Well, we are officially in the throes of fall, even though there is still very little sign of the season here in Santa Barbara. I keep hoping though, and am confident that the month of October will bring the cooler weather (and rain! Please, rain!) that we’ve been waiting for.
But I can’t complain too much. I did get a leeeetle taste of the change in season a few weeks ago when we headed up to Washington to see one of my dearest friends get married. Leslie and I have been close since we both uprooted from our home state of California and headed out to experience living the island life in Hawaii. Although we never knew each other until we lived there, we quickly bonded over our love for doing anything and everything active outdoors. Through many moves and many states, we’ve stayed in touch and, let me tell you, it is very rare that I tear up at a wedding, but I just couldn’t help it when I watched this beautiful soul walk down the aisle <3 [P.S. She has a pretty cool blog too. Do yourself a favor and check out Forever Stoked.]
So not only did I get to be a part of a super special day, and not only did I get to experience a little bit of fall weather, but I also got to check out a town I’d never been to before. Leavenworth, WA is about 2.5 hours outside of Seattle, and is just the cutest little town you ever did see. All my Santa Barbara peeps (and I’m sure some others of you) know our cute little neighbor Danish town of Solvang? Well, Leavenworth was actually modeled after Solvang. A little Bavarian hideaway tucked into the side of the mountains. Very “Sound of Music”-esque and more than once I was sure Julie Andrews would emerge singing “The Hills Are Alive.” [Just letting my musical geek flag fly there for a second.]
Anyhow, back on track. We didn’t get to Leavenworth until late Friday night, so we had to save our exploring for Saturday morning. But first of all, even in the dark, we could tell our hotel (The Bavarian Lodge) was super cute.
After a super lovely mountainside morning yoga sesh with the bride-to-be, we set out to explore. Chris had already picked up some delicious Bavarian pastries for us to snack on for breakfast, so we decided to snoop around “downtown” a bit until we worked up an appetite again. We managed to find a fudge shop, a tasting room and a nutcracker store before we ended up at the local downtown beer garden. Of course we had to try the brats and local brews, and then stop at another Bavarian bakery for a pretzel the size of my face to take home as a late night snack. Yea, we don’t travel by our stomachs at all 😉
The wedding was at the groom’s parents’ house, and it was just amazing. Soooo cute. I had every ambition to take more photos than I did but the emotion of the evening caught up to me and I really wanted to just be in the moment. It’s important to know when to step away from behind the lens!
The next morning we hit the road early (after stopping at the cheese shop because, well, road trip snacks!) and made the trek to Seattle. Let me tell you, that was one road trip I did not mind. Talk about breathtaking scenery! Our flight didn’t leave until later Sunday evening, and when we were talking about how we wanted to kill the time, both of us really wanted to check out Pike Place Market. (Again, we don’t travel by our stomachs or anything.) We had a great time cruising the stalls and ate plenty of delicious food before we had to catch the plane back to California.
It was a quick trip, but I strongly believe that any exploring is better than none! I’m so glad that we were able to make it for my girl’s wedding and as a bonus we were able to see and do some pretty cool things.
What places are you dying to check out for your next weekend getaway? I’d love to hear!
Leslie Schipper
Aww this was so fun to read! It’s great to see a different perspective to the weekend and what a traveler see’s in Leavenworth since I am there so often! You hit up all the right spots that’s for sure. It meant so much to have you and Chris there. <3 Can't wait to attend yours next summer!!!
robinterry1
Aw thanks Leslie! It was such a fun weekend and I loved being a part of your special day! XOXO