Happy Memorial Day!

The past couple weeks with work have been busy, so needless to say I was very happy to have a three day weekend to relax, and unwind a bit. We woke up Saturday morning with the intention to find a new hike, but decided we would drive to Leavenworth and explore a bit. If you have never heard of, or been to Leavenworth, it is basically a town modeled after a Bavarian village. So, we knew we could be walking into a kitschy, tourist trap, but if it's in the mountains I'm game. The drive from Seattle to Leavenworth is a little over 2.5 hours. However, the drive is beautiful. You drive through small towns like Sultan and Gold Bar on Hwy 2 which eventually heads into Stevens Pass which takes you through the Cascades. Some of the mountains were still snow capped, but with the temps in the high 80's I'm sure the last signs of winter will be gone soon. Along the side of the pass were small waterfalls from the snow melt. We drove past one guy placing his head under the water for a picture...brave soul! Once out of the pass you drive along farm land with the road eventually running parallel with the Wenatchee River. We could see several kayakers attempting the rapids and some people were fishing. Ah, summer is upon us!

Last bit of snow hanging on 

We finally got to Leavenworth around noon and we knew it was going to be busy...but wow! Get there early, or finding free parking will be a bit of a stretch. After finding a place to park, we were starving and pulled out the phone to see what our options were. The husband wanted to find a place offering authentic German fare and we thought it wouldn't be hard considering our surroundings. We walked to two separate restaurants, but the lines where out the door and people were standing and eating their food due to no seating being available. As we were mulling over jumping in line I spotted a sign for the Bavarian Bistro and Bar and I am so glad I saw it. So much better than standing in the lines outside! This place had A/C, cold beer, and German comfort food!

View from our table at Bavarian Bistro and Bar

This picture does not do it justice. It was soooo good. We both got the Huhner (chicken) schnitzel which was served with spatzle and red cabbage. We found a table by the bar that was next to a window and people watched while enjoying the food. I definitely recommend eating here if you do not feel like fighting for a seat or sitting outside in the heat. It was quiet and the staff was super friendly. Will definitely come back to eat here when we visit again!

The rest of the afternoon consisted of walking around and peeking inside shops.  Knowing it was going to be a 2.5 hour drive we headed back around 3:30. We did stop to take in the river and scenery for a minute or two, but then it was back on the road. We will definitely be back. Next time we will book a hotel and try to venture around the area a bit more, and not feel so rushed! Below are a few pictures of the town

Sunday was a lazy day and we just hung around the house and vegged out in front of the T.V. Sometimes those can be the best days.

When Monday rolled around and with having the day off, we decided to find a trail we haven't hiked and get outside. We picked out Little Si and started driving south. We have never been to North Bend and were hoping to get there early enough to beat the crowds. However, about a mile from the trail head we noticed groups of people walking toward the trail. Once we got to the trail head it was very clear why. Apparently we weren't the only ones who thought a hike would be a great way to close out the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, all the lots were full, and people were trying to park on the road, or really anywhere they could without the possibility of getting towed. Not wanting to deal with a busy trail, or getting a ticket, we picked another trail a few miles away and thought we would give it a try...wrong again! We tried to do Twin Falls, but parking was ridiculous, and there was just too many people. We then decided to try Wallace Falls and started driving north. Honestly we thought by the time we got there the majority of people would be heading home. Strike three! Once again the parking lot was full. However, not wanting to make it a wasted trip, we drove over to the house we are in the process of buying. It was nice to see what the builder had done so far, and we met a neighbor who filled us in on the neighborhood. He even told us of a trail at the end of the street that we decided to check out before leaving. It's a nice, short manicured trail that leads to the Skykomish river. I know my husband cannot wait to start fishing and I'm excited to be in the mountains again! Big things are happening in June and I cannot wait! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. Here's to the next adventure!

Hello Weekend! Hello Oyster Dome

I love when the weekend rolls around...I mean doesn't everyone! But for me it is a chance to get out of our cramped 600 sq. ft. apartment, breathe some fresh air, and explore. Since moving to Seattle I have been working remotely from home. Don't get me wrong working from home has a lot of pros, but for me, my view is a wall. I would at least like a window to stare out of from time to time. When I lived in Florida and had the routine of dealing with a commute and 8 hour days in an office, as soon as I got home I didn't want to do anything but be home, and I was completely fine with that. However, now that I feel I am stuck inside all day, I do not want to take the weekend for granted- especially when there is not a cloud in sight.

So, when the weekend rolls around I get big puppy eyes and give my husband the "get me out of here" look. One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is hike. Now, I am not a seasoned hiker by any means. I went to college in Western NC and that was my first experience with trails and mountains. I would grab a friend, or play hooky from class and spend hours driving around the parkway and finding trails around Asheville to hike. That is where my love of hiking began, but then after graduating I moved back to Florida and away from the mountains. Then for the next 10 years I lived at the beach. I was never a beach girl (I hate sand) and I practically glow in the dark with how pale I am, but I loved hiking and wanted to get back to the mountains. Now I am surrounded by the Olympics and Cascades and I love the challenge a hike brings and Washington definitely has an array of hikes to choose from.

This weekend's adventure was Oyster Dome in Bow, WA. It took us a little over an hour to drive from Seattle, but if you have never been I definitely recommend making the drive and crossing this one off the list. The views from the beginning of this trail to the end are worth it. We arrived around 9 am Saturday morning at the Samish Overlook. The parking lot was already full, but we were able to park along the road not to far from the trail head. Be careful parking along the side as there is a steep drop and some cars were having trouble with the loose gravel. However, the view from Samish Overlook is worth the drive alone.

Part of me could have stared at this view for hours, but if this was the view at the start I definitely wanted to see the view at the top. This trail has several steep switchbacks and I recommend poles for heading back down. Don't let the distance fool you. It's listed as 5 miles round trip, but it's a workout. This was definitely a busy trail and there were several large groups of people along the way. We like to let those groups pass us until we can't hear them talking anymore before we continue up the trail...I would rather hear birds chirping then how ugly you thought Steve's new tattoo looked. You walk along Red Cedars and Douglas Firs, and cross a few small creeks. On some parts of the trail the sun would peak through the canopy of the forest which made me just stop and take in the scenery. I hope I never take these views for granted.
Unfortunately, when we did reach the top it was crowded...remember how I said this was a popular trail? There was a group of 10 college girls taking up prime real estate with a picnic and wine. Then about a dozen more couples/groups were spread out along the stone promontory. Didn't ruin the experience of hiking the trail, but we didn't stay long at the top. I did manage to squeeze in one picture at the top:

Overall, it's still a great hike. I liked the challenges it provided, it was definitely a workout and of course, I was outside. Have you been to Oyster Dome? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! Here's to the next weekend adventure!

I walk behind him because I stop to take so many pictures!

 

Look at that paleness! Haha!

Welcome!

My name is Nikki and I would like to welcome you to my blog! This is my first blog and I am so excited to connect with those near and far, and hopefully make some new friends along the way. Currently I am living in the Pacific Northwest after relocating from the Southeast. I know, that is quite the move! I never thought I would leave Florida for Washington state, but here I am and so far it has been quite the experience. 
I live in Seattle with my husband and two dogs Gabby and Boomer. When the weather is nice you can find us hiking and trying to soak in as much sunshine as possible since the sun is such a rare sighting these days in Seattle. I feel this blog is going to be a little bit of everything so thank you for visiting and until next time...