Gig Harbor & Destiny Harbor Tour

Today is my birthday, and my husband and I planned to go to Portland, until I discovered that they were having the Grand Floral Parade as part of their annual Rose Festival. I figured this might limit parking and impede our ability to get around, especially since the parade route was right in the area where I planned to do most of my exploring. I checked into Amtrak, but the fares were too high just for a day trip.

So I came up with an alternate plan. Gig Harbor.



Lance and I were there briefly last year. We met a friend for dinner and ate at Anthony’s. We said we wanted to go back and see more of the town because we liked what little of it we saw.

Today seemed as good a day as any.

We got there around noon. Mostly we just meandered around the historic downtown area. We stopped for some ice cream at Kelly’s. There was nothing particular we had in mind to do other than a Destiny Harbor Tour. And that was scheduled to leave at 3:30. Gig Harbor isn’t a bad place to kill time, believe me. It was overcast today, so we didn’t get the amazing view of the mountains that we had last time we were there, but it’s still a picturesque town and a great place to wander. We even saw a bride and groom getting their pictures taken at Skansie Brothers Park. It’s a nice place for people watching, if you like that sort of thing.

At 3:00, we went to the dock where the Destiny Harbor Tour departs (right at Anthony’s Restaurant). We got there a tad too early, but better too early than too late, right? Captain Tom showed up a short while later, and once he got the boat ready, we boarded along with some of the other passengers. The Destiny is an old Coast Guard utility boat.

This 2-hour tour was definitely the highlight of my day. It took us out underneath the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. We got close up looks at Salmon Beach, Point Defiance, and the beautiful homes at Point Fosdick and Gig Harbor’s waterfront. I was especially fascinated by Salmon Beach, where people live in fishing shacks at the water’s edge. Perhaps a bit isolated, but stunning. Access to this Tacoma neighborhood is either by boat or by foot down a very steep cliff, if this tells you anything about why I found it fascinating.

We learned a little about history, geology, architecture and wildlife. We saw two Bald Eagles (unfortunately, I wasn’t able to zoom in close enough for good photos), a couple seals, and several Pigeon Guillemots. We also heard a fascinating story about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (and how it got the nickname "Galloping Gertie"), but I'll leave that to Captain Tom to tell you.

It was a fantastic time! I highly recommend this tour if you’re in Gig Harbor, but the company also runs tours out of Tacoma.

Link: http://www.destinymarine.com/

And as always, a link to my Flickr album with today's photos.

Windmill Gardens and Bistro in Sumner

Almost exactly 2 years ago, I wrote about my first visit to Windmill Gardens in Sumner. I went again today, and it wasn't quite so warm and sunny. In fact, quite the opposite. But unlike last time, I ate at Windmill Bistro.



I liked the ambience of this place. It was warm and cozy. It was rather crowded today too, so clearly, it's a local favorite. I ordered a cup of clam chowder with half a bistro salad (greens, dried cranberries, blue cheese and candied walnuts with raspberry vinaigrette), along with some of their strawberry lemonade. Very good, and the perfect amount of food. Everyone else's orders looked delicious too (and it seems they're generous with their sandwich platters).

This looks like a good place for a girlie lunch, which was basically what I was out doing. There were kids with us too, and Windmill Bistro was great with accommodating them.

If you're in the area and looking for something fun to do with a friend, I recommend it. You can stop at Tea Madame for some tea, pop into the spa and salon, or shop for beautiful flowers and landscape art. If you have the time (and I didn't today), you should also check out Sumner's charming downtown.

Want to see the entire Flickr set? Click here.

Links:

- Windmill Gardens
- Windmill Bistro

Tomorrow is National Public Gardens Day

If you happen to have some free time tomorrow, Better Homes & Gardens is offering free admission to many public gardens nationwide for National Public Gardens Day.

Click the link below for a list of participating gardens and a voucher for free admission.

http://www.bhg.com/freegarden

I'll be going to PowellsWood in Federal Way, as long as it's not pouring rain.

Olympic Peninsula Weekend

How have we lived in Washington for over 3 years and not yet been to the Olympic Peninsula? Well, we rectified that this weekend. I got a Groupon deal for Lake Quinault Lodge, so we set out yesterday morning. This is one of those weekends where few of our plans came together, but we still had a great time.

Let me just say that the Olympic Peninsula is a great destination if you're looking to find peace in your soul. I mentioned in a recent post that my grandmother recently died, and I'm still reeling from that. My husband's been traveling a lot. We needed a quiet, restful place to regroup and reconnect. Lake Quinault was great for that.



Our drive took about 2.5 hours from Tukwila (we had to drop the dogs off at Petsmart for boarding first). Parts of the drive were quite nice. I especially liked going through Grays Harbor County, and Hoquiam in particular.

After driving through a seemingly endless stretch of evergreen forest, we saw signs for Lake Quinault. I think we arrived there sometime between 10-10:30. As it turns out, it was too early. Our room wasn't ready. So we walked down to the lake, just in time to see this:



We were the only two outside, so it was almost like the rainbow was there just for us. I felt it was a omen that we would have a good weekend.

But with a rainbow comes the rain, of course. Despite that, we hiked the Quinault Loop Trail through the rainforest. We came out of the trailhead soaked, but happy. The sun came out as we finished our hike, and we saw another rainbow form over Lake Quinault.

At that point, it was time to think about lunch. The Roosevelt Room at the lodge was a bit too rich for our blood, so we wanted to go somewhere a little more within our price range. I had read that the Quinault Mercantile right across the street had a cafe, but it was closed when we walked over there. And there was a sign pointing to the general store at Rain Forest Resort Village about a mile away. So we drove there, thinking we could get food. But that was just a convenience store. They sold food there, of course, but it was your standard pre-made sandwiches and bags of chips.

We ended up driving into nearby Amanda Park, where we had lunch at the Internet Cafe (otherwise known as I.C.). There was really no ambience to speak of, but the staff was nice and the food was simple and good. I had fish and chips and it exceeded my expectations. We noted that they served breakfast and headed back to the lodge to check in.

I had anticipated that we would take the rainforest tour that is available via the lodge. Part of the Groupon was for buy one, get one free admission. And their website says they offer the tour from 9:30 AM-1 PM daily and from 2-5 on Saturdays. So I wanted to take the Saturday afternoon tour. But I was told that they only offered the tour at 9:30 AM. So it seems the Saturday afternoon tour is no longer available.

We got our room key and headed up to the second floor to check it out. We had a lake view room, which I knew ahead of time. I loved the view. And the room was charming, with vintage details. There was no TV, but I didn't feel that was a problem. The only caveats: the walls were paper thin. We could hear EVERYTHING. We had a shower stall (I was hoping for a tub), and the water pressure was weak. But otherwise, it was very nice.

We rested for a bit, and then decided to go down the road a bit to see the world's largest Sitka Spruce. That was one of those situations where you end up being less than impressed once you get there. It was a huge tree, don't get me wrong. But it just didn't have the awe factor that I assumed it would have. That short hike to the tree and back resulted in sodden socks and shoes (lots of flooding on that trail), so back to the room to dry our shoes by the radiator. I am a former Girl Scout, so I should've been more prepared and had 2 pairs of shoes. I did bring extra socks, at least.

We had nothing else to do while waiting for our shoes to dry, so I ended up dozing off and Lance was playing around with his cellphone. Soon, dinnertime was upon us, so we put on our newly dry shoes and trudged back out into the rain. We walked a mile down the road to The Salmon House at Rain Forest Resort Village. We loved, loved, LOVED this restaurant. To say that they specialize in salmon is obvious, but neither of us ordered that. Lance ordered the chicken cordon bleu, which he thought was fantastic. I got the garden vegetable fettuccine, which was pretty much the best fettuccine alfredo I ever tasted. And we were seated at a big picture window overlooking the lake. What could be better? Especially since it stopped raining while we were eating and the sun came out.

It was dry as we walked back. And the rest of the evening was gorgeous, as is evident from the first picture I posted. That was our sunset last night. Glorious.

But between the end of dinner and the sunset, we spent some time in the game room at the lodge, where we laughed a lot over a couple games of pool and some very crazy games of ping pong. We were both exhausted - not just from the day's events - but from the past 2 months in general. Shortly after 9 PM, we were both asleep.

I was up before the sun this morning - not that I wanted to be. I had hoped to sleep in. But my insomnia didn't take the weekend off. Lance woke up shortly after I did, and we decided that instead of hanging around the lodge (where we had considered doing the rainforest tour this morning), we would instead drive up to Ruby Beach on the Pacific coast. Once we showered and dressed, we checked out and were off! Back to Amanda Park for breakfast at the I.C.

Afterwards, it was about a 40 mile drive to Ruby Beach. It was worth it. This was, for me, one of the highlights of our trip. The waves were tempestuous, crashing against the sea stacks, and the skies were foggy and gray. The beach was exactly how I like it. Simply stunning.



From there, we headed south to Ocean Shores. No special reason, except we had time to kill, and we hadn't been there before. We had homemade ice cream at Murphy's and visited the interpretive center. We were probably in Ocean Shores for a little over an hour, and then we decided to head back toward home.

By the time we got to Hoquiam, we were ready for lunch. So we shared a pizza at Sasquatch Pizza, and then we were on the road again.

Two days wasn't long enough. I long to go back. But we're planning on seeing the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula before we move on to our next assignment (which is coming up soon).

My full set of photos is up at Flickr.

How I Inherited My Wanderlust

I just returned to Seattle on Monday night after some time with my family in Ohio, where my beloved grandmother passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

I think she was partially responsible for my wanderlust. I always thought it was kind of funny that my brothers and I have traveled to many countries (granted, my younger brother is in the Navy, which is why he has traveled so much), while our parents are homebodies and content to stay where they are. Then I realized, our maternal grandparents traveled extensively throughout their lives. A favorite destination of theirs was Gatlinburg. In fact, there's a picture of them on the Gatlinburg skylift - taken in 1989 - that I particularly like. I think they went to the Smoky Mountains just about every year and they stayed at the same place every time. I remember them getting Christmas cards from that particular lodge every year.

We have lots of pictures of Grandma during her travels. There's one that I remember from Devil's Tower National Monument. One I saw just recently - a picture of Grandma and Grandpa picnicking somewhere in Vermont. Their honeymoon photos - especially the ones of them visiting Lincoln's tomb and his home in Springfield, Illinois (places I would later visit during my senior year of high school). In other photos, it's a bit harder to tell where Grandma is, but there are mountains behind her, so she's definitely not in Ohio!

I also cherish the trips I've taken with her. There were a couple of trips to Illinois to visit family who once lived out there. We went to Norfolk, Virginia in 2003 to welcome home my brother's ship as it returned from its deployment.

There was a road trip to Pensacola, Florida in 2006 for that same brother's wedding. I vividly remember sharing a room with Grandma at a crappy Motel 6 somewhere in Alabama as we made our way toward Florida. We watched the movie Circle of Friends that night, and I remember turning back the covers to snuggle into bed, only to find that there were no sheets! At least Grandma had sheets on her bed. What a rotten hotel stay! But I cherish even that memory now. I think that was the last long road trip she ever took. She turned 80 that year, and it was getting more difficult for her to travel comfortably.

Still...she did a lot of traveling in her life. I think she only left the country once - during a cross-country road trip when my mom was a teenager. Grandpa drove past the Mexican border. I'm pretty sure he did it just so they could say they've been to Mexico - at least, that was the impression I got from the stories I've heard about that trip. If she ever left the U.S. again, I never heard about it. But she explored much of the United States in her lifetime - much more than I have. She always said that there was no place on Earth more beautiful than the United States.

Grandma ended her journey on February 5, 2011. I was with her, along with my mother, aunt, and older brother. As I'm reflecting back on her life, I'm realizing now just how much she has influenced me. I'm finding that she left a mark on my life in ways I hadn't considered before. My insatiable desire to get out and see the world comes from her, I think. And Grandpa too.

And I say thank you. Thank you, Grandma, for this inheritance. My longing for travel has enriched my life in ways I can't even describe, and has been incredibly valuable to me.

California Dreamin'

I'm currently sitting at the Burbank Airport, making use of their free Wi-Fi while I wait for a flight back to Seattle and impending snowmageddon. I'll keep the above image (Santa Monica Beach) burned into my memory as I spend the next couple of days hoping that our power holds and we don't freeze to death.

Needless to say, the weather in Southern California is quite a departure from the damp chill of Seattle. I arrived to sunshine and left with sunshine and had lots of sunshine everywhere in between.

Day 1: Los Angeles Zoo

I arrived in L.A. around lunchtime, and my brother took me to his house to drop off my luggage and have a sandwich. Shortly afterwards, we drove to the Los Angeles Zoo. I loved the landscaping there, since the flora is quite different from Washington's, but otherwise, I didn't see any animal exhibits that impressed me. It's a nice zoo, but there was nothing really unique about it. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, though. After traveling all morning, I didn't feel like doing any hardcore sightseeing.

Dinner that night was at a nice American restaurant called Dish in La Cañada. The evening was very relaxed.

Day 2: Santa Monica Pier/Hollywood

I woke up, ready for some hardcore sightseeing. Weather-wise, this was the warmest day, which was great, because we were headed to the beach. My brother drove me out to Santa Monica Pier, which was almost empty that time of morning. Perfect. We walked along the pier, walked barefoot on the beach (so amazing to do that in early January), and stopped at Perry's Beachside Cafe for a late breakfast/early lunch. I can't even tell you how relaxing it is to sit outside in the sun on a warm January morning, eating fresh-made veggie burritos and hash browns, listening to the waves crash on the shore, and smelling the salty air.

Afterwards, we drove through Malibu, and then turned onto a mountain road and drove up through Toluca and back toward my brother's place, where we parked at the rail station and took the train to Union Station. From there, we took the subway to Hollywood & Vine.

Here's the disappointing part. I didn't see what the big deal was about Hollywood, honestly. I walked up one side of Hollywood Boulevard, along the Walk of Fame, and got harassed at every turn by tour operators trying to get me to take some overpriced tour. It was crowded. It was claustrophobic. You couldn't even stop to look at anything for fear of getting trampled. I took pictures of a few of the theaters, and we turned around at Grauman's Chinese Theater and headed back to the nearest subway station at Hollywood & Highland. Been there. Done that. No need to do it again.

The rest of day 2 was spent hanging out with the family. So now we move on to...

Day 3: The Getty

I've seen some pretty impressive museums in Europe. My top 3 are the Victoria & Albert, the Hermitage, and the Louvre. The Getty is on par with those. It's a huge, modern glass and concrete structure at the top of a mountain. You need to take a tram to get up there. Plan to spend an entire day, because it takes at least that long to see everything. Their galleries are extensive (European art, photography and illuminated manuscripts, among other things), and they also have a very nice garden. I think we covered most of it, but there were still come exhibits we missed. As for famous artwork that's displayed there, does this do anything for you? That's the most famous painting I saw. Regardless, their collection is impressive and fascinating.

Later on that day, right at dusk, my brother drove me into Pasadena (where we passed the Rose Bowl) for a quick hike at Eaton Canyon.

Day 4: The Huntington Library

As if The Getty isn't impressive enough, the Huntington Library completely knocked my socks off. This, for me, was the very best place I visited on the trip. My friend - being a fellow literature geek - suggested it, and I immediately agreed. We were not disappointed.

A 15th century manuscript of The Canterbury Tales!


Also, a first folio of Shakespeare!

This is an English major's playground. They also have a nice collection of art, including the famous painting of Thomas Gainsborough - "The Blue Boy."

And the gardens...oh, THE GARDENS!

So many gardens: Japanese, Chinese, rose, sculpture, desert (my favorite), Australian, sub-tropical...I could go on. All are different. All are jaw-dropping in their beauty.

Yes, The Huntington also takes an entire day to cover. Do go. It's worth it, I promise. We left at lunchtime to eat at an old-school soda fountain - Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain - on Route 66 in South Pasadena (go for the nostalgia and the ice cream - the food is ok), but you get stickers that allow you to come back. And come back, we did.

I was back at my brother's by dinnertime, where we had a last dinner out at Ernie Jr.'s Taco House.

And that takes us to today. But today was mostly just a day to chill out at my brother's house. We only ventured out to Barnes & Noble to get a book for me to read for the flight back.

We'll be boarding soon, so I leave you with my Flickr photo set (132 photos...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED) and some links:

- Dish Restaurant

- The Getty

- Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain

- The Huntington Library

Happy Holidays!

(Ivar's Clam Lights at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park in Renton)

Dear Readers,

Have a wonderful holiday season! See you in 2011 (I'll be in Los Angeles from January 6-10, so I'll have a post for you then)!

Thanks to all of you who have visited this blog, read my ramblings, and left comments. I do this because I love to chronicle my travels, and I'm so glad others enjoy reading about them too. Here's hoping for more adventures in the coming year!

Cheers,
Karyn

A Brief Visit to Kitsap County

It's been one of those rare late autumn weekends with mild and dry weather and the occasional appearance of the sun. We planned to go to Kitsap County yesterday, particularly to explore "Little Norway" - Poulsbo - of all places, because my Minnesota-born husband grew up on lefse and figured that would be a good place to get some. So that was as good an excuse as any!

But it wasn't meant to be. He was asked to work yesterday, so we postponed our trip for today.

Originally, we were going to take the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, but at the last minute, we decided to just drive there instead. It's only about an hour and 15 minute drive. By the time we drove to downtown Seattle, waited in line at the ferry terminal, and took the 35 minute ferry to Bainbridge Island and then drove to Poulsbo from there, it wouldn't really be any faster anyway. I liked the drive, especially as it took us past Bremerton and the sight of all the Navy ships lined up in the bay.

We arrived in Poulsbo around 9:45 this morning. Evidently, we came on the wrong day. Poulsbo was sleepy, and even after 10 AM, it didn't wake up too much. We were able to check out a few shops that were open, but the majority of shops were closed.

The highlight for us was Sluys' Bakery. I've never seen a bakery with such a huge selection. They are known for their Poulsbo bread, which I didn't try. But I did try one of their cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, which was probably the most delicious cinnamon roll I've ever consumed in my life. More importantly, they had homemade lefse - as big as dinner plates - and Lance purchased 2 packages to bring home.

Another highlight for us was the Marina Market - a small market in historic downtown that has a startling selection of European groceries. We saw a lot of German stuff. They had stroopwafels. They had lutefisk TV dinners (I wish I could've taken photographic evidence of this, but sadly, I didn't). I was remarking to Lance that if I saw some Norwegian milk chocolate (yes, Switzerland and Belgium are known for their chocolate, but Norwegian milk chocolate...I can't tell you how creamy and wonderfully decadent it is), I would get it. As soon as this utterance escaped my mouth, I saw the familiar bright yellow wrapper that said "Freia Melkesjokolade" - YES! YES! YES! Despite the price ($9 for a large bar), we had to get some. When would we stumble on such a treasure again? It was rare enough when we lived in Germany - Lance would bring me this chocolate whenever he had to go to Norway, but those trips were few and far between.

Around 11:30 or so, we said goodbye to Poulsbo. I would like to go back when there's a festival going on or something, so we have an excuse to stay longer.

I wasn't ready to just go home, so I told Lance to set Port Orchard as the destination on our GPS. We were going to have lunch there. The nice thing about Port Orchard is that it's across the bay from the Naval base, so we had a nice view of the ships. I was interested in seeing the Kitty Hawk especially, because my brother served on the Kitty Hawk early in his Navy career, and the ship was decommissioned in Bremerton. But there were a few aircraft carriers and we were unable to identify which one was the Kitty Hawk, at least from that far away.

After admiring the view, Lance picked Amy's On The Bay as our lunch spot, which was a nice choice. I ordered clam chowder in a toasted sourdough bowl with a side salad. It was exactly what I needed, even if I didn't know it at the time. It hit the spot. Lance enjoyed his burger. And they offer a 10% military discount, so bonus! I liked the ambience - it was casually elegant and the staff was attentive to our every need.

We encountered the same issue with Port Orchard that we did with Poulsbo - very little was open. So after strolling down the main downtown street, we said goodbye to Port Orchard and headed home. As it turns out, our timing was good. It started raining shortly after we left, and I was getting a bad headache anyway and ended up napping all the way home once we crossed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Even though it was only for a few hours, it was nice to get out and enjoy the weather and see something new.

I took a few pictures today. Also, here's the link to Amy's On The Bay - highly recommended.

Visiting Columbus

I've been visiting my family in Columbus, Ohio since Thursday evening. I'm supposed to fly back to Seattle today, but we're about to get the brutal storm that's been battering other parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and plains regions all morning. So whether I will be able to leave today or not is kind of a question mark at this point.

Since most of the family left yesterday, I had time to get out this morning and early afternoon and see some parts of my hometown that I haven't seen in years. My mom and I went to German Village - my favorite neighborhood in Columbus - and we visited the topiary park downtown, which my mom has never even visited in all the years she's lived here.

If you ever find yourself in Columbus, you really must come to German Village. You can take home and garden tours of this historic neighborhood, which are offered by the German Village Society. You'll see beautiful Victorian-style homes with charming gardens and courtyards along tree-lined brick streets. German Village has many quirky shops and great restaurants.

Today, Mom and I went to The Book Loft, which, bar none, is my favorite bookstore of all time. No place in Seattle even compares to this (and that may just be my sentimental side talking, but this place is truly one of a kind). You might not like it so much if you're a bit claustrophobic - and I am to some extent - but my love of books overpowers my fear of cramped spaces.

The Book Loft is a multi-story Victorian home with 32 rooms filled floor to ceiling with books. Each room stocks a different genre of books, and different music plays in each room - everything from jazz to New Age to Celtic to classical.

We spent about 30-40 minutes browsing. I would've spent longer, but we wanted to get back home before the storm, so we didn't allow ourselves as much time. I found a book for the plane (Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth, which, at roughly 1000 pages, will certainly get me through the long trip ahead). Mom found some magnets for herself and books for the grandkids. We made our purchases and walked down the street for lunch at Max & Erma's.

Now, Max & Erma's is a chain, and you'll find plenty of locally-owned, excellent restaurants in German Village. But we like Max & Erma's - as chain restaurants go - and I especially like the atmosphere at the German Village location. We both ordered the half sandwich and soup combo (chicken salad croissant with potato, cheese and bacon soup), and it was delicious and fast. Great service too.

Afterwards, we went to Old Deaf School Park a short distance away. The park is known for its topiary garden - a leafy replica of George Seurat's famous Impressionist painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte." Every character from the painting is there (plus a cat - a special Columbus touch - which you have to walk around and look for).



It's a wonderfully quiet and peaceful oasis in the middle of downtown Columbus. The topiaries weren't as full today as they probably are in the spring and summer, but you still get the general idea of what the scene is supposed to look like. And it's easy to find on-street parking around the area (pretty cheap too - 2 quarters bought us 40 minutes of parking, and we really only needed 20 minutes to view the topiary and stop in the visitor's center).

I'm glad I got the chance to get out and see things I haven't seen for awhile. I appreciate Columbus much more now that I no longer live here. And honestly, I wouldn't mind living here again, and if that were to ever happen, I'm pretty sure I'd want to live in German Village.

Pictures of today's wanderings are here.

Links:

- German Village Society
- The Book Loft
- Old Deaf School Park - Topiary Garden

Kubota Garden

More photos than text today. My husband and I took an excursion to Kubota Garden - a place I've been curious about ever since I wrote an article about Washington gardens for USAToday.com a few months back.

It's simply stunning. That's really all I have to say.

You can see for yourself.

Things to See in Kaiserslautern, Germany

Thought K-Town was just about military bases?

Think again.

My latest USAToday.com article:
Things to See in Kaiserslautern, Germany

Freebie Saturday!

Two major national freebies happening this Saturday:

Smithsonian Magazine's 6th annual Free Museum Day allows you free access to a number of museums across the country. You can find more information at their website here, plus print out your ticket (good for 2 people) to present to the museum for admission.

Also, Public Lands Day is this Saturday, which means free admission to all national parks!

And now for a local freebie:

The Seattle Parks Foundation is hosting a grand opening celebration of Lake Union Park from 7 AM to 7 PM. Lots of fun, FREE events happening, as well as the opportunity to snag Metro Free Ride tickets (good for bus and streetcar) to get you there and back. You can find more details here.

The weather is supposed to be great in the Seattle area on Saturday, so get out and take advantage!

Ballard

A few days ago, Lisa asked me if I was free to do anything this weekend. I had Sunday morning/early afternoon free, plus LocalTwist was offering a special for food at Ballard Loft ($10 for $20 worth of food). So we planned a day around that. I had never been to Ballard and I've been wanting to get out and explore as many of Seattle's neighborhoods as possible.

It was a fun day, and the weather ended up being really nice.

We started out at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, better known as the Ballard Locks. It's quite a tourist attraction, as it connects the saltwaters of Puget Sound with the freshwaters of Salmon Bay, Lake Washington, Lake Union and Portage Bay. It's interesting to watch the boats pass through from one side to the other. You can also go down to the viewing windows of the fish ladder to watch the fish (particularly salmon) pass through from one side to another, but this isn't a good time of the year for that. The fish ladder was mostly empty.

There are botanical gardens there too - the entire area is beautifully landscaped and well worth seeing. Plus, admission is free. And parking is free on Sundays and holidays.

After spending about an hour there, we headed into the heart of Ballard to browse the farmers market. This is a popular and very lively market, but parking is hard to find. We found it an excellent place to people watch and there were some great street musicians playing up and down the market. The mingling of various street food smells were almost irresistable, but we had plans for lunch already (note to self: next time, on market day, don't go to a restaurant).

We made our way to Ballard Loft for lunch. It's a sports bar with ample outdoor seating. I liked the ambience of the place, but the basketball game they were showing was really loud, making conversation difficult, even outside. I ordered a "Washington Apple," which was an apple pork sausage on a toasted French roll with cream cheese and a relish made of apples, onions, and garlic. Beer-battered fries were served on the side. Delicious.

Stuffed, we made our way back throught the market, stopping for a free wine tasting at Portalis Wine Shop & Wine Bar. We had noted a gelato shop (D'Ambrosio) on the way to eat, and we decided we had just enough room. I ordered 2 flavors: meringue (with chocolate) and Nutella - creamy, sweet, and perfect. If you like gelato, this is the real deal. You couldn't get more authentic if you were in Italy.

For our last stop, we decided to go to Golden Gardens, which is the first sandy beach I've seen since I've lived here (most beaches here are pebbly/rocky with very little sand). Golden Gardens is known as a prime spot for sunsets, but it's also a great place to just sit, feel the breeze in your hair, and enjoy the sun's warmth. It was a peaceful end to a fun day. I could've stayed for hours (stretched out on a blanket with a book), but I had to get home.

I really like Ballard. It has a laidback vibe that made me feel right at home.

Here are my pictures from today.

Also, some links:

- Ballard Loft
- Portalis Wine Shop + Wine Bar
- D'Ambrosio Gelateria Artigianale

Deception Pass

Today did not go as planned.

This isn't the first or the last time things haven't gone as planned. This is a normal part of traveling, and I'm flexible enough to roll with the punches.

I had anticipated this day for weeks. My husband ended up with a 4-day weekend, and we were kind of unsure what his schedule was going to be like until the last moment (he thought he was going to go out of town, but that was cancelled), so a weekend trip was out of the question. But since we knew for sure he would have today off, I told him that we needed to drive up to Deception Pass.

Well, we started out a bit later than I had hoped. No big deal, though. It's not like we had a particular agenda.

Then one of the dogs got sick in the backseat of the car while we were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic in downtown Seattle. Again, not a big deal. I keep a towel in the car for just such a reason (if you're a dog owner, you pretty much have to), and I have leather seats. I managed to scoop up most of it. When we got north of Seattle, we stopped at a gas station, where I completed the clean up.

We hit the road again, and got stuck in traffic again because of a bad accident. So all in all, it took about 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to Deception Pass - probably about 45 minutes longer than it should have.

But it wasn't all bad. We drove through downtown Mount Vernon, which I found very cute. We were in Mount Vernon last year but saw a completely different part of it, which we didn't find so impressive.

Anyway, we arrived at Deception Pass around 1:30. We crossed the bridge over to the Whidbey Island side of the park. We scouted out a picnic spot, which were difficult to find since the park was so crowded. I think we got lucky.



Nice view, eh?

Anyway, we ended up not staying too long. Between the crowds and trying to keep the dogs calm (easy with our older one, not so much with our younger one), we realized that perhaps hanging out and hiking wasn't really going to work. We didn't know our way around the park and only saw one trail while we were there, and it was one that led to the bridge. We decided not to take the dogs on that trail because that seemed to be the one that everyone was hiking.

We ended up crossing the bridge back over to the Fidalgo Bay side and walking a trail at Pass Lake. Nobody was there. Once we felt like the dogs had sufficiently stretched their legs, we headed home. I think we just ran out of steam.

It happens. But Lance thought it was beautiful up there and suggested that perhaps we go camping next time so we can stay longer.

Not many pictures, but you can see some here, if you feel so inclined.

Girls' Day Out in Tacoma

As a military spouse, I have the advantage this summer of getting into a number of museums for free with my military ID, including the Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum. So my friend Erin tagged along with me today and we had a great time.

To make things easy, I parked at the Tacoma Dome Station, which is free. From there, you can take the Tacoma Link Light Rail (also free) to Union Station - a ride of approximately 5 minutes (which puts you just a stone's throw from the Museum of Glass).

But we didn't hop on the rail immediately. Historic Freighthouse Square is right across the street from the Tacoma Dome Station. It's filled with shops and restaurants. So we poked around in there, got coffee (made for us by a very chatty and hilarious barista), visited an art gallery, and then hopped on the rail.

Five minutes later, we were at Union Station, and making our way toward the Museum of Glass (MOG). We headed to the hot shop first, where artist Ed Archie Noisecat was working with his crew. We hung out in there for awhile and watched before exploring the galleries. The highlight for me was the "Kids Design Glass" exhibit, where the MOG hot shop team created glass sculptures based on drawings that were submitted by kids from ages 5-12. They were adorable, weird, remarkable, and hilarious (I'm jealous of the imagination of children).

After browsing the museum shop, we decided it was time for lunch. Sitting out on the patio at Woody's on the Water sounded like a good option (it's right next door to the MOG and you have a stunning view of the reflecting pool, MOG, and the Thea Foss Waterway). We had a nice lunch. I ordered a crab melt with coleslaw. Tasty.

Once we finished lunch, we leisurely made our way to the Tacoma Art Museum, stopping to check out anything that was of interest on the way. Overall, I liked the Tacoma Art Museum quite a bit. They have a pretty small collection and it only took us about half an hour to get through the exhibitions that were open (they are currently preparing for another one), but they have a nice Impressionism collection. I liked their Dale Chihuly collection and the current landscape exhibit. The highlight for me was Leroy. I love Leroy.




And judging by the fact that Leroy's image appeared on half the stuff in the gift shop, I would say that I'm not the only one who loves Leroy.

After the art museum, we just walked around and explored shops. We went into Hello, Cupcake because well...HELLO! CUPCAKES! I had a raspberry lemonade cupcake - lemon cupcake with raspberry buttercream frosting. Delicious. I'm honestly not much of a cake person, but the frosting was fluffy, light and not too sweet.

After a stop at the UW-Tacoma bookstore (where I got Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential for the bargain price of $4 + tax), we headed back toward the Tacoma Dome Station.

I had one stop to make before leaving...the Tacoma Book Center, right across the street from the Tacoma Dome. This unassuming building hides the fact that an enormous book mecca lies within. You are spoiled for choice here. You could easily spend an entire day in this store and probably wouldn't cover all of it. I sold some books and stayed near the door because I was trying to resist temptation. After all, I have enough books here at home already that I haven't even had the chance to read yet.

Today was a fun day. Erin and I had a great time and the more I see of Tacoma, the more I like it. It's sad how many tourists overlook this city because it didn't always have the best reputation. But if you get the chance, visit. You won't be sorry.

And I have the photos to prove it.

Links:
- Tacoma Dome Station (better than on-street parking, I promise)
- Tacoma Link Light Rail map and schedule
- Freighthouse Square
- Museum of Glass
- Woody's on the Water
- Tacoma Art Museum
- Hello, Cupcake
- Tacoma Book Center

Columbus, Ohio Tourism

Click here for my latest article on USAToday.com and read about my hometown!

Do stuff. Eat stuff. Travel. Cheaper.

I've become a huge fan of websites like Groupon and Local Twist. They're especially great for people who live in a large metropolitan area or those who are traveling to a large city and want to find good deals while they're there.

(Please note - these links are my personal referral links. I get $10 credit every time someone signs up from these links. But if you sign up, then you can refer your friends and get $10 credit from each referral too. Everybody's happy!)

These sites are FREE to join. Let me reiterate - THEY ARE FREE. And when you join, you are offered at least one deal a day (for Groupon, since I live between Seattle and Tacoma, I can take advantage of the daily deal for both cities). You can have deals sent to you via email, or you can follow them on Facebook or Twitter and get your deals that way.

So...if you're not already a member, you're probably wondering how this works.

A deal is offered - say, $10 for $20 worth of food at a local restaurant. (They do plenty of entertainment, travel, adventure/sports and spa deals too.) If enough people take the deal, then the deal is on. You sign up to take the deal. You pay your $10. If the deal is on, you get a coupon to print out for $20 worth of food. If not enough people sign up for the deal (I have never seen this happen), you don't get charged and you don't get the deal. Simple as that. Typically, you have about a year or so to use your coupon, although this can vary depending upon the deal being offered.

So...if you're planning to travel around any major American or Canadian cities in the near future, I would highly recommend that you check out these sites and sign up. You can save yourself a lot of money. My friends and I love these sites and have taken advantage of a lot of the local deals already.

Also note: Groupon is available for several different countries. Definitely worth checking out if you do a lot of traveling!

Island Escape

Vashon Island is so near, and yet so far. A 20-minute ferry ride from West Seattle, it seems like a world away. The pace of life is slower. "Civilization" is the town of Vashon with its quaint, old-timey downtown. Outside of Vashon, you see farmland, wildflowers, and a lot of nature areas.

Lisa and I took the ferry today so that we could visit some of the lavender farms. The town of Sequim in the Olympic Peninsula usually gets all the glory - with its lavender festival being a large summer attraction. But Vashon offers lavender too, and it's just right for a day trip from Seattle or Tacoma or anywhere in-between.

Our first stop on the island was at Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie. Housed in a century-old building, this is a popular local spot. Not only do they have excellent coffee (I also rather enjoyed one of their huge, chewy molasses cookies), but they have a coffee museum and coffee-related antiques throughout the interior. This isn't one of your stale, identical-looking coffee shops that sit on every corner in Seattle. This place is special.

Fortified with caffeine and sugar, we started driving around Vashon Island with a horrible map and the GPS from our cellphones to guide us along. We kind of got lost. But that's actually ok. Vashon Island is good-sized, but it's not huge. You can only go so far, and eventually, you'll find your way back to where you were before.

We stopped at two of the island's three lavender farms - Fox Farm Lavender and Lavender Sisters - before heading back into the main drag in Vashon, where we ate lunch at The Hardware Store (which, as you can probably guess, isn't actually a hardware store). Fish and chips for me and a cheeseburger for Lisa, and we browsed some of the shops before heading back toward the ferry terminal.

Just a mile or two from the ferry terminal is Palouse Winery, where we stopped for some tastings before heading back. We were greeted by the owners' dogs, and as we were kicking back with some wine, Lisa happened to mention that her turn signals were no longer working on her VW Bug. So the owner actually came out to look at her car and check the fuse to see if that was the problem. So darned nice! And excellent wine too! I definitely want to stop back there if I'm on Vashon Island again.

A short while later, we were back on the ferry heading toward West Seattle, where we stopped to walk around Lincoln Park before heading back to our respective homes.

Want pictures? I have them.

How about some links?

- Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie
- Fox Farm Lavender
- The Hardware Store
- Palouse Winery

Shakespeare in the Park

Just came back from Seattle Shakespeare Company's Wooden O production of "Much Ado About Nothing" at Des Moines Beach Park. Magnificent performance! Another magnificent performance - the sun over Puget Sound. This was the scene as we were leaving:



If you want to catch a free Shakespeare performance in Seattle this summer, you still have time. Wooden O productions end tomorrow, but GreenStage is doing performances in parks around the Seattle area for a couple more weeks. I'm hoping to catch both Romeo & Juliet and As You Like It at Volunteer Park on August 14th.

A word about Des Moines Beach Park - I visited there yesterday morning to scope it out so that I would know what to expect for tonight's performance. Gorgeous setting. But what a difference a day makes. Here's my entire set of beach photos from yesterday morning and tonight.

Beach Reflections

I've never been a big fan of beach vacations. Sure, we had the trips to Myrtle Beach when I was a kid. There was one year we went camping near Virginia Beach, and I remember it being so hot that none of us were able to sleep. So my dad rounded us up and drove us to the beach in the middle of the night, where we wandered along the shore near all the brightly lit resorts, basking in the cool breezes. We were the only people there. That was pretty cool.

Since adulthood, I have never really placed beaches high on my vacation wishlist. I'm not one of those people who could spend hours lounging in the sun. I like active vacations. I like to DO things. I love to explore. If a few hours at a beach is part of that, fine, but I don't like vacations in which beaches are the focal point.

That being said, the beaches here are starting to change my mind.

These aren't the beaches you normally think about, with miles of sand stretching along the coast. Puget Sound beaches are rocky and covered in driftwood. You see people beachcombing for geoducks or shells more than you see sunbathers. Most of the beaches have breathtaking views, either of the Seattle skyline (Alki Beach) or the distant Olympic Peninsula with its snow-capped peaks. Some beaches seem quieter and more secluded than others, but all of them are wildly alive with an abundance of unique animal and plant life. If you're lucky, you'll even see a whale. I haven't been that fortunate yet.




I feel at peace when I'm visiting a beach here. For me, they are places for contemplation and quiet reflection. They remind me that the world is so much bigger than myself. Now, when I feel the need to escape, but I can't really leave town, I head to a beach. I'm feeling a longing to go to one right now. But I'll wait until Friday morning, when I drop off the dogs at day camp and I can be alone with my thoughts.