Around Puget Sound and Beyond

HAWAII: Beyond Puget Sound

2012-02-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, this blog focuses mainly on adventures around Puget Sound, but this post is more like a "beyond" portion of the blog. Recently I landed in sunny, glorious, jungle-intensive Hilo on Hawaii's Big Island. Since many of you folks from the West Coast make the trip to the islands every year I'm here to give you a few new ideas of where to explore next to make your trip worthwhile. I'll introduce you to some familiar and some off-the-beaten-path adventures that will be right at your finger-tips when you arrive on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Big Island of Hawaii map

Onomea Bay
Just 10 minutes north of Hilo you see a sign for the "Scenic Route" which will take you on on a portion of the Old Mamalahoa Highway. This twisty old highway used to be the only route to travel the Hamakua Coast of East Hawaii until the 1950's. In those times, it took an hour or two to drive 10 miles from the plantation towns to Hilo. On this side trip, you'll enter into dense jungle which was used in scenes from the most recent Indiana Jones movie. So, if you're feeling like you should be seeing monkeys leaping through the trees--you're not too far off ...

Stunning Onomea Bay, just north of Hilo, HI on the Big Island

Under the dense canopy of branches, palms and vines, you'll pass over rivers on one-lane bridges, see waterfalls, and snap pictures of amazing tropical plants. Then you'll round a bend and you'll see Onomea Bay below you. Park on a shoulder along the roadside, get out and enjoy the view. You'll notice a mostly paved foot trail that goes downward toward the ocean. This is a walk to experience. It's only about a quarter of a mile long and completely worth your time. If you veer off to the right you'll come out at a rocky beach, but if you continue straight on the path you'll pass along the side of the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (worth the price of admission back up on the road) on an easement trail that's open to the public.

It's off the beaten path, yet one of the most beautiful spots on the whole island...

If you go just a little farther you'll soon see a river. If it isn't too deep you can cross or go for a dip under the waterfall. Walk around and explore. The combination of the jungle pushed to the edge of the crashing ocean swells, with palm trees and amazing geology makes this one of my very favorite spots on the entire island. On a sunny morning there's nothing like Onomea Bay!

Laupahoehoe Point
If you continue north on Highway 19 for another 20 minutes you'll pass through the town of Laupahoehoe. There's an overlook where you can look down on the ocean and see Laupahoehoe Point. Drive a few minutes farther on the highway, through the deep valley and up the other side, where there's a sign and turn-off to the park at Laupahoehoe Point. Turn right from the highway, then immediately right again. The old road hugs the cliff to the park on the point below. Bring a picnic lunch, and choose one of the great vantage points on the shore to watch the swells blast and surge against the rugged lava of the point. When the surf is up and the sky is blue you'll be knocked off your feet by the scenery.

The view of Laupahoehoe Point from up above

When you reach the sea level you'll be greeted by natural black lava formations and lots of places to go walking, beach combing, and grassy places to lay out your towel and tan, if you like. Trust me, it's the perfect place for a picnic, family gathering, to snap pictures, or meditate--whatever sounds good.

Laupahoehoe Point from sea level--enjoy the lava formations and the natural scenery that surrounds

Hapuna Beach Park

Now here's a beach that isn't so "undiscovered" but I had to include it because it's been voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world many times before and it truly is a gem--it shouldn't be missed. Hapuna Beach Park is located on the NW side of the Big Island and if you've been looking for a white sand beach to sink your toes into then this is the beach for you.

A look at Hapuna Beach--check out that sky

Hapuna is a luxuriously long, sandy beach park enjoyed by locals and visitors from all over the world every day of the year. On a calm day you can go snorkeling at the north end of the beach, but on a slightly wavier day body boarding/boogie boarding is the sport of choice.

Body boarding on the supple waves--I can't get enough of it!

Things To Know:

If you're planning to take a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii there are some months to visit when you'll find cheaper airfare--January, May, September, and October are often less expensive
Papaya Sunrise just north of Hilo and 5 minutes from Onomea Bay is my vacation rental of choice
There is so much to see on the Big Island--the volcano, the observatories, tons of beaches, loads of hikes--there's something for people of all ages and interests
To learn more about what's really going on on the island check out: Hawaii Moku Nui (which means "Hawaii Big Island" in Hawaiian)

The ocean just goes on and on and on...(another view from Laupahoehoe Point)

Have a fantastic trip full of adventures and relaxation!

Hiking at Twin Falls in North Bend

2012-01-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

If your looking for a hike for this weekend that isn't too far from the city, Twin Falls is the hike for you. The waterfalls will knock your socks off...no joke...

The trail begins next to the Snoqualmie River as it winds along the river's path. Giant boulders are fixtures in the rushing water as you travel along. The first 1/2 mile of the hike is flat and easy-going. After that, you'll begin to climb up a tall bank in the forest only to find that you're walking back down on the other side. Be on the look- out for the old growth Douglas fir tree that you'll soon find beside the trail. The tree must be a few hundred years old (if not older) and is truly a spectacular sight. Take Note: This hike is great at any time of the year, but Autumn allows you to enjoy the fall colors of the maple trees in this mostly evergreen forest.

The hike begins along the Snoqulamie River, where you'll have several chances to get down by the riverside

After another hill climb (where you'll be right next to I-90 for a short stretch), you'll have the opportunity to take a set of wooden stairs down toward a look-out perch to see the falls or continue along the higher ground to another vantage point. We suggest going down the stairs first to get to the jaw-dropping view of the main falls. When we reached the platform at the bottom, our friend, that we were hiking with remarked, "Well, this is definitely more than I was expecting!" And it's true, it's difficult to capture Twin Falls with a camera. This is a must see in-person kind of place.

The view of the 150ft Twin Falls from the platform that stands high above the river

The water comes cascading down the rocks and plunges into the river pool at the bottom. There you'll see a cave filled with water that should only be appreciated at a distance (this is some icy water). It's amazing to look down from the platform at the river and realize just how high up you actually are.

The main falls is so large that you can't quite capture it all in one shot--it's a stunning drop

Head back up the wooden stairs and along the upper trail. There you'll reach a bridge where you'll get to see the river water just before it plummets down the waterfall. You'll also see two smaller falls higher up. The atmosphere here is so relaxing--rushing waterfalls, cool mountain air, and inspiring sights...it doesn't get much better than this...and only 1/2 hour from Seattle!

Things To Know:

You need a Discover Pass to park in the lot or $5.00 for a day pass at the trailhead (checks accepted)
The hike is 2.7 miles round-trip
This is a great hike for any time of the year
We saw a bunch of kids on this hike from toddler age up
As long as your dog is on a leash, you're good
The pay-off is incredible!

Directions:

Take I-90 East toward Spokane

Take exit 34 and turn right onto 468th Ave. S.E.

Drive for 1/2 mile and turn left just before the bridge

Continue on S.E. 159th St. for 1/2 mile until you reach the end of the road

The trailhead will be right there

The extra prizes you'll find if you walk above the main falls: more waterfalls!

Enjoy the falls!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Snohomish Washington Public Market and Wine Cellars of Washington

2012-01-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

We love how during the summertime people are encouraged to visit farmers' markets and support local businesses--get fresh produce and buy crafts from local artists. But once winter hits much of that mentality is lost because most of the markets close down for the season. Up until recently, we didn't think there was a farmers' market-like place we could go in the winter...that's why we were so excited to learn about the indoor Washington Public Market that runs every Saturday and Sunday in downtown Snohomish.

This was one of our favorite displays: Nostalgic Bay had a wonderful collection of enchanting merchandise

The Market

The market features local businesses with vendors who sell everything from handcrafted jewelry to handmade alpaca clothing to Washington wine to truffles. The market just started up in November of 2011, so if you haven't heard of it, you're not alone. We were impressed by the variety of items of the nearly 100 vendors and artists at the market--we spent several hours browsing around admiring it all.

Alpaca critters--all are irresistibly soft--you can't help but pet them

It's All Here

The Snohomish Market is a one stop-shop. You'll find antiques, gifts, massively discounted new furniture, cooking shows, people spinning alpaca wool to make yarn, and 25 Washington wine vendors selling one-of-a-kind wines from all over Washington. It's best to not be in a rush when you visit so you can take it all in, so feel free to spend your afternoon there so you have time for it all--especially the wine...

You'll find a variety of flavors among these wineries--here's Scott after talking with Pat with Elevation Cellars

The Wineries

Since the Wine Cellars of Washington features 25 wine cellars all in the same building, you're in for a real treat. For $5.00 a person, you can get access to all 25 wine cellars and the best part is, you can cycle back through as many times as you want in a day because you're given a bracelet for the entire afternoon. This allows you to explore lots of flavors, explore more of Snohomish and the market, and then come back to enjoy all of your favorite wines from before. Take note that the $5.00 is a door fee and some of the tasting stands charge an additional dollar to taste their wines. Whether you're tasting the complimentary wines that some stands have to offer or you pay the additional $1.00 for other wines, the overall cost to you is so much less than if you go to most other tasting rooms around the area. Plus, if you buy any bottle you get your 5 bucks back.

You never know what kinds of goodies you'll find at the Washington Public Market in Snohomish

The Washington Public Market and Wine Cellars of Washington is a fantastic place to spend an any kind of day, especially a rainy one!

Some of the Artists:

Eclectic Treasures -- Inspiring glass treasures that serve great as gifts.

Elevation Cellars -- One of the 25 cellars you'll find, with fantastic wine and very friendly people.

Nostalgic Bay -- "Supplies the unusual and the unique," definitely worth checking out.

Silver Wears -- Beautiful pieces of jewelry, many made from silver that you wouldn't expect to see...

Creative Jewelry By Martin -- Martin has a variety of lovely jewelry and some very neat steampunk-inspired gadgets and jewels.

Things To Know:

The Washington Public Market is open every weekend: Saturdays 10am to 6pm and Sundays 10am to 5pm
The Wine Cellars of Washington is featured at the market every weekend as well: Saturdays 12:30pm to 6pm and Sundays 12:30pm to 5pm
This is a relaxing and fun way to spend an afternoon with family and/or friends
Snohomish is located just east of Everett

Address:

1010 & 1011 2nd Street

Snohomish, WA 98290
(888) 415-9567

License plate signs, made from license plates from lots of different states--too cool

Let us know what your favorite part of the market is!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

iFLY Seattle: Learning to Fly

2012-01-19T00:21:00.000-08:00

We ventured back to iFLY Seattle to celebrate Scott's birthday with a friend of ours, since we hadn't yet had a chance to officially try indoor skydiving yet (check out our first blog article to learn more about iFLY.) Well, let us tell you there is nothing like flying and it is completely worth going indoor skydiving!
Our Arrival
When we arrived, we got all checked in for our first flight and went upstairs to watch the flyers in action. Our excitement level grew with each new flyer in the tunnel.
Training
We watched a short movie, with our group of 10 flyers, on how to fly and what various hand signals meant. The whole experience felt a little like stepping into Hogwarts in Harry Potter, since were being told we could fly. The woman on the video said, "To assume proper flying position, have your legs slightly bent with your arms stretched out in front of you..." Wait what?! Fly?! It all seems so contrary to how we spend every other waking moment of our lives. People can't fly! Our minds kept telling us--oh, but yes they can.

My first flight at iFLY Seattle, wow, it's hard to believe that I was actually flying!

Suit Up

We were given jumpsuits, goggles, ear plugs, helmets, and shoes. We were able to use the lockers at iFLY to stash our belongings. Our instructor, Chris, rallied the troops in our group again and said, "You may have already forgotten everything about positioning and hand signals, but who cares--you're about to fly--let's go have some fun out there!"

Getting ready to fly: Jumpsuits? Check.

The Chamber

We entered the airtight chamber and sat down. Everyone was going to get a chance to fly twice, for one minute at a time. It was warm in there, or maybe it was just because I was--I'd never done anything like this before. There were three kids in our group and they all went first. As soon as they stepped into the tunnel, you could tell by their faces that they were loving it. Chris did a great job of making everyone feel safe, but gave people enough room that they were able to fly a bit on their own.

Up, up, up and away!

The Tunnel
Then, it was my turn. I approached the door, gave a nervous smile to Chris who gave a high-five. I put my hands in two fists against my chest, the way I had just been taught and stepped through the doorway. I spread my arms out in front of me and the rest of my torso, legs, and feet followed.
My body was stiff; I was aware of the air rushing past me. I could tell that I wasn't touching anything, but my mind wasn't quite sure what to make of it all...Am I flying? No, that's impossible. Am I dreaming? Maybe, but isn't flying impossible. Despite my confusion I kept going.
I tried to follow Chris' hand signals...Stretch your legs out more, arms closer together, back less arched... as I did, I flew better and higher as well.
At one point I flew so high that I began to worry about how I'd get back down. That was the moment that everything clicked for me--I'm flying. I'm really flying...like up in the air kind of flying! I couldn't stop smiling.

Our friend enjoying her first flight at iFLY Seattle

Flying

On my second flight Chris started to challenge me a little by motioning to me to tilt my hands from side to side. As I experimented with tilting my hands, I began to twirl. I'm controlling my flight. By the time I thought the thought, my flying time had come to an end.

We all had the feeling like we were just starting to get the hang of this flying stuff. iFLY offered that we could buy another minute of time for $20.00, but we said no thanks, we'll just have to come back another time.

This was one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. And yes, we definitely had an adrenaline rush, before, during, and after flying. We're still running on the flying high...

Soaring about 15 ft in the air--the highest I've ever flown

Things To Know:

After the fact: It feels kind of like a dream that we were actually flying; we'll have to go back again to know for sure
This is an opportunity that we believe everyone should experience at some point in their lives--it's amazingly safe and there is absolutely nothing else like it
To learn more about iFLY Seattle, check out our original blog article

Have an awesome flight!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Mountain Biking at Paradise Lake Conservation Area

2012-01-11T21:06:00.001-08:00

Prepare to get lost in the woods, away from traffic, email, and the busy side of life. Okay, maybe not too lost, the Paradise Lake Conservation Area has tons of signs labeling where trails go and how long they are...but this park gives you the chance to escape into the mountains without going past Woodinville. This is a great place for beginner and experienced mountain bikers alike to try the trails. With over 13 miles of trails you're bound to find a path that fits your ability level just right. My husband and I had an awesome time, even though this was my first time mountain biking and he has gone on lots of trails before--we just each took it at our own pace.
The dirt terrain is relatively smooth with small hills to travel up and down. Some areas have roots and rocks to dodge, adding to the fun. If you take the same route we took and bike the mile trail through the trees to Mt. Bike Park, you'll find some more challenging trails with hairpin turns, that are advised for more advanced riders.

One of many sign posts leading you around the park; this is about as bumpy as the trails get

The conservation area is perfect for horseback riding. The parking lot is set up with two parking stalls for trucks and horse trailers to park although we've never seen trailers while we've been there before. Just be aware that you will most likely be passed by bikers on the trails, but everyone we've passed has been very respectful.
The Paradise Lake Conservation Area is set-up for hiking as well--the forest is lovely, but be aware there isn't any destination to hike to. If you are looking for a great walk or jog through the woods, this is the place for you.

The park's map full of 13 miles worth of trails

The Paradise Lake Conservation Area is only about 10 years old, so many people don't know about it yet. We've been there on sunny Saturdays and there are usually only 7 other cars in the parking lot, giving us the feeling that this is a one-of-a-kind gem that can be practically all yours on a beautiful day.

Things to Know:

Great park for beginner/advanced mountain bikers, horseback riders, and joggers
There are over 13 miles of trails
Parking is free
2 horse trailer parking spaces in parking lot
Dogs on leash are allowed on trails
Porta Potty located before trail head
This is best as a dry day activity (mountain biking isn't as much fun on a rainy day)

Directions:

Take highway 522 east toward Monroe.

Turn right onto Paradise Lake Road at the stop light.

Drive 1.9 miles to the parking lot and turn right.

(There is a sign marked "Trailhead and Parking" just before the parking lot to give you a heads up.)

Have a great time on the trails!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Waterslides at the Lynnwood Pool and Recreation Center

2012-01-06T09:36:00.001-08:00

It may be January, but that doesn't mean you have to stop living life like you did a few months ago: when the sun was high, the weather was warm, and all you could think to do was go to the beach. The Lynnwood Pool and Recreation Center allows you to enjoy some of the best parts of summer in a warm indoor experience, even in the winter months.
This past summer we were bummed out about the rising costs to get into Wild Waves Theme Park, "$39.95?!" We said, "That's creeping up on the price to get into Disneyland!"
Ok, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but it's true, we chose to not go to Wild Waves simply because of the price. But that didn't stop our hankering to go down a water slide. We recently found out about the Lynnwood Pool and Recreation Center (which opened in Spring of 2011), which has not one, but two full blown indoor water slides.

A view of the two water slides from outside of the Lynnwood Recreation Center

For the bank-breaking admission price of $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for kids (ages 2-12--kids, 2 and under are free)--you can access over two hours of fun including: two huge water slides, a lazy river, a water playground, water basketball, a six-lane lap swimming pool, kiddie pool, hot tub...hm, did we forget anything...oh yea, a gym and two racquetball courts to top it off. We were absolutely stunned when the cashier told us the total for the two of us would be $9.00--talk about an inexpensive and awesome date!

Check out the lazy river and the water playground

This really is top notch facility. We saw at least six lifeguards on duty, maybe there were more--we lost count. There are two major water slides, one that's a body slide and the other you can use inflatable tubes on--there are single and double person tubes. We tried it all and have to say that the green slide for tubes is our favorite. Going in a double or single tube is fast and fun. The ride starts off quick, with lots of twists and turns, then it slows down a bit, right before it speeds up and you hit the end with a splash! The best part is, there are hardly ever lines for the slides. Plus they keep the whole pool area heated and the water's warm enough you're unlikely to feel cold.

Having fun on the slide! We seriously went down about 15 times

For more details about the swim schedule visit the City of Lynnwood's Recreation Center website.

After swimming, we looked around at the racquetball court and we spoke with a visitor who was working-out in the gym. She said, "This is a brand new facility. It's been so great to see more and more new people coming every weekend." You don't have to wait until next summer to come here. A rainy day is the perfect kind of day to check out the Lynnwood Pool and Recreation Center. People of ALL ages will find something to enjoy here.

Things to Know:

There are seven family locker/changing rooms
There are several showers and tons of lockers in the main bathroom (bring your own lock)
There's a good size six-lane lap pool
3ft kiddie pool and another 1-3ft pool with a water playground
Two water slides, a lazy river, complete with rapids, fountains, and a basketball hoop
You'll find fully outfitted gym and two racquetball courts
Admission is $4.50 for adults, $4.00 for youth (13-18), $3.50 for seniors and kids (2-12), and free for kids under 2 years old.
For addition information visit: http://www.ci.lynnwood.wa.us/Content/Community.aspx?id=193

Looking in on the pool from outside at night; there's a playground outside as well, for nicer days

Believe us when we say, we'll be back!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Small Town Destinations -- Longbranch and Lakebay, WA

2011-12-29T12:06:00.001-08:00

Every year in December, a family of good friends of ours put on a bluegrass Christmas variety show in their hometown near Gig Harbor on Fox Island, WA. They've been doing this show for the last 25 years. The family of performers brings in some of the best bluegrass musicians around to make the performance a smash hit. This year we were lucky enough to join them and participate in the show by swing dancing during one of the numbers, which was quite a treat!
Making The Trip
Instead of driving all the way down to the Gig Harbor area from the North end of Lake Washington only to arrive in the dark for the evening show, we decided to make a day trip out of it. We're glad we did because we had a chance to better appreciate life in the Puget Sound Islands and on the peninsula. We wound up spending the day with a couple who run an organic farm and at a Mom and Pop winery that makes and sells what we believe to be the very best wine we've ever tasted.

Creviston Valley Farm's farmhouse in Longbranch, WA with their beautiful view of Mt. Rainier in the background

The Drive
It was a spectacularly sunny December morning when we set out to visit Creviston Valley Farm in Longbranch, WA. The drive to the farm was breath-taking with twists and turns as we passed saltwater inlets and views of placid sailboats docked in Puget Sound waiting for their next run. We were completely enchanted by the hobby farms we drove by and blown away by the views of Mt. Rainier. When we arrived at Creviston Valley Farm, we were graciously welcomed by Lalaine and Greg, the owners of the organic farm.

Creviston Valley Farm raises local beef, meat, fruit, vegetables, and eggs

A Piece Of Heaven
As we talked with Lalaine and Greg they showed us around the farm. We watched them feed the cows and sheep, we saw the pigs, and we watched the flock of several hundred free range chickens scurry around. Lalaine called the farm their "little piece of heaven," and she wasn't kidding. The farm is 40 acres and the nearest neighbors are 1/2 a mile away in each direction. Talk about peaceful. The only sounds we heard were the mooing cows in the background and the chickens pecking in the foreground. Lalaine and Greg have owned the farm for the last three years now--they originally bought it as a retreat. Although many people would claim that farming isn't much of a vacation, Creviston Valley Farm allows Greg and Lalaine to escape their busy jobs and enjoy growing and nurturing local delicious meat, fruit, and vegetables. The farm allows them to appreciate where their food comes from--a luxury many people don't have these days.

At Creviston Valley Farm, one of their specialties is healthy locally raised grass-fed beef

Waste Not

We were happy to see how content the animals were. They were just going about their lives with plenty of space to roam, not confined by tiny cages, or virtually piled on top of each other, as most mass-produced American livestock are these days before slaughter (see the movie Food Inc. for more information on where our food comes from.)

Lalaine and Greg operate their farm with the the mantra: "Don't waste anything, because there's value in everything." All of their animals are fed leftovers from whatever the Mexican restaurant down the street, or the local brewery, or the close-by elementary school, or the nearby tofu shop couldn't sell or use that day. Instead of letting all of this perfectly good food go to waste, they feed it to their livestock and boy, do the animals look healthy. It's reassuring to think that much of the food in the Gig Harbor area isn't getting wasted because the animals at are Creviston Valley Farm are enjoying it. If only we could adopt this model throughout more of the country...

It's a good life for the animals on the Farm: sunshine, grass, and local left-overs

How To Enjoy The Farm

Lalaine and Greg rent out the five bedroom farmhouse on the farm at a rate of $100 per night per couple. Once you reach a rate of $500 per night, you can have up to 14 people sleeping in the farmhouse, comfortably. The house has a beautifully remodeled professional kitchen. You can find more details about the vacation rental and also book your stay at VRBO.
The farm is also rented out for weddings, so wedding guests can stay in the beautiful farmhouse and you can use it as your wedding venue as well, right on this organic farm.
You can purchase some of Lalaine and Greg's delicious local meat through their website or at a local farmer's market in the Gig Harbor area from May to September.
Harvest Festival

We're looking forward to returning to the farm next October for the annual Harvest Festival that goes on during the first Saturday of October. This is a free event that invites the community to come and spend the day on a farm. Kids play with chickens, watch baby pigs, and everyone is welcome to taste some homemade jams and jellies. Creviston Valley Farm is the perfect get-away for so many occasions.

Trillium Creek Winery's quaint tasting room cottage lit up for the hoilday season

Trillium Creek Winery

While you're staying at the farm or otherwise in the area, be sure to check out the Trillium Creek Winery. It's just down the street from the farm. This stop was one that we didn't expect to make on our trip to the Longbranch area, but Lalaine and Greg had so many good things to say about it that we had to check it out.

The winery is only 5 minutes north of the farm. You'll turn down the road just across from the only restaurant in Home, WA: The Home Port Restaurant and Lounge. Then, you'll follow the signs to the winery and you'll end at a traditional French style house in the forest. There you'll meet Claude, a Frenchman, and his wife, Claudia at their vineyard. You'll most likely find them in the wine tasting room that's right next to where you will park your car or perhaps they'll be in the house, just down the drive. Claude and Claudia are extremely friendly and helpful, and are, without a doubt, wine connoisseurs. They'll offer you a free tour of their vineyard and free tastings of their estate wines made in their fifteen hundred square foot wine cellar.

The French style home and vineyard in the winter at Trillium Creek Winery in Lakebay, WA

What Sets The Winery Apart

The couple will teach you how to how they pair delicious local cheese with the wine, and you won't have to spend a penny. You'll learn what types of foods would go best with the a glass of Merlot, Riesling, Syrah, and so on--making this as much an educational experience as it is delicious. One of our favorite parts was when Claude poured us a glass of Syrah and said, "Take a sip," so we did, "now have a bite of this double cream cheddar cheese," so we did, "now taste the Syrah again and it will be as if you're tasting it for the first time." Oh, and it was!

Trillium Creek Winery is unique in the fact that they choose to use fewer sulfites, as a preservative, than other wineries. Trillium Creek does not sell their wine in stores, which makes this possible. Using fewer sulfites in wine keeps people from experiencing headaches, feeling flushed, dizzy, or "tipsy" too easily from wine.
As customers, we are not easily convinced about topics like this, and honestly, we didn't quite believe Claude until we experienced the effects of the lower sulfites for ourselves. But it was true: no headache and no feeling flushed in the face--it was amazing to sip our wine and taste it for its true flavor. Claude told us that this is how most wine is made in France. We bought a bottle of Merlot and have enjoyed every sip. We're planning on make a trip back soon for more of their specialty wine.

A look inside the wine tasting cottage--we love the architecture of this place

Things To Know:

You can get amazing meat, jams, and produce from Creviston Valley Farm
Have your wedding at the farm or enjoy the night away at the farm VRBO
We've never tasted wine as good as we did at Trillium Creek Winery--their Apple Ginger dessert wine is especially delicious
Longbranch is only half an hour or so from Gig Harbor and 45 minutes from Tacoma
This is the perfect place to have a get-away!

The view of Puget Sound at sunset near the winery and the farm

It's completely worth the trip--have a relaxing stay-cation!

Yellowstone Trail: Seattle to Boston -- Red Brick Road Redmond, WA

2011-12-19T16:29:00.001-08:00

Not long ago, we were talking with one of our neighbors about the adventures we've gone on for our blog. His excitement level began to rise as the conversation continued because he hadn't heard of many of the places we had blogged about. After saying, "Thanks for the tips," he started wracking his brain to think of cool places that he's heard of in our area, but has never checked out during his 40 years of living in the Washington State.
The destination he thought of sounded more like a myth than something that could have actually existed. "The Yellowstone Trail," he said, "I think it's out in Duvall somewhere, but I've never gone. Supposedly back in the early 1900's the road went all the way from here to Yellowstone National Park." Our eyes lit up, but with some skepticism. How could, and why would, there be a trail going from Seattle to Yellowstone Park at that point in history? We were determined to find answers, and thus began our Yellowstone Trail journey.

Map of the Yellowstone Trail, credited to the Yellowstone Trail Association

The History of the Route

Through the wonders of the internet, we learned that the Yellowstone Trail was indeed real, and not only did it go from Seattle to Yellowstone National Park, but all the way to Boston Massachusetts. It was the first automobile road in the northern part of the United States that went from coast to coast. The trail was formed in 1913 and was active until about 1930. The Yellowstone Trail was made possible by a grassroots organization, called the Yellowstone Trail Association, which was made up a group of mid-westerners who were tired of not having good, all-weather government roads to use. Together, they pressured the government to create better roads as cars became more popular. Decision-makers came to the conclusion that having a national route that took drivers through the scenic Yellowstone National Park made the most sense. (Learn more from the active members of the Yellowstone Trail Association.)

The one-mile authentic remnant of the Yellowstone Trail in Redmond, WA

The Yellowstone Trail Today

We set out on a cloudy wet winter morning to the historical trail with our jackets and chocolate lab. Google Maps and Bing informed us that we were looking for Red Brick Road (196th NE Ave.) in Redmond, just off of Redmond/Fall City Rd--does Red Brick Rd. remind you of The Wizard of Oz? Yeah, it did for us too. As we came into the valley after driving through downtown Redmond, we knew we had almost arrived when we spotted an old farm house we'd seen in a photo online taken in 1975 of the trail--the same farm house still remains today.

We chose to drive the authentic Red Brick Road first, as it's only a mile long at this point. While bumping along we imagined what it would have been like to be on this exact route in a Model T nearly 100 years ago. The road still maintains the same speed limit as it did back in 1913--25 mph, and we have to tell you, even in today's cars, on a brick road, 25 mph seems pretty fast! We enjoyed the countryside: the horses, donkeys, Great Blue Heron, miniature horses, wetlands, and farm houses. It really is scenic. The rest of the Yellowstone Trail technically still exists, but the majority of the other portions have been repaved and turned into highways and residential streets.

The Red Brick Rd. really is quite picturesque as you drive along--that's golden grass in a nature preserve in the background

When you arrive, breath in the country-fresh air and wrap your mind around the history. This was the only way to travel from Seattle to the East Coast nearly a century ago.

The only identifying sign you'll find at the Yellowstone Trail landmark in Redmond

It Was Worth It
After driving the trail, we jogged it with our dog, who decided that this was an extra-specially good idea. We enjoyed taking the Yellowstone Trail at a slower pace and thoroughly appreciating the scenery around us. When the road turned back into asphalt, we have to admit, we weren't ready for it. You just can't find brick roads around here, and certainly not with this kind of history. The Yellowstone Trail marks an important time in the development of our country's highway system and it's just outside the city. You don't always have to go far to find something new and different.

Our chocolate lab after our jog, loving the trail and loving the exercise

Things To Know:

To find the Yellowstone Trail: Turn left off of Redmond Way (Highway 202) going toward Fall City onto NE 196 NE Ave. (or Red Brick Rd.) the trail will connect you to NE Union Hill Rd.
There is one small historical landmark sign that you might miss if you aren't looking for it, right after the road turns into a brick road
You can drive, ride your bike, walk, or jog on the trail
The brick road portion of the trail is one-mile long

Bring your dog and go enjoy the historic Yellowstone Trail

Not many people know the Yellowstone Trail exists--go make it your own!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Flying Heritage Collection -- Paine Field -- Everett, WA

2011-12-08T12:54:00.001-08:00

My grandfather came into town from Minnesota last week to visit; he's been a pilot for over 50 years. My husband and I always like taking Grandpa on flying-related outings whenever he's in town. Last year we explored the Future of Flight together and he's visited the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in the past. This year we needed something different. Lucky for us we recently heard about Paul Allen's airplanes at Paine Field in Everett: The Flying Heritage Collection. When we arrived at the Flying Heritage Collection, we were escorted back through history and it has now become one of our favorite museums.

A look at the Paul Allen's historic WWII collection of war-time airplanes

The Flying Heritage Collection

Next to all of the giant Boeing hangars, Paul Allen's hangar doesn't appear very big. But, once inside the museum hangar, you'll find they have fit 16 aircraft--mostly from the World War II era-- two WWII army tanks, and two missiles. They also have a replica of SpaceShipOne, the first private-venture rocket ship. State of the art restoration techniques have been used to refurbish these vintage airplanes and other artifacts. Many of the planes have stories. For example, the Messerschmitt BF 109 E-3 (Emil), was found in several pieces buried in sand along the English Channel by a man walking the beach in the late 1980s. With time and the right replacement parts, plus liberal funding, it has been returned to its original form. The planes look as sharp as they did when they were manufactured over 70 years ago.

The WWII tanks at the museum--yes they can still fire and they have armor that's a good 3 inches thick

Free Fly Days
Our tour was lead by a docent, Jack. Jack was extremely well-prepared and superbly informed about each exhibit in the museum. One of the first things Jack told us was that all of the planes were in flying condition and the all tanks could still be driven and fire ammunition, making this more of a functional collection than simply a museum. As we walked around in the museum, mechanics were working on several of the planes, ensuring that they would be in good operating condition for the yearly Free Fly Days that happen every summer. The "Free Fly Days" don't afford the public rides in the plane, but allow you to come and be part of history by witnessing the operation and flight of these historic planes as experienced pilots take off and land the planes just outside the hangar.

Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk: it really was painted with a shark face back during WWII

Plane Stories

Thanks to our docent we learned a great deal about the story behind each plane. Jack offered not only information about the make and model of the plane, but the history of the individual aircraft that stood before us. Every plane narrative was completely unique. From how the plane was used in the war, to what each country wanted to accomplish with their aircraft, to when and how the plane was found and eventually bought by Paul Allen to be restored. The following is one that captivated us and we wanted to share with you.

The Night Witches

The "Night Witches" were female Russian pilots who flew PO-2 biplanes during WWII. These bomber pilots were part of a unit that was entirely operated by women. As you know, for women to fly in direct combat was extremely rare at this time in history. The Soviet Union was the first country to allow women in combat after Stalin approved a plan to use this regiment of young women against the invading Germans. Many of these female pilots were teenagers at the time. The "Night Witches" would fly low over the German soldiers, with the darkness of night on their side, and conduct daring raids on the Germans. They would fly the PO-2 close to the ground, cut off its engine, so as not to attract attention, and release their bomb load as they glided.
While the Night Witches didn't end up causing too much damage, their incessant bombing missions kept the Germans up all night, and reportedly stressed and demoralized the German troops. The German troops were also put out by the fact that these were women conducting the raids, and thus they gave them the name, "The Night Witches." These Russian pilots earned high honors in Russia as being "Heros of the Soviet Union" during the war.

The PO-2 flown by "The Night Witches" during WWII in Soviet Russia

Sworn To Secrecy

Jack told us that even though the Night Witches were seen as heros, they had been sworn to secrecy after the war and were forced to resume their lives as housewives when the war concluded, never to unveil the fact that they were pilots, let alone that they had flown in the war. It wasn't until the late 1980's or 1990's that these female Russian soldiers were able to tell their story. You'll learn even more about the "Night Witches" at the museum when you visit.

Curtis JN-4D Jenny air-craft manufactured in 1918--Amelia Earhart flew a plane like this one

Back To The Collection

We highly recommend asking for a tour guide when you arrive. Your docent will make the history of the airplanes come to life in a way that they may not otherwise. My grandfather, who has studied and known WWII aircraft for many years, said that he learned a great deal from our docent. We are looking forward to returning to the Flying Heritage Collection for their Free Fly Days to hear the planes' motors roar and watch history soar.

Aircrafts in the Collection

• Curtiss JN-4D Jenny

• Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk

• Fieseler Fi 156-C2 Storch

• Focke-Wulf Fw190D-13 Dora

• Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat

• Hawker Hurricane Mk.XIIb

• Ilyushin Il-2M3 Shturmovik

• Messerschmitt163B Komet

• Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 Emil

• Mikoyan MiG-29UB Fulcrum

• Mitsubishi A6M3-22 Reisen (Zero)

• Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa Oscar

• NorthAmerican P-51D Mustang

• PolikarpovI-16 Type 24 Rata

• Polikarpov U-2/Po-2

• RepublicP-47D Thunderbolt

• SupermarineSpitfire Mk.Vc

Artifacts

• Avro Lancaster B Mk.I

• Fieseler Fi 103 V-1

• Fieseler Fi103R (Reichenberg)

• Flak 37 88mm Anti-TankGun

• Jagdpanzer 38(t) (Hetzer)

• KMDB (Main DesignBureau) T-34/85

• Scaled CompositesSpaceShipOne
Newly added pieces include a collection of popular WWII sidearms carried by many pilots in their aircraft to offer some defense in the case of a crash-landing behind enemy lines. These include the venerable Colt M1911A1, the German 9mm Luger P08 pistol carried by many of the German officers and the 9mm Walther P38 pistol. Some of these models are still actively used today in militaries around the world.

Polikarpov I-16 Type 24 "Rata"--this was a very sturdy plane that could handle being shot at much longer than many other planes

Things To Know

Hours: Open daily 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
This is a great outing to take your kids on, especially if they're studying WWII history in school
Free parking on-site
Admission fees: Adults $12, Seniors/Military $10, Youth (6-15 years) $8, Children (5 and under) Free
Free Fly Days: There's usually one in June and in July, and a couple in August and in September—they take out different planes on different days

Directions
From I-5 take the exit to Highway 525 toward the Mukilteo Ferry
Highway 525 will become the Mukilteo Speedway
Turn right onto Beverly Park Road
Follow the "Flying Heritage Collection" Signs to the parking lot
End at: Paine Field 3407 109th Street SW Everett, WA 98204

The "Jenny"--used as a military trainer during WWI and as an airshow plane

There's nothing like experiencing the "real-deal"!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Holiday Time -- Molbak's Nursery at Christmas -- Woodinville, WA

2011-12-03T12:12:00.001-08:00

Molbak's Nursery in Woodinville was not the first place we thought of when we were looking for a holiday-related adventure this December. My husband's mother, who is a garden designer, was the one who suggested we make the trip to the nursery this year to fill ourselves with some good-ol' Christmas spirit http://www.molbaks.com/.
For many years we thought that Molbak's was a place that only garden enthusiasts could truly enjoy. But our preconceived notions were put to shame when we arrived and walked into their winter-time paradise at the nursery.

Molbak's has stunning displays of holiday colors, plants, and decorations

For those who haven't been before, Molbak's is huge--they've connected dozens of greenhouses together to create a warm environment with flowers and plants of all varieties. Their holiday arrangements are fantastic--we couldn't stop snapping pictures next to all of the snowmen, poinsettias, and elaborately decorated Christmas trees.

The jolly snowman wishing everyone Happy Holidays, with vibrant colored plants all around him

One of Molbak's traditions for the last 40 years has been to serve free Danish Kringle that's from Larsen's Dansish Bakery in Ballard http://www.larsensbakery.com/ and coffee to all their customers. Yes, we really do like free things. The best part is...this Danish Kringle is the most amazing pastry either of us had ever tasted! They'll be serving the Kringle and coffee from 11am to 3pm every day until Dec. 23rd.

Danish Kringle--the most incredible pastry we've ever had (get a box for $13)

You can also buy your Christmas tree at the nursery. They have lots to choose from. If you get inspired you can even create a display that looks something like this at your house...

Another beautiful holiday scene at Molbak's

There were more free samples--this time of Ice Apples. Ice Apples are harvested after the first frost to give them an even juicier and sweeter taste. These are Fuji apples that are left on the trees until late October and harvested in Wenachee, WA.

Samples, samples, we love free samples

The nursery has an extensive gift shop, full of lots of holiday items. We've always been enchanted by the miniature Christmas villages. This one had the set up of the town from "A Christmas Story", thus the leg lamp in the background.

"A Christmas Story" village--Molbak's had an extensive collection

Molbak's is a very kid friendly and dog friendly store, other than dogs aren't allowed in the in-store cafe. It seemed as though everyone was enjoying their time there.

Take note that Molbak's has lots of events that happen at this time of year. Many are free or are less than $10 per person for admission http://www.molbaks.com/events.html.

What caught us most by surprise was to find a plethora of tropical plants at the nursery. Banana plants, hibiscus flowers, orchids...we have family that lives in Hawaii so it made us feel a little like we were back in a tropical place for a few seconds to walk through this section of the store. It was fun to mix the tropical feeling with the Christmas-time experience. Thank you Molbak's for having variety.

A hibiscus plant--just one of the many tropical plants at Molbak's

Things To Know:

Definitely a fun place to come, walk around, and take some good holiday pictures
They have free Danish Kringle and coffee served from 11am to 3pm everyday until the 23rd of December
Bring your camera and get your picture taken with Santa from 11am to 3pm on weekends
Molbak's is a dog-friendly business
You can get your dose of paradise by walking through their tropical plant section
There is a cafe with lots of seating
You can find lots of holiday gifts at the gift shop
Learn more at http://www.molbaks.com/

Love those winter-time scenes!

Happy Holidays to one and all!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Hiking -- Mt. Pilchuck -- Snoqualmie National Forest

2011-11-22T10:48:00.001-08:00

Back in third grade, a friend told me that she had climbed to the top of Mount Pilchuck. At first I thought she was joking because I hadn't grown up going on any hikes that were longer than a really good walk--I didn't even realize that you could hike to the top of a mountain. While driving north one day with my parents, I remember asking them which mountain was Mount Pilchuck. They pointed out a mountain in the Cascade chain--that's when I really didn't believe my friend.
My husband and I have continued to eye Mount Pilchuck over the years. Finally we made the decision to hike it after some coaxing from one of our good friends.

The mountain itself is beautiful: tall, with a prominent peak, and rounded slopes--it looks a young child's drawing of a mountain. There's typically some amount of snow on top. According to the ranger we chatted with before our hike, there's snow on the mountain almost every month of the year except late July, August, and the early part of September (if you're lucky). The bottom line is, if you're planning to hike the mountain, be prepared. You'll be going to the mountain's top, which is 5324 feet above sea level with snow, so good waterproof hiking boots are a must.

The forest on Mount Pilchuck covered in snow with views of the Cascade Mountain Range in the background

You'll find the hike off of the Mountain Loop Highway just past the little town of Robe, WA. The road up to the trail is twisty, mostly gravel and climbs quite a bit in elevation as you go. You'll get a few pocket views through the trees on your way up, but the awesome panoramas won't start until you're on the trail.
We hiked in early November and the trailhead was already a bit icy and snowy. On the trail, you'll start off by walking through the forest, jumping over streams, and climbing up hills and dirt stairs. It doesn't take long before the views begin. When you're able to look out and see Everett in the distance, you'll realize just how high up you've already come.
Then, you'll step into Winter Wonderland--truly. The snow will probably be completely covering the trail, the trees, and the rocks. It's like walking into Christmas. We kept climbing and found a good portion of the hike where you follow the trail over boulders. If you have a dog with you like we did, make sure their paws don't slip down between the cracks, one of our biggest concerns. Turned out our chocolate lab did just great navigating his own way.

It was a sunny day when we hiked--here you can see one of the steepest parts of the trail

Next, you'll round the side of the mountain and be greeted with views of the Cascade Mountains to the north. Peaks and valleys, snow and trees, we hadn't ever seen vistas like these. As you go higher, the snow will keep getting deeper. Watch your step because there are portions of the trail that are right next to the cliff and many spots that are quite slippery. A little past the halfway point we could hardly keep up a good pace because the scenery was so amazing. We wanted to stop awhile and take it all in, but it was pretty chilly, so we kept going.

Views looking toward Puget Sound, the islands, and Everett

(For easier hiking bring a dog with you: we found that our lab literally pulled us up the mountain. It's nice to have a built-in escalator system for inclines like this.)

Yup, that's the trail--make sure you are well prepared for the steep inclines before hiking Mount Pilchuck

When you reach the top, the panorama is jaw dropping. You'll feel like you must be in an airplane because you'll have a view of Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, Seattle, and the top of Mount Baker. But, oddly enough, you'll realize, you're still on the ground. It's an unearthly sensation.
If it isn't too slippery, scramble up the boulders and ladder to the lookout tower. You can actually climb down into the building. We were hoping there might be a restaurant or Starbucks in there, but there wasn't.

The white look-out tower beyond the trees at the top of Mount Pilchuck--it's cold up there, but the views are worth it

There are two trails at the top, that goes one to the lookout tower and one to the top of another rock. We took them both to see as much as possible. We felt as though we were at the top of Dr. Suess' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" mountain with sheer cliffs on all sides of us and giant jaggedy rocks on all sides of the Mount Pilchuck's peak.

The Dr. Seuss mountain peak in the background, lichen growing on the rock on the left, and Cascade views in the background

We had imagined there being a good place at the top to eat our lunch. The look-out tower is probably your best bet because frankly, with all the snow, there aren't many places to sit down.

One of our favorite parts of reaching the top of the mountain, looking out and seeing seven eagles flying at the same elevation as we were standing. It's the closest we've ever come to getting a bird's-eye view. Probably one of the best moments of our lives.

We had a lot of fun--carefully--sliding back down the steep mountain in the snow. We all fell several times but mostly on the snow powder. Do be careful, watch your footing, and stop to enjoy the views on the way back down.

This artful slice of the cliff landed here, who knows when

Things To Know:

The round-trip hike to the peak of Mount Pilchuck and back is 5.4 miles
The elevation gain is 2200 feet
Make sure you are prepared for this hike before you attempt it: waterproof hiking boots, enough layers, food, water and plenty of daylight
It's a good idea to chat with the ranger at the Ranger Station that's on the way to the turn-off to the hike
You'll need a Northwest Forest Pass to park at the trailhead (this is different than the Discover Pass) you can buy it at the Ranger Station
Dogs are allowed on leash
This is not a hike to go on if it's snowing, raining, or if the conditions are at all chancy
For current conditions on the trail visit: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-pilchuck

Our chocolate lab enjoying the hike--as soon as we reached the bottom it was as if he was saying "Are you ready to do it again?!"

This is a phenomenal trail to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Wineries & Tasting Rooms -- Desmodus Vena Winery -- Woodinville, WA

2011-11-17T13:25:00.001-08:00

Woodinville Wines -- Desmodus Vena

If you haven’t heard, wine is a big deal in Woodinville. Maybe there are some natural spirits floating down the Sammamish River that have drawn more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms to set up shop in Woodinville, Washington. At any rate, all these wineries share the same passion for crafting superb wine.

In our first wine article we will be covering a small family grown winery founded by two friends, Michael and Pasha, the Desmodus Vena Winery www.desmodusvena.com. We've known Michael for many years after taking classes at the University of Washington together. He and Pasha have been making wine since 2004, and boy, do they work hard to bring you the best possible product. They run a small "home-grown" operation in the cellar of Micheal's family's house. You can reserve a bottle of their finest here.

Grape Crushing
Michael and Pasha invited us to join them for their annual fall grape crushing event and lend a hand in the first steps of wine the making process. For anyone who hasn't done any grape crushing before, we aren't talking the take your shoes off and start stomping kind of grape crushing--there are much more efficient and cleaner ways of going about the it these days (thankfully)...

Sorting good grapes from bad ones so the best can be crushed for wine

All of the grapes that are used in their wines come from Riverbend Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope along the Columbia River in Washington State. After the grapes arrived we hand sorted them to remove dead grapes and leafy debris from grape bunches, leaving only the juiciest ones.
Once grapes were sorted we delivered them by the bucketful to the stem removal and crushing machine where the grapes became a juicy mash. This is where the wine crafters took over.

The grape crushing event happened over Halloween weekend, so Micheal is running the grape crushing machine while styling part of his vampire costume

How to Make Wine

Next, the newly created grape mash was added to one of several fermentation tubs where it was mixed with fermentation additives and kept at specific temperatures throughout the fermentation process.

Big tubs of crushed grapes getting mixed before being allowed to ferment

After the initial fermentation process the wine is then syphoned out into smaller 5-gallon carboy containers where the next fermentation process can be closely monitored.

Grape juice being fermenting in the cellar (Photo courtesy of Desmodus Vena)

When the time comes, Michael and Pasha employ all their trade secrets and let the wine age to perfection so they can bottle their finished product.

Michael and Pasha bringing you another year's worth of amazing wine (Photo courtesy of Desmodus Vena)

We'll Be Back

We had an incredible time participating in the future of Desmodus Vena. We ate great food, enjoyed wonderful company, and tasted their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon--which was fabulous. We are excited to come back next year to crush more grapes, and you can too. This is a low-key and fun event. One of the guests remarked while we were there, "There aren't many things like this these days that bring people together over a harvest-time tradition. I like that wine is still one of those things."

Desmodus Vena truly knows how to make wonderful wine (Photo courtesy of Desmodus Vena)

Things To Know

To learn more about Desmodus Vena or subscribe to their wine club email: info@desmodusvena.com
Once part of their wine club you will get all the updates on exciting events like their grape crushing event
Desmodus Vena is a small home-grown company that strives for excellence.

To reserve a bottle visit: http://desmodusvena.com

There's nothing quite like GOOD wine!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Sports -- School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts -- Georgetown Seattle, WA

2011-11-13T17:03:00.001-08:00

What Is SANCA

Are you looking to try something completely different? Trying to find a place to get some exercise, have some fun, and learn new skills at the same time? Well, we think we may have found what you've been the place--SANCA--it's The School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts, and we've never seen anything like it in the Seattle area before http://www.sancaseattle.org/. SANCA is a gym for people to come once or visit for years to learn about the flying trapeze, juggling, walking the tightrope, unicycling, climbing fabrics--pretty much if you can imagine it, you can figure out a way to do it at SANCA.

Our Arrival--The Flying Trapeze

We took I-5 to the Georgetown exit to get to SANCA in South Seattle. If you haven't been to Georgetown, it's an industrial area mostly made up of office buildings and warehouses. We followed our directions and after several turns found a giant white tent that read, "SANCA" on the side. We had arrived-- well almost. We headed into the white tent and discovered one big open space where people were practicing the flying trapeze. Students would climb up a 25 foot ladder onto a small platform, grab hold of a suspended bar and take off into the air. The student would then transfer from their bar to another person swinging on a trapeze across from them. When all was said and done, they'd let go, fall, and the net below them would gently cradle their landing.

The red dot in the picture is a woman on the flying trapeze around 25 ft in the air--she will flip and then fall into the net below

What They're All About

"Wow, what an intro to SANCA," we said to each other. We'd been so captivated by the trapeze that we'd forgotten to let anyone know that we had arrived. That's when we learned that this was not main building of SANCA; so we made our way to the gym very close to the tent where we found a small shop, offices, and lockers for people's gear.

This is where we met Jo, the founder of SANCA. She told us that she started taking an adult gymnast class about 10 years ago and she learned the incredible ways she could stay in shape mentally and physically through the circus arts. That's when the Seattle Acrobatic and New Circus Arts was born. SANCA is run as a non-profit organization and they work with people of all ages, skills, and abilities. They encourage families to attend classes together and they've even worked with people who are blind, with paraplegics, and with people who have autism. Basically, if you want to take part, SANCA will help make it happen.

Jo is a nurse practitioner by background and is very dedicated to helping youth all the way to adults stay healthy in fun and enjoyable ways. To give you and idea of SANCA's size, they have nearly 750 students participate in classes every week, and an additional 250 people come for one-time classes like the Flying Trapeze class or the Join the Circus for the Day class each week. A few students will go on to join larger circuses, such as the Montreal National Circus http://www.nationalcircusschool.ca/en/home, but most people who attend classes do it as a hobby, sport, or for exercise.

The SANCA store in the main office of the gym; just a glimpse of what's to come

The SANCAthon

The day that we were visiting, they were putting on their annual SANCAthon fundraising event to raise money for their youth scholarship fund. The money helps youth from low-income families attend classes at SANCA. These youth have the opportunity to stay in shape, create and reach goals, and learn skills such as patience, persistence, and teamwork. These abilities can be applied to dozens of spheres throughout their lives and help them grow in many ways.

To raise money for the SANCAthon, organizations, such as Children's Hospital, pledge a certain amount of money if the instructors and students of SANCA complete different challenges. One challenge was to perform a marathon's worth of cartwheels--that's 26 miles and 385 yards. Another was to have people climb their 20 foot tall rope the number of feet it would take to get to the top of Mt. Rainier--that's 14, 411 ft. Another challenge was having people do 50 catches of one another on the flying trapeze within two hours. All of these challenges were so captivating to watch.

Find Your Kind of Fun

We were impressed walking around SANCA to see all the different activities that go on there. Maybe you can find a couple here that suit your fancy too:

At SANCA you could climb a rope, juggle, be creative with the fabrics, stand on a globe ball (see the image below), hula hoop, do flips on the trampoline, walk the tightrope...

Just look all the activities you can do at SANCA--we loved how lively it was in the gym

...or you could walk the tight-rope with a hula hoop, do cartwheels, swing on the suspended swing, try out the balance-beam, learn to spin plates, unicycle...

A woman testing her tight-rope abilities by hula hooping on the rope as she walks

...climb onto your partner's shoulders, and do a handstand off of his hands...there's so much more, but the list would become too long if we kept going. The best part is, you don't have to have superpowers to do any of it. Jo made it clear to us that you just need the willingness to try and to keep trying.

Jo and her partner, Chuck, demonstrating the mid-air handstand

When we asked Jo, what this novel experience--at least to newcomers--is like for her week after week she replied, "It feels more like a privilege to get to help people. We have a lot of fun."

What This Means For You

There are many ways to try out SANCA http://www.sancaseattle.org/. Here are a few:

Try out their Join the Circus for a Day class to see if this is something that grabs your attention
If you're looking for an adrenaline rush the Flying Trapeze class is for you
To get more involved and become a regular at SANCA, sign up for one of their on-going classes--their instructors are phenomenal
If you are looking for a gym for your kids to take classes, this is the place for you--it's affordable and there are dozens of possibilities

Things To Know:

SANCA is in the Georgetown industrial district of South Seattle
SANCA is for people of all ages and abilities; they are happy to work with people who have special needs
Their classes are a great work-out and highly affordable
They offer scholarships/work-study for youth as well as adults
You are bound to learn many new skills at the Seattle School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts and have fun learning them

Choose your circus event and get started having fun

What a great way to stay in shape, rain or shine!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Guest Blogger: Diver Dan -- Keystone Underwater Park -- Whidbey Island

2011-11-09T23:02:00.000-08:00

About Diver Dan

Hello everyone and welcome to the first installment of Diver Dan’s “Diving Around the Sound” articles. First of all, I’ll tell you a little about myself and how I became such an avid diver. Being from Florida, I grew up fishing, surfing, boating, basically doing anything on the water. For years I spent the weekends offshore fishing Jacksonville and I always wondered what the ocean looked like a hundred feet below me. I was curious as to what kind of creatures and wonders lay beneath my feet.

When I was fourteen, I convinced my father to get SCUBA certified with me. Since then, I have logged over 500 dives in places like the Florida Keys, various Florida freshwater springs, Newfoundland, the Great Lakes, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Cay Sal Bank, the Gulf of Mexico, and now Puget Sound. I cannot say which dive site is my favorite as all are unique and have totally different things to see. One thing is for certain, what we have here in Puget Sound is a real treasure and I implore anyone with an adventurous spirit to get into diving.

Diver Dan getting ready to go for a dive in Puget Sound

Diving Keystone Underwater Park

My first post will focus on a dive site just a short drive from the Seattle Metro area on Whidbey Island called Keystone Underwater Park. Keystone Underwater Park consists of two main dive areas. One area is the old wharf and the other is the rock jetty and both are easily accessible from the shore. This is another wonderful thing about diving Puget Sound; a boat is not necessary! Just pull your car up within 25 feet of shore, put your dive gear on, and jump in.

Welcome to the wild aquarium of Puget Sound, where sea stars and sea anemones await

What to Expect

To start the dive, begin at the old wharf and make your way over to the jetty. The pier maxes out at a depth of 25 feet so it is shallow and inviting to divers of all skill levels. When diving the pier, you can casually float through the pilings and examine all of the different critters that have made the old pilings their home. Various species of crab, barnacles, soft corals, and anemones call the old wharf their home. At the end of the wharf on the deeper side, schooling rockfish can be seen among the bull kelp in the summer. When they are present, I love to lie on my back and observe the rockfish with the sun shining through the water, something you may want to try.

Once you have fully explored the old wharf, there is a rope that will lead you from the southwest corner of the wharf all the way to the jetty. The swim takes about five minutes to get to the jetty so keep a look out for sculpins and flounder that try to camouflage themselves in the sea bottom. The jetty can get to a max depth of 55 feet so it is a bit more advanced than the wharf.

A giant Lingcod in action--these guys can get to be up to 5 or 6 ft in length

Check out the Creatures

The rock jetty is a perfect place to see behemoth Lingcod and one of Puget Sound’s most sought after critters, the Giant Pacific Octopus. Be sure to take your time and examine every nook and cranny of the jetty for these amazing creatures. If you come face to face with an ugly grey, elongated fish looking thing, don’t be alarmed, you’ve just come across a Wolf Eel! Wolf Eels may be ugly and menacing looking, but they are gentle (not if you’re a mussel however) and are very photogenic.

Sea stars come in all shapes and sizes--this one is particularly large!

As you make your way along the jetty it’s probably time to go back to shore as you’re probably running low on air. On your way back, swim further away from the jetty and marvel at the different colors of anemones, sea stars, and soft corals. When you get back to shore, there is a hot shower in the bathrooms located just a short walk away. This is especially nice if you dive in a wetsuit.

Things To Know:

Keystone Park is a state park so you should have a Discover Pass, available for purchase online.
Be aware that there is no diving after dusk without a permit so plan ahead if you want to do a night dive.
You can get to Keystone Underwater Park by either going through Anacortes and over, the very scenic, Deception Pass or the more direct route by taking the ferry from Mukilteo over to Whidbey Island.

Is SCUBA for You?

If you are not SCUBA certified and would like to learn more, there are many local dive shops around the Seattle area that offer beginning SCUBA classes. Because I dive around the Mukilteo area a lot, I like to use Evergreen Dive Service http://everdive.com/. Chad, the owner, is very knowledgeable and can point you in the right direction. Not sold yet on this diving thing? Consider attending the next monthly meeting of the Moss Bay Dive Club in Kirkland. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Wilde Rover Pub in Kirkland and we would love to have you join us. http://www.meetup.com/MossBayDiveClub/

A fish hiding behind his piece of algae, attempting to blend in

Well folks, this concludes the first article of Diver Dan’s “Diving Around the Sound”. If you have any questions, comment below and I will be happy to answer!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Hiking -- Cougar Mountain -- Issaquah, WA

2011-11-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Cougar Mountain is, in our minds, one of the best examples of a place where the city and the wilderness come together to create a stunning hike-able area without needing to drive hours to get there. In fact, after passing I-405 on I-90 you only drive 3 additional miles to you reach the exit for the Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead, which is the trailhead we visited most recently. There are three other trail access points that you'll find on the King County Parks website that all connect with each other if you're willing to hike long enough and far enough to get there.

From the base, Cougar Mountain looks like a big forested hill. It's not until you start to climb it in your car that you realize just how big it is. On your way up to the Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead, you'll pass by residential neighborhoods, an elementary school, and perhaps begin to wonder how on earth this is going to turn into 3100 acres of wilderness. Just keep driving, you're about to find out. Right before you reach the beginning of the park you'll be greeted with amazing views of Lake Sammamish and realize how far up you've come. The trail you're headed to is 1430 ft above sea-level, making this seem more and more like a real mountain all the time.

Beautiful views of Lake Sammamish await you on your drive up Cougar Mountain

When you arrive at the trailhead, you'll see the ranger office off to the right, trees, trails, a hitching post for your horse, as well as a large field to the northwest with picnic tables. We decided to go down the Tibbetts Marsh Trail. We recently adopted a chocolate lab, so we were super tuned-in to the fact that the trails on Cougar Mountain are indeed dog-friendly. We traversed the trail, down a hill and across a couple of log bridges. We felt completely safe because the bridges were wide enough and had hand-rails, so no worries there. You'll find that Cougar Mountain is a place that's really well marked due to all the trails you can take throughout the park. There are maps available when you get to the park, but you can look at one online too. We decided to make our way the the clay pit mining area that was in operation over 70 years ago.

Our new dog, on his first hike with us at Cougar Mountain--he did great!

After a little more than a mile you'll reach the big clay pit which we think is very cool. You'll find pieces of sandstone all over the area here. The sandstone is lovely with different colored stripes throughout it, but when you go to pick up a piece of it and it'll crumble in your hands--one of nature's phenomena. You'll also find great views of the mountains from here on clear days.

The view from the end of the Clay Pit Road--mountains and sandstone await

There's even a little pond in the clay pit, but be aware that if you decide to approach it'll probably be pretty mushy around the water's edge because it doesn't drain well through the clay.

It's difficult to express just how many trail options you have on Cougar Mountain. On our way back we chose to take Cougar Pass Trail to Anti-Aircraft Ridge Trail for some different scenes. For the record, Anti-Aircraft Ridge Trail is a lot more level than than the Tibbetts Marsh Trail. We were back to our car before we knew it.

Here you can see just how carved out the clay pit is in the background

We thought the natural side of Cougar Mountain was spectacular. Because there are so many trails, you can't see it all in one day, so we're looking forward to going back and exploring more of the mountain.

Things To Know:

Cougar Mountain Park is over 3100 acres
There are TONS of trails to explore
The trails are dog-friendly and many allow horseback riding, but no biking is allowed
You can find a map to the park online on at the trailhead
There are four trailheads to choose from on Cougar Mountain

Directions:

To get to the Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead take I-90 East
Exit at Exit 13 onto Lakemont Blvd. SE for 2.5 miles
Turn left onto Cougar Mountain Way
Continue past the housing developments
Turn right onto SE Cougar Mountain Drive immediately after passing the elementary school
Continue up the steep road until you reach the end
Here you'll find the trailhead

A colorful swirling stump we found on the trails with little orange mushrooms growing on it

You don't always have to travel far to reach the wilderness!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Free Bikes -- Marymoor Park -- Redmond, WA

2011-10-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Marymoor Park

Do you ever wish you could just hop on a bike and cruise the town? You know, like you see in touristy pictures from Europe--people biking without any particular goal in mind as they peddle, breathing in the fresh air, and living life at a different pace for a change. Well it's not Europe, and it's not as far away either, but Marymoor Park in Redmond lets you do just that.

If you've been to the Marymoor before, you know how expansive the park is with 640 acres of recreational activities. They've got rugby, soccer and football fields, playgrounds, a stage for concerts...this blog post will cover only a few of the many of things to do at Marymoor Park by bike.

Details on the Bike Program

The Marymoor Bike Program is sponsored by Dasani Water, and essentially lets you borrow one of the park's 20 or so bikes to ride around the grounds, on the trail, or cruise through town.

We first discovered the bike program about a year ago while looking for something new to do one weekend that was still within our budget (preferably free.) We found it by looking through the parks on the King County website. Little did we know we had just stumbled across a jackpot of fun. Because of these bikes we've gotten to explore so much around Lake Sammamish that we wouldn't have otherwise seen.

The bikes we borrowed at Marymoor Park through their bike program; we're all set to go after taking them out of the Dasani sponsered lockers

The Logistics

To have access to the bikes, all you have to do is fill out a form, take it to the park office, and bring a helmet to use. (Find that form here.) Then you'll be given a card with a magnetic strip, like a credit card. This card will allow you to come back to use a bike anytime you want. Next, track down the lockers located near the velodrome that's for track cycling. Swipe your card, take out your bike, and you're all set. Do be sure to check the tires for enough air before you take off.

Let the Adventure Begin...

It was at this point that we realized just how many options there are for biking in this area and how much there is to see. We've biked on the East Lake Sammamish Trail in the past, so on our most recent visit we decided to stay in the park. We started off by riding over to the rock climbing walls and admiring the towering cement cliffs. It looks like a rock climber's dream with such a variety of faces, grips, and angles. This is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Outdoor rock climbing walls at the park with lots of variety

The Bikes

We hopped back on our bikes and rode toward the park's main entrance to a windmill we'd seen on our way in. These bikes are a beach cruiser style and are surprisingly comfortable to ride with their cushy wide seats and taller handlebars. One of our favorite parts of riding them is they have the classic back-peddle brakes and are fixed-gear so you are indeed cruising. We did test them out though and they do handle quite well on the grass because of their wider tires.

Passing by the beautiful old windmill at the park

The History of the Windmill and Mansion

We curved around on the trail, passed the park office, and headed toward the huge Dutch-inspired windmill. We learned from the park's website that way back when, Marymoor Park used to be the Willowmoor Farm and country estate. This windmill is one of the remnants that you'll find around the park from the old estate. Apparently it never served as a functioning windmill.

As you continue on the trail you'll see the Clise Mansion on your left. We love pieces of history like this...James Clise was a Seattle banker who bought the estate back in 1904 to use as a hunting lodge. Gradually over the years, the lodge grew to be a 28-room mansion. Clise used the farm to breed Morgan horses and Scottish Ayrshire cattle but then sold the estate in 1920. After several owners, the farm became known as Marymoor, after the farm's operator's daughter. The land was going to be sold for development in 1959, but King County Parks bought it and here we are.

Today, the Clise Mansion is used for tons of events including weddings. If we hadn't already had our wedding this would have been one of the top venues on our list, if we only had known about it. It's actually affordable, by wedding standards anyway. If you are making plans to get hitched soon check it out.

The Clise Mansion in afternoon the sunlight, surrounded by grass fields and century old trees

Dog Park and Doggie Washing Station

After enjoying the mansion we were on our way to the 40 acre off-leash dog park, which twists along the Sammamish River. If you have a water dog there's lots of dog swimming area as you make your way along the trail.

As we continued riding we found that right next to dog area is a doggie wash station called Wash Spot. Yes a dog grooming business in the park, the perfect place to clean up your dog after Rover goes for a swim and rolls in the dirt or gallops in the mud. It's a self-serve dog cleaning station created by the park system. They charge $9 for the basic 8-minute dog wash and the prices go up from there. There are large glass garage doors so you can look in on the operation of dirty dogs becoming spotless pooches. Oh yea, if you need some coffee, there's also little espresso stand by the dog park entrance; apparently the dog area is popular enough to sustain some business.

You can get your dog washed right in the park after using the 40 acre off-leash dog area

Community Garden

It doesn't stop there. As we continued riding we reached the community garden at Marymoor; it was just lovely in the October sunlight. This pea patch is run by community members and allows people to rent 10ft by 40ft plots of land to grow flowers, vegetables, raspberries, corn...pretty much any kind of produce you can imagine. We enjoyed walking through it and seeing how each individual plot was different from the last. People really take the plot on as if it were their own backyard by adding trellises, decor, fences--it was all very impressive. The gardens are in operation from April through October every year. To learn more visit http://marymoorgarden.org/.

The community garden at Marymoor Park--rent a piece of land to grow anything you want--well, almost anything

The R/C Air Field

Our last destination was the radio control air field in the park where the Marymoor Radio Control Club members practice flying their model airplanes. The field is huge and the best part is the big open sky above that allows the planes to buzz around. The operators are very good and will put on a quite a show by making their planes soar up, do flips, dive-bomb, fly upside down...it's a little like watching the Blue Angels on a smaller scale.

The R/C airfield at Marymoor Park is a great place to watch the model air flying on most clear days

Wrapping Up

When we were all done we rode the bikes back to the lockers, swiped our cards, and put the bikes away. It was as simple as that.

There's so much more that we didn't cover in this post, but that's for you to discover and enjoy.

Things To Know:

Parking at Marymoor is $1.00 for the day
There are kids' playgrounds in several spots in the park
There's a 40-acre off-leash dog area--it doesn't get much better than that for a dog
These bikes are free and you can come back again and again to ride
There are lots of trails you can ride on including the Burke-Gilman and the East Lake Sammamish Trail

It's a cheap, fun way to spend an relaxing afternoon

Have a great ride!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Vodka & Whiskey Tasting -- Woodinville, WA

2011-10-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

Not Only Wine Country Anymore

We've all heard the stories of prohibition; of people making moonshine in their cellar. We've heard about the secret societies that began just so people could get together to make more of their favorite whiskey. Businesses that built secret doors and passageways taking you to lavish rooms centered around liquor making and drinking. Woodinville, in its own way, has now jumped onto this bandwagon because it's no longer just a wine town--it's a moonshine town (well at least a legal moonshine town...if that's possible.) Since about 2008, five distilleries have popped up in Woodinville, each with their own unique product and flavors of vodka, whiskey, grappe (a distilled grape-based liquor,) and gin--what a happy surprise! The distilleries offer tours of their facilities and their tastings are free (whereas wine tasting is $5 to $15 these days.)

The shop at Project V Distillery and Sausage Co.--dimly lit and inspiring...

Project V Distillery and Sausage Co.

On a Sunday afternoon, we started off by going to Project V Distillery and Sausage Company to learn all about their vodka production http://www.projectvdistillery.com/. When you walk up to the distillery from the parking lot, you'll see a business park, when you step inside though, you'll be greeted with an intimate shop, not to mention the nice people offering you a taste of their Single Silo Vodka. For the record, a taste was about 1/8 of a shot glass, so you won't get tipsy on this experience; this is about how much vodka connoisseurs serve after supper at a dinner party anyway. We felt a little like we were walking into a moonshine operation from prohibition because of the dim lighting and all the barrels and equipment you can see through the old doors at the back of the shop. It definitely put us in the right mood.

Highly complex still set up at Project V Distillery--it's another rendition of a chemistry lab

Project V's Background

We met with Al, one of the owners. He said that their business did originally grow from the moonshine they made in their garage. The small operation had gotten out of hand causing them to need a bigger place to work, so in the fall of 2010, Project V opened for business.
All the artwork you'll see when you're walking around the place was done by close friends and family, including Al's kids--it's fun, catches your eye, and really adds a lot. One of our favorite things about their decor is that they chose to use an old VW van as a storage locker for some of their supplies--ingenious!

A glimpse of Project V Distillery--the VW van behind us is their clever storage unit for their vodka supplies

How It Works

It turns out that everything Project V does is crafted by hand--literally everything--even their stills were built by the owners. They use wheat grain from Al's wife's uncle's fourth generation farm in Withrow, WA. The kernels have a low protein, high starch content. The wheat is broken apart and made into a mash. Part of that mash is perfect food for pigs, hence the Sausage portion of the company name. Just so you know, the pigs are still plumping up so don't plan on sausage for another month or two. The remaining solution from the mash is allowed to ferment and becomes vodka after a few carefully planned runs through the still. It's fun to see the chemistry in action and to watch everything bubble.
Al told us more about what we were looking at...the liquid condenses from the vapor that comes from the fermented grain product. Once it condenses the liquid falls down the copper tubes since it's heavy, and the vapor at the bottom of the tube rises back to the top, starting the process all over again. This whole cycle works to get rid of those fusel oils that make that awful nail polish remover taste that cheap liquors can have. In the end you're only left with ethanol, since vodka is mostly ethanol.

A picture of Al showing us how they use a bathtub and a perforated bag to separate out the grain mill from the solution for your vodka

The Products

Al told us that their business crafts 350 bottles of vodka per week. Now, I'm not much of a hard liquor drinker, but our friends said that it was some of the best vodka they'd ever had. Again, these are free tastings here. We really enjoyed the Single Silo that we'd had on the way in--it's good and smooth. The Double Silo is for those who feel a bit more adventurous, just due to its strength. Our very favorite was the Single Silo with the Chai Infusion. The infusion mix is also hand-made and is packed full of honey candies, cinnamon, and vanilla giving the vodka an even more complex flavor. It's a little like having a mixed drink, yet, you're still drinking straight vodka--definitely a winner. If a taste of any of these isn't enough, you can take a bottle home for between $29 and $80.
A Tip: To avoid the rush, get there before 2pm in the afternoon on the weekends for a more personalized tour--you'll get to taste no matter when you show up during business hours though, so no worries there.

The German-made still at Woodinville Whiskey Co., used for whiskey and vodka

Woodinville Whiskey Co.

After, that phenomenal experience, we headed to Woodinville Whiskey Co. http://www.woodinvillewhiskeyco.com/, which operates on a slightly larger scale, and boy, was it packed on a Sunday afternoon. They have one official tour each day Wed. through Sun. at 4pm, but tasting is open anytime from 12-5pm. We really enjoyed their Willy Wonka Factory style stills. We got to try their Peabody Vodka and their un-aged Headlong White Dog Whiskey. On their tour we learned about the same process as we just seen at Project V, since Woodinville Whiskey Co. makes vodka in addition to whiskey. It was fun to see their char oak barrels where they age their whiskey--it'll really be a treat when their two-year aged whiskey is ready soon. We didn't get a chance to chat too much with the folks at Woodinville Whiskey Co. because of the volume of visitors, but they do invite people to ask questions on their tours, so you'll have plenty of time for that when you're there.

"Prove It"

One of our favorite things about visiting Woodinville Whiskey was learning the history of the word "proof" in regards to alcohol content. Apparently, back in the 18th century, customers would ask the bartender to "prove" that an alcohol had not been watered down. So the bartender would take a teaspoon of gun powder and pour alcohol over it, then light it on fire. If the substance exploded into a ball of fire then the alcohol became a "proof spirit", if not it was deemed "under proof". There. Your history lesson for the day!

Aging whiskey in char oak barrels at Woodinville Whiskey Co.

Our Last Stop

Our last stop was at Soft Tail Spirits http://softtailspirits.com/. We hadn't expected to go to three distilleries in one day, but we were on a roll! Soft Tail Spirits is located in a quaint log-style home that's been converted into an inviting tasting room. Their vodka has a different taste than the previous distilleries we visited, allowing us to see how varied the flavors can be. This was really neat...after one of their spirits they'll have you follow it up with a chocolate cover espresso bean to help bring out the complexity of the flavor. This was the perfect way to end our spirit experience for the day.

Soft Tail Spirits has four different vodkas and grappas for you to try...

At all three distilleries, we were impressed by the true passion the distillers have for their work. It's science, art and craft, all wrapped into one. This is definitely something to explore on a cloudy or rainy Seattle day.

Things To Know:

Project V Distillery will be celebrating their one year anniversary on Nov. 13th--a celebration is definitely in order
These distilleries have created a 'just stop by' kind of environment
Be aware that these tours do involve a good deal of standing, but there are chairs in the shop portions of the businesses to sit down in.
Don't miss out on the wine opportunities in the area as well

The Distilleries

There are a total of five distilleries in Woodinville and four are open for tours and tasting:

Project V Distillery and Sausage Company (vodka and sausage) http://www.projectvdistillery.com/

Open Sat. & Sun. 12-5pm

Woodinville Whiskey Company (whiskey and vodka) http://www.woodinvillewhiskeyco.com/

Open Wed. through Sun. 12-5pm (tours at 4pm daily)

Soft Tail Spirits (vodka and grappe) http://softtailspirits.com/

Open Sat. & Sun. 12-5pm

Pacific Distillery (gin) http://pacificdistillery.com/

Open Sat. 12-3pm

The Kentucky copper still at Soft Tail Spirits--each still is so different

Have fun--spirit tasting is truly unique!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Hiking -- Twin Falls -- North Bend, WA

2011-10-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

If your looking for a hike for this weekend that isn't too far from the city, Twin Falls is the hike for you. The waterfalls will knock your socks off...no joke...

The hike begins along the Snoqulamie River, where you'll have several chances to get down by the riverside

The view of the 150ft Twin Falls from the platform that stands high above the river

The main falls is so large that you can't quite capture it all in one shot--it's a stunning drop

Things To Know:

You need a Discover Pass to park in the lot or $5.00 for a day pass at the trailhead (checks accepted)
The hike is 2.7 miles round-trip
This is a great hike for any time of the year
We saw a bunch of kids on this hike from toddler age up
As long as your dog is on a leash, you're good
The pay-off is incredible!

Directions:

Take I-90 East toward Spokane

Take exit 34 and turn right onto 468th Ave. S.E.

Drive for 1/2 mile and turn left just before the bridge

Continue on S.E. 159th St. for 1/2 mile until you reach the end of the road

The trailhead will be right there

The extra prizes you'll find if you walk above the main falls: more waterfalls!

Enjoy the falls!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Extreme Sports -- iFLY Indoor Skydiving -- Tukwila, WA

2011-10-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

What it Means to Fly

Have you ever dreamed of flying? Not the kind of flying where you're encompassed by an airplane--flying where it's just you, up in the air--floating--falling, diving, rising--arms stretched out--feeling the wind against your face...Now there's a place where this dream can become your reality. At iFLY Indoor Skydiving, you will experience lift-off thanks to the fastest wind tunnel in the world, right here in Seattle. http://www.iflyseattle.com/.

This is the kind of place that grabs hold of your attention and doesn't let go--we were so curious to learn more about iFLY after the short report done by Komo 4 News not long ago. We contacted iFLY and they were extremely accommodating, giving us a tour of the facility. This article is the compilation of our thrilling adventure, which will so easily become your own adventure. So, prepare to be amazed, and to learn that skydiving isn't something you just cross off your bucket list--it's a sport, and you can come back again and again.

iFLY is hard to miss as you travel from SeaTac on I-405; it's right next to Southcenter Mall and the tallest, most unique looking building around

The Sport

When we arrived at iFLY we expected to find an entertainment center, a place where people come to fly once and then tell their friends that they've done it, just like most people do with typical skydiving. Little did we know that we had just stepped into a skydiving arena. A place where avid skydivers come and practice their falls, their technique, and routines for skydiving competitions (yes skydiving competitions--this a competitive sport--we had no idea either!).

As we watched the flying instructors soar up and down the 50 ft tall wind chamber we realized that, just like birds, people have to train their body to stay in certain positions on the air to stay balanced; you don't just go into the wind tunnel with a Superman pose and take off. You have to actively fly by changing your position so you go where you want to and it's a work-out. Without a doubt, this is real flying; not just a simulator.

A video we took of a flying instructor who's gotten this good in only a few months; which means you can do it too

The Inspiration
We met with the owners of iFLY Seattle, Bill and Lysa, and they told us that they have been big into skydiving for nearly 20 years. Lysa said that after the first time she went skydiving, she found herself going 120 mph on freeway from the adrenaline rush she was feeling. Her words of advice, "Make sure you have someone who wasn't skydiving do the driving."
The couple said that when they first found out that vertical wind tunnels were going commercial, and weren't just serving as military training tools anymore, Lysa and Bill said to each other, "If only we could put one of those in our backyard!" So they did...basically. They said that their kids have gotten so good at the sport that Lysa says,"Sometimes I think they're better than me."
The best part of the wind tunnel for flying enthusiasts is that the amount time one can fly lasts longer than a regular free-fall from a plane. When skydiving, the free-falling portion, before the parachute, is only about 45 seconds, but once you get good at the wind tunnel, you can fly for several minutes. People don't start out very long in the vertical wind tunnel, because if you do, you'll be pretty sore the next day. But once you've got it down, like the flying instructors do, your muscle memory and strength will allow you to fly longer and truly defy gravity.

Standing inside the flying tunnel with 50 feet of tunnel above, bouncy metal mesh below, and party room in the background--talk about a dream!

Changing Lives
Schools
iFLY is not only a place to come for fun or sport, but a place to learn and a place where life changing events happen. In a matter of a couple short months, iFLY will begin their educational program, thanks to their education director. Groups of students will be able to come to iFLY on field trips and learn about the practical applications of subjects, like physics, in the real world. For instance, they will learn about terminal velocity and why differently shaped objects or differently weighted objects fall at different rates. Using the vertical wind tunnel as a tool, iFLY will be able to conduct demonstrations of these scientific principles. One of the best parts of the field trip will be that the students (elementary to high school) will also get the chance to fly, which as Lysa tells us, can easily be turned into a language arts assignment as the students write about their exhilarating experience flying.
Making Life Better
We found out that the very same day we got our tour of iFLY, a filming group had been there creating a documentary on a paraplegic's life. The gentleman had been an avid skydiver before an accident that made it impossible to move the lower half of his body. iFLY took up the challenge to help this man fly because this is a place where the staff wants to help anyone with an interest in flying get the chance to actually do it. They took the necessary steps to keep him as safe and balanced as possible. The man said that he felt a sense of independence that he hadn't experienced in years. This is extremely representative of iFLY's staff--truly caring individuals who want to make a difference in people's lives.

Everyone should go and try flying least once; if you get hooked, well, you may be back time and time again like this woman http://www.iflyseattle.com/

Behind the Scenes
While visiting, we had the opportunity to learn how this state of the art wind tunnel really works. We climbed up the side of the building through a series of four levels of ladders and platforms to get to the very top where we could see the four giant turbo jets up close and personal. These jets create the wind for your flying experience. All together, the four jets generate 2400 horsepower of energy (as a frame of reference, a car typically has 150-200 hp--so we're talking heavy duty power). This energy allows for winds up to 230 mph which lifts you onto a cushion of air, giving you the power to fly.

After scrambling up ladders we made it to the top of the building to find the fans that propel the wind for the tunnel and a bird's eye view on the body fliers

What This Means For You
Many people who come to iFLY make comments like, "I just had a dream last night that I was flying--this is so cool--now I really am!" iFLY recently opened in the middle of August 2011, making it one of the greatest new inventions to come to Seattle in a long time. There are lots of different ways to experience it:

You and your friends or family can make a visit to try flying for the first time. The price of admission includes the body suit, the instructors will give you lessons on the correct hand signals to use while flying, you'll be taught basic body positioning, and then fly.
You can throw a party here--no matter what the age of the guests, iFLY has a party room and a wicked awesome flying tunnel for you and your guests to enjoy.
You and your company can hold a corporate retreat here and use the wind tunnel for team building exercises. There's a large conference room available for experiences like this.
You've gone skydiving before and you're ready to perfect your flying abilities, the instructors will actively work with you to achieve your goals.
Get in touch with iFLY if you don't fit neatly into one of these boxes...we're pretty sure they'll work with you on what you're interested in doing: info@iFLYseattle.com

A view from outside the tunnel and the seating area around the fly zone

Things To Know:

Ages 3-93 are welcome to fly
The first flight session is $60; after that it's $50 per session
There's plenty of space and seating to watch the fliers soar
If you're curious about the place, head on over to check it out and watch some other fliers in action
Find out what flying's really like

Such an adrenaline rush! You have got to try indoor skydiving for yourself! http://www.iflyseattle.com/

Learn all about our flying experience HERE

See you in the sky!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

October -- Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm -- Snohomish, WA

2011-10-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Finding Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm
Over the last couple of weeks we've been looking for the best pumpkin patch around to find this year's Halloween pumpkin. We've looked all over, and found what we believe to be the holy grail, not just for pumpkins, but all harvest time festivities--Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm a place to go rain or shine.
Bob's Corn is located just beyond Woodinville and only 30 minutes northeast of Seattle. The farm has everything you can imagine a fun country setting having, and more...roasted sweet corn, a giant corn maze, pumpkin patches, hay rides, cow-train rides (where a tractor pulls trackless train cars that are in the shape of cows--not just for kids)...and trust us, this is only the beginning. We met with Bob, the 4th generation owner of the farm, and got the complete tour of this agri-tainment operation. (Agri-tainment: that's agriculture/entertainment mixed together--the word was new to us too.)

Welcome to Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm--here you'll find pumpkins and more pumpkins; take your pick!

Arriving at the Farm
When we got to the farm, we checked in at the Country Store, located just up from the kettle corn stand that you'll see when you enter. The first surprise you will encounter is that there is NO admission charge! Prepare to be surrounded by wholesome goodness--it'll be hard to decide what to get first. Should you buy some of those fresh pears and Honeycrisp apples you saw on your way in, the barbecue sauce or peach syrup for sale on the shelves, or if you should purchase the tickets for the corn maze?...

The Country Store, located in an old calving barn that was built in the late 1800s

Take Your Time

Here's our advice, don't feel like you need to be in any kind of a rush; take in the country atmosphere, check out the cow train and the roasted corn being made, and then go find your pumpkin or have an adventure through the corn maze. Look for the playground on the hill, with the incredible view of Lord Hill and stop off at the concession stand for a roasted peach dessert with ice cream on top (this is by far our new favorite dessert!)

Enjoying roasted corn with the choice of regular, garlic, or jalapeno butter--yum

Headed to the Pumpkin Patch and Maze

When you are ready to venture to the 8-acre pumpkin patch or the maze, you'll get to board a hay ride, yes a hay ride (and it's free!). They have huge tractors that pull these hay wagons around, don't worry, there's plenty of space for everyone.

The giant John Deer tractor pulling the covered wagon hay ride

The Maze

Once aboard you'll be on your way to the maze and pumpkin patch. Bob told us that the corn maze's elaborate design was created with nothing more than a 200ft tape measure and marking posts. While some farms use GPS systems to find their way to create their design, this one was made purely using human imagination and excellent follow through. The maze's shape this year is of a medieval castle.

Take note, that something unique about this farm is you can rent fire pits in the maze and have bonfire with a group of 2-80 people. Bring your own s'more equipment or get it from the farm when you get there--you can hang out at the bonfire until midnight. Check out more details here: http://www.bobscorn.com/bobs-corn-bonfires-firepits.htm.

The aerial view of this year's corn maze--a medieval castle! Learn more about the maze: http://www.bobscorn.com/bobs-corn-corn-maze.htm

The Valley

Also, on the hay ride, you may notice a couple of ponds that are in the same valley as the crops being grown. We learned from Bob, that during the winter months this whole valley floods with water from the Snohomish River--the water rises as high as 17 feet. When we heard him say this, we responded with, "Oh no!" Bob smiled and said that they welcome the flood because it brings all kinds of new minerals into the ground, enriching the soil, and we personally believe that this probably brings out some of the best corn and pumpkins around. When we asked Bob if he ever takes a boat out onto his winter flood lake, his responded with, "Definitely."

The valley next to the Snohomish River: The hay ride's end point and the beginning of pumpkins galore and the entrance to the maze

The History of the Farm

Bob's great-grandparents homesteaded this land in Snohomish, WA in the 1880s. In the 1960s, the 500 acres of land became a dairy farm with over 225 cows that were milked 3 times each day. Bob started selling sweet corn as a kid in the 1980s--as he puts it, "Some kids sell lemonade, well, I sold corn." And he did pretty well. In 2001 the farm made a transition from dairy farm to pumpkin patch and corn maze, and officially got into the agritainment business. Since then Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm's popularity has exploded with more and more visitors every October.

This is a true family run business. During the other 11 months of the year, Bob and his family are prepping for the upcoming October visitors--they are determined to give you the best possible experience. Not only do they go the extra mile to bring you a great time, they go miles beyond. The farm's motto is, "Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm, where family memories grow." Bob says, "This is your farm--bring your kids."

Everything said here is true, we'd only like to add...this is not only a place for kids and families, but a place for couples, friends, seniors--everyone is bound to have a memorable time here.

The October sunshine high above the corn fields

Making It a Tradition

After finding the perfect pumpkin for us (the funkiest looking pumpkin is our favorite kind) we headed back to the Country Store for some fresh apple cider and found out that the store is open year round. We plan on making this our resource for fresh seasonal fruits and veggies throughout the year and the maze and pumpkin patch an annual tradition every October.

The view out from the Country Store; crates and crates full of fresh produce

Head on out to this one-of-a-kind local business any day in the next few weeks before Halloween--they're open every day, with extended hours over the weekends and get ready for fun http://www.bobscorn.com/.

Things To Know:

This is place to go rain or shine thanks to the covered eating areas
Free admission!
There's plenty of parking, including handicap parking near the Country Store
There will be greeters to help you figure out where to go when you arrive
Feel free to ask the staff any questions you may have, they're extremely helpful
There's a free playground for the kids with a stellar view of the valley
You can get roasted apples, pears, and corn at the concession stand...
There you are: Have a great country adventure

There's so much to enjoy at Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm!

Thanks Bob for creating an incredible farm!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

News -- iFLY Seattle -- Tukwila, WA

2011-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

We just learned about a brand new amazing facility thanks to Komo 4 News that we're really excited to try out (http://www.komonews.com/living/travel-outdoors/128045193.html).

The place is called iFLY, and they offer the incredible experience of flying, that usually gets through skydiving or paragliding, without the same risk or the cost. iFLY is an indoor skydiving facility which allows them to operate using a huge wind tunnel that channels air vertically skyward giving you a zero gravity effect http://www.iflyseattle.com.

Take a look at this video to learn more about it: http://youtu.be/Cxd2imLH3ms

This looks completely AMAZING! We can't wait to try it!

Things to Know:

It's about $60 to go on a flight
The new facility is located in Tukwila near the I-5/I-405 junction
It looks like a lot of fun

We haven't had a chance to check this out yet, but we plan on it and will let you know more when we can!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Water Play -- Lynnwood Pool and Recreation Center -- Lynnwood, WA

2011-10-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

A view of the two water slides from outside of the Lynnwood Recreation Center

Check out the lazy river and the water playground

Having fun on the slide! We seriously went down about 15 times

For more details about the swim schedule visit the City of Lynnwood's Recreation Center website.

Things to Know:

There are seven family locker/changing rooms
There are several showers and tons of lockers in the main bathroom (bring your own lock)
There's a good size six-lane lap pool
3ft kiddie pool and another 1-3ft pool with a water playground
Two water slides, a lazy river, complete with rapids, fountains, and a basketball hoop
You'll find fully outfitted gym and two racquetball courts
Admission is $4.50 for adults, $4.00 for youth (13-18), $3.50 for seniors and kids (2-12), and free for kids under 2 years old.
For addition information visit: http://www.ci.lynnwood.wa.us/Content/Community.aspx?id=193

Looking in on the pool from outside at night; there's a playground outside as well, for nicer days

Believe us when we say, we'll be back!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

News -- Glass Blown Pumpkins -- King 5's Evening Magazine

2011-10-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

It's October and that means it's time to start getting in the harvest time mood. Some people are celebrating in more classic ways, by buying candy and figuring out what costume to wear for the 31st; while others have been experimenting and creating new ways to have fun with yearly traditions, like going pumpkin picking...Tacoma Glass Blowing Studio will be sponsoring 7 "pumpkin patches" in the Seattle area with real glass blown pumpkins this year.
In the last 10 months, the studio has produced over 6000 unique glass blown pumpkins. Kim Holcomb from Evening Magazine reports:

Watch this to learn more about the artistically created glass blown pumpkins that are becoming the new craze in Seattle

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to an amazing organization called, Kidstown International, which helps supply at-risk or orphaned youth in Romania, Nepal, and India with some of the basic necessities of life. http://www.kidstowninternational.org/.

Where to Find Upcoming Pumpkin Patches:

Sat. Oct. 8th 9-2pm Issaquah's Pickering Barn (1730 10th Ave. NW Issaquah, WA 98027)
Sat. Oct. 15th 9-4pm Tacoma's Pagada at Point Defiance (5400 N. Pearl St. Tacoma, WA 98407)
Sat. Oct. 22nd 9-4pm Bellevue's Northwest Art Center (9825 NE 24th St. Bellevue, WA 98407)
Sat. Oct. 29th 9-4pm Puyallup's Pioneer Park Pavilion (330 S. Meridian Puyallup, WA 98371)
Sat. Nov. 5th 9-4pm Olympia's Port of Olympia Plaza (704 Columbia St. NW Olympia, WA 98501)

Thank you Tacoma Glass Blowing Studio for this amazing art!
http://www.tacomaglassblowing.com/
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

News -- Autumn Loop Drive -- Seattle Times Newspaper

2011-10-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the story by Brian J. Cantwell, from the Seattle Times, we learned about the Chinook Pass/White Pass Autumn Loop Drive in the Mt. Rainier National Park. We're looking forward to checking this out this fall.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2016345603_trsouthcascades02.html

The scenery looks absolutely beautiful--prepare for autumn leaf colors and panoramic mountain vistas. Check it out this weekend and send us your experiences and photos.
We'd love to post them!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Small Town Destination -- Leavenworth/Peshastin, WA

2011-09-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Bratwurst, Hefeweizen, chocolate, pretzels, cheese---fondue cheese...wine, pears, apples--apple cider...are your taste buds watering yet? After you enjoy your delicious German beer and pretzel, why not follow that up with some good German dancing, music, and a carriage ride--'Leavenworth, the Bavarian village smack dab in the middle of the Cascade Mountains'. Odd, yet super cool at the same time!

German dancing and music taking place in downtown Leavenworth

We visited just last weekend during Leavenworth's Autumn Leaf Festival weekend and saw a big parade, that included marching bands from all over Western Washington, as well as an amazing magic show performed by Bruce Meyers. He honestly made a table fly--no joke! I'm still racking my brain to figure out how he did it...http://www.brucemeyers.com/
We camped at the 'Eight-Mile Campground', just about 8 miles or so out of town (go figure). It was $16 per night for a nice camping pad, picnic table, fire pit, and restrooms not far away (take note that there are no showers here). It was great to be in the middle of the woods, tucked into the mountains, and to hear nothing but a rushing river in the background.
During our weekend stay, we were struck most by the beauty of the mountains that encompass the village. We were drawn to them, and couldn't help but climb up the slopes to get the next panoramic view.

The view on the drive up to the 'Eight-Mile Lake' hike

The first morning there, we got coffee at O' Grady's Pantry and Mercantile on our way back into town from the campsite. There's a fabulous organic garden that belongs to the Sleeping Lady Resort just behind the shop, which is open to the public. From the garden, take a look up at the mountains and see if you can find the shape of the 'Sleeping Lady'. The peaks of the mountains come together here to form what really does look like a lady with long sweeping hair, sleeping soundly at the top.

(Something Fun: Look for Elvis on your way to the garden. You'll know what we mean when you get there.)

From the organic garden you can see part of the 'Sleeping Lady' on the right side

The shops in town are great as well--there are tons of restaurants to choose from...there's a hat shop and an entire store devoted to nutcrackers (I've never seen so many in my life!). Two of our favorite places were the Munchen Haus--they've got a good beer selection and delicious pretzels, and the Cheesemonger's Shop. The Cheesemonger will let you taste any kind of cheese you like from their extensive selection (we love free samples!). They've got great service and the workers are extremely helpful. http://www.cheesemongersshop.com/

The Munchen Haus has great pretzels served with hot cheese--one of our favorite spots

If you find yourself getting a little overwhelmed with the Bavarian themed world you've just stepped into, drive about 10 minutes SE to Peshastin, WA. This is an adorable town filled with apple trees, pear trees, and vineyards. The river flows through the town making it more than picturesque. This is a great place for wine tasting. We fancy the "Just Peachy" and the "Three Blondes" wines at the Icicle Ridge Winery http://www.icicleridgewinery.com. Also, there's a little tavern in town that offers $1 PBR beers every time the train passes by, just for something different.

Grapes growing in a vineyard at Icicle Ridge Winery in Peshastin, just outside Leavenworth

Things to Know:

Leavenworth is about 2 hours East of Seattle
Beautiful at all times of the year--skiing in the winter; hiking/floating the river in the summer
Many campgrounds to choose from, especially up Icicle Creek Rd. just off Highway 2
Loads of festivals and activities happening throughout the year http://www.leavenworth.org/
Lots of free parking in the town; the trick is finding a spot on a busy weekend

The gazebo in downtown Leavenworth surrounded by flowers and Autumn Leaf Festival decorations

This blog post just scratches the surface of all the fun and interesting things you can do in in the town. Let us know what you think is the best part of your small town adventure on your next visit to Leavenworth.

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond