We packed lunch for the car and headed up to Skagit County for a walk on the Padilla Bay Scenic Trail. The weather was n the forties and it was a clear day. I am coaching Raichel's basketball team, so our Saturday hikes have been few and far between. My wife, Rhonda, said we could all go for a family hike today!

The Padilla Bay Scenic Trail has two trailheads, one is about a mile north on Bayview Edison Road and the other is nearly another two miles further north; both are well marked. We chose the South end as our starting point, there is limited parking with a toilet here.

The trail can be seen at times about a mile ahead and if you know the general area of the North end trailhead, then it is easy to tell where the trail goes. There are few trees so the views are constant. Bird watchers with cameras and binoculars were out in numbers.

The girls loved the benches that are throughout the two mile trail. At about the middle of the trail, there is a cluster of benches with an interpretive sign and a picnic table. This was about the spot where Indian Slough enters Padilla Bay.

Reggie, our youngest, headed back to the car with Rhonda, giving Raichel and I the rest of the way to talk about how this trail is a small section of the Pacific Northwest Trail! Raichel found it hard to imagine a trail that travels from Glacier National Park to the Pacific Ocean.

When we reached the North end trailhead, we waited a short time for Rhonda and Reggie to pick us up, looking back at the trail with all of the other hikers strewn from end to end. I assume this trail is busy most weekend days that are this beautiful out.