The eastern shore of Maury Island boasts the longest undeveloped Puget Sound shoreline in all of King County. One of the few places in Puget Sound where herring and sand lance populations thrive, the nearshore waters of Maury Island provide an important food source for several species of salmon and trout. Every fall, endangered orca whales bring their young to the island’s waters to feed on abundant salmon populations. It’s a remarkable place.

(VIDEO) There’s an inspirational playlist I like to put on for occasions like Election Day. Rousing tunes like a Civil War-era rewrite of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”—sung from the perspective of black soldiers—play alongside songs that dig deep into tough circumstances and rise above.