Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Weekend, Seattle

Saturdays are our day to explore as a family. Although Jasper and I do a lot of exploring during the week we usually are missing the key member of our trio- Dad! We try to leave early in the morning and are gone for the majority of the day. I know Saturdays are a popular day for staying at home and getting stuff done, but having fun and enjoying one another's company will always trump chores and responsibilities for me. All the other days of the week get filled up with work, church and other obligations, but Saturdays are our day for fun. A couple Saturdays ago we hopped on a ferry and went over to Vashon Island for the day. Even though we live a mere five minutes from the ferry terminal surprisingly we have only done this a couple other times over the past eight years of living in West Seattle. We packed a picnic lunch and knew we wanted to visit a handful of places. Our primary goal was to visit Point Robinson Park, but we knew we also wanted to grab an ice cream cone from Glass Bottle Creamery and stop by the Farmer's market.

Apr 22

Apr 22 San Juan Outfitters

Travel, Weekend, Outdoor adventures

While visiting San Juan Island we went on a kayak trip with San Juan Outfitters. What started out as a beautiful day for a paddle ended in the most memorable kayak trip of our lives. We headed out of Roche Harbor and made our way to Henry Island. A couple hours in we stopped and enjoyed a shoreline brown bag lunch and then continued on. Before long we spotted a small clustering of boats and we knew it must be one thing- whales. For the next half hour we watched in awe as the whales swam a mere hundred yards away from our kayaks.

Apr 18

Apr 18 Roche Harbor in the Spring

Spring time is one of our favorite times to travel. The weather usually cooperates, flowers boxes and hanging baskets are bursting with color and it is generally a quiet time compared to the hustle and bustle of the Summer. When we visit San Juan Island we like to spend at least a few afternoons and evening at Roche Harbor. We like the laid back, easy pace of the area and find it to be devoid of all the ferry traffic and tours which come in and out of Friday Harbor. We also love to kayak out of Roche Harbor with San Juan Outfitters and one of our favorite places to eat on the island (Madrona Bar and Grill) is located here too.

Apr 11

Apr 11 A weekend at Bird Rock Hotel

In the midst of downtown Friday Harbor and just a short walk from the ferry terminal there is a lovely place to stay called Bird Rock Hotel. It is a small, unassuming place, the type of place you might even walk right past if you did not know the charm awaiting you once inside. Bird Rock Hotel is a boutique hotel with a historic exterior and a modern interior. Rooms range from deluxe with harbor views and jacuzzi tubs to simple European style sleeping rooms with shared baths down the hall. Each room is unique which makes it a fun experience to stay there again and again. There are so many things I enjoy about Bird Rock Hotel, but the comfortable beds, location and delicious continental breakfast awaiting me each morning are three of my favorites. This is our second time staying at Bird Rock Hotel and just like last time we loved every minute of our stay.

Apr 4

Apr 4 A weekend at the Freestone Inn

Before we bid Winter adieu we headed up to the North Cascades to stay at the Freestone Inn for one last hurrah. We spent our time enjoying slow mornings and big breakfasts, snowshoeing, window shopping in Winthrop, and constantly dreaming about one day building a house of our own amongst the stunning landscape. The North Cascades have become our refuge, our go to place when we want a break from the world with a healthy dose of natural beauty and a hearty side of adventure. We have spent many hours hiking the nearby trails and marveling at how we always feel like we have the place to ourselves. We love to visit the Freestone Inn during all seasons, but the Fall and Winter are our favorites. The combination of the coziness of the inn with cooler temperatures makes us feel right at home by the roaring fire.

Apr 1

Apr 1 An afternoon at Cutthroat Lake

Travel, Weekend, Outdoor adventures

With the transition of Winter into Spring my thoughts turn outdoors. If I had it my way I would be outside everyday from dawn until dusk. Unfortunately, many days between work commitments, taking care of a small child and the rigors of life in general my schedule does not permit such a luxury like this. On those days, where all I want to be is outside, but I am stuck inside I have the memories and the photos of wonderful days past spent amongst the dirt and the trees. Here are a few photos from one such lovely Fall hike to Cutthroat Lake.

Mar 24

Mar 24 Point Robinson

During our visit to Vashon we spent one of our mornings down at Point Robinson. Point Robinson is a ten acre shoreline park and marine conservancy located on the east shore of Maury Island overlooking East Passage. This site has provided fog and lighthouse service for vessels since 1885. The park has a sandy beach shoreline which wraps around the point, a saltwater marsh, and upland woodlands. Jasper particularly enjoyed the beach (he is obsessed with carrying around tiny rocks), the wooden swing and cement pathway in front of the Keeper's houses. No matter how you spend your time at Point Robinson there are spectacular views of East Passage, Tacoma, and Mount Rainier from anywhere on the shoreline.

Mar 15

Mar 15 The Lodges on Vashon

Last week, we had the opportunity to stay on Vashon Island while we checked out the Lodges on Vashon. Even though I have visited Vashon Island numerous times, I have never spent more than a day there. Living in West Seattle, Vashon Island is a place I look at across the water pretty much everyday without thinking much about it. It is a beautiful place, but I have never considered it a destination for a weekend adventure. Now that I know such airy, light filled, and hip accommodations exist I foresee many more trips to the island in my future. Early one afternoon, Jasper and I boarded the ferry for our ten minute crossing to our island getaway. With the sleek water taxi service from downtown, Cameron would be joining up with us after work.

Feb 23

Feb 23 A day trip to Whidbey Island

When the sun is shining and the hiking trails are still covered in snow we like to spend our Saturdays taking little day trips around the state. In order for it to be a day well spent, we like to eat delicious food, see beautiful or interesting places and spend a majority of our day outside rather than in the car. One of our favorite little day trips is to drive up to Mukilteo and take the ferry to Clinton. From there we make a pit stop in Langley for a little shopping and then onto Coupeville for lunch. After lunch we like to spend the late afternoon at Ebey's Landing or Fort Casey to enjoy the beautiful visitas and breathe in the fresh air. Depending on our mood and the hours of sunlight left we might drive up to Deception Pass, stop in La Conner for dinner and then make our way home via I-5. On this particular day, we drove back the way we came and took the ferry back over to Mukilteo.

Jan 21

Jan 21 Ebey's Landing

Weekend

As the sun hung low in the sky we set out on the Ridge Trail which intersects with the Bluff Trail at Ebey's Landing. We walked the picturesque half mile through rolling farmland to the bluff where we watched the sun quickly dip below the horizon. Watching the sunset in the Winter always feels like a rare treat for a number of reasons, but primarily because the skies are usually shrouded with thick gray clouds and because it occurs so early in the day it is easy to miss.

Jan 19

Jan 19 edit.

Weekend

A few weeks ago I stumbled across the most charming little shop in Langley called edit. I know we are often told to not judge a book by its cover or a store by its storefront, but I was immediately drawn into the space from the curb. Upon stepping into edit.it was as if someone had hand picked the items specifically for me. Every item was so thoughtfully curated, each with its own purpose, and beauty. It is rare I can enter a shop and find something for myself, my fourteen month old son and my husband, but at edit. this occurred.

Jan 18

Jan 18 Snoqualmie Falls

Weekend, Food

Some days the weather is crazy here. One minute it is pouring rain, the next sunshine and then wait another minute and a strong gust of wind will hit you in the face. Sporadic pretty much summed up the weather this past weekend which repeatedly shut down Snoqualmie Pass and halted our plans for a Saturday of snowshoeing. As a last minute change of plans we decided to spend an afternoon exploring closer to home by hiking down to Snoqualmie Falls followed by brunch at the Salish Lodge. The trail down to the falls is only one mile round trip so it is an easy hike even for little ones.

Jan 15

Jan 15 A mountain getaway with Glampinghub.com

Travel, Weekend, Outdoor adventures

Awhile back I mentioned we were partnering with Glamping Hub for a little family adventure. We finally went on our adventure and stayed in a modern cabin in the woods. We enjoyed the solitude and location of our cabin, but most importantly the time we spent together as a family. Our time there reminded us how we feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air, but also how we hope to one day have a cabin of our own nestled in the woods.

Jan 5

Jan 5 OPUS Vancouver- the perfect getaway from Seattle

After Christmas, we were excited to spend time in one of our favorite cities- Vancouver, B.C. Although it had been a couple years since we last visited I was reminded how much I love Vancouver and the diversity of its surrounding neighborhoods. I like to think of Vancouver as the hip, more refined and established older sister to Seattle. Whatever characteristics I like about Seattle it seems Vancouver has in greater abundance or accessibility. My two great loves are the water and the mountains. Vancouver like Seattle has both, but in Vancouver the mountains are so easily accessible from the city it makes me envious.

Dec 15

Dec 15 Wandering through the snow

Weekend, Parenting, Outdoor adventures

During the Winter I am constantly checking the weather report up in the mountains. If we receive substantial snowfall during the week then we make it a point to head up to the mountains on Saturday. Saturdays have traditionally been our day set aside for being together as a family and having fun. I am not a fan of chores, errands or work on Saturdays and I avoid it at all costs. I once read an article which stated from the time your child is born until the time they turn eighteen you have 940 Saturdays. Particularly now that we have Jasper I want to make the most of these days and give him memories of hikes, camping trips, catching snowflakes on our tongues and enjoying picnics by the water. During the week in between work, laundry, and to do lists I try my best to squeeze in the chores and errands.

Dec 3

Dec 3 A holiday staycation

Weekend, Seattle

This year we decided to mix things up and spent the evening of Black Friday in downtown Seattle. Normally, on Black Friday we have a tradition of doing a little shopping in the morning and then heading home to a local nursery to pick out our Christmas tree. Then we spend the rest of the evening decorating the tree and listening to Christmas tunes. Instead of our usual tradition, we jumped on the bus downtown armed with an overnight bag and eagerly anticipated our weekend adventure in the city. Although we spend a lot of time downtown in general we have not stayed at hotel in the city for over ten years.

Nov 30

Nov 30 A wintry hike up to Snow Lake

Weekend, Outdoor adventures

We have now reached the point in the year where there is not enough snow to snow shoe, but most of the hiking trails are covered in either snow, ice or both. It can be a bit treacherous making your way up and down safely, but it is a beautiful time of year especially when the sun decides to shine. On Thanksgiving we wanted to get outside for a bit before going over to my parent's house for dinner. We decided on Snow Lake because it is a moderate hike and we knew we could do it in the time that we had. Once on the trail it was a tad colder than I had anticipated, so next time I will need to be better prepared for wintry conditions.

Nov 26

Nov 26 A pit stop in Portland

On our way home from the Oregon coast we decided to take a little detour and meet up with our friends in Portland. Since I easily daydream about going to Portland at least once a month, it was a no brainer when the opportunity presented itself. There is something about Portland that feels so young and hip. The food scene cannot be beat and I love how easy it is to get around. We met up with our friends for lunch at Por Que No and then walked down Mississippi Avenue looking in the various shops. Some of my favorites include: Black Wagon, Paxton Gate, Land, and Pistils Nursery.

Nov 23

Nov 23 Pre holiday get away