{Travel} The Northwest

Since we're moving to Indiana in the fall, we decided that we needed to take advantage of our limited-time close proximity to the Northwest.  We also decided to try a different way of vacationing: no planning.  We simply booked flights, picked our first night hotel, and then decided to see where we ended up.  (We did have a tentative plan of doing the Oregon coast and maybe go as far south as Portland, but we felt no obligation to do so if we fell in love with Seattle, where we started.)

We stayed at the Moore hotel, built in 1907 or something.  It had a lot of character, each floor being decorated with a different patterned carpet and having a beautiful stained glass fireplace.

We began our day in Seattle at Pike Place and the famous gum wall.  

My first nectarine of the season

Our gum is in there somewhere.

For some reason I can't find the words to describe why I think this sign is so funny...

The anniversary gift Preston gave me was an afternoon at Chihuly Garden and Glass.  I love Dale Chihuly's work, and what better place to see it than the corner of the world where he found so much inspiration.

  

Since we hadn't had pizza for like 3 days (we eat way too much pizza) we stopped by Bambino's. This pizza was probably some of the best I have ever had.  Ever.  It had bacon.  I know.  Nuff said.

Part of my anniversary gift to Preston was attending a Mariners game.  Guys, he very, very nearly caught a foul ball.  Just 2 more inches...

The next day we hopped in a car and headed south for a beautiful drive on the 101.  We had to remind ourselves to not plan anything and just drive, enjoying the beauty as we went without having a destination in mind.  We're usually such planners, but the Washington/Oregon coast just sort of makes you chill out.

"Wha'? You gonna take another picture of me, woman?"

We stopped in Astoria, Oregon for a short afternoon. No, we didn't see the Goonies house.  But we visited the famous column and got our exercise in for the day.

 Oh hey, that expanse of water is nothing but the giant Columbia river.  It was so different to be surrounded by both fresh and salt water, and especially strange to watch the two mix on various beaches.

Apparently deer in Astoria are like squirrels in Central Park.

Ultimately, we decided to settle in Seaside, in a cute hotel called Lanai at the Cove.  We had a room right on the beach, which was so nice for the few hours it rained.  We could sit on our deck and just watch the rain fall and the surfers glide in on the waves.

That first night in Seaside is one of my favorite memories from the whole trip.  Serenity enveloped us as we breathed in the pine, sea salt, and rich soil.  The low tide and overcast skies provided a stunning backdrop for pictures, which we went wild with.

Later that evening we strolled through the adorable downtown of Seaside, where a friendly middle-aged couple directed us to McKeown's restaurant, where they promised we would not be disappointed.  Over our anniversary dinner, we had friends and family text and wish us a happy anniversary and make us feel so loved.

carbonara and Italian sausage.  Mmmm.

Happy 2 year anniversary, babe!

After that first evening, we let ourselves fall right into the landscape around us and spent a beautiful 4 days roaming beaches and forests.  And my curly hair took over.

Preston claims that this s'more, for which he used a white chocolate chunk Chips Ahoy cookie, was the best he's ever had.

Being only 7 miles from Cannon Beach, we more than once drove to Ecola State Park and Haystack Rock to enjoy the outdoors there.

When I think of our trip, I think of

dessert first

baseball

a crackling fire on the beach

s'mores

walks in the rain

surfers

muddy pants

exploring

frizzy hair

holding hands

laughing

pretending we were in Middle Earth

Harry Potter

ESPN

pb & j sandwiches and pink lady apples

misty mountains

the smell of pine

driftwood

cuddling

It was a wonderful vacation, and after our five days in the northwest, we decided we were in one of the most beautiful places on earth.  But I will say this: arriving home and then driving 4 hours north along the I-15 stretch, I realized just how beautiful my home state is. I love this landscape of mountain and valley from the bottom of my heart.