To Vashon or not?

I spoke at an event in Tacoma last weekend, we ended up sitting at a table with a woman who has lived in Tacoma for 16 years and She has never been to Vashon.

Is that weird

?

It is to me, as we are kind of "weekend day trip" people.
But, seriously do you think that is weird or no?

Vashon-West Seattle/Fauntleroy and Vashon-Downtown Seattle

So I feel like non- Islanders just don't quite get how transit on and off the Island works here. SO here's how it goes.

Washington State Ferry

The primary way that people get on and off Vashon Island is through the Washington State Ferries. These ferries, operated by the State are for: walk on passengers, automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and leashed pets (though they are only allowed on the car deck.  They run very frequently and wait is not usually very long (the pattern during the day seems to be 20min.20min.40min).  There are Washington State Ferry docks at the North End of Vashon Island and at the South End of Vashon Island (Talequah-Pt. Defiance/Tacoma). For this post I will only discuss the north end transit options as those are the ones in and out of Seattle.

Every once in awhile there are quirks with the ferries.  Sometimes a boat is broken or enough crew members are sick that the boats don't run as frequently. Then they revert to a two boat schedule.  This has only happened a handful of times this year.  One was Christmas Eve, we waited for hours and hours! It also happened Sept. 7- I only remember the date because we had a housewarming party at the time.  I know there were a couple of others but it wasn't that relevant to us.

The Washington State Ferry from the North End of Vashon goes to a road in Seattle called Fauntleroy which is in the West Seattle Neighborhood- in fact I think that the neighborhood is actually called Fauntleroy as well.  This is key to know!  Fauntleroy is West Seattle!  West Seattle, depending on the time of day is at least 20 minutes from downtown and at rush hour can be over an hour in your own car.

You can also take the bus- the red line- too and from downtown Seattle the the ferry dock. That take awhile but it very convenient, as it drops off in the heart of the city.  There are a couple of other buses that run from downtown to Vashon, I have only ever taken the 116 from downtown and it drops off right at the dock as well.

You do NOT have to pay to leave the Island on the Washington State Ferry.  Because it is pretty much the only way on and off the Island they just double charge when you go TO the island.  The fees can be hefty to get to the Island. As Islanders we buy a 10 ride pass and it is a bit cheaper. It is definitely part of the cost of living though.  To just walk on to Vashon Island it is about 5 bucks for an adult. Oh, little kids ride free too. That's handy!

Water Taxi

There is another option to get to Downtown, which is what I take almost daily. This is called the King County Water Taxi.  The water taxi is a passenger only (and bikes too) boat. It is sometimes called the P.O. This hold about 150 people and departs Vashon/Seattle 3 times in the morning and 3 times in the evening.  It takes passengers from Vashon to right downtown. Many people who ride it work downtown or others like me hop a quick bus to nearby locations. The 5:30pm boat sometimes fills and they have to send people away. I'm sure it happens other times as well but my instinct is that is the most frequent boat to fill.

In evening you line up along the dock and then board accordingly.  Almost everyone has an Orca card to board the boat- but both docks in Seattle and on Vashon allow you to purchase a pass or you can pay cash as you board.  Many people take bikes on this boat. They are the last to unload at the arriving dock.  Buses on Vashon drop people off in the AM about 10 minutes before the PO leaves and pick up the evening as well.  Frankly it is hella convenient.  The ride on the PO boat is just over 20 minutes to downtown- assuming the weather is normal and such!

The problem with the PO at this point is that it breaks down with some frequency. They are building a new one that is bigger- but at this point it runs like a used car.  Kinda reliable, mostly reliable, but a bit wonky at times.

Parking on Vashon
So on another note is parking on Vashon. There is a short term and a long term (two weeks) parking lot that are a short walk (up/down hill) from the ferry. It is max a 10 minute walk.  Because we now take the bus we don't utilize this anymore, but last year we were driving every morning and there was always parking.  We have also parked our car in the long term for a week or so while on a trip.  Pretty handy I must say!

All in all, it works out smoothly more than not!
Are there other things I should address? Seems like you, reader, probably know the questions you have!

Moving to Vashon- and shifting friends.

Vashon is not far from Seattle, but people often ask us how changing locations has changed our friendships. So moving from Seattle (after living there for 4 years) to Vashon has shifted things. Here is how.

• It is now the topic of a lot of bullshitting.

Acquaintances ALWAYS ask us about Vashon. They don't care, as far as I  can really tell, but it's like the topic that passes. It's really really annoying.  "So Vashon huh. You guys really like it?" or "Vashon. So are you guys going to stay."  WTF.  It never occurs to me to ask that question when someone moves to Seattle, but I guess moving to an Island is more baffling?!

• Some people simply will not visit us.

We have lost some friends in this move.  Sadly, there are people who simple never leave Seattle, these people are NOT coming to Vashon. Not even if they walk on the ferry and we pick them up. Not even if they could morph here. It just isn't happening for them.

• Visitors are now better visits.

We have solidified friends in this move, the people who visit us now do so for more than an hour- for 4 or 6 hours! That's some real time.  And, since we are a family that deeply values quality conversation over frequency it works for us.  It also allows us to be our introverted selves without needing excuses.  We simply aren't going to socialize every weekend. On Vashon, people don't expect it.

• And of course we just have new friends.

Of course we have made friends here too! When you have kids you have friend magnets.  So meeting people here has been pretty easy. Remarkably easy (for us) in fact.  I mean, when we lived in Seattle I year we had only 1 real friend (Junia was born when we had been there a year and only 1 person brought food).  We have lived on Vashon now for a year and have a handful (who would bring us food ,for example, if we had a baby).

• 
  

So that's that. It isn't exactly like switching neighborhoods in Seattle (which strangely a LOT of Seattlelites never leave their neighborhoods either) but moving to Vashon has shifted things, for better and for worse.

Island Center Forest Walk.

Vashon Orientation

I've been thinking about how each household on Vashon has a kind of orientation to where their island imagination directs them.  We, for example, have a Seattle orientation.  We work in Seattle. We go to Seattle often enough to do some of our shopping there. We are VERY familiar with Seattle and feel at home there.

But some Islanders are Tacoma oriented.  Probably for the same reasons we are Seattle Oriented these households work there, or do extraneous shopping there and I'm guessing are more likely to live on the South end of the Island.

Some are Kitsap oriented.  It didn't occur to me until we were driving through much of Kitsap County, but because so much of Kitsap is accessible by the Southworth Ferry there must be a contingent of people who work over there, have family there etc.

Others are Island oriented.  Of course you CAN do all your shopping on Island and have all of your need here. You might even have family here (what a bonus).  So for many Islanders their lives are here.  They might be lucky enough to work on Island or be retired. I am guessing that vacationers and those who have cabins on the island are "Island oriented" while on Island.


So, I know this isn't a revelation kind of post.
But how are you oriented?

Creative Preschool Vashon

The preschool gathering for the Strawberry Festival Parade!

When we moved here we had to give up a co-op preschool that we had committed to in Seattle. We weren't in love with it but it was the ONLY thing we could afford.

Then when we came Vashon and googled the preschools on  the Island we were shocked at how much cheaper they were! It was thrilling!  So we called one. It was full. Then I called another, they had space. Yipee!

 I went and looked at it. It looked great.  I seriously was NOT being picky, it was August 30 after all.  Anyway, by chance or providence or luck we have scored a great place for Junia- and in the future Miriam!

The teachers, environment, playground, parent dynamic and even this history have made this a great place for us.  Tucked in the the basement of the Presbyterian Church in Vashon town it looks like a place where children play.  The playground is great and even though the kids worked all spring digging a hole NEXT too the sandbox instead of in the sandbox nobody minded!  I dropped Junia off one morning and "Dona Nobis Pacem" was playing.  I thought, "wow, I want to stay."

At the end of the day though what is so great is that my little shy introvert LOVES her school. She still takes awhile to warm up and she still gets nervous when I leave but her teachers know her! They don't force her, or push her they just let the person that she is be exactly the person who she is! That is not just cool but it is beautiful to see my child in a place where she can be exactly who she is and people get her!

So that's it.
I seriously love Creative Preschool. Or as Islanders call it: Creative.
(drop the preschool)

So we bought a house on Vashon.

So we bought a house on this lovely plot of earth.  Yup, we own a piece of Vashon Island.  Or at least the deed is in our names...lets be honest though...the bank owns it. But enough with that.  We move in a couple of days and we are learning a couple of the perks of some of this Island.

1. The John L. Scott moving van.  Our realtor was a John L. Scott realtor (and she was great for us!) and courtesy of buying through them we get a moving van- for free. That is some serious benefits don't you think!? I actually think several realtors on the Island do that.

2. Vashon-All listerve through Yahoo groups. This is where we are hiring a couple of strong people who need money to move our furniture.  Now I can't really say if it is good or bad because it hasn't happened yet- but this listerve is a lifeline on this beloved little Island.

3. Boxes. I have been keeping an eye out for boxes on recycling weeks. And since we have lots of books (like 3 or 4 bookshelves full), we need good boxes.  The Palouse Winery on Vashon has awesome awesome boxes. I figure- if it held 12 bottles of wine it can hold more Theological Treatises (the topic of too many of our books) than not!

4. I don't know if there are other perks so buying on Vashon, except that it is cheaper than Seattle (but more expensive than Kitsap.  But seriously. We own a piece of an Island. That is weird.