5th Annual Tash & Trish Excellent Adventure

Trish arrived, and we got busy to planning our fun trip in Seattle.  This is our 3rd year doing Seattle, and having spent one year doing all the downtown touristy stuff, and one year doing a fun Twilight themed trip, we decided to find the hidden treasures of Seattle for this trip.

Our first full day we headed to Ballard, and the Chittenden Locks.  It was so fascinating and fun!! The locks move boats from the lakes to the Puget Sound.  They maintain the level of the fresh water from Lake Union and Lake Washington, and prevent mixing sea water from the Sound with fresh water from the lakes.  They also have a salmon ladder which ushers salmon from the sound up to the lakes.  We had a great time watching boats pass in and out, watching the big train bridge overhead raise to let the large sailboats through, and enjoyed a gorgeous sunny day. The locks are also surrounded by a beautiful botanical garden with lush greenery and flowers.  Such a fun adventure.



Afterwards we grabbed lunch at the famous Lockspot Cafe.  This is where all the fisherman from the Deadliest Catch boats grab their food, and it ranked #1 in Top 5 Fish 'n' Chip joints in Seattle..Oh yeah we don't play around, we go for the best :) The Fish 'n' Chips were delish, and with full tummies we were off on our next adventure.  We hit the nearby Nordic Heritage Museum, and walked through a journey of the their immigration, their beautiful woodworking, and handiwork, and the impact they have on us today.  From there we headed towards the waterfront in downtown Seattle.  We found an amazing parking space like a block from Pike's Market, and just walked around the market, and then down to the waterfront.  It was so fun to take in the sights, and just talk.



The next day we were ready to get our geek on!! Trish and I dressed in our shirts from last year, and tackled the new venue at the Conference Center in the heart of downtown.  We enjoyed some great panels, and some so so panels, and we're ready to call it quits by late afternoon.  Needing some more adventure to the day, we set off to find the Deadliest Catch boat..which we found the dock for, but it was out at sea...bummer!  So our next adventure was to find the elusive Fremont Troll.  Legend is he was hiding under the bridge, and the sun hit him and turned him to stone. We had fun taking pics with this big guy, and yes that is a real VW bug in his hand.  For dinner we drove into downtown Fremont, and Trish spotted this gem.  We had the most amazing dinner.  Trish got the brisket sandwich, and I opted for the plate with crispy sweet potato fries, baby green salad, and the most amazing brisket.  Our waiter was happy to oblige when we asked for more pickles, and his service totally made our night.



Leavenworth was next on our agenda, and were blessed with a sunny bright (hot) day.  We had fun strolling the cute decorated streets, and visiting the little shops.  We loved the Kris Kringl Christmas shop, the hat shop, and were super excited to see the Nutcracker Museum, which did not disappoint.  Over 5,000 Nutcrackers in the shop, most of them from Germany.  There were so many!!  The traditional ones were my favorite.



After a hot day in Leavenworth we travelled north about 10 miles to Cashmere.  Our first stop was the Aplets & Cotlets Factory Tour & Shop.  After sampling both, we both decided we weren't big fans, and moved on to our next destination, cider tasting.  The girl was so cute, and brought out little sampling cups for us to try the different flavors of bottled cider.  The Lavender (an acquired taste were told) was our least fave.  The Huckleberry, and Plain Cider were my faves. (which I brought home to the fam to share) We then enjoyed the beautiful outdoor scenery, and had fun taking pictures.



After getting our fill of the Wenatchee Valley we decided to head home, and I saw a sign with the word "Waterfall".  Trish loves waterfalls, and this one did not disappoint.  Deception Falls was beautiful, and so serene.  I can't wait to bring the whole family back for a hiking adventure, and picnic.



Our last day together needed one last fun adventure, and "Ride the Ducks" in Seattle seemed like the perfect silliness to end our fun.  I learned more about Seattle, and realized I know more than I thought I did about our beautiful new home.  I also really love this place, and had so much fun exploring it with my bestie.

 

I want to make sure I thank my amazing husband who made this all possible.  From working at home two days, entertaining the kiddos, keeping the house super clean, make us delicious breakfast each morning, and so much more..Thank You!!

And so another amazing adventure comes to an end.  We fall back into our busy lives, each with our four kiddos, and my heart is so happy to know I have such an amazing friend.  I love you Trish!! (Let's get busy planning next year..Canada this time?)

Fairhaven and Bellingham

Our family word for 2012 is explore!!

We live in this great place, and can't wait to explore every inch of it.  There is something about being out in the fresh outdoors, exploring new places, experiencing new things, and doing it all as a family.

Our first exploration for the new year was Fairhaven and Bellingham.

We drove up the 5, and got off at scenic Chuckanut Drive.  It wraps around the mountains, and has the most beautiful views of the water, and the San Juan islands.  We stopped first at Tedy Bear Cove.  The kiddos bolted from the car, and had so much fun running down paths, exploring the beautiful cove, climbing on rocks, and exploring caves and caverns.  I loved watching them enjoying this beautiful place we live in, and run and play in the outdoors.  Dave taught them how to skip rocks in the water, and the explorations were endless.





After that we had worked up quite an appetite so we drove into the nearby town of Fairhaven, for fish 'n chips in a double decker bus.  The kiddos meals also came with frozen yogurt that they serve in over 30 different flavors. 




With full tummies we loaded up and headed to Boardwalk Park in nearby Bellingham.  The kids had a blast running up and down the Boardwalk, and playing in the sand and shores beneath it.

Chocolate Factory

Tuesday morning we joined some friends for a tour of our local Chocolate Factory at Boehm's Candy.

We donned fancy baker hats, and learned how chocolate goes from tree to tasty treats.  We then listened to how chocolate is melted, mixed, and tempered, and watched as oreos were enrobed in milk chocolate.  We saw chocolates hand rolled and dipped to create the amazing Edelweiss chocolates, and then viewed all the molded chocolates (the microsoft mouse was the kiddos fav). 
We finished with tasty truffle samples, and went on to view the rest of the area where the owner/creator lived and created a chapel, fountains, and refuge...amazing.

Of course we made one last visit to the store to take home some yummy treats to share with daddy.

Ensign Ranch

Friday evening we joined some other families from our ward (church) at Ensign Ranch located in Cle Elum, Washington.  We set up camp, and joined everyone for a bonfire and s'mores. 

The next morning we awoke to the sound of rain on our tent.  Thank goodness we put up the rain fly (which has pretty much been un-used up until this point).  After breakfast the kiddos took turns giving/taking rides in the handcarts, and then Dave took the kiddos on a hike while I chatted with friends.

We then packed everyone up and drove towards the entrance (this place is huge..325 acres) and the kiddos all took turns riding the horses, a first experience for all of them.

Then we changed into swimsuits (except Natalie who is always prepared) and went tubing.  The kiddos had so much fun, and I love all these great expressions!!



After tubing, we took out two canoes (you can guess who did all the work..mommy and daddy), and finished up our wonderful weekend at the ranch.

The kiddos can't wait to go back, and we look forward to an even longer camping adventure there next time.

Hawaii - Zip Line

Our last big adventure on the island was zip lining.  We decided to book through Big Eco Island Adventures, and it was so worth it.  Our guides were hilarious, and so fun, and the lines were amazing. 

We had 8 ziplines, and 2 bridges (one a suspension bridge). We started out at base camp in Hawi, Hawaii and then took a Pingzauer (6 wheel drive swiss army vehicle) offroad to our destination along the North Kohala mountainside.  The lines started out small (to get us used to it), and got bigger as we progressed.  Our final line was almost 1100 ft long, and went over a huge ravine.  Such a fun exhilariting experience!!

Hawaii - Exploring the Island

The next day we set out to explore the island.  Armed with our rental car, and guide book we were on our way.  We first had a wonderful "hawaiian style" breakfast at a cute cafe along the way, and then our first stop was the Alkala Falls State Park, where we took in the beautiful views of the waterfalls, and the lush tropical greenery.



Then we made our way down to Hilo, where we visited Coconut Island, and took in the local farmers markets, and shops.  It was so crazy to see lava that had flowed hundreds of years earlier still so present.  From there we travelled to the Volcano National Park.  A lot of the park was closed off for safety due to activity, and again so crazy to think that there are active volcanoes still flowing underground, and above on this island.  We walked through the lava tube, which was cool and a little freaky at the same time (it was pitch black at the end!)



After that we headed north to the infamous Waipi'o Valley.  This valley is one of the most sacred on the island, and almost impossible to reach.  There is a 25% grade hill that leads down into the valley.  Only a few homes have access to phone, and electricity, and the rest live off the land.  This is also where famed King Kamehameha was hidden after he was born because others feared he would become a great leader. Guess they were right to be scared!!

Hawaii - Hotel, Snorkeling and Luau

We arrived home from Hawaii almost two weeks ago, and it already seems like a distant memory.

We had an amazing time.  The hotel was beautiful, and exploring the island was so much fun, and it was amazing to see how the different parts of the island were so diverse.

I wanted to post some pictures, and promise to have the rest up before the end of the week (just as soon as I finish this mountain of laundry, and a few woodworking projects I started)





These are some pictures (and yes I took these), of the amazing ridicoulously huge hotel that we stayed at, that spanned over 62 acres.  Did I mention that we needed a tram to get from the lobby to our room.  (or walking took about 15 minutes)

It had three large pools complete with water slides, a lagoon that we snorkled in and saw sea turtles, waterfalls, dolphin exhibits, and over a dozen restaurants.  It was really amazing, and maybe even a little too fancy schmancy for us (ok maybe a lot) but it was fun!!

After spending the first few days enjoying the hotel and it's many amenities, we were ready to get out and explore.  We signed up for an all day snorkeling trip with the Fair Wind. 



We arrived early got our gear, and set sail for the Kealakekua Bay.  We arrived at the underwater state park, and the site of the Captain Cook monument.  It was breathtaking, and so clear.  The visibility was over 90 feet.  After spending an hour or so in the water we feasted on a barbecue, and then spent the last few hours getting in all the snorkeling we could.  We also took a few rides on the slide fixed to the back of the boat, as well as the high dive.  It was an amazing adventure.



Later that evening, we attended the Luau at the hotel. We watched as they pulled the roasted pig from the ground, and then we filled up on the succulent eats offered.  Dave and I also enjoyed a few virgin pina coladas, and strawberry daiquiris, we're such goofs.  The entertainment was fun, and we loved anything with fire the best.

Tulip Festival

On our very first ferry ride when we moved here, there was a giant poster on of the walls that showed a beautiful tulip field in bloom.  Below it said "Skagit County Tulip Festival, WA".  I made sure to when we got home to look up when and where it was, and marked it on the calendar.  The festival runs from the entire month of April, and we picked the sunniest most beautiful day of the month to visit it.

We visited the famed Roozengaarde Garden & Fields.  There we found the 3 acre show garden full of over 250, 000 bulbs that they re-design each year.  It was full of the many different varities of tulips/tulip bulbs that they sell. 

They were beyond beautiful. 

After walking through and admiring the beauty, we headed towards the fields to let the kiddos run free.  There we saw endless fields of daffodils and tulips.

We made our way back to the gardens, snacked on kettle corn, took even more pictures, and finished up our visit with lunch.  It was a beautiful spring day admiring God's handiwork.

aquarium

Last week I took my two littlest kiddos to the aquarium while the big boys were still in school.  I love downtown Seattle, it is so fun, and there is just so much to do. 

We pet starfish, played on the felt wall (do you like how natalie likes to line everything up, she did the orcas too!)

We looked at lots and lots of different kinds of fish.  We had fun in the orca exhibit, and the kiddos were to busy playing "ring around the orca fin" to let me take a picture. 

Natalie was most excited by the cute little otter, that she says gave her a big kiss through the glass., and Caleb liked the seals that barked.

After a fun few hours we walked farther down the waterfront and had a tasty lunch, and took home balloons as souvenirs.  It was a fun fun day with my Caleb and Natalie.

Poulsbo

Towards the end of Spring Break for the kiddos, Daddy took the day off and we had another day of local fun!!

We woke up bright and early, and took the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island (Daddy loves the ferries).  There we had breakfast at the Big Star Diner, a Triple D's favorite (Diners, Drive-In's and Dives). 

With full tummies we continued on our travels to the cute scandanavian town of Poulsbo.  We parked and walked around the pretty little town, and marveled at all of the fun architecture, and bright colors.

We had to stop at Sluy's Bakery for some tasty treats.  The kiddos had a tough time deciding what to get, and Dave and I opted for their famous upside down Cinnamon buns filled with cream cheese frosting.

The kiddos were getting antsy so we found a nearby park that led down to the water, where they could run and explore to their hearts content.  Then we packed up the crew, and boarded the ferry for our return trip home..

Rain or shine

Rain or Shine, is the motto here in Washington.  So Saturday morning after a week of school, work, and pretty much staying in, we were ready for some adventure.  Even though it was chilly and raining off we went. 

Our first stop was Olympia, the state's capitol.  There we visited the Cabella's store, and let the kiddos ooh and aah at all the animals, and the fishies in the aquarium.  We also got a chance to check out gear for some new hobbies we'd like to start here in the pacific northwest (fishing, canoeing, and hiking).

After we were finished there, and our tummies were full we headed to the coast. We visited the fun little town of Astoria, Oregon, and then made our way across the bridge (it's a really big one) to Long Beach, WA.  Once there we put daddy's 4 wheel drive to use, and drove onto the beach.  After a few donuts, and showing off his driving skills in the sand we found the perfect spot.  We dug a hole, made a fire, and the kiddos got busy to playing.  It was pitch black, but they were equipped with flashlights and came up with all sorts of fun games.  We also brought Bailey with us, and she was ecstatic to run wildly on the beach chasing the sparks from the fire, and the crazy kiddos.

After some yummy s'mores, we packed up the crew for our drive home.  The weather wasn't perefect, but it was a great family day, and rain or shine we made it fun!!

Gig Harbor

Saturday morning after breakfast we threw the kiddos in the car and ventured out to explore a little more of this new place.  We headed southwest to Gig Harbor.  We crossed some amazing bridges on our journey, one of my favorite things about this place. 

Our first stop was the Harbor History Museum.  It was a small museum, but beautifully done.  It shared the history of the area, and how it had been explored and it's most early inhabitants that came from across the globe.  I was absolutely in love with all of the "old items" that had been collected. 



They had learning stations at each area, with rubbings for the kids to do, and interactive things like basket weaving, rowing your own boat, and rigging the sails on a sailboat.



They also had an amazing one room schoolhouse that had been restored, remember how much I love old things.  I was in heaven.  I love anything nostalgic.



After we were done at the museum we asked about nearby places to eat, and found ourselves at the Marketplace Deli & Grille.  The one side was completely filled with diners, so she put us on the opposite side with it's own seperate door. We had a fully enclosed room all to ourselves.  Perfect for my crazy little monkeys.  The fish 'n chips were delish, and the boys loved their "krabby patties".

After lunch we got back in the car and drove to nearby Bellingham. We drove around and looked at the city, and the homes.  We then gathered some snacks, and boarded the ferry for our return trip to Seattle.

We arrived home with still some of our Saturday left, and after getting into cozy jammies we cuddled on the couch for a family movie. 

I'm not sure what our next destination will be.  It's kid's choice so we'll see what they come up with.