Travelogue: A Two Week Visit in Seattle (with Nonna and Pops)

It feels like we have been on vacation for weeks! This is not to say that I would not be eager to hop in my car or board a plane tomorrow- I’m always ready to travel and explore!- but with my parents two week visit here and then our recent week away at Lake Chelan (more on this trip later this week), we’ve been spoiled with travels and explorations and that lovely break in routine that only vacations and holidays bring.

Having such a long amount of time out here (which never seems to be quite long enough…), we were able to do lots of fun day trips and activities around the city with my parents. One of our first adventures was a day trip to Edmonds, which is only 11 miles north of Seattle yet it has such a small town feel with brick sidewalks, small cafes, and quaint bookstores and toy stores. It is situated on the Puget Sound and on clear days has views from the shore of the Olympic Mountains. Most people know it for the ferry service which takes travelers to Kingston, but it offers so much more with sandy beaches, easily stroll-able sidewalks, and good food. The sea life left on the rocks and sand at low tide was fascinating to explore- rockweed, bull kelp, sea anemones, sea slugs, snails, clams, mussels, sponges … this is reason alone to go back! If it wasn’t so windy and cold on the day we were there, Jack would have been happy playing at the beach for hours!

On the day after Edmonds, we played in Volunteer Park. After enjoying the new play area, we climbed the water tower and had a clear view of all of Seattle and its surrounding area.

One of our weekend day trips found us admiring the many fields of tulips at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival about an hour north of Seattle. It was such a unique thing to see- hundreds of acres of rainbow colored tulips and daffodils amidst beautiful farms. Unfortunately it was raining when we were driving through so we didn’t get out to walk through the fields, but it was just as stunning from the car.

After all the tulip viewing, we meandered up Chuckanut Drive all the way to Bellingham. We stopped for lunch at the Rhododendron in Bow and explored the beach at Taylor Shellfish Farms, which is the largest producer of Manilla clams and Geoduck in the United States.

We ended our “tulip festival day” with a stop at Kerry Park, a spot where we love to go to admire the houses, to look out over the city, and to take photos.

As shown in the photos, we had tons of fun! There were lots of other memorable moments that I don’t have pictures of and that you should definitely add to your Seattle bucket list- a Mariners baseball game, a Huskies sporting event- we saw a baseball game, runs along the Burke Gilman trail, a driving tour and dinner in Madison Park, and a Pacific Northwest seafood dinner on the water- among others!

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Oh, Three Days!

Dear Three-Day Weekend,
Please don’t disappoint. It feels like we have been trapped indoors under a pile of Kleenex coughing, sneezing, and not being able to properly breathe for a month now! We have tried to have some fun despite our feeling under the weather with ski lessons, a concert date to see Father John Misty, cozy snuggling by the fire, watching tons of movies (more than should have been allowed!), and even a girls night out to enjoy a delicious dinner with one of my best friends, but I tell you, we are feeling ready to have a long fun weekend with no stuffy noses, no stomach bugs, and no fatigue!

We have a lot of hopeful fun planned for ourselves…feels like such a treasure to get three days at home all together. We’ll be having our routine Friday pizza night, trying the much anticipated Blue Star cafe for breakfast- the menu is so long and looks so delicious, I might just have to order several things! especially after the stomach bug that took hold of us this weekend stole our appetite for days, visiting our neighborhood farmer’s market, going to a friend’s for a play date and pizza, taking a trip to the zoo, celebrating Valentine’s with take-out dinner for two, a homemade dessert, and fancy cocktails, and spending the better part of the day at the Children’s Museum followed by lunch at the Armory at Seattle Center- lunch here requires a major decision- will I choose a savory pie or BBQ and cornbread from Bigfoot or a fresh, vegan sandwich from Plum Bistro or stick to my favorite- Skillet: Counter and get a burger or poutine or the chicken sammy???…mmm, all so good!!! Maybe I will mix and match (or sneak bites from my boys’ plates!)…!

I hope the weekend is good to all of you. And, I hope we are well enough to have the fun we want to (and think we deserve to!) have…in all honesty, I can’t imagine having the energy to do this many fun things as I haven’t even left my bed much this week not to mention actually shower, get dressed, and leave the house to do anything, but I’m hopeful! And, I’m certainly ready to feel well and play!

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Foggy Beach Morning at Deception Pass (starring Jack)

As I told you in the camping post earlier this week, David took some beautiful photos of Jack playing on the beach at Whidbey Island. The morning was chilly and felt damp under a heavy fog, but he didn’t seem to notice as he played his heart out! I presume that the fog was what helped to provide such amazing lighting for the photos…the colors were just outstanding. These might be our most favorite photos of Jack to date…again, I am fully aware of how biased we are!

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Whidbey Island Camping: Deception Pass

If my latest posts on crabbing and apple picking were not enough to convince you that we live in some sort of fairytale land where many different amazing vacations can be found within a two hour radius of our home, let me share with you our latest camping adventure…

We spent the weekend at Deception Pass on Whidbey Island with some of our most favorite friends. Driving through the National Park, we twisted through narrow roads lined with tall, immense evergreens that created a feeling of entering a lush tree cave. The dense forest was surrounded by rocky, dark sanded beaches with amazing views of the surrounding mountains, including snow capped Mt Baker. The temperatures ranged from the 40s to the 60s as either the sun or the moon, which was one day from being full, shined down upon us.

We played on the beach, made amazingly delicious food in several Dutch ovens including American Chop Suey, Herb Biscuits, Apple Crisp, and Egg and Sausage Breakfast Burritos, kept warm by a roaring campfire, and nearly finished 4 bottles of wine as we talked long after the kiddos were asleep. In the morning, we awoke to really dense fog, yet as we played on the beach it magically lifted to reveal sunshine and clear skies…photos of Jack on the foggy morning beach in a later post this week. They are some of our favorite photos of Jack to date, so in our completely biased eyes they deserve a post by themselves.

The weekend was immensely fun. A truly perfect way to (reluctantly) wrap up camping for the year. And, we could not have shared it with better company- thank you Amy, Phil, Hanna, and Britta for so much fun! And, thank you, Phil, for some of the amazing photos seen here.

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Weekend Tip to Bellingham, Part 2: Apple Picking

Last Sunday, before driving back to Seattle, we spent the afternoon picking apples at the most lovely Bellewood Acres. It was a beautiful fall day that produced a chill with the breeze yet warmth with the sun. A long tractor train carried us eager pickers out into the apple orchard past the pumpkin patches and cows and horses grazing in their fields.

There were rows upon rows of apple trees all bearing beautiful red fruit yet due to the ripening calendar, we were limited in picking only the Tsugaru variety, which the farm describes as “a gourmet dessert apple rated among the best eating apples of Japanese heritage”. I might have to say that they rate among the best eating apples EVER. Crunchy, juicy (the juice pops into your face when you cut or bite into it!), and candy sweet. They are so very good that I thought the 10 pounds we picked would be more than enough, but I personally am eating 2 or 3 per day! I had to set aside the necessary 8 that are required for a Dutch oven apple crisp we will be making over the campfire with friends this weekend!

I am learning quickly, being in the land of apples aplenty, that there is nothing better than the first taste of Autumn’s apple. Choosing the perfect one from the tree, biting into its skin to reveal a flesh that is gleaming white, and savoring the taste while the juice splashes around my tongue. The first taste of the season’s apple may be almost as paramount as a first kiss…it’s good. Really good.

We left the orchard not only with apples, but also with peanut butter made right on the farm. I have found the pairing of homemade peanut butter and a fresh, sweet Tsugaru apple to be perfectly divine. As our supply quickly dwindles, I know I will be calling upon our wonderful CSA to replenish our cravings and, perhaps, trying to squeeze another apple picking outing into one of our already busy fall weekends. At the very least, a trip to Bellewood Acres will become an annual fall tradition!

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Weekend Trip to Bellingham, Part 1: Crabbing

Bellingham is a town about an hour and a half north of Seattle and has been on the list of “places I want to visit” since we moved here. This past weekend, our dear friends Woody and Jenny invited us to go up with them for a day of crabbing! So, we had two firsts- our first trip to Bellingham and our first Pacific Northwest Dungeness crabbing adventure! I sure hope it wasn’t our first and only of either experience!

Bellingham was completely charming. It actually reminded me of a Northeastern town in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine transported to the Pacific Northwest. It was breathtakingly beautiful with lush evergreens lining every road, rolling hills, and stunning views of Bellingham Bay and the nearby San Juan Islands.

Woody and David did all the baiting and hauling in and out of the crab pots. Basically, they did all the work!

The water was nearly glass like as we boated around Bellingham Bay tossing crab pots loaded with salmon carcasses into the water hoping for a yummy crab reward. The day was perfect- a little bit of fall crispness and overcast skies that cleared near lunch time to blue skies and warming temperatures. We pulled into a picturesque little cove that is part of Lummi Island, one of the San Juan Islands, and anchored for a lunch picnic. The views were stunning!

An amazing sailboat anchored in the same little cove we pulled into for lunch

We caught tons of crabs, but ended up keeping 5 after we measured them to make sure they met regulatory standards for size (at least 6 and 3/4 inches) and gender (male). And, we even caught a few starfish! The crabs made for a super tasty dinner just boiled in some Old Bay and salted water.

Jack catching a little nap as we headed back to shore

a fossilized palm tree in the sand cliffs

It was such a fun day- one, like so many, that makes us feel like we live in vacation land!
Our second day in Bellingham was equally fun- another post with more photos coming later in the week, so as not too saturate you too much at once!

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Mobile Food Rodeo 2012

This past weekend, we rode our bikes down to South Lake Union to indulge in some tasty lunch served from the window of some rad food trucks at Seattle’s Second Annual Mobile Food Rodeo.

There were 45 food trucks in attendance, some of the most talked about among the Northwest foodie scene. Out of all the choices, we opted for two crepes- a pork and a mushroom- from Caravan Crepes and they were super delicious. Full of fresh ingredients, a ricotta/manchego cheese blend, and served with a side of organic salad greens, it was a perfect food truck choice!

And, we couldn’t pass on our first chance to taste the food raved about from Skillet Street Food. The chicken sammy which features a piece of fennel crusted fried chicken topped with kale slaw and pickled jalapeño aioli on a potato roll and served with hand-cut fries was amazing…AMAZING. I will certainly be making a trip to their Diner location in Capitol Hill…I already cannot wait to try the pork belly and cornmeal waffle topped with a fried egg!

I was glad we had the long bike ride to burn off those indulgent calories…I even pulled Jack in the bike trailer! It was a lovely and yummy Saturday afternoon!

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Kalaloch Camping: Jack’s First Camping Trip!

We had so much fun this past weekend! We made our first trip to Western Washington, driving into the Olympic National Park to camp at Kalaloch Campground…one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever seen!

We didn’t have much time…the drive to Kalaloch takes just over 3.5 hours from our home so it’s too long to squeeze into a Friday night after work…but, we were longing to get outdoors and to introduce Jack to our love of camping!
So, we stumbled out of bed early on Saturday morning and made the trek to the West. We were at Kalaloch for a total of 24 hours (away from our home for about 35 hours), and even though it was quick, it was very much worth it. It was the perfect escape.

In 35 hours we:
…stopped at one of the Starbucks in the University District for sausage and egg sandwiches and strong coffees…it’s fun to be in the University District early on a weekend morning when all the college kids are still sleeping away their acts from the night before.
…drove to the Olympic National Park taking the southern route from Seattle…it was an amazing sight to enter into the National Park and be surrounded on both sides of the road by huge evergreens.
…fell in love immediately with Kalaloch…I still can’t get over how gorgeous it was…lush green campsites nestled on a cliff overlooking an expansive beach along the Pacific Ocean.
…wandered down the Beach Trail to “feel the sand between our toes”- Jack’s words that melted my heart!
…unpacked. Set up our site.
…had lunch of salami, caprese salad, edamame hummus, pita chips, and blueberries.
…snuggled together in our tent and napped! with the breeze and sound of waves from the Pacific Ocean filling our tent space…this alone would have been worth the trip- the 3 of us laying side by side napping in the middle of the day in the forest!
…snacks and a beer at the beach and a lot of sand digging. Tried to be brave…walked out into the ocean but when I realized my feet were numb after about 1 minute, I decided that, yep, it was TOO cold!
…roasted hot dogs over the camp fire for dinner.
…S’mores eating…mmm!!! I didn’t like these much as a kid, but now I think they are pretty amazing!
…back down to the beach for the sunset…it sort of took our breath away to watch the sun melt right into the Pacific Ocean…
…all in jammies, book reading in the tent.
…all asleep by 10 pm.
…slept soundly until 6:30 am.
…fire. Breakfast. And, a bit more S’mores eating for the boys.
…back to the beach. Jack played in the sand while David and I sat on the driftwood and watched a couple of whales frolic in the water…yes, WHALES! It was amazing to see their black bodies break the surface of the water and then see a a huge spray of water from their spouts. We stared in awe for over half an hour.
…goodbye Kalaloch…we promise to come back soon…but tomorrow wouldn’t be soon enough.
…drive back toward Seattle, this time taking the northern, more scenic route…passed an AMAZING lake- Crescent Lake- that had the most beautiful glacial blue water that we have ever seen! Jack slept for the entire drive.
…lunch in the cutest little town of Kingston, a town that was so busy with ferry dweller traffic that cars lined the small downtown streets waiting their turn to drive onto the big boats. We enjoyed a yummy lunch and a cold beer on the back deck of Main Street Ale House. Jack and I had a mama- son ice cream outing across the street at Mora Iced Creamery while David sat in the traffic line with our car for the ferry.
…Kingston-Edmonds ferry ride…this was a first for all of us.
…short drive home.

It was a perfect weekend…
The views were breathtaking. Spending time with just the 3 of us without the distractions of life was such a welcomed treat. The S’mores were pretty outstanding! And, the reminder that nature provides of just how tiny we are is priceless.

I’m already looking forward to going again…in fact, I’ll say goodbye for now so I can go and reserve a campsite spot on Whidbey Island for September…

our first steps in the (freezing!) Pacific Ocean

mmm…S’mores!

look closely…the whales are in these photos, you can see the water spout in the first one

note the wind swept trees, they lined the cliffs

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Our First Week of Summer!

We spent the past week, the week between school changes for Jack and the transition week from surgery intern year to radiology residency for David, hosting David’s brother, our sister-in-law, and our niece and nephew who traveled from the mind-numbing heat of Atlanta to chilly, rainy, and occasionally sunny Seattle! David’s sister and her boyfriend also live in this area, so it was a wonderful reunion time of all 3 siblings. We had so much fun and created a lot of dear and silly memories, especially for the two- and three-year-old boy cousins!

We spent lots of time hanging out in the backyard climbing trees, enjoying drinks, digging in the dirt, playing with balls, and eating meals. And, we had a morning art/craft project making a mess with cloud dough!

The older boys had a challenging, yet fun, golf outing at Chambers Bay, the site of the 2015 US Open. The course is immensely pretty, situated along the Puget Sound with views of the snow-capped Olympic Mountains.

We visited the top of the Space Needle, locate in Seattle Center adjacent to the new Chihuly Glass Museum (a glass tree can be seen in the background of the first photo below). It was both our visitors’ and Jack’s first time to the Needle and we were lucky to choose a stunningly clear day! We were awarded with unobstructed views of all of Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and the surrounding islands.

We enjoyed a long morning at Pike Place Market where we indulged in a delicious French pastry breakfast, meandered through the many market vendors where flowers and cherries, in particular, caught my eye, explored the fun underground stores, watched cheese being made at Beecher’s, and then had a picnic lunch in the sun at Victor Steinbureck park.

On their last day here, we went to the Wooden Boat Festival at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union. It was such a fun festival with wooden boats to walk on and explore, a craft booth to make your own wooden boat to take home, yummy festival food, and small model sailboat races in the pond. Our dear friends, Amy, Phil, and Hanna joined us for the outing.

We even managed to get a cute group photo of us all at Kerry Park in Queen Anne, one of my most favorite spots in all of Seattle, and a great picture of the three cousins with their Aunt Laura. We were sad to see them go!

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Cheers to my new favorite season, Summer!

Here’s to the summer weekend. To camping in the mountains or one the coast, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire, falling asleep under the stars. To taking day trips to explore towns you’ve only heard of. To outdoor concerts and movies. To picnics along the shores of the lake with the water lapping your toes as berries stain your face and hands. To after dinner outings to the ice cream shop. To treasured moments spent in a boat, soaking in the amazing views that are awarded only by water.

Here’s to airy, breezy, stolen moments of quiet. To reading that chick lit cover to cover in a single weekend, then starting the sequel the following. To drifting off in a comfy chair outside while your significant other does the same a few feet away. To meeting in each others’ dreams while the sun warms your skin.

Here’s to the summer kitchen. To exploring the season’s bounty without even turning on the stove. Here’s to heirloom tomatoes in hues of red, yellow, purple, and orange. To giant leaves of basil that are overwhelming fragrant. To inviting friends over for an evening of chopping, tossing and devouring a huge summer salad, then washing it down with the delicious flavor of summer margaritas.

Here’s to retiring to the deck after dinner and lighting a million candles or the outdoor fireplace. To talking late into the night with a glass of white wine or a summery beer because the light from the sun doesn’t fade until well after 10. To getting cozy under an old quilt and watching the first stars appear.

Wherever you are on this first official day of summer, enjoy! I know some of you may already be tiring of the heat and humidity, but as Seattlites, we are hopeful that this day marks the official beginning to a promised few months of amazingly divine, warm, and dry weather! Here’s to summer, my new favorite season!

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