Beach Vacation - Day 6

Sigh... we have to say goodbye to the beach today. We had such a great holiday here...

Maybe we can come back some time.

On our way home, we stopped at Sproat Lake... it is a neat place!

The lake is huge and was very smooth with great reflections.

Wait... what is that? Do you see it in the distance?

I think it's the Mars Water Bomber!!!

Yes, it is!!! The US built them for the Navy to use as transport seaplanes. After the war, four of them were converted into water bombers for fighting forest fires. Today, this one is the last one still in service. Sproat Lake is its home. It can scoop up 30 tons of water in 22 seconds! Although... it isn't used as much for fighting forest fires anymore because it needs big lakes to scoop water from... so smaller planes are more effective. This is the Hawaii Mars. The Philippine Mars was sold and repainted in US Navy colours and was destined for a museum in Florida but its transfer was put on hold due to the 2016 Presidential Elections (no idea why...).

That is so cool...

Uh-oh... there go the reflections!

We made a quick stop at Cathedral Grove as well... it is so much nicer in the winter when everything is lush and moist.

And the creek actually has water in it too! Salmon? No salmon? Sigh...

It's also nicer in the winter cause...

It's not overrun by hordes of tourists!!

Maybe one day I'll run a stuffie tour out to the West Coast?