Seeing the sights in Seattle

Pike Place -- one of the first stops

Get your fresh crab here FRESH CRAB! (that doesn't translate well to the written word...please imagine a guy selling programs at, say, a Yankees game)

Everything at Pike Place is FRESCO!

Including Pepe....

Simply Stated

Angela, Rob and Sophie's Visit

Don't be fooled by the barks that I got, I'm still Dabby from the park.

Don't forget your sugar tongs!

Sharing a cuppa with A&R

Me and Sissy

At this random country village in Bothell

Mailbox Peak

I printed off someone's trail directions for this hike and brought them along for entertainment value. He described the wood nymphs that sang Gilbert and Sullivan songs and 10 foot talking seagulls at the peak. We smoked everyone we came across, but got stuck behind guys with weights in their packs, apparently training to climb Rainier. The trail was narrower and steeper than anything we've climbed, even Mt. Imlay in Australia. 8 miles roundtrip, 4841 ft at the peak. The views of Rainier were exceptional and the wildflowers were abundant. We left a little note in the mailbox, for posterity. Or, until some schmuck goes up late one night and has nothing else to use to make a fire but the letters in the box.

Mailbox Peak

what do these look like to you???

Me and my fiance : ) with Rainier in the background

You've got mail!

Our local volcano and its 14,000 feet of glory.

As permanent residents of Washington state since April, I and my fiance have tramped the mountains, biked the trails and run through the trees. Hailing originally from the hellish vortex that is the Coachella Valley in southern Cal (via Austin, TX) we reveled in the first bearable summer of our lives (save for those heinous three days in July). Come fall/winter, you might expect these two Californians would have become weather-whingers. But even the wind, power outages and freak snow storms didn't deter us from exploring further afield (see outdoor/weather-related photos on this blog).

Yes to Wes!!!! We're engaged--read on!

Famished from the 5 mile hike up to the Grand Prospect lookout on Rattlesnake Mountain (around 3k ft.), we dined on some fine peanut butter and honey sandwiches.

After enjoying the pb&h and the view overlooking Mt. Si, among other Cascadian peaks, we were about to descend when my dear sweet Wesley knelt beside the bench on the left and proposed! To moi! I couldn't be more thrilled...a smile hasn't left my face ;)

Stay tuned for details...

More Father's Day

Grandpa, Dad, Wesley
Now, that's quite the claim, ain't it?!

Father's Day

Was able to spend father's day with the father! Wes and I picked strawberries at a nearby farm (boy, they were sweet and succulent!) to bring to the father's day feast on the Sun River Ranch.

I <3 waterfalls

Hidden Lake--More hidden than we thought...

We set out with high expectations of a lookout at a high altitude with a shelter to camp in, a hidden lake and a view of the north Cascades. We ended up sliding in snow, digging our toes in the snow to make steps to climb the slippery slope (where are my crampons?!! where is my ice axe?!!), just to turn around as the remainder of the trail was covered in snow and HIDDEN (see, it isn't just the lake that's hidden, it's the trail as well!). Plus, the water rushing beneath us as we walked on the snow presented a bit of a hazard and we didn't want to risk falling through! I must admit, however, that drinking crystal clear glacier water was a decent consolation prize. We shall attempt it again come August. For now, we'll stick to the Issaquah Alps (sans la neige).

Tunnel-rific

Twin Falls to Snoqualmie Tunnel

3 hours of sun, rain, thunder, a freezing tunnel, a bear, 2 elk, waterfalls, creeks and bridges. Our afternoon of biking 32 miles turned out to be a mini-adventure filled with firsts.

We saw our first Washington bear, our first Washington elk, but the coolest first was the ride in the tunnel. The part of the trail we biked is just part of the Iron Horse trail that extends to the border of Washington/Idaho. The 2.3 mile tunnel is the nation's longest tunnel open to non-motorized traffic. Some trivia: the Snoqualmie tunnel was built between 1908 and 1911 for the longest electric railroad in the world that operated for over 70 years. Ain't that somethin' else!

Mariners Moose

Why, praytell, is the mascot of the Mariners a Moose? Did you ever see a moose out at sea? They just liked how it sounded...better than the Mariners Mackeral I suppose. Mascot marveling aside, we had a great time. Two words: Aaaaaaadrian Beltre!

rattlesnake mountain & beaver lake

Muddy muddy trails led me a bit off course! Least it was a soft landing! Hiking up Rattlesnake Mtn. was a middle-earthly experience

Me and W2 at the summit. We spotted the mini in the parking lot and a white tower we had thought was a waterfall. Curious...

View of Rattlesnake Lake from Rattlesnake Mountain.

SPL

Worked across the street at 1001 Fourth for a week and a half, so I had the chance to take a peek at the Seattle Public Library.

Syttende Mai (May 17th, Norwegian Constitution Day)

Folks waive Norsk flags whilst walking in the Syttende Mai parade in Ballard.