Just for the fun of it

Happenings 2019

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What were some of my favorite things in 2019?  Did you travel within four hours reach of the Seattle area?  Check out the 19 highlights…

  1. California dreamin (by airplane) – Sonoma, Napa, St Helena, Sacramento, San Francisco, …and Russian River Brewery
  2. Snowmageddon in February in the Puget Sound area
  3. The Konmari Method – Does your ‘stuff’ spark joy?
  4. Poverty Bay Wine Festival in Des Moines, WA – an annual anniversary
  5. Seeing the snow geese in the La Conner, Conway, Mount Vernon area in early-mid March
  6. Eats –  a few new eats in 2019 consisted of the Five Star Cellars wine dinner at the Magestic Hotel in Anacortes, Black Raven Brewery in Redmond, and Resonate Brewery in Bellevue. The Mongolia Wagyu Beef at Baron’s in Bellevue was tasty as well.
  7. Port Townsend – windy Spring day to tour the town, Saturday market, Point Hudson
  8. Seattle Pride Parade fun
  9. Deception Pass and Hellams Vineyard wine/dinner boat cruise via San Juan Cruises
  10. Walk the Cedar River Trail
  11. Pike Place Market – Mee Sum Pastry’s Pork Hom Bow; Sunset Supper in August
  12. Gary Clark Jr at Chateau St Michelle’s Summer Concert Series and Evil Dead the Musical
  13. Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich – so tasty!
  14. Cheering on the Seattle Seahawks, playing fantasy football (4th place in both leagues) and pickem – Go Hawks!
  15. Metallica S&M2 (the performance after the fact) – so fabulous!
  16. Salish Lodge and Snoqualmie Falls –  breakfast, pics of the falls, shopping….one of my favorite places. Includes shopping in the smaller boutiques in Snoqualmie and North Bend
  17. Seattle Sounders win the MLS Cup vs Toronto – Way to Go!
  18. Leavenworth town and tree lighting
  19. Strangelove at Showbox at the Market – love, love, love!

What are you looking forward to in 2020?  I am looking forward to the movie Top Gun/Maverick – oh yeah!

What were your 18 faves for 2018?

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So, this list was skipped at the beginning of the year but now that we’re towards the end of it, what did you do in 2018 that you can recommend?  what did you love? what do you want to do again ‘within 4 hours reach’ of the Puget Sound area?  As I’m a list maker and a scheduler, I can contribute with a list of my own…

  1. Visit The Bay area via airplane, so it counts for this particular list
  2. Check out 21 Acres in Woodinville, your sustainable living heart will love it.  http://21acres.org/
  3. Northwest Flower and Garden Show
  4. Jazz Brunch at Sorrento Hotel in Seattle
  5. Wine Tasting. Poverty Bay Wine Festival.
  6. See ‘Hamilton’ at Paramount Theatre
  7. Did you see your Market Charm or order one?  visit Pike Place Market
  8. Check out live Sumo with Sumo + Sushi
  9. Youth. Equity. Access. to the Arts – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Seattle Symphony, Ciara and Russell Wilson.  And see Candlebox rock their 25th Anniversary tour – oh yeah!
  10. Snoqualmie Falls and Salish Lodge – hike it, pic it, eat it, shop it, massage it, love it
  11. Gig Harbor – visit downtown and walk Sehmel Homestead Park
  12. Walk 18 miles with EverWalk
  13. Seahawks Training Camp. Tailgate.
  14. Notable Restaurant? Meal? Movie? Theater? Concert?  Sporting Event?  Yes, please.  Way to Go Seattle Storm!
  15. Play Croquet in the summer heat
  16. Camano Island waterfront
  17. Autumn Leaf Festival in Leavenworth
  18. Anacortes Bier on the Pier
  19. Extra: the holiday season…put out your outdoor Christmas lights early

Experiencing the holiday season 2018

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Wondering what to check out during the Thanksgiving holiday and last few weeks of November 2018 in the Puget Sound Area? Here are a few ideas for the holiday season:

You may find me at a number of these.

Happy Holidays!

17 for 2017

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What to do in 2017?  Anything that will calm your heart and bring you peace, laughter, and joy.  In other words, Rock it!  Below are 17 options within four hours reach of the Seattle area.

  1. Hike the waterfall trails along the Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byway. It just celebrated its 100-year anniversary.
  2. Try one (1) new restaurant each month of the year
  3. Walk along the sandy, rocky beaches of Dungeness Spit, view lighthouse
  4. Visit and buy from a local farmers market
  5. Whidbey Island…stay at the Inn at Langley #pnw
  6. Attend four (4) fairs or festivals that you didn’t last year
  7. Lake Chelan ~ wine tasting #wawine
  8. Celebrate someone’s 50th – bingo karaoke? sky dive? trip to Paris?
  9. North Cascades Highway ~ the most beautiful place on earth
  10. Take the ‘Mount Rainier’ Gondola at Crystal Mountain ~ think ‘this year’s holiday card photo’
  11. Spa treatment at Whistler BC
  12. Port Ludlow and Fort Worden State Park.  Try the Ludlow Falls Interpretative Trail, Around-the-Bay Trail, Murhut Falls Trail
  13. Go Mariners, Rainiers, Aquasox and Bells!
  14. Visit Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve
  15. Run or walk a 5K or 15K ~ support a cause important to you or your like-minded friends
  16. See La Traviata, Luzia, or other to bring a little culture #hallelujah
  17. Hike the Washington State coast ~ http://www.outdoorproject.com/blog-news/16-best-hikes-washington-coast  #outdoorproject

Summer Guide

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The Seattle Times does a great job of compiling their annual Summer Guide that showcases the many things to do in the Puget Sound area .  Whether it be a favorite picnic spot, weekend-by-weekend events, festivals, concerts, farmers markets, 4th of July events, and more… you’ll be sure to find a variety of fun events that support your local community or are ‘within 4 hours reach’.  Check out the sampling here:  http://www.seattletimes.com/category/summer-guide/

It’s May so Let’s Play

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So many fun things to do in May.

  • SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival, May 19-June 12
  • 18th Annual Camano Island Studio Tour, May 7-8 and May 14-15
  • Savor Spring Food, Wine & Spirit Tour, Camano and Whidbey Islands, May 14-15
  • Ballard Jazz Festival, Seattle (Ballard), May 11-14
  • Windermere Cup Regatta / Opening Day of Boating Season, Seattle, May 7
  • Go to a car show in Monroe or Downtown Everett
  • Penn Cove Water Festival, Coupeville, May 14
  • Nordstrom Beat the Bridge Run/Walk, Seattle, May 15
  • 8th Annual Flower Festival, Pike Place Market, May 7-8
  • 71st annual ’49er Days Celebration, Winthrop, May 7-8
  • Spring Release Weekend, Walla Walla, May 6-8
  • Apple Blossom Festival, Manson, May 13-14
  • Untapped Blues and Brews Festival, Kennewick, May 13-14
  • Play Ball!  Check out a Seattle Mariners game
  • Rhododendron Festival, Port Townsend, May 16-21
  • Artisan Food Festival, Port Townsend, May 28
  • Roots and Vines Festival, Yakima, May 14
  • Northwest Folklife Festrival, Seattle, May 27-30
  • Juan de Fuca Festival, Port Angeles, May 27-30
  • Summerfest, Long Beach, May 28-30
  • See a movie… like Captain America – Civil War
  • and more…

National Park Service Centennial

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Last week was National Park Week.  Did you #FindYourPark?  If so, which one?  Also, it is the National Park Service (NPS) 100th Anniversary this year.  Check out https://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/index.htm for a variety of centennial activities in your area.

http://findyourpark.com/ is not the most user-friendly site but a decent list of parks can be found at the nps.gov site.  Bam!  For WA, the list is located at https://www.nps.gov/state/wa/index.htm ~ so which one will you choose for Spring 2016?

There is a variety of parks and forest within each state…here are some examples for Washington State:

  • City Park – Bellevue Downtown Park
  • County Park  – Ravensdale Park
  • State Park – Deception Pass State Park
  • National Forest – Mt.Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
  • National Park – Olympic National Park
  • and recreation areas, lakes, trials, open spaces, and more…

 

The 1st Full Day of Spring

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It’s the first full day of spring 2016. It’s a mix in the Pacific Northwest…rain, grey skies, and yet the the trees and flowers are budding and blooming.

Did you see that Easter next year will be on April 16th?   But, it is not the latest date on record. http://www.snopes.com/holidays/easter/easterdate.asp

A Spring Verse from http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-2016-vernal-equinox

One swallow does not make a spring.

Bluebirds are a sign of spring; warm weather and gentle south breezes they bring.

In spring, no one thinks of the snow that fell last year.

Don’t say that spring has come until you can put your foot on nine daisies.

Spring-time sweet!
The whole Earth smiles, thy coming to greet.