Kayaking the San Juans

Kathryn and I headed to the San Juan Islands for the day to go kayaking and I was amazed at how beautiful the area was! 

We both had fun out on the water...although I think we both agree that we would have enjoyed ourselves just staring out across the water to the other islands or taking pictures rather than struggling to keep up with the fast pace of the tour we were on. 

I loved that San Juan Island's coast featured awesome rockery and trees with beautiful peeling bark.  We also explored an area called Smuggler's Cove where alcohol was imported from Canada to the U.S. during the Prohibition era (who knew there was so much history to the San Juans?). 

Floating among the kelp beds, I tried a bite of the stiff seaweed like substance and learned that it is a main component of many products we use daily (like toothpaste!). 

All in all, the day was absolutely beautiful and it was fun to not only explore the  island, but also enjoy the ferry ride around the other islands. 

Talking to our guide (whose family had been San Juan Islanders since the 1800s or something like that) made me think about odd it would be to live on an island.  Granted it is a fairly populated island and is close to other cities, but it seems like such a weird concept to rely on a ferry as a lifeline to the rest of the world.  Maybe I will stick to just visiting the Islands for now. :)

SUP is what's up.

Congratulations SUP.  You win.  I would always see people stand-up paddelboarding when I was at Gas Works or at Golden Gardens and think it looked like such a calming, fun experience.  Little did I know, until I tried it with my friend Hang. 

We probably picked one of the brightest, sunniest days of the summer, which made the experience that much better. 

Hang seemed to be a natural and didn't fall in once.  I on the other hand struggled to feel comfortable just tooling around on my knees.  It was so hard to keep balanced with the waves!  It wasn't until nearly the end of our 2-hour session that I took the plunge (literally) and tried actually standing up on my paddleboard.  Once you get the feel, it was pretty fun, but I still struggled to feel super comfortable without my lower kneeling paddleboarding position.  After falling into the water about 4 times, I decided to stick to my knees to make it back to the shore.  I must say that the instructor was a pro, though, at snapping at least 1 picture where it looked like I knew what I was doing. :)

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

My parents and I headed to the shadow of Mt. Rainier to hop aboard the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad in Elbe, WA.  Although it was an early morning, it was so much fun to ride the steam-powered train (and hear the sound of the train whistle!), which took us to and from Mineral Lake.  In the past when I have visited Mt. Rainier, I have seen the area as a hiker, but it was interesting to see that area by venturing on the tracks through people's backyards (one which featured tons of metal figurines and sculptures). 

After our ride, we had lunch in an old railcar that made almost everything they served from scratch.  Although the place was a bit pricey, the food was good...and who wouldn't love eating a meal in an old train car for an experience?).   

Although I should have gotten home to study for my upcoming CPA test, we drove through Mt. Rainier National Park.  At Paradise at the top of the mountain, clouds covered our view of the mountain, but once we headed down the back side of the mountain we were able to get straight shots of Rainier in all its glory. 

The trip was not complete without a stop at Black Diamond Bakery...I think they have the best baked goods I have ever tasted.  Maybe I am exaggerating, but I don't think so.

I think my mom summed up the day nicely when she said she felt as though she had taken a weekend vacation even though we were just gone for the day.  Lesson learned: I love a good steam-powered train and the PNW is indeed a beautiful place to be.