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.

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!   

Whidbey Island

Whidbey is one of my favorite islands in the Sound.  Deception Pass was one of the first day trips my family took when we moved here from California, and years later we discovered the quaint little coastal towns of Langley and Coupeville. Whidbey is the largest island in Washington and 4th largest in the lower 48 states. It's known history dates back to 1792 when it was first discovered by Joseph Whidbey and Peter Puget. Later settled by Isaac Ebey, a potato and wheat farmer who rowed daily across the inlet to work as Postmaster for Port Townsend...busy guy. The north end of the island's economy is cultivated by the Navy base and home to many military families, while the south end is marked by tourism and home to many working artists, writers, musicians and performers. Penn Cove, famous for it's Mussel Farm offers 27 varieties of freshly harvested shellfish...if you're into sort of thing. If you're a NW gardener, keep your eyes open for all the independent nurseries, my mom particularly likes Cultus Bay. And if you're a pizza lover (who isn't??), you gotta check out Langley's Village Pizzeria and get the Sicilian Crust.

Your tummy will be so full when you leave. 

 Downtown Coupeville's main street is lined with shops and restaurants, 

such as the craveable Knead and Feed.

 Jeremy and I have gotten to bike the trails at Fort Ebey a couple times, 

the Bluff Trail is the most scenic we've ridden yet, 

also great for walkers, this is must for any Washingtonian.

 Killing time, taking photos while Jeremy got the bikes ready.

 Got in some Disc Golf at the newly constructed Fort Nugent Park.

 Deception Pass

 Walking the Beach

 Keep your eyes open for wildlife

 A cheerful little chipper at our campsite.

Whether you've been here or not, I hope you will get to spend some time on this island gem. Enjoy! 

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.

The Lavender Festival - Sequim

Another floral gem in our state are the Lavender fields. I love Sequim, I love the Olympic Peninsula, I love, I love Lavender, call me an old lady, but an old lady that smells good. I have sweet memories of going to Sequim on numerous trips: picking berries with my Grandma, Lavender Lattes with a friend on our way to Hurricane Ridge, and most recently a camping trip for our anniversary.

 Another time, another place.

 We would stay at Sequim Bay State Park again: quiet, hot showers, 

convenient, close to town. We pulled in, got our tent set up 

and went to town for hot drinks at The Buzz.

 Always gotta remember your site.

 Jeremy was sweet to let me visit as many fields as I could, 

my favorite farm is Purple Haze, who have been featured in magazines.

 Sequim's other claim to fame is the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge

home of the popular delicacy: Dungeness Crab.

 Where we wanted to eat at Cedarbrook Herb Farm...

...Where our budget wanted us to eat. 

(You can't beat Costco Polish Dogs anyway.)

We had our morning latte at Hurricane Coffee Company, their beans roasted by Tully's. Cool atmosphere, Lively shop. A lot of gifty boutiques to browse downtown along W Washington St. The city hosts a Farmer's Market every Saturday during the summer season.  My parents also went to Sequim for an anniversary trip several years ago and recommend visiting the Olympic Game Farm, especially if you have little ones.

For their official tourism website click here.

The Junction - West Seattle

We recently had a visit from my Aunt from Tampa.  My Mom, sisters and I had only a couple days to show her Seattle, so we had to be selective. We had to think, what would Aunt L'Von enjoy? She is a great cook, she and her family lived in England for 10 years...she was interested in seeing gourmet grocery stores and sampling bakeries. We finally decided the shops on California Ave, lunch at Metropolitan Market and a walk on Alki would do it.

 Husky, a family owned business since 1932, offers a colorful display

of European gourmet foods and treats. Their specialty: house-made
ice cream with unique flavors like Nutella and Coconut--yum!
You can buy it by the cone or quart. We happened to be there during
the lunch hour which is apparently a hot spot with the locals for
made to order deli sandwiches with an assortment of salamis and cheeses. 

 All things British: Twinings, PG Tips, McVities Tea Biscuits

 San Marzano Tomatoes (a favorite of Rachael Ray),

 for a Neopolitan Pizza.

 NW Art and Frame, greeting cards for every occasion, wrappings for any gift,
framing and paint supplies for all your art projects.

 Best discovery of the day, Bakery Nouveau, some of the most
beautiful pastries I've seen. The lunch line was out the door. 

Perfectly glazed cakes, tarts and danishes; rustic pizzas and artisan breads. 

Check out their website to see their award resume...impressive!

Parisian Macaroons. Jeremy tried one at Choclatine in LA 

a few years ago and loved them, I was so excited 

to find them locally in so many flavors.

There are many more stores and specialty food restaurants along California: Easy Street Records; Cupcake Royale; Shoofly Pie Company; Great Harvest Bread; The Tuscan Tea Room; The Matador. For a complete business directory, directions and upcoming events click here.

For some fresh air, be sure to stop at the iconic Alki Beach for the best view of the Seattle waterfront; or the quieter Lincoln Park with a network of hiking trails.