Madison Neighborhood

One of the lovely and easier to find Seattle neighborhoods is that of Madison. A long, diagonal  street NE of Downtown along Lake Washington. Click here for map.

Jeremy and I used to come here on Sunday afternoons between our church's morning and evening services. There are great little coffee shops all along Madison, but we usually shared a latte at the Essential Baking Company. I always like to admire their award winning pastries. There are some fun little shops to browse, our favorites being City People's Garden Store, Pharmaca and a beautiful home decor store with linens and dishes, I think it's Our Distinctive Home Shop. There are several eating choices ranging from casual cafes to sit down restaurants.

The neighborhood Starbucks is one of the few Black Label stores around

and home to CEO Howard Shultz.  

The newly renovated neighborhood park.

Some unique play equipment with a space-age, modern feel.

I love the homey feel of this little corner of Seattle with towering trees 

lining the streets, old homes to admire, nurtured gardens, 

a relaxing drive along the BLVD and don't forget the Arboretum.

Snohomish

I've always heard about the shops in Snohomish. I love anything vintage, retro, antique-y and rustic. So a couple Saturdays ago, we set out for a lengthy drive.  We have pretty much exhausted the whole Puget Sound area, so it was exciting for us to discover a new destination.

 

 Annie's on First had quite the display of antique chandaliers.

 Simply Sweet, is just one of the cupcake shops on 1st, only a couple doors 

down from the sassy Bite Me cupcakes specializing in catered events. 

 Faded Elegance captured that perfect balance 

between old and new pretties.

 In the basement of Joyworks, 

I loved this cozy corner of aqua and neutrals.

Want to make one for Valentine's Day!

 A kitschy soda fountain shop full of retro signs for any collector.

Warmed up at Crepe Escape and Coffee House with a 

Vanilla Latte roasted by ZOKA and their signature 

Crepe Suzette filled with creme fraiche and garnished with 

fresh lemon and orange zest...a unique treat! 

The Snohomish Bakery & Cafe had some 

additionally tantalizing pastries.

Such a fun daytrip or weekend getaway to spend with girlfriends, moms, sisters, daughters...and of course husbands. For all the information you need to know about the shops, food, drinks, lodging, and directions click here.

We took the direct route on I-405 getting there, but decided to take the less traveled HWY 203 for the drive home. Always a treat, no matter the time of year. Every time we drive through Duvall, I'm impressed with their growth and charm.  If you are still craving antiques, they have a few shops worth the stop.

Pike Place Market

Pike's is probably the most touristy thing you can do in Seattle, but it's for a reason--it's awesome and uniquely ours. I remember my British Uncle Jeremy who had traveled on business around the world saying "It holds it's own"...in a good way, either way, it's something you have to see whether you're here for a week or a weekend.  The famous Pike Place Fish gather quite the crowd for their flying performances with each purchase. There's the boquet vendors, the locally grown fruits and vegetables, the many street performers and artists, the signature Market Spice Tea, bakeries, pubs, burgers and asian cuisine. Then there's the lower levels which can be pretty...weird.  There's a very unique smell that exists there, so 1st trimester moms, beware.  We love to get a bag of freshly made cinnamon doughnuts from the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company with their notorious "God sees when you don't tip" jar--threatening, but honest. And don't forget to walk across the cobblestones to the Post Alley side of the market. It's impressive how many ethnic flavors are available in a one block radius. For a cheap eat, try one of the creative combinations at The Crumpet Shop. Sample the Flagaship cheese at Beecher's. Order "your" drink at the original Starbucks that changed the world. Come back for a special dinner at Campagne if you like expensive, delicate, french cuisine or one of our favorites The Pink Door with no sign, just a pink door. Your tummy is not big enough to try everything your eyes want so choose wisely. 

 The market is a great place to buy hard to find fruits and vegetables.

Bring some chewing gum to leave a part of yourself at the Gum Wall. 

 Jeremy found this little gem of a piece at Post Alley 

and wanted to remember it forever.

I thought we had more photos...you can always search Google Images, but hopefully you will just get a chance to see it in person!   

Ferndale

Last October we had the opportunity to spend a blustery weekend up north on my In-Law's boat. It had been docked all summer in the cutest little private marina in Ferndale. A small town, just north of Bellingham, rich with farmland and a few other unexpected interests.

Along the Centennial Riverwalk Park, 

a newly paved trail through town.

 Saturday morning Farmer's Market. One vendor offers freshly prepared
breakfast sandwiches, while Barb's Pies and Pastries, the local bakery
serve the most adorable individual pastry pies.

 This historical museum park was such a treat to walk through, 

especially for us West Coasters who rarely get to see 

100 year old homesteads.

 For a unique small wedding, you can actually rent the church 

for your big day.  Click here for more details.

 Summer and School Tours offer children an opportunity to learn how 

to be a pioneer kid including: dipping candles, grinding grain, gathering 

eggs, visiting a one room schoolhouse and learning how mail was delivered.

We got coffee here on our way to Lynden, one of my favorite towns for 

another post.  Get that cozy feel of a rustic lodge for a 3 dollar coffee...

that's a pretty good deal.  Coffee itself is of typical franchise caliber, 

not Capitol Hill, but it gets the job done. 

Port Townsend

A few months ago, my sweet Great-Uncle Ralph passed away who had lived in Port Townsend for many years. We attended the wake at his home and enjoyed looking through photos from his youth with his beautiful bride, my Aunt Gladys. On our way home we stopped in town to see the shops. It had been several years since our last visit and noticed some changes. The Tyler Street Coffee House we had so liked was out of business, giving room for other shops to emerge.

 Best Find of the Day: The UnderTown Coffee Bar and Cafe. 

Located in the basement of a brick building, with an eclectic, European feel, 

and plenty of space to find your own corner and enjoy some good 

espresso roasted by Stumptown . Definitely one of the coolest 

coffee shops I've ever been in.

Three rooms altogether connected by brick archways...pretty cool.

 Perfect Ending Cupcakes, rightfully named is the new and only
cupcake shop in town with a simple menu that will make any age
happy. We got to meet the owner LaTrecia who bakes her heart
and soul into these beautiful, sugary treats.

The Rose Theater, a local company dedicated to the arts

offers popular, independent, and foreign films; Special Events including:
plays, operas, orchestras and an annual Film Festival.

Better Living through Coffee, a lively, shop with a view, offers 

live music, locally roasted beans, breakfast and lunch items, special 

events such as: Story Night, Sunday Morning Music and Fiddle Tunes.

A colorful cityscape full of antique charm.

For everything else you need to know about the lovely city, click here.

Bend, Oregon

One of our best camping trips was back in September of 2008, when I was just moving into the 2nd trimester and getting over morning sickness with our son. My family and I had vacationed in Bend a few years before and enjoyed it so much, I was anxious to take Jeremy and relive some of those great memories and make new ones for ourselves.

The trip started with a night in Portland and good friends. 

We heard about Voodoo Doughnuts and well, Jeremy needed 

to try the "Captain my Captain". We also got the Mountain Dew  

and my favorite, French Cruellers.

 We came early September and did not realize that East of the Cascades 

would be so frigid after the sun went down. We spent our first night awake, 

shivering until 5:30am when we decided to go find a coffee shop. 

We found this gem, Thump, in the artsy downtown. I loved the cozy decor, 

they had wooden slats hanging from the ceiling that guests had written 

their wishes on: my favorites were "that Bryan Adams would come 

to Bend" and one a child had written "for families to have a good time". 

 Thankfully, the yurt next to our campsite opened up and we moved on in. 

Tumalo State Park was awesome, close to town, but near the Deschutes 

River for early morning fishing. Our neighbors were the nicest camp host 

you'd ever meet, he brought us chips and a bowl of his freshly roasted salsa.

 One of the many parks you can hike or ride.

 One of the highlights, the Lava Caves. 

Bring a jacket! Not for closterfobes!

 This was a fun trail to ride which followed the edge of the lava flow, 

you can also drive to the beautiful Benham Falls.

 We took a day to visit Sisters, and got in a game of Disc Golf.

 Got to fly fish the Metolius. Yikes, the white balance is way off!?!

Oh yeah.

 Best find in Bend, The Sparrow Bakery, 

tucked away, all by itself, this rustic little bakery.

A uniquely gourmet menu.

   

The River Trail which extends for miles along the Deschutes River 

is a peaceful walk in town with beautiful homes and gardens to drool over.

In all our travels, Bend is the one place Jeremy says he could settle. We learned that a few years ago Donald Trump was asked where to invest money, his answer: Bend, OR. The town has seen tremendous growth in the last decade and continues to thrive. The Old Mill district is a unique shopping center with a lot of your favorite stores. Other local attractions: the popular ski resort at Mt. Bachelor; the touristy Sun River and the rock climbing hub at Smith Rock.

For more information on things to do, places to stay, food to eat, click here.