When you slide your boat in the water in Olympia, the entire Puget Sound is right there in front of you. A few thousand paddle strokes get you going, north past Boston Harbor and up around Johnson Point, over to Anderson Island and past the quiet backwaters of the Nisqually Delta. Then on to Steilacoom (Washington’s first territorial capital), under the Narrows Bridge and up to Salmon Beach. From there, it’s a short paddle around Point Defiance and into Commencement Bay. Tacoma.

Continuing north, it’s on up the East Passage, past Des Moines and West Seattle, and the the emerald city itself. Dodge the ferries and the other marine traffic and get around West Point and keep going. Past Edmonds and Mukilteo, up to the southern tip of Whidbey Island and on to Langley and then Oak Harbor. From here, the next portion of the journey gets trickier, sort of. Avoid the sand flats near La Conner, find a place for your tent among the fir and cedar of Hope Island, and make sure you time your trip through Deception Pass perfectly. Then it’s on to Anacortes, Lummi Island and finally, Bellingham.

It’s a journey of 150 miles. From one end of Puget Sound to the other. That we’ll be attempting it in a kayak made of plastic bottles adds a level of interest, perhaps, but it’s a trip I’d be happy to take under just about any circumstances. The journey begins in April, 2014.