Yakima Valley Wine Weekend

When the pressures of life demand some downtime and you don't have a vacation on the horizon, we suggest a weekend road trip to Yakima Valley wine country.  Here you will sample what is sure to become among the elite wine regions here in Washington State.

Day Trip to Poulsbo

Summer is here and that means it's prime time to get out and explore. Our chosen destination: Poulsbo, WA on the Kitsap Peninsula across the Puget Sound. Fortunately there are plenty of fun stops along the way, including Bainbridge Organic Distillers. A small outfit making some insanely delicious spirits. We tasted Vodka, Gin and my (Eric's) favorite, Whisky. Good find and well worth the visit.

Iron Bartender at Cicchetti

There is no shortage of good food and drink here in the Pacific Northwest. So what could be better than spending a Saturday afternoon watching Seattle's best cocktailers let their imaginations run wild, dazzling us with their wicked craft. Oh wait, how about pairing their liquid cuisine with delectable bites from local up-and-coming epicurean master Chef Brian Clevenger. Remember this name as I am sure he'll be among the elite on the Seattle scene. And to top things off, let's throw in the opportunity for these spirit tastemakers to be recognized by peers and admirers alike as top dog o' the day. Yup, we'll take two tickets please!

Seattle Snow Storm - Jan 2012

The weatherman said it was coming. I wasn't a believer and vowed not to give way to the hype. After all, everyone loves a snow day! So the best thing to do is not get your hopes up. But then again, the thought of kids racing down the hill on sleds stirred thoughts of classic Americana, Norman Rockwell style, with puffs of warmth billowing from chimneys and laughter echoing in the streets! I can just see it now, visions of the Saturday Evening Post right here on our street. Nah, put yourself in check. I mean, it seemed highly unlikely that we would see 6 inches of snow in the hood. And that's when I made my bold prediction to Jen: "It's NOT going to snow".

Saint Edward State Park

With the new year upon us and a rather bountiful meal in store, we decided to prepare ourselves for gluttony by burning a few calories. The destination, St. Edward State Park which resides on the upper east bank of Lake Washington.

Winter in Seattle has been know to produce some cool weather and this day was no exception. However, the skies were clear and the air was dense, making for some crystal clear views perfect for pictures. We chose to hike the outer most loop around the park moving clockwise. The walk included a very steep decent along the south end of the park followed by a nice leisurely (and quite scenic) stroll along the lake and finally a much less intense uphill grade back to the parking lot. View Map

Historical View of our Home

We thought it would be fun to post an old photo of our home that we found on the King County Assessments site. Unfortunately there is no record as to when the photo was taken, but still fun to see how things looked "back then"!

Summer Weekend Extravaganza

Dinner at Bin in Kirkland - the lady looking quite serene!

Long-time locals have said when summer arrives, you really have to live it up in order to stay sane during the cold & rainy seasons. I suppose this is especially the case when you are clawing your way through one of the coolest summers in recent Seattle history. To be honest, we don't have the historical justification to stand behind such claims of doom & gloom, but when the warm weather is upon us we never hesitate to go out and "get some"!

A Marriage Proposal on Orcas Island

It had to be someplace different. A place that neither of us had been. Better yet, somewhere we had talked about going but had yet to make it happen. Once there, we should feel like we were away, truly away with ample opportunity for romantic adventure. Lastly, it had to be close enough to allow us to get the most out of our rather short trip. Fortunately there is no shortage of beauty in the Pacific Northwest so I didn't have to look long before selecting Orcas Island as our destination.

Camping at Upper Johnny Creek

After a long wait, we finally got to enjoy a true Seattle summer weekend. Fortunately we had also planned a camping trip with some recently re-united friends from my old LA days, Steve & Jynn Romano. The result: 2 couples with no kids, a taste for delicious cuisine and a impeccable tolerance for booze. The company was great and the trip did not disappoint!

A Portland Adventure

With a long Memorial Day weekend ahead of us, Jen and I decided to hit the road and explore our surroundings a bit. So we called the cat sitter and hit the road bound for Portland. Our first stop was our Washington Capitol Olympia, for some lunch! Found a great little restaurant called the Dockside Bistro. On the way out of town, we stopped to check out the Capitol and snapped a few photos - definitely plan to return to Olympia and spend more time absorbing the city!