Crystal Mountain: A Gondola Ride to the Tip Top

That is Mount Rainier! We drove to Crystal Mountain with a picnic in a cooler and a camera in hopes of seeing this view! Apparently the clouds are finicky and a clear view of Mount Rainier can be hit or miss, but we got it! 

Ate our lunch at a picnic table at the base of the mountain near the resort ticket window. There were many families and people on dates, but I wouldn't say it was crowded We bought 2 round trip tickets ($23/ea) and rode up Crystal Mountain in this beautiful gondola. The trip is slow and relaxing and you can see such spectacular views.

This is a view from the glass-sided gondola. I wasn't sure if the height would bother me, but I loved it. 

On top of the world! The resort has chairs for visitors to sit on - it was very relaxing and I called my mom on Facetime from here! We got a perfectly clear connection and I could show her the sights from my phone - incredible. There is a neat apre-ski restaurant at the top of the mountain that serves food year round. I would love to eat here someday.

Taking the gondola up Crystal Mountain is an absolute must-do activity if you get the chance. 

Oh, and they sell snacks, drinks and ice cream at the little cafe at the base of the mountain too. I enjoyed a scoop of chocolate ice cream while we sat in chairs and relaxed at the bottom of the mountain too. Win-win.

Tulips in the Valley: A Day Trip for Everyone

I want you to think of a day trip to see the tulips in the Skagit Valley as a perk. If you are within driving distance, you should see it.

It is a wonder of the world - one that happens once a year and gets everyone talking. How could you be within driving distance and not go? It's worth it for the Christmas card photo opportunities alone! In a nutshell, the day consists of driving on paved roads admiring the fields (see the yellow and red rows above) and stopping to take photographs - selfie sticks encouraged.

When you are ready to see the tulips up close and in arranged gardens, head to RoozenGaarde or Tulip Town. Before you leave home, be sure to visit the Skagit Tulip Festival website and print the bloom map so that you know which turns to take through the farmland.

After driving around the area, we parked at RoozenGaarde and had a picnic in our car before heading into the formal gardens. The area does have a snack bar, visitor tent with picnic tables (for shade, cover or warmth, depending on the weather) and porta-pottys. Their gift shop is wonderful and I know that you'll want a memento. Of course, they also have a tulip tent where the bulbs you have admired are available for order.

Could we have had a prettier day? Dan had a vacation day on Good Friday and there was sun in the forecast. Everybody get in the car! My mom has spent the winter out in Washington and she has been talking about seeing the tulip fields in bloom for months. I was so very happy that we had a beautiful day to show off our new part of the country. See my post featuring the daffodils here.

RooseGaarde has formal areas planted around their property (most labelled with the variety) and you can bring camping chairs or a picnic blanket to sit on the open lawn and just soak up the beauty of Spring.

There are beautiful plantings everywhere you look and as you can see, the bulbs are in full swing right now. This is a parrot tulip (below). I love the curled edges and touches of green on the apricot petals.

Grab some friends and insist on a road trip to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington. It will give you the Visual Vitamins TM that you need after a long rainy Winter. 

Seattle Day Trip: Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, Washington

Oktoberfest awaits! And this is the last weekend to celebrate in 2014! Get thee to Leavenworth, Washington.

I had heard that Leavenworth was a "charming Alpine-inspired" town and since it is located about 2 hours East of Seattle, I thought that it could be a fun day trip for us.

Then I read an article by Fodor's Travel choosing Leavenworth's Oktoberfest as one of America's best Oktoberfests. Some of my ancestors are from Germany and the thought of real potato pancakes sealed the deal. Oktoberfest is celebrated the first 3 weekends in October and we were able to visit on opening weekend.

So cute! You can ride in a horse drawn carriage around town. Or...

Have a carb-laden German meal at The Tumwater Restaurant. This is chicken schnitzel with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a side potato pancake. It was satisfying and delicious.

The town itself is beautiful. I read that the town reinvented itself in the 1960's as a way to bring tourists to a struggling town surrounded by mountains. The goal was to rebrand itself into a "bavarian village." What I imagined a pre-planned town to look like is far from the charming area I visited.

From the design of the buildings to the colors of the paint, the town looks like a real alpine village. There are hand-painted murals on the buildings as well as "picture frame" paint around the windows and the flower boxes are brimming with color and texture. Leavenworth, Washington would make any bavarian village proud.

This was one of the large gathering places, a biergarten with long outdoor tables and ping pong. Many of the visitors come to Oktoberfest dressed in German clothing and  I saw at least 75 men (of all ages), proudly wearing Tyrolean hats, complete with pins and feathers. Some of the hats looked as if they had been passed down from their grandfathers.

I didn't go shopping while I was in Leavenworth. The fresh air and beautiful mountains, live music and happy citizens made me want to stay outside.

A final note is this: visit Leavenworth no matter the season. It is a lovely town in a beautiful setting. I only wish I would be in the area a Christmastime. I would like nothing better than to walk around town with a mug of hot cranberry Gluhwein, admiring the lights and decorations. Think of the advent calendars, ornaments and wooden Christmas pyramids...then I would shop!