Posts in the Adventures
Travel: Vancouver Island (Victoria to Nanoose Bay)

We spent the long Thanksgiving weekend in Vancouver Island, a destination we have talked and even planned of visiting for years yet never seemed to carve out the time it takes to travel there.  I am so glad we made the time for this holiday adventure.  Not only was it a special time to spend with our dear friends from residency, it was also great to see this amazingly beautiful part of the globe.

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Day Trip: Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum, WA

This past weekend we spent Saturday at Suncadia Resort.  It is one of our favorite day trip destinations, and this time of year it is particularly lovely. We love going to the resort's Harvest Festival to spend a sunny afternoon getting lost in the hay maze, swinging on the rope swing, and just enjoying the festiveness of the season.  It was great fun to share our annual trip to the Harvest Festival with David's parents this year.  We all had a rejuvenating day away from the city and, as you can see in the below pictures, the boys are pretty smitten with their Mia and Popi.

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Day Trip: Apple Picking at Bellewood Acres, Bellingham

This past Sunday, we made our annual trip up to Bellewood Acres for apple picking with dear friends. The weather was perfect- sunny and warm in the sun, cool in the shade.  The children loved playing on the old tires and in the wagons as much, or maybe more, than picking apples.  We chose to walk out to the orchards this year rather than ride in the tractor and Rigby appreciated the stroll as a chance to fall sleep.

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Travel: Methow Valley, Washington

Pardon me while I revisit one of my favorite memories and share it for the first time here with you.  Last summer, we travelled to the Methow Valley in Eastern Washington, just the three of us (well, Rigby was technically with us, but we didn't know that for most of the trip).  It was a trip that we all needed, one that allowed us to recharge and to just be with each other in a stunning landscape.

We rented a two bedroom cabin from River's Edge Resort in Winthrop.  The cabin overlooked the Chewuch River and had a hot tub on the back deck which Jack could not get enough of.  David enjoyed sneaking out early in the mornings to start his day with fly fishing in our backyard.  And, the deer were abundant on the property.  They not only played in the river, they walked right up to the cabin porches to say hello.

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Sleeping Lady Harvest Dinner

I first discovered Sleeping Lady Resort when Jack and I joined David for his general surgery retreat during his first year of post-graduate training. It is a blissful place tucked into the Cascade Mountains along the Icicle River, just outside of Leavenworth, just a few hours from Seattle. The serenity is amazing, but the thing that stood out the most during our visit was the amazing food being served at the resort. Many of the room packages include a buffet-style breakfast and dinner at the resort's Kingfisher Restaurant and, while I am not typically too excited for buffets, I was wowed by the amazing quality and attention placed on the food here.  On the resort property is a two acre organic garden where much of the produce and herbs used in the resort's restaurants are grown.  The farmers use both natural fertilizers, crop rotation, and environmentally beneficial insects like bees and ladybugs to maintain a healthy and sustainable garden.  And, it is quite clear from observing the daily work in the garden and talking with staff about it, that it is quite the pride of Sleeping Lady.  The culinary team visits the garden daily to harvest fresh ingredients and to plan for the resort's daily changing menus.

When I was graciously presented with the opportunity to attend the late summer Harvest Dinner in Sleeping Lady's organic garden, I, understandably, jumped at the chance!  Not only do I respect the work of Sleeping Lady's culinary team, I've always wanted to dine at an outdoor farm dinner like the beautiful ones hosted by Outstanding in the Field. The Harvest Dinner seemed like a perfect way to have the experience of dining in celebration of the chef, the farmer, and the land, yet without the tremendous cost.

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