Quick Trip to Everett, Washington Area

Deborah Kade
12 minutes ago
9 min read

Quick trip to the Everett, Washington area to attend a graduation event in Monroe.

Port of Everett

Howarth Park

Dogwood Trees in bloom

Alaska Airlines has a direct flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor to PAE Seattle/ Everett Paine Field.

To pass the time, I have a new habit of taking pictures from the plane of the ground below.

Camelback Mountain

101 Freeway separating Scottsdale from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Scottsdale Airport

If I were siting on the other side, I would have been able to photograph the house. There is always next time.

Flying over Black Canyon City

Grand Canyon National Park

Cedar City, Utah

Over Prosser, Washington

Mount Rainier

"Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers."

Descent over Tulalip Bay coming into Paine Field in Everett.

Seattle Paine Field International Airport — also known as Paine Field and Snohomish County Airport — is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area.

"Seattle Paine Field International Airport is a unique airport, driving the economy of the region, having the newest commercial airport terminal in Washington state, and serving as home to over 500 aircraft, including small, single engine recreational aircraft, corporate jets, vintage warbirds, and brand-new Boeing aircraft. Paine Field’s privately-owned commercial air terminal services a dozen western destinations. Located about 30 miles north of downtown Seattle, the airport offers high quality aviation facilities, including a FAA tower, Cat 1 ILS, Part 139 certification, FBO services and good access to Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond."

"Paine Field has become a major tourist destination with the opening of the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boening Tour, the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum and the Museum of Flight Restoration Center."

Paine Field's History

"Works Progress Project

Snohomish County Airport - Paine Field was originally constructed in 1936 as a Works Progress project. At the time of development, it was envisioned that the Airport would create jobs and economic growth in the region by becoming one of the ten new "super airports" around the country."

The Army Air Corps and Air Force

"The large commercial airport that was planned for in the 1930s never resulted. When the United States entered into World War II, there was a need to protect the Bremerton Shipyards and the Boeing plant and airfield in Seattle, which produced the B-17 and B-29 bombers. The Army Air Corps occupied the field in the spring of 1941. At that time, Snohomish County Airport consisted of little more than two paved runways in the common cross-section pattern, set off at different angles to take advantage of the most favorable winds.

The Army Air Corps manned Paine Field from 1941 to 1946. During that time, they made improvements in the airbase and helped the community economically even though most of the commercial traffic came to a halt during the war. By the time World War II came to a close, the military presence at Paine Field was all but gone. In 1946, the airbase began to be returned to county supervision. The final transfer of property back to Snohomish County was complete in 1948.

Before the County could start planning for the continued development of a "super airport," the United States was again involved in an armed conflict—this time in Korea. When the Pacific Northwest defense installations were reviewed it was decided that a military presence would once again be felt at Paine Field. In 1951, a United States Air Force Aerospace Defense command unit was stationed at Paine Field and its name was officially changed to Paine Air Force Base. At that time, the 4753rd Air Base Squadron was designated as the principle organization. By January of 1952, the personnel roster totaled four officers and thirty-three airmen. Operations consisted mostly of rebuilding the base into a tactical air defense installation. During this occupation, total control of the field was not turned over to the military, instead it set in place a shared-usage agreement. The airport conceded use of all of the commercial facilities other than the aviation services to provide housing for the troops. The Air Force also had priority over the use of the airport. The 4753rd Air Base Squadron was redesignated to the 86th Air Base Squadron which was later changed to the 529th Air Defense Group. In 1955, the 529th Air Defense Group gave way to the 326th Fighter Group (Air Defense). In 1961, the 326th Fighter Group was discontinued and was replaced by the 57th Fighter Group.

With these setbacks in place, the airport was redirected to develop an industrial business center. This new path focused on the development of intensive economic growth and increased revenues for the airport, providing large amounts of undeveloped land for civilian enterprises to build upon."

There are two gates

Paine Field is about about 25 miles (40 km) north of Seattle. PAE covers 1,315 acres (2.05 sq mi; 5.32 km2) of land.

"Paine Field was officially named on July 22, 1941. It was done so in honor of Topliff Olin Paine, whose nickname was “Top” for short (and T-O-P also happened to be his initials, too.

Second Lieutenant Topliff Olin Paine (1893-1922), for whom Paine Field was named, was born in Orwell, Ohio. He and his family moved to Everett in 1903, where he was graduated from Everett High School in 1911. His boyhood Everett residence was a two-story house located at 2020 Wetmore Avenue (still standing today).

Lt. Paine attended the University of Washington from 1912 to 1914, where he majored in Civil Engineering and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

In 1914, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service, becoming a U.S. Forest Ranger in 1915. He was on duty with the Forest Service in 1917 when the United States entered World War I. He enlisted with the 12th Company of the Army Infantry in Everett.

From his enlistment in 1917 to March, 1918, he attended ground schools of the Army. Following flying training at March Field, California, he received his commission as a second lieutenant in May, 1918.

After his discharge in 1919 from the Army Air Corps, Topliff Paine became a pilot for commercial concerns in California and Mexico.

In 1920, he was appointed as a pilot with the then experimental Air Mail Service. Before his death in 1922, he was considered one of the top fliers for the Western Division of the Air Mail Service.

Topliff Paine had many narrow escapes from death while flying the early aircraft of the Air Mail Service, and, on several occasions, he landed his plane where it was thought impossible. He received nationwide recognition for many of his feats while flying the treacherous Rock Springs, WY, to Salt Lake City, UT, airmail route, which he inaugurated. You can read an interesting article at the S Smithsoniasn's National Postal Museum's website concerning Topliff Paine's experience with the Air Mail Service. In the article, his field manager is quoted as saying, " [He] encountered heavy snowstorm which frosted his goggles and for over a minute he was flying blind. Landed at Salt Lake City nearly exhausted on account of nervous strain. He is the only pilot to make this treacherous run over the Rocky Mountains in such impossible weather."

In April of 1941, the Earl Faulkner Post of the American Legion in Everett suggested the field be renamed in honor of Second Lieutenant Paine."

Boeing Plant is next to Paine Field.

The Boeing 747

"The year 1966 proved to be the pivotal year in the history of Snohomish County Airport. The Air Force had all but pulled out of Paine Field leaving it open for exclusive commercial considerations. The Boeing Company was looking for an area large enough to construct an assembly plant for the B-747. Land just north of Paine Field was chosen to construct the new facilities, including some development on the airport itself. Both the local government and the FAA concurred with the development.

The Boeing Company has been the largest business both in size and economic impact to come to Paine Field; however, many more businesses have followed Boeing's lead, including Aviation Technical Services (ATS) (formerly Goodrich Aerospace), which operates the largest aerospace repair facility in North America. Today, Snohomish County Airport is home to over fifty on-site businesses providing more than 30,000 jobs to the community."

Our base was in Everett. Everett is the county seat and most populous city of Snohomish County, Washington. Everett is 25 miles north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the 7th most populous city in the state by population, with 110,629 residents.

"The city is primarily situated on a peninsula at the mouth of the Snohomish River along Port Gardner Bay, an inlet of Possession Sound (itself part of Puget Sound), and extends to the south and west."

"The Port Gardner Peninsula has been inhabited by the Snohomish people for thousands of years, whose main settlement, hibulb, was located at Preston Point near the mouth of the river. Modern settlement in the area began with loggers and homesteaders arriving in the 1860s, but plans to build a city were not conceived until 1890. A consortium of East Coast investors seeking to build a major industrial city acquired land in the area and filed a plat for "Everett", which they named in honor of Everett Colby , the son of investor Charles L. Colby. The city was incorporated in 1893, shortly after the arrival of the Great Northern Railroad and prospered as a major lumber center with several large sawmills. Everett became the county seat in 1897 after a dispute with Snohomish contested over several elections and a Supreme Court case. The city was the site of labor unrest during the 1910s, which culminated in the Everett Massacre in 1916 that killed several members of the Industrial Workers of the World."

"The area was connected by new interurban railways and highway bridges in the 1920s, transforming it into a major commercial hub, and gained an airport at Paine Field in 1936. The city's economy transitioned away from lumber and towards aerospace after World War II, with the construction of Boeing's aircraft assembly plant at Paine Field in 1967. Boeing's presence brought additional industrial and commercial development to Everett, as well as new residential neighborhoods to the south and west of the peninsula that was annexed by the city. Boeing remains the city's largest employer, alongside the U. S. Navy, which has operated Naval Station Everett since 1994."

Port of Everett

"The Port of Everett is located on Port Gardner Bay at the mouth of the Snohomish River. For more than a century, the Port has created economic opportunities and jobs while providing maritime and marine-related services and appropriate public access to the waterfront. Through its international seaport, public marina and real estate development operations, the Port of Everett brings jobs, tax base, business and tourism to the community and region. The Port is a committed steward of the environment and waterfront. Port activities support more than 40,000 jobs in the surrounding community and contributes $433 million in state and local taxes. "

Love the hanging baskets! I can't imagine their size at the end of August.

We had dinner at Anthony's HomePort Everett. At our hotel, we asked for a restaurant recommendation. We wanted a restaurant that served seafood. Anthony's did not disappoint at all!!

"Anthony’s HomePort Everett is located just off the I-5 corridor and overlooks the largest saltwater marina in the Pacific Northwest. Located on Port Gardner Bay, the restaurant offers majestic views of Camano, Whidbey, and Hat Islands set against the stunning backdrop of the Olympic mountains."

Warm sourdough bread and butter

We started with Anthony's Clam Chowder. It was described as New England style clam chowder with red potatoes and bacon. Really. It was tasty but not worth a picture. They should call it Washington clam chowder and not New England.

Michael and I both had the Fresh Wild Alaska Halibut. Chargrilled with hazelnut-citrus butter, toasted hazelnuts and finished with local strawberry-rhubard coulis. Served with almond bismati rice pilaf and fresh pea pods. We enjoyed the meal so much we came back the next night to have the same thing again.

I have since tried this dish at home. I used cod and my homemade strawberry-rhubarb sauce. I think I have another recipe to add to my collection.

After dinner, we strolled along the water.

Two views of the same catamaran.

The second day we visited the area, the wind picked up. Notice the difference in the floating dock.

Troller came down from Alaska to sell fish.

Beautiful dogwood trees in bloom.

Dogwood Tree: A Natural Feast for Birds, Pollinators, and Mammals. Dogwoods play a significant role in their ecosystems. Their flowers provide nectar for pollinators, while the fruits are a food source for birds and mammals. Additionally, they act as host plants for various butterfly and moth species.

Dogwoods often take five to seven years before they begin to bloom in earnest.

Lovely walk along the water by Howarth Park.

"Howarth Park ("how" pronounced like "now") is a beautiful beach that easily rivals the Edmonds Marina. A short woodsy walk leads to a Possession Sound beach, with Olympic and Cascade mountain views, lots of logs for seats and -- unless the tide is in --plenty of room for Frisbee tosses.

Howarth Park has many layers to it. At the top sits an incredibly grassy park with lots of picnic benches, two tennis courts, playground equipment and restrooms.

Purple varnish clam introduced from Asia.

"The purple varnish clam, also known as Nuttallia obscurata is an invasive clam species found in the Pacific Northwest, including Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. It is characterized by a shiny, mahogany-colored outer shell and a purple interior. These clams are relatively flat and oval-shaped, with a thin, easily peeled shell. They are typically found buried in sand, gravel, or mud, often in areas with freshwater influence. "