I am a planner at heart and when someone suggests a place to visit, I always write it down in my iPhone notes and then copy it later into my travel planner. I have pages of restaurants to try, stores to visit and scenic drives to take. Since I blog about delight, people I meet feel compelled to tell me what their favorite places are and I am grateful.
I had written "Chuckanut Drive" down in several places and thankfully, that is not a name you forget. We were on a drive toward Bellingham when I recognized it immediately on local signs and insisted we add it to our route before the sun set. Described as the only place where the Cascade Mountains reach the sea, this view above shows a lookout over Samish Bay and shows some of the San Juan Islands in the distance. Bellingham is about 1 1/2 hours north of Seattle and is a great road trip when the sun is out. We had a beautiful Saturday and knew we needed to take advantage of the rain break.
There are several turnout areas to stop and enjoy the view. I will definitely plan a return when it is warm enough to enjoy a picnic outside. The vistas are very Pacific Northwest and exactly what we are looking for. Thanks Bellingham!
#pnw #scenicdrive #washington #seattleblogger #momentsofdelight #followthesun
I swear this is real. I got out of the car in the parking lot of the Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint and took this photo on my iPhone. That is how beautiful it is, plain and simple. The blue sky and strategically placed clouds didn't hurt, but all the credit goes to Mother Nature.
We had spent 2 great days in Portland and Dan wanted to drive along the Historic Columbia River Highway before we started back toward Seattle.
We must have entered the route on exit 22, because one of the first options was to stop at this lookout.
It stands out as one of the best views I've seen in a long time and I hope to return and have a picnic in this general area, perhaps at the next turn out called Crown Point (featuring Vista House). I could look at this view for a very long time. And remember, this is a mere 45 minutes outside of Portland.
To me, this looks just like the television show, Northern Exposure. You see it too, right? In reality, it is the popular "weekend getaway" destination La Conner, Washington. As we walked around the town we had the feeling that we had been there before. For my Michigan readers, it is a Suttons Bay of the Pacific Northwest.
A friend in Seattle recommended that since we were heading on a daytrip to the Skagit Tulip Festival, we should see the tulips and then go West on WA20 and drive around the perimeter of Fidalgo Island and then south WA20 through Deception Pass State Park (which has saltwater and freshwater shoreline!), over Deception Pass (the bridge) and across to the Whidbey Island to the Clinton - Mukilteo ferry crossing to head back to Seattle.
Others had mentioned that La Conner was a great little town to have lunch. We combined the two suggestions and found an outside table at La Conner Waterfront Cafe where we could enjoy the sunny day and have some fresh fish and chips. Truth be told, the cafe was overwhelmed by the "tulip traffic," so it wasn't ideal, but we enjoyed our very very long lunch on this outdoor patio that was right on the Swinomish Channel.
Spring is just beginning to wake up this little town - I can only imagine how picturesque it will be when summer is in full swing. Be prepared to hold hands and spend an afternoon wandering past the art galleries and resort shops.
It's not every day that your burrito comes with a side of tranquility. Yes, there was music and a happy crowd lining up and filling up Aqua Verde on Friday night, but all the while the view stayed the same. Look at these gorgeous shades of gray/green on Portage Bay.
When we arrived we put our name on the list, ordered chips and margaritas and made our way to the self-serve salsa cart (see below) and then walked out onto the back deck and found a place to lean and have our drink and chips.
Salsa Verde: "Fresh and Mild"; tomatillo, cilantro, avocado and onion
Chipotle: "Smokey and Sweet"; chipotle chile, tomatillo, cilantro and onion
Diablito: "Hot and Spicy"; roasted jalapeño and tomato
Over the course of the meal, I feel like I personally ate a cup of the Salsa Verde - I just couldn't get enough of it. We sat on the open deck, looked at the marina and enjoyed the fresh air. It wasn't long before we were buzzed and we were happy to get a table on the semi-enclosed deck overlooking the water.
We split the Camarones (sautéed shrimp, cabbage, pinto beans, rice, avocado sauce in a flour tortilla) and the Mariscos (Alaskan cod & shrimp wrapped in flour tortillas with a creamy chipotle sauce & topped with green onions). Both were delicious and quite rich. I know that we will come back again and again. It won't be long before I am craving that salsa verde!
What a view! I have been in Seattle for almost a week now and it is mind-boggling how much I still have on my "must see" list. I haven't been to an area this chock full of fun in a long time.
I owe my first successful week to an old friend who used to live here (her list of recommendations has my head swimming...and I intend to do it all!) and a new friend (who heard through a mutual friend that I was visiting Seattle and generously offered to meet up with me) - these two women have made a huge difference in my acclimation.
I normally blog daily, but I have been doing so much in a day that I haven't had time to write as things happen and now I don't know where to begin! I've seen so much already that I could sit down this Monday and write posts all the way to April 30th. I will do my best to keep a consistent schedule, but you might just see 3 posts go up in one day! Palm Sunday (13th) will be spent at a local Tulip Festival (I know!), so look forward to some flower-filled posts next week.
Now back to that VIEW! My new friend, Kathy was sure that I should see this view in the daylight before we made our way to the wharf for dinner. The vantage point is a place called Kerry Park on Highland Drive. There is parking on both sides of this residential street and though limited, there seemed to be a yin yang to the pace of sightseers coming and going. You must fit this into your trip - how often can you take a postcard-worthy shot? Many of you will recognize this vista from the television show, Grey's Anatomy.
I felt lucky that I could capture Mount Rainier in this landscape the first time I tried. I am told that cloud cover keeps her hidden much of the time and Dan swears he has only seen it a handful of times in the rain-filled weeks he traveled out here before I arrived. It was definitely the night to capture the skyline.
This was the first of many good moments in Seattle - stay tuned.
