Week 57

Day 391

Castle Rock, CO

39.3722° N, 104.8561° W

We’ve been loving our time in Colorado the past two weeks and I’m super excited to post pictures from our adventures at Garden of the Gods, The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, Brew at the Zoo, and all the fun hipster restaurants we’ve eaten at, but first I need to tie in the gaps between Belize and Now.

After wrapping up our time in Belize, we flew back to San Francisco and had a great 11 days goofing off in the Bay and Napa.

Our time was pretty similar to the first time around, except we did have a greater appreciation for beauty of the Bay and Napa after being away for a year.

Similarly when we came home to Seattle for my sister’s wedding I was hit once again by Washington’s beautiful summer and reminded  why I love the Evergreen State so much.

I used to always think I was naive for my love of Washington having not been too many places in the world, but coming home from our trip I feel very confident declaring Washington as one of my favorite places on Earth.

Here are 8 Reasons Washington is so Amazing:

1.  Kayaking on Silver Lake

At this point in my life, I can say that I’ve been to a lot of places but one of my favorite things in the world to do is to kayak on Silver Lake.

There is definitely something magical about being out on this lake in Northern Washington.  Most of the time the lake is completely flat.  The mountains surrounding the lake are covered in lush green trees making the water a beautiful teal color.  There are no motor boats allowed on the lake so it’s the perfect spot for kayaking or SUPing (Stand up paddle boarding.)

My favorite time to head out is right at sunset as you get the best view from the lake! 🙂

2.  Yoga by the Lake

Yoga classes are amazing, but my favorite place to be on a summer day is hanging by a lake mucking around.

This summer I was lucky enough to get to do this quite a bit and even had the oppertunity to lead a class by the lake!

The best part was Tommy joined in as well!

3.  Meals cooked by Dad

Having grown up and moved out, I’ve now realized I was a little spoiled growing up.

My Dad is definitely a gourmet chef and I’ve come to realize the meals that I’m lucky to have on an average day are what most pay top dollar for at 5* restaurants.

4. The Contrast of Greens and Blues in all the trees, mountains, and bodies of water

We have seen some amazing sites this year, but Washington definitely stacks up to all the amazing wonders we’ve seen.

Even the places I used to think were ugly as a child seem beautiful now that I’m grown and have left Washington.

Maybe it’s because my favorite colors are blue and green, but Washington’s backdrops are definitely some of my favorites!


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5.  Fishing and Mushroom Gathering

Having been forced to get creative at times to eat this past year, (obviously fast food was always available but Tom and I like our nutrients) one of my favorite activities being home this summer was gathering my own food.

I’m super jealous of all my friends who have gardens and I will have 1 one day, but for now the best we can do for hunting and gathering is fishing and harvesting mushrooms with my Mom and Dad when we head up to my Mom and Dad’s cabin.

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6.  Great Places to Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out and Washington (Seattle in particular) has some spectacular breakfast spots.

My favorite spot, hands down is Portage Bay Cafe; but I can name at least a dozen amazing breakfast spots in Seattle.

This most recent trip, our friends Chelsey and Ted introduced us to the Commons in Woodinville.

7.  Great Microbrew

Luckily for Tommy and I good microbrew has become pretty common place, however, Washington I must say has some of the best.

Our favorite brewery is Black Raven in Redmond, (the place we met!)

Even better for us, however are the good breweries and pubs that serve local beer in Skagit Valley where I grew up.

The following pictures are from HH on our wedding anniversary at the Porter House in Mount Vernon.

8.  Hanging at the Cabin

Out of all the amazing places Washington has to offer, Tom’s and my favorite place to hang is at my parents cabin.

Obviously, we can kayak which was the #1 reason why I love Washington; but the cabin itself really has the full package.

The view is amazing, there is no cell service or internet so you truly get away from it all, and we have a record player with a pretty extensive collection of records so the tunes are always going.

 

That’s all I got for you now.

If you ever get the chance I highly recommend you visit Washington, especially in the summer time!  It truly is a wonderful gem!