Per usual, January flew by. It seems like it does that every year. It was chock-full of adventures that we had been itching for, and I’m hoping that February and March will rival it since we only have about 7 more weeks left in the Pacific northwest.
The obligatory New Year’s pic. And thanks to the fog, you can only see the glow of the fireworks shooting off from the Space Needle.
We had some good friends come visit for a few days at the beginning of January, which kick-started our year the right way. We went snow-shoeing on Mt. Rainier and waved at Mount St. Helens from our spot. We also dusted off our snow gear (rather, Josh did while I bought my first pair of boots and skis!) and dabbled a little in winter sport. Before we got to Seattle we decided that one of the must-do’s was to eat in the Space Needle. If you want to eat at night, you have to make reservations 3 months in advance. But lunch on the other hand…now we’re talking. Seattle is usually covered by a grey cloud, but our Texan friends brought the sunshine with them, which made for great views. So, for anyone wondering, keep your extra change, and eat in the Space Needle during lunch. If it’s a clear day, you can’t beat the views!
Our snow shoe view :) And Mount St. Helens is in the middle of the pic after the first mountain range…no explosions today!
Snow shoeing our way back down Rainier
It’s amazing what you can see on a clear day!
Space Needle lunch, which happened to be delicious!
And views from the top
Josh’s schedule hasn’t been as lenient up here as it was in Texas, so getting several days off in a row has been a little more difficult. However, when he does, we use it! The great thing about Seattle is that it’s pretty central to a lot of other great locations. We went to Portland for a few days to visit some breweries and experience the local food hype. It was such an interesting city, because every place we went, people seemed to be very passionate about their work. Walked into an REI and the associates were eager to show you the best camping or hiking gear. Walked into an ice cream shop and the professional scooper wanted us to try all the flavors (and we did) while he told us about the process. It was so refreshing. I encourage you to visit Portland if you get the chance 1) because it’s beautiful and 2) because the food is so darn fantastic! They make even a basic meal taste heavenly. No food chains allowed (but they aren’t really necessary anyway).
Again, such a beautiful area of the country!
Waterfalls about 30 minutes outside of Portland
Columbia River Gorge
This past weekend, Josh and I pulled out our passports and drove over the Canadian border to Vancouver. We hiked through a beautiful forest with more waterfalls and wandered through the local market to see how it compared to Seattle’s. It was definitely a fun diversion. For some reason this trip seemed more legit just knowing we were in another country, even though the only difference was the currency. Still exciting, though.
Canadian waterfalls are colder than American waterfalls
The best chocolatey dessert ever! Found in the Granville Market.
Vancouver from the sea
Vancouver from the beach
So, as you can see, we have been putting some mileage on our cars and keeping busy. There are always things to do and places to go in these here parts, which makes it such an exciting place to live. I have an inkling that February will be just as fantastic. It looks like we’ll be able to get in at least one day of skiing every week (and now that I have had lessons, hopefully I won’t be rolling down anymore Black Diamonds). We are already planning two more trips, and I have some pretty spectacular friends who are coming for a visit at the end of the month (and I can hardly contain my excitement for the much-needed girl time). So long, January. You were cool, but February might put you in your place!
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