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Joseph Wheeler was not just a Southern hero, but much more, he was an American hero.
Annie Wheeler, third child of Joseph and Daniella, showed her own patriotic dedication by serving as a Red Cross nurse in three wars She was the last family member to live in the home and was responsible for bequeathing the buildings and all of their contents to the State of Alabama for historical preservation. The 50-acre property has several outbuildings, including a dogtrot log house built around 1818, and an ice house. Delightful stories exist about the railroad track that runs near the entrance to Pond Spring.
The tallest monument, in the family cemetery several yards behind the house, adorns the grave of Daniella Wheeler. An identical obelisk sits atop General Wheeler’s grave at Arlington and is the tallest marker in the entire cemetery, standing an impressive 45 feet. After it was erected, the Arlington Committee quickly enacted a policy specifying future heights and widths of monuments. They were afraid the competition of outdoing others for “bigger and better” would get out of hand. A smart move on their part.
About the author:
by Connie Pearson 
During a recent conference in Denver, my fellow attendees and I were given a 3-hour time period and told to “go out and explore Denver.” I chose to take a taxi from my downtown hotel and visit the Molly Brown House Museum. Dubbed “The House of Lions” because of the imposing lion statues the Browns purchased for the front of the house, it is located at 1340 Pennsylvania Street. Very few of the furnishings and artifacts are original to the time Molly Brown lived there, but careful study of photos made in 1910, have helped Historic Denver, Inc. with their extensive restoration efforts. Visitors have an authentic experience.
The trivial threads holding us together end at that point. Molly’s life story, as shared by the docent, unfolded as an amazing inspiration and picture of the power of what one determined woman can accomplish.
In 1901, she attempted to win a seat in the state senate, in spite of a popular saying of the day (one that was strongly supported by her husband): “A woman’s name should appear in the newspaper only 3 times: at her birth, when she gets married, and at her death.” The pressure must have been tremendous, because she withdrew from the race before Election Day. It was no surprise to learn that she was active in the women’s suffrage movement.
Molly Brown was practically thrown into lifeboat #6 as the Titanic was sinking. Immediately after the Carpathia picked up all of the survivors they could find, Molly started helping fellow survivors, some of whom had lost everything. She raised $10,000 from Carpathia passengers before the ship reached New York. A couple of years later, she was helping in relief efforts during World War I.
You will see colorful stained glass windows, ornately-carved woodwork, and anaglypta wall coverings. You will learn that this house had indoor plumbing, electricity, central heat and a telephone long before other homes had these conveniences. But, most of all, you will leave wanting to know more about Margaret Tobin Brown and her indomitable – yes, unsinkable – compassion for others and zeal for life.
