Overnight Backpacking Trip to Spectacle Lake

Spectacle Lake is a beautiful lake located in the eastern cascades.  The hike itself starts at the Pete Lake Trailhead.  Along the way, you pass Pete lake, take note of the varieties of wild mushrooms, ford a knee high, ice-cold stream, and trek steep switchbacks through forest lands recently scorched by wild fires.  On a warm September day, with our packs on our backs, we trekked the 11 miles to Spectacle Lake in about 5 hours.  We savored the mac-n-cheese and sipped wine from our wine bag.  Feet sore, hips and shoulders bruised, we welcomed an early bedtime.  In the morning, we made the 11 mile trek back to the car.  This trip was invigorating, exhausting, and educational.  There's no better way to get away from the triviality of everyday life, than hiking to the middle of no where to hear nothing and to see everything.  It is there that you realize what really matters.

Hike to Lake Serene

The destination of one of our hikes this summer, was Lake Serene.  It is a steep, 7.2 mile hike up to a beautiful and frigid mountain lake.  The trail is located off of Highway 2, and is definitely worth the hard work.  There are fantastic views, waterfalls, and dense vegetation.

A Rosemary Cocktail

We found this cocktail on a blog, Cup of Jo, and we decided to give it a try.  We found it delicious and refreshing.  The secret is rosemary simple syrup.  You make this by boiling a cup of sugar into a cup of water along with some fresh rosemary leaves.  Mix some lemon juice, about a cup of vodka or gin, and the rosemary simple syrup with a bottle of Prosecco.  Serve cold and enjoy.

A Rustic Retreat

This rural retreat is perfect for those who love being in and a part of nature.  Photos from Dwell.

Fresh Vegan Blueberry Pie

After going to a U-pick blueberry farm, we couldn't think of a better way to use the berries than to make a blue berry pie.  We used our usual vegan crust recipe, and added blueberries, mixed with some lemon juice, flour, and sugar.

A Typical Saturday Night

On Saturday nights, we like to play a game of Scrabble and listen to our favorite Saturday night radio program: KUOW's The Swing Years and Beyond.  If you live in the Seattle area, tune into 94.9FM on Saturdays between 7pm and 12am.  The host, Amanda Wilde, will play a mix of Jazz, swing, ballads, blues, showtunes and bebop showcases.

Clamming

Our good friends JoEllen and Jeremy took us clamming a few weekends ago.  We headed out to Willapa Bay early in the morning and slogged around in the exposed bay floor.  It took some time to figure out the best technique to find the clams, but once we did, we all caught our limit.  We went home, steamed our clams in butter, white wine, and garlic and ate until we couldn't eat any more.

Urban Gardens - Making it Work

In a Brooklyn apartment, there are people making it work.  Their tiny garden contains hundreds of plants.  Click here for the NYTimes article.

Our new car...

A couple of weekends ago, we traded in our old car for a brand new 2012 Subaru Forester.  It strikes a balance between functionality and adventure.  We love all the features that make it ideal for any outdoor excursion and the luxuries that make city driving enjoyable.  It's our perfect car.

A Hemlock Treehouse

Check out this egg-shaped treehouse, featured in Dwell.

Hollywood Bungalow

This Hollywood Bungalow from Dwell has lovely wood details with lots of natural light.

Portland, Oregon - Day 3

On our last day in Portland, we decided to eat brunch at Jam on Hawthorn.  The thirty minute wait was worth it!  We had hash browns with vegetables and tofu on top and a chai pancake.  To say the least, the meal was wonderful!  Our last hours in Portland were filled with photo-booths and shop-browsing.  Our much needed getaway was both relaxing and exciting.  We can't wait to do it again!